In the department of other, neglected repairs [bicycling]

[rebeccmeister]

I've got a Jolly Roger dilemma.

I believe I eventually wound up using a random L-bracket, bent at an awkward angle, for the Jolly Roger's front fender, instead of using one of these. It was a tricky problem to solve, because the bracket connects to a bolt hole in the fork crown, but the bracket also has to be long enough so the v-brake cables can clear the top of the fender so the front v-brake works. By now I can't remember if the standard L-bracket was just too short, or if it wiggled too much, but regardless - the existing, sufficiently-long, properly-angled random L-bracket has broken. As a temporary fix, I've got a strap running under the front fender, holding it up onto the front rack, but it's a poor fix.

I just don't know where to go or look to find a stainless-steel replacement. My most mechanically-minded friend here has moved away.

There's also a loose bolt somewhere in the rear rack assembly that I haven't pinpointed.

I also need to shorten the JR's chain - too much chainslap.

And replace the tires.

And update the headlight situation (both lights are too unreliable).

And replace Froinlavin's cassette and chain (parts are ready to apply). And figure out how to wrap Froinlavin's bar tape so the ends don't come undone by the bar-end shifters.

And get new bike gloves, again. And the correct saddle for Froinlavin.

And a new seatpost for the Jolly Roger, and a pipe wrench (etc.) so I can get the current seatpost unstuck once and for all.

As I said to a friend, when it comes to bike maintenance, I operate in "catastrophic" mode - I wait until there's a catastrophic failure that renders the bike unrideable before I bother to fix things.

This is not an optimal system. Life was better when I lived a block away from a bike shop. I'm not opposed to paying someone to do the work when I have more money than time.

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

I may possibly be able to fabricate a stainless bracket if you give me some sizes. I can shape, mill, and weld stainless and have some sitting around waiting to be used. As in, if you still have the broken one and can take a good picture of it on graph paper with an adjacent ruler, I can probably make a good copy. Or I could reweld the one you have, with some reinforcement.

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

I don't think it even needs to be stainless, although if it were that would give it the most bling factor. I'll take a series of photographs of it - I think it will be a fairly straightforward little fiddly bit to fabricate (especially compared to some of the car components you've documented). Come to think of it, I could just send you the original, since it isn't providing any structural support at the moment.