Bent forks

I am thinking to try bending my forks back into shape and then using 24" mountain bike wheels, only slightly larger than the originals. I have not been able to find replacement forks and a front wheel without sacrificing an entire bike.

Here are the forks, photographed today:

I will seek the opinion of a fitter and turner I know. As I see it, in regular use, they are mostly required to resist flexing in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they have been bent, so perhaps a slight weakening can be lived with. I guess I'll have to keep my eye on them.

Another restoration in Melbourne

I only just found out about this. Where have I seen something like this before?

http://slow-rpm.blogspot.com/p/peugeot-nouveau-style-rebuild-project.html

Above becomes this:

Note the single speed back-pedal brake. I have not seen one of these on an NS-22 before. I wonder where the stickers came from? I must ask....

Pinnacle near Tennant Creek

Perhaps six weeks ago I went out to a spot marked "Pinnacle" on a 1991 1:50000 McDouall Range topographic survey map.  grid refernce is MU037316.

I like this bike, with the warm climate here I don't think the high speed aerodynamics of a crouched-over seating position are such a big deal.  It can carry a pump and a 2.4 litre water bottle, it is tied down with a length of old tyre tube.

Tennant Creek township is about 12km ESE, not visible.

a trip in Central Australia.

I spent the first week of this month with my two kids, they flew into Alice Springs.  I drove my Volvo 240 down there and we stayed one night in Alice Springs, two at Kings Canyon, three at Uluru (Ayers Rock) and another night at Alice Springs.

After I said goodbye I stopped and saw this lizard on the road, maybe it was 15" long:

Then stayed the night at Ormiston Gorge:

I bought the Volvo (made Oct 92) in Sydney in May, it's been good so far.  I drove it to Melbourne, then Adelaide, Tennant Creek - Uluru - Tennant Creek.

Another lizard outside my front door at Tennant Creek:

This one I saw with my kids at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, maybe 8" long:

Tennant Creek

I am once again in the Northern Territory, this time without my NS22.  I did not have time to repair it prior to coming here.

Today I met a man on a bike:   www.bikevsworld.com

I would have been more impressed if he was using an old bike, but each to his own.

In Tennant Creek I have a 1992 Diamondback mountain bike that I bought new.  Recently I replaced the wheels/tyres, chain, brakes, stem/handlebars/gearshifters/brake levers with parts from a 2001 Apollo mountain bike.

...Photos coming soon...

In less than 100km I had three punctures from thorns that are around here.  I have bought and fitted a pair of thorn-resistant tubes, but have not yet reached a verdict on their effectiveness.

Entirely OT, but I met a teacher of English who uses the word "brang" as the past tense of bring.

FYI:

bright red non-folder

This is on ebay.fr tonight, three days to go, asking 75E, no bidders yet.

Groovy colour-co-ordinated panniers...  I have not seen these in Australia, have I???

I don't remember this colour either.

Note it is only single speed.

This one sold in Melbourne today, I thought about getting it, but I thought the price was a bit steep for no gears, guards or racks:

I'd really like to find one in shocking condition but with a front wheel and forks.  A back wheel would also be handy, mine is a little buckled.

Steering geometry lesson...

Trail is explained at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry#Trail

Here it is with a mountain bike (26") front wheel and forks:

The steering is no good, any attempt to use no hands and it turns sharply to one side.  Increasing the trail this much does not make it to my liking.  Compare with the original front wheel:<P>

I wonder if the rear dropouts could be extended and then fit in a 26" wheel at the back?