I Love Bicycles

Lacing yet another wheel.
I've done 5 in one year. 
Maybe I'm getting good at this.

I wonder if I could make a little side $ doing this?

One day someone will say "Hey Dude, I've got a Chris King headset and a St. James wheel set."

Shweet.

Wheel Building Advice

...make sure you begin with the correct spoke length.  This time, I did not.  After 4 attempts I realized my error.  Frustrating? Yes.  But I'm new to this and when I was at my breaking point I quit and cut the lawn.  I guess that'd be my second piece of advice.

Cheers

Mech Woes

I used more liquid wrench today than may be legal in Ontario.  I certainly used more than enough to necessitate opening the garage door before I succumbed to the fumes.  I used a lot - and when I say 'a lot' ... well, you get the idea.
I hosed down my bike last week and I was too exhausted to clean it properly (including lube and grease) and I am paying for that.  This is a lesson I shall not forget and hopefully not repeat.
Parts of my bike are ruined.

The other part of the equation is the frustration at trying to make it right.
First my crank-puller stripped. Come on!

Then, I noticed that my repair stand seemed to be pulling apart.  I don't know if this will affect its overall performance, but I guess I'll eventually find out.

You can see where this joint is uneven because it is beginning to bend under the weight of my bicycle.

I couldn't ride last week because of all this and now I'm looking square at another week without a bicycle.  This is not an acceptable status for me.

I am working on another build as well and am definitely beginning to see the benefit of having two bicycles in the garage.