Joined
·
94 Posts
Not really sure if this should go under Fat Bikes, 29"er or Single Speed, so the moderators feel free to relocate as you see fit..
Thought I'd chronicle my adventures in building then deploying my new Single Speed to Afghanistan. As one might assume, I'm in-route to "The Suck" once again!
As much as I'd love to do some "real" riding in the countryside of Afghanistan, the risk of IED's, EFP's, snipers, kidnappings and beheadings and all that kinda has me on the cautious side, so the bike is being built for daily around camp use to hopefully keep me from gaining 30 pounds from eating at the DFAC (Dining Facility).
My Van Dessel BuzzBomb has been a trusty steed and has been "well traveled". This was taken at Camp Navistar on the Kuwait/Iraq Border in 2006:
![]()
but alas I blew out a chainstay "JRA" on a gravel double-track last summer
![]()
![]()
![]()
So that leaves us where we are today, two weeks till deployment date and no bike.
Luckily, I spotted a classified for a Karate Monkey frameset got everything underway.
The previous owner, sevenpedaler, was sympathetic to my predicament and really did an amazing job at getting it boxed up and digging through his spare parts bins to minimize my need to purchase more parts to do the build-up.
My BuzzBomb is 900 miles away and though my teen daughter _could_ strip the frame and bring all the build-kit parts to me when they come visit next week, I though it best not to stress out the family anymore than they already are over this deployment. As long as she can bring me my wheelset I'll be OK.
So, between sevenpedaler's scrounging and my online purchases today I am expecting the following over the coming week:
KARATE MONKEY Frame ( Chum Bucket Red )
Raceface BB
RACE FACE RIDE DH X-TYPE SS CRANKS (36T crain-ring)
WIPPERMANN WHITESTAR NICKLE PLATED CHAIN
SURLY TUGNUT
SURLY CONSTRICTOR SEAT-POST CLAMP
THOMSON ELITE SEATPOST
CHRIS KING HEADSET
RACEFACE STEM
TITEC HELLBENT FLATBAR
GRIPS, (clamp on)
INCREDIBELL MINI BELL ( brass of course!-)
AVID SPEED DIAL LEVERS
HAYES HMX-1 Mechanical Disc Brakes
Continental Mountain King tires 29x2.4
PARK CN-10 CABLE CUTTER
Housing and brake cables with ferrules and crimp ends....
INNOVATIONS PRESTA VALVE ADAPTORS ( 5 )
PARK HXS-1 PROFESSIONAL HEX WRENCH SET
UNIVERSAL RIVOLI 8/9-SPEED CHAIN TOOL
BLACKBURN MAMMOTH ANYVALVE '11 ( 2 )
TRI-FLOW SUPER DRY 2 OZ. LUBE
Still need to find some decent platform pedals that will not slip under the hard soles of y combat boots.
What else? Hmmm, I thing that about covers it, but I'll probably pick up a few bottle cages and various other bits and bobbles locally.
I'd really like to find a rear Surly "Nice Rack" like I have on my commuter bike at home, since I found a creative way to make it work around disc brakes,vbut that will need to wait till my next payday.
:idea: A pink handlebar basket and some bar-end tassels would really "complete" the bike I think.
Pictures to come as parts arrive and the build-up begins.
--
V/R
SandSquid - Saildier, a fleet of one....
Navy "Individual Augmentee" pimped out to the Army
Thought I'd chronicle my adventures in building then deploying my new Single Speed to Afghanistan. As one might assume, I'm in-route to "The Suck" once again!
As much as I'd love to do some "real" riding in the countryside of Afghanistan, the risk of IED's, EFP's, snipers, kidnappings and beheadings and all that kinda has me on the cautious side, so the bike is being built for daily around camp use to hopefully keep me from gaining 30 pounds from eating at the DFAC (Dining Facility).
My Van Dessel BuzzBomb has been a trusty steed and has been "well traveled". This was taken at Camp Navistar on the Kuwait/Iraq Border in 2006:
but alas I blew out a chainstay "JRA" on a gravel double-track last summer
So that leaves us where we are today, two weeks till deployment date and no bike.
Luckily, I spotted a classified for a Karate Monkey frameset got everything underway.
The previous owner, sevenpedaler, was sympathetic to my predicament and really did an amazing job at getting it boxed up and digging through his spare parts bins to minimize my need to purchase more parts to do the build-up.
My BuzzBomb is 900 miles away and though my teen daughter _could_ strip the frame and bring all the build-kit parts to me when they come visit next week, I though it best not to stress out the family anymore than they already are over this deployment. As long as she can bring me my wheelset I'll be OK.
So, between sevenpedaler's scrounging and my online purchases today I am expecting the following over the coming week:
KARATE MONKEY Frame ( Chum Bucket Red )
Raceface BB
RACE FACE RIDE DH X-TYPE SS CRANKS (36T crain-ring)
WIPPERMANN WHITESTAR NICKLE PLATED CHAIN
SURLY TUGNUT
SURLY CONSTRICTOR SEAT-POST CLAMP
THOMSON ELITE SEATPOST
CHRIS KING HEADSET
RACEFACE STEM
TITEC HELLBENT FLATBAR
GRIPS, (clamp on)
INCREDIBELL MINI BELL ( brass of course!-)
AVID SPEED DIAL LEVERS
HAYES HMX-1 Mechanical Disc Brakes
Continental Mountain King tires 29x2.4
PARK CN-10 CABLE CUTTER
Housing and brake cables with ferrules and crimp ends....
INNOVATIONS PRESTA VALVE ADAPTORS ( 5 )
PARK HXS-1 PROFESSIONAL HEX WRENCH SET
UNIVERSAL RIVOLI 8/9-SPEED CHAIN TOOL
BLACKBURN MAMMOTH ANYVALVE '11 ( 2 )
TRI-FLOW SUPER DRY 2 OZ. LUBE
Still need to find some decent platform pedals that will not slip under the hard soles of y combat boots.
What else? Hmmm, I thing that about covers it, but I'll probably pick up a few bottle cages and various other bits and bobbles locally.
I'd really like to find a rear Surly "Nice Rack" like I have on my commuter bike at home, since I found a creative way to make it work around disc brakes,vbut that will need to wait till my next payday.
:idea: A pink handlebar basket and some bar-end tassels would really "complete" the bike I think.
Pictures to come as parts arrive and the build-up begins.
--
V/R
SandSquid - Saildier, a fleet of one....
Navy "Individual Augmentee" pimped out to the Army
