Ricardo for Christmas

This is Shauna's Christmas present, a nice Columbus, Ricardo, with Columbus drops. 27.0 seat tube diameter, who knows what kind of steel that is?

Double plated fork crown. So tight we had to machine our own brakes. Tried a double pivot, but was unable to achieve enough drop safely, so the single pivot Shimano 105 were used. this picture illustrates just how tight it was. We had to file the bottom of the brake so that it would not rub.

Hand built by Patches. The Patches difference, highly polished bling, full service and even lined the Zeus logo with the valve hole perfectly.

Ricardo 53cm square

Columbus mystery tubing

Hand built 36 hole wheels, Zeus hubs with great original dust caps, Velocity deep Vs, Radial front, 3-cross rear

Zeus Bottom Bracket in a short 109

G.P Seat Post

NJS Pedals

Capagnolo Road Cranks that were filed to clear the chain stays.

Build made possible from the help of Commuter Cycles, www.commutercycles.com.au

Shimano Coaster Brake

I recently recovered this Shimano D-type coaster brake out of the bin from work and began to overhaul.

this is the finished product;

Bike Rally

In the Garage This Week

Lots of polishing has been going on over the weekend and yesterday saw the arrival of my new vice; thank-you Dad. I was entrusted with Heidi's new RockShock suspension fork on Tuesday for her Specialised Mountain Bike, after BSC had ordered a new brake boss, misplaced it and spent several months to get another one. By Thursday I had the part and fitted it to the fork. A big thank-you to Primitive Future and Commuter Cycles on this one. Check out Primitive Future at www.primitivefuture.com.au

Working with Sharp Tools

During one of the busy periods at work, I managed to find myself working on two bikes at once; a general service and a rack fitting. Just as I was beginning to cut some bolts down to size, Master Clavarino and Ricardo paid a visit. Convinced Mark was here for the long haul, I devised an ingenious plan to rid me of his company. I figured my left index finger was disposable and proceeded to try and saw it off. Mark's response was, 'I knew that would happen'. The plan worked a treat and I was able to return to my work in silence.

Punctures always come in 3s

I call this principle the 'Patrick Constant', where PC is equal to 2.859638872. This figure represents the number of punctures one can expect to get once the punctures have commenced. On Thursday night I was returning from work drinks and was in one of those great cycling moods where you cannot help but ride fast. As I was pulling up in my pedals to accelerate at a decent pace, my bike slowed faster than myself. The result was a somersault along Sydney Rd, the cause turned out to be a puncture in the front tyre. It was embarrassing given that there was not a single obstacle in the way.

Next Weeks Post

Next week we will see a return of Emo's Rant, he does not know it yet though, There will be an interview with Mark Clavarino, the guy where wheels go to die, with some pictures of his Ricardo, which is a consistent patient of Patches' Cyclery.

Pub Bike

This is the humble beginning of my Fixtie, what is a Fixtie you might be asking? Well simply a fixed gear bike made using a mixtie frame, see what I have done there, not as easy as it looks. The above picture is of a Ricardo Mixtie frame being stripped back, which is not an easy task and watch out for that paint stripper, that shit burns. I began doing it in my thongs and was getting burnt by the paint flakes, so now I have to use pants, jumper, and closed shoes. I still have to work out a colour to paint the frame, but it is going to have some hot mud guards.

Soren Son

My new Soren Son road frame, mysterious Reynolds Tubing, possible 753? Everest Lugs and Brake bridge. Superbe drop outs. This will be built up with a Chris King headset, Shimano 600 Cranks, 105 wheelset, Arabesque 600 down tube shifters, with a arabesque 600 rear derailler. Total of 6 gears, the ultimate commuter, flat bars, Cannondale cross brake levers, with 105 brakes.

Parts for your build

Selection of handle bars, Cinelli chop and flop bullhorns, Nitto drop bars, also have some Shimano 105s and some old Hillbrick's in black.

Fiamme Stem, made in Italy with Montreal pantographed on one side.

Cinelli drop bars
Superbe Pro 170 cranks. Be like patches and ride a set of these.

Campagnolo Seat Post 27.0 and some Italian saddle

Shimano 600 Cranks
Normandy Track Hubs, made in France

Cecil Walker

My new everyday bike. Two tone Cecil Walker 58cm, Reynolds 531 steel, Sugino Super Mighty Cranks, Nitto Stem, Oury White grips, all white tyres, rates high in the colour of grips to rim, to frame matching ratio, also known as the fixie factor. Could only have been improved by matching rims to the two frame colours and one blue and one white grip.

FRAMES

Lawrencia club racer frame, 54cm seat tube, 56cm top tube.

Carlton club racer frame, 56cm seat tube centre-centre, double plated fork, Zeus bottom bracket


Ricardo Track Frame 53cm square, mystery Columbus tubing, double plated fork, Dura Ace headset, oh and made in Adelaide.

Kylie Evans

The Little Bike That Could, won the hearts of the people and led the world out of financial ruin with it's can do attitude. Kylie was awarded the sexiest mudguard award and she does not even have them; it is because she is so fast that all that is left is a wake. Conceived as the 'fast bike, slow rider project' of 2008.
'wow! that cyclist is really travelling, oh, his bike just looks fast'













BEFORE AFTER
Mark still the best before model of all time.