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Permalink Reply by XV on September 22, 2009 at 9:40pm

you need to take the brakes off, so you can feel more connected to your bike and get zen points.
Also, remove the reflectors/lights/kickstand those wont go with your new minimalist theme.

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Permalink Reply by Primitive Don on September 22, 2009 at 10:04pm

Looks like the rear hub has a coaster brake, so you should be all set for brakes : ) I would definitely go for a new saddle; really anything more road oriented (narrower) even if salvaged from another bike. The Selle Italia Turbo reissues are cool if that's in the budget. For handlebar wrap, maybe gray or silver?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fahey on September 22, 2009 at 10:51pm

Hey H3, thanks for your post!
I'm from Melbourne, Australia, and, when the weather permits, the riding scene is great. There's a variety of bike trails that flow in and out of the city.
In response to your questions, I tried to raise the seat higher the other day but realised that it's pretty maxed in terms of reach. I agree that if it were raised it would look much better, but I'd struggle to reach the pedals if I were to raise the seat any higher.
I'm for a more vintage/classic look. I want to keep it simple.
Thanks heaps,
Mike
h3 said:

Hi Michael! Great to have you here. Would love to hear what the cycling scene is like where you're at.
Some questions about the bike--
-is the seat and handlebar height right for you as is, or can they be raised a bit (to work better visually).
-would you be going for a more classic/authentic look or prefer to have it look modernized a bit?
Thx . . .

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fahey on September 22, 2009 at 11:01pm

Hey XV, taking the brakes off really would add points, especially in terms oif the minimalist theme, which is what I'm aiming for. However, when I originally bought the bike and it just had the coaster brakes and no down brakes, I struggled to stop efficiently when at high speeds. The coaster brakes on this bike are, I've found, pretty crappy and getting them fixed is pretty difficult.
I agree with your second point, an I've removed the wheel reflectors and kickstand. It looks much better, but I can't remove the lights entirely, because I'd certainly get hit by a car when riding at ngiht (which has already happened, twice! Painful stuff)...
Thanks for you help XV,
Mike

XV said:

you need to take the brakes off, so you can feel more connected to your bike and get zen points.
Also, remove the reflectors/lights/kickstand those wont go with your new minimalist theme.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fahey on September 22, 2009 at 11:03pm

Hey Primitive Don, I agree, I definitely need a new saddle. The one I've got now is SO comfortable, but it's almost at the end of its long life. I think I'll go with a narrow one, like you said, and black, should look much better! Gray or silver would actually look pretty cool, I'll have a look at my local bikeshop, see what works best.
Thanks mate,
Mike

Primitive Don said:

Looks like the rear hub has a coaster brake, so you should be all set for brakes : ) I would definitely go for a new saddle; really anything more road oriented (narrower) even if salvaged from another bike. The Selle Italia Turbo reissues are cool if that's in the budget. For handlebar wrap, maybe gray or silver?

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Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on September 23, 2009 at 3:56am

Ignoring the comments about removing brakes, a really bad idea.
If you really want to make a color change, you're gonna have to paint the bike. I would recommend powder coating, which is more environmentally friendly and pretty durable. It cost me about $75 for mine (of course you have to take everything off the bike first).
If you don't want to do that, I would skip the black, and go for some bright colors to compliment the blue: yellow, purple, red or something for the bar tape. Look for colored seats as well. If you get any leather covered saddle, you can strip and dye it (google for instructions). You could also go for some colored tyres, but I don't know what's available in 27", try biketiresdirect.com
Brake levers seem to be mounted really high on the bars, they should probably come down a bit so they're closer to the bars, unless you have a massive reach, and like them where they are.
That's my $0.02

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Permalink Reply by on2wheels on September 23, 2009 at 4:15am

Nice Bike. Here are a few of my suggestions.

- seatpost - one with an integrated clamp (you will need a new clamp with any seat you get). In my mind it doesn't have to be fancy, just functional and simple. such as http://www.ebikestop.com/seatpost_seatposts%29%29619.php?pg=2

- Saddle - Leather saddles look nice, but comfort is the key - here is a big step down from a brooks, but still looks good - http://www.ebikestop.com/dimension_afton_classic_leather_saddle_med...

- Pedals - Something all aluminum to go with the other components. like http://www.ebikestop.com/mks_gr_9_platform_pedals_silver-PD4011.php

- Bartape - I usually go with matching the saddle. Honey Brown leather looks great on almost any bike, and if you can match it to a brooks saddle all the better. Also, natural cork color looks sharp- the light tan with the light blue. such as http://www.ebikestop.com/cinelli_gel_cork_tape_corky_natural_cork-H...

- Brakes - If you are not using the coaster brake, get rid of it, its weighting you down. It would be a nice lesson in re-building/lacing a wheel - find someone to teach you or take a class.

- Spit and Polish - I love cleaning up old bikes and bringing back the old luster of chrome or Aluminum. A good cleaning and some 00 steel wool and maybe wet sandpaper can do a lot. Polish up the stem and rims to get them closer to the luster of the brakes.

- And (shameless plug) a set of custom wood fenders makes any bike look great.

let me know if you need any other help or advice

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fahey on September 23, 2009 at 6:13pm

Ok, so after much thought, I decided to change the seat, replacing it with a simple, and narrower, black saddle. I lowered the brakes (it's much more comfortable) and added black tape.
I removed the wheel reflectors and kick stand to add to the simplicity of the bike, and replaced the bell with a black one to add, somewhat pointlessly, to the new 'colour scheme'.
It still needs a decent clean/polish, and I'm thinking of removing the coaster brakes (thanks 'on2wheels')since I never use them.
Thanks to everyone who posted, feel free to let me know how much you like or hate the changes.
Cheers,
Mike

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Permalink Reply by Vilda on September 23, 2009 at 6:42pm

Very sexy upgrades but please put the reflectors back or switch out to a white so it's a neutral color. I don't wanna hear about anyone being a hood ornament.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fahey on September 23, 2009 at 9:19pm

Can you please post up a picture of your own bike M.A.R.K, just so I can see what type of bike I should be stacking on top of mine?

M.A.R.K. said:

Seven words.. Stack another bike on top of it..

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