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It's late. I'll do it tomorrow. [Solved]
#1
I suppose I should wait until daylight to do the job. My new lever shifter came a couple of days ago and tonight the handlebars arrived. Maybe I'll just remove the brake levers, twist shifter, grips, computer and light and then get some sleep.

Well, it's stripped down. Maybe I'll just put the bars on and then get to bed. Yes, they look good but they'd look better if I just put the new lever shifter on. Ah, but the inner cables need to be swapped because the cruiser is a longer bike and needs a longer gear cable. I'll use the one from the twist shifter and I'll do that indoors.

Okay, let's just finish hooking up the gear cable, then I'll go to bed and finish up in the morning. Hmm... may as well put the brake levers on; that won't take long. Let's put the grips on, too.

Time for bed but let's just give it a quick ride and see how it feels. It's in top gear. 'Click.' Nothing. 'Click.' Nothing, again. Please don't tell me I've got a defective shifter.

Back to the shed. I really ought to get to bed, but I know I won't sleep until I know what's wrong with the shifter. Pulls the inner cable out and looks down into the little dark hole with a mini flashlight. Clicks the shifter lever. Hmm... a little silver thing with a hole in it appears. I'll bet the cable was supposed to go through that hole. Somehow the cable went past it and out the other side so it seemed okay.

Put it all back together and back on the bike. Might as well put the lights and speedometer on the bars and give it a try. Yahoo! It's all good! Now I'll be able to sleep.

Next, I love white walled tires but the tires on the bike are brand new. I know it's going to happen, though, but when they arrive, I'll wait until daylight before swapping them over.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#2
hahah Charley, this feels like my occasional midnight mumblings when I'm in "the zone". what was the initial sleep time vs the actual?
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#3
Nice one! Gets me sometimes as well. It was worse in Norway during summer: hey, it's still light outside and I bet I can finish that one before it's too late... why does the watch say midnight?

Enjoy a cold one (or some hot gløgg or whatever, given the season), you deserve it. Or probably a coffee, after the all nighter....
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#4
(01-26-2020, 09:30 AM)Papa Dom Wrote:  hahah Charley, this feels like my occasional midnight mumblings when I'm in "the zone". what was the initial sleep time vs the actual?
Papa Dom, if I had left it all until the next day, I wouldn't have slept, anyway. I'd be laying awake, doing it bit by bit in my mind for the rest of the night. Having new toys and not being able to play with them is unbearable.

My normal bedtime is around 10 p.m. but I made it soon after 11 p.m., and I slept well. Today, I gave both bikes a coat of spray wax. My fat bike is approaching three years old and almost 8,000 miles, and still looks immaculate. It's been said that cleanliness is next to godliness, which helps when it comes to servicing.

Here's the new Electra Cruiser Lux I just worked on prior to the modifications.

(01-26-2020, 10:24 AM)Joe_W Wrote:  Nice one! Gets me sometimes as well. It was worse in Norway during summer: hey, it's still light outside and I bet I can finish that one before it's too late... why does the watch say midnight?

Enjoy a cold one (or some hot gløgg or whatever, given the season), you deserve it. Or probably a coffee, after the all nighter....
I get a feeling for how druggies may feel when they have just got to do a hit. The bike is there. The parts are there. I can do it tonight. Why try to resist?


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If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#5
(01-26-2020, 10:24 AM)Joe_W Wrote:  Nice one! Gets me sometimes as well. It was worse in Norway during summer: hey, it's still light outside and I bet I can finish that one before it's too late... why does the watch say midnight?

Midnight sun bike workshop? Big Grin
Merida Scultura 5000 (2015)
Merida Big Nine 400 (2019)
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#6
Can't stop and won't stop! This made me smile!
Cool looking cruiser, absolutely show us the end result.
Autobahn
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#7
(01-29-2020, 07:06 PM)G_M Wrote:  Can't stop and won't stop! This made me smile!
Cool looking cruiser, absolutely show us the end result.
Working on a bike is as much fun as riding it, even with some of the frustrations that arise.

It will be getting some white walled tires, soon. I'll take a photo of it once they're done and post it here.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#8
(01-30-2020, 09:47 AM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Working on a bike is as much fun as riding it, even with some of the frustrations that arise.

It will be getting some white walled tires, soon. I'll take a photo of it once they're done and post it here.

Wise words, I can only agree!
Looking forward to see white walls on the dark cruiser.
Autobahn
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#9
(02-02-2020, 08:00 PM)G_M Wrote:  
(01-30-2020, 09:47 AM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Working on a bike is as much fun as riding it, even with some of the frustrations that arise.

It will be getting some white walled tires, soon. I'll take a photo of it once they're done and post it here.

Wise words, I can only agree!
Looking forward to see white walls on the dark cruiser.
The tires came and they were the wrong ones; my mistake, though. They had a thin reflective line around them, not the whitewalls I had been hoping for. So they've gone back and I ordered the right ones. I'll post a photo on this thread once they're on.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#10
(02-03-2020, 09:06 AM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  
(02-02-2020, 08:00 PM)G_M Wrote:  
(01-30-2020, 09:47 AM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Working on a bike is as much fun as riding it, even with some of the frustrations that arise.

It will be getting some white walled tires, soon. I'll take a photo of it once they're done and post it here.

Wise words, I can only agree!
Looking forward to see white walls on the dark cruiser.
The tires came and they were the wrong ones; my mistake, though. They had a thin reflective line around them, not the whitewalls I had been hoping for. So they've gone back and I ordered the right ones. I'll post a photo on this thread once they're on.
The tires came, today, and an hour later I was on the road.


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If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#11
(02-05-2020, 05:20 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  The tires came, today, and an hour later I was on the road.

Looks cool! What brand and model are these?
Autobahn
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#12
(02-07-2020, 08:22 AM)G_M Wrote:  
(02-05-2020, 05:20 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  The tires came, today, and an hour later I was on the road.

Looks cool! What brand and model are these?
The tires are Duro Diamond Tread, and are 26 x 2.125. The originals were 26 x 2.35, 6mm wider. They are made of nylon in Taiwan. I have nylon road tires on my fat bike, 26" x 4" and they are lasting remarkably well. Over 7,000 miles on them, now, and I don't see any signs of wear. I only ride pavement. I'm guessing that nylon tires won't dry rot like rubber tires.

I advertised the original tires on a local market and within two hours somebody wanted them. Then three more inquiries came in. I sold them for half the price of the new white walls, so it hasn't been a very expensive change. Seems that cruisers are popular bikes.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#13
Good job! Cool bike, well worth the late night.
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#14
Big Grin 
(02-07-2020, 12:52 PM)Joe_W Wrote:  Good job! Cool bike, well worth the late night.
Thanks, Joe! I agree with you, and I'll do it again if the occasion arises.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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#15
(02-05-2020, 05:20 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  The tires came, today, and an hour later I was on the road.

loving the whitewall contrast! did you have mega freewheel on this bike?
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#16
(03-01-2020, 07:32 PM)Papa Dom Wrote:  
(02-05-2020, 05:20 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  The tires came, today, and an hour later I was on the road.

loving the whitewall contrast! did you have mega freewheel on this bike?
Yes, I did. I can't imagine why a bike designer thought it a good thing to put the Megarange on a cruiser. I would rate it a mountain bike freewheel.

I also put Elektra fenders on it, made by the bike company. I came home from a ride on dry roads but must have run over some wet muck. My wife told me I have mud up the back of my shirt and shorts.

Yesterday, I shortened all the cables. When the bike shop delivered it to my home, the guy pointed out the very long cables. I suppose they were a stock item that the factory just slapped on. Now it's a nice, neat job. I think I now have the bike in really good shape. Here's a photo of it with the fenders, before the cables were shortened.


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If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
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