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| drippy drippy |
Talking about rain, a few weeks ago it rained really hard and my parents place got flooded in the basement. This time, it wasn't too bad.. just 2 inches I was told by my brother. I went down to check and somehow, I happen to find my old road bike in midst of the mess interior.
The poor bike have been standing there for a long time. It was a sad mess. The frame have a lot of scratches and rust spots..no dents and covered in dust. Rims wise, the spokes were rusty and Cheng Sin tires deflated, harden and cracked.. Anyway, I took it back home and gave it a cleaning to evaluate what 23 years can do to a bicycle.
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| how it looks after cleaning up the 20 years of dust and dirt |
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| "Lacer" Steel frame with rust spots |
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| old Shimano crankset... never heard of series.. |
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| my bike |
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| seven speed |
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| spare parts sitting in 20 years of dust |
How I got my bicycle... It was 1987...
Ok, to calibrate expectations... this isn't any "top-grade bicycle in the barn story" but this very ordinary bicycle marked a time in my life. I was in secondary 1 or 2.. and got an evening job working in a book/provision store. On the first payday, I went looking to buy a bicycle at a shop near home. Visiting the bicycle shop was quite an experience. There wasn't internet then... so I didn't have any knowledge of bicycle. I didn't have alot of money."Erhhh.. I just wanted a "racer" .. . the ones with the cool drop bars." I told the bicycle uncle. Bicycle shop uncle looked at me and then offered this bicycle. "It is a steel frame, got Shimano parts ..very good one.." he mumbled on.. which I didn't really understand.. I looked at the shiny bicycle with the drop bar.. and I remember the silver griptape...... I tried the bike, it was a size too big..heck.. I can deal with it.. maybe I will grow up more, I thought...(nope.. still the same size after all this yr.. only heavier). I was in a trance...anyhow... I blur blur paid him and got out of the shop..
I have wings!!! wowweeee... having a bicycle was liberating..like having wings! I no longer have to take the bus although initially i followed the bus routes to explore neighbourhood. Being young means u feel invincible... I rode without blinkers, no helmet...no water bottles.. nothing. Powered by youthful legs.. it is amazing how far I rode..
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| rolling hills of pungol... pic taken from ivyidang4blogspot.com |
I remember the days/nites where i would ride from my mum place at serangoon gardens to the Punggol point end. Approaching Punggol was a real treat.. it was quite Ulu (country) then .. it was forested and the sides of the roads were old fish/pig farm. The rolling hills meant u have speed up down slope and use the momentum to ride up the slope. Life is really funny, I never knew after 20 years, i would be living in Punggol, where the farms used to be.
Thinking back... gosh..I even rode to Changi airport in the dead of the nite.. no lights, no blinkers and waterbottle.. using the express way!!! It was really thirsty... :) I was later stopped by a policeman in patrol car who did a friendly horn. ...He nicely told me that bicycles are not allowed on expressways and I should get off the express way as soon as possible.. And also legally, a bicycle needs to have blinkers.. He smiled as if he had also did the the same thing as a school boy himself.. ...
I have thought about doing the restoration myself but I think I will screw it up... so after googling and talking to people. I decided to visit TR bikes and check them out. Talking to Chris, Henry and Lyten, I am convinced that they will do a good job. Currently, my old friend is in the steady hands of TR bikes and undergoing a much needed "spa" operation to get it running again.. will post more when he comes back.. soon I hope.
