So the three-speed is finished! This is the quintessential Cambridge bicycle. I rode it around Central Sq this evening and it feels great. So upright and proper! I’m going to start commuting on it this week and see how that goes. Here’s a photograph:
I tracked the costs, just to see how much I’d end up spending on it:
| handlebars | $30 |
| BMX break levers | $25 |
| Raleigh bike frame | $52.50 |
| Rear wheel + spokes | $53.87 |
| Shifter & Axle (used) | $10.50 |
| Crankset (used) | $39.38 |
| Headset | $22.50 |
| Fork | $31.50 |
| Installation of fork/headset | $24.11 |
| Pedals | $28 |
| Cable Housing | $11 |
| Kool-Stop Break Pads | $16 |
| Misc Bits (ferriles, etc) | $20.08 |
| Tyres | $50 |
| Break Cables | $8 |
| Tubes | $7.50 |
| Rim Tape | $5 |
| Breaks—front | $15 |
| Chain | $13 |
| misc. tax | $3.93 |
| front wheel, stem, rear breaks | free—donated by Stephen |
total expenses: $449.51!
the cost of basically the same bike, built by someone else: $485.00
So I didn’t save any money doing it this way—but, as Stephen says, at least I know every part of the bicycle now. Oh… I still have to buy fenders and a front basket…