I am on the upward side of an early in the season cold and cough, but before it struck in full force, I got the long-awaited front brake fitted to my Speedwell, intended as a safety net in the event of my chain falling off. I like how it looks, and performs, on the bike, and I feel much safer now, having had the chain fall off a couple of times.
It’s not a high end component, but it is nice and shiny and it has been adjusted so that I will not send myself over the handlebars if I squeeze it too tightly. The frame had to be drilled slightly to allow it to be fitted. I’ve found it to be useful for when I stop at lights and am on a downward slope, I don’t have to jump off the bike to reach the final standstill. My shoe leather will thank me.
The cable does not intrude too much and blends in with the black of the basket.
While the bike was in for this work, the French bike mechanic also fixed the squeak in the cranks. I don’t know what he did, it was sort of lost in translation, but now it pedals like a new bike. And all this work and parts for only $30, a bargain! He also said he can fit a piece to the back wheel so the chain will not come loose again. It will be just like new again!
The changes are swell, without needlessly cluttering the bike. Bravo.
I’m much happier with the brake than I thought I would be, then when he told me he’d fixed the squeak in the cranks I was over the moon, though I do have to use my bell more often now.
I don’t like to have much slop. Part of the joy of riding fixed is having a direct connection to the road. I like to have it adjusted so that there’s no significant movement of the pedals when the bike is stationary. This often equates to about a centimeter of movement in the chain if I squeeze the top and bottom of the chain mid-way between the cog and chainring but it’s hard to judge how hard I should be pushing to get that movement.