New bike :o)

Finally managed to start the build of my “new” mountain bike.
I would probably have stuck with the GT Avalanche which started life as a 3.0 but has grown with gradual upgrades: fork, brakes, chainset and running gear. Sadly the frame has not expanded, and is a teeny tad small. So new frame, Cove Stiffee. White, apparently so last year...
That's ok, it's a 2009 frame :o)

Anyway, last bike I built I banged the headset cups in using a socket and a hammer. Was completely fine, but it lacked grace. Today was mainly spent making the tool below. This required a few hours cutting the aluminium and on the lathe. Took longer than the socket and hammer approach but was very satisfying and better than:

a) Paying for someone else to do it (just seems wrong!)

b) Paying £60 for a tool that will get used possibly a few times a decade and is easy enough to make.


Hoping it will live up to expectations.




On an unrelated note, occasionally I like to partake in a little star trek, voyager, who can be fixated by the appliance eye candy of Seven of Nine?
Anyway, appropriately enough there is someone with the surname “Smutko” involved. At least I know I am not engineering unintended associations with the content.