Bent on a Budget: Spring! Wherefore art thou?

Brrr! Seems spring will not come Minus 20C this morning with 4 inches of new snow and a stiff north wind. This is the second day I have not been for a ride and Sunday promises another touch of snow, wind and unfriendly temps. Time to tinker and get the Income Tax filed.

Been thinking about 24 inch tires and wondering should I make the $400 leap. Time to cheap out a bit.

First I found some 24 inch rims with 6 speed freewheel sprockets (not cassettes) at the local bike emporium a.k.a. the dump, I serviced the wheel bearings and made sure the freewheel was working properly and with the help of a couple spacers hooked it up to Rover II. I adjusted the derailleur so it only shifted up to the 6th gear sprocket (14T) and took it for a quick spin. The tire itself was so rotten I was afraid to go more than a block, so I spent fifteen bucks at the local hardware store for a new tube and tire.

At the same time I cleaned and lubed the chain and did a bit of work on the chain tube hangers to give them more flexibility to guide the chain straighter regardless of which sprocket gear I was using, front or back. A bit of a Rube Goldberg fix, but it works for now.

I wanted to see how much problem heel strike was on the pedals with the larger rear wheel and my big clod-hoppers. It was noticeable, but with my feet secured more centrally on the pedals it was not a real problem.

And then it struck me!

I only very reluctantly throw out a pair of comfortable shoes, no matter how worn. I have a pair of Rockaport velcro loafers with worn out heels, but very comfy with good stiff platforms and arch supports. Two 1/4 inch carriage bolts and nuts, four big flat washers, and a drill and I have new cycling shoes. Eat your hearts out, you clipless weenies. And if I'm hanging upside down in the deep ditch cattails, there should be no problem extracting my feet before I drown.

My first couple of rides with this new setup was very positive. The shoes have enough wiggle room on the pedals to let my feet sit at a comfortable angle (I tend to toe-in my right foot a bit). The washer and the carriage head bolt under the insole are not noticeable. The laughter when I mount and dismount at the coffee shop is loud and sustained.

The 24 inch wheel does seem to smooth the ride a bit perhaps with no noticeable change in handling or lateral stability. With only 14T on the sprocket vs 11T on the stock cassette, I have not gained much top end, but I do find it necessary to use the 38T chainring for some of my hills. Still doing this by flicking the chaintube to the left with my fingers to down shift and using thumb and forefinger to lift it onto higher chainring to shift up. No danger, quick, easy, and works flawlessly. The adjusted rear derailleur worked just fine 1 thru 6 with the min R setting making 7/8 doing nothing but not interfering with the operation.

Overall I am pleased and will now see if I can find a 24 inch w cassette hub - inexpensive, but not cheap. Best positive price for a Wilson double wall is just over 80 bucks on Amazon.