Facing & Reaming

Hardened steel on aluminum means that the aluminum has to give.

Small flakes at  a time.

Facing a bottom bracket on a bicycle after chasing/cleaning the threads.

Facing and Reaming

When working on the head tube (where your steering tube runs through the frame), the process is different, but still ends up with lots of aluminum bits.  That process is called facing and reaming, where the facing is done similar to this, but at the same time a different steel bit is reaming the inside of the tube to prepare the surface for a bearing cup.

The purpose of the facing is to make sure that the ends of the tube are parallel with each other.  If not, the bearings and system will not work properly.

This is typically only done once in the life of a bicycle.  If the manufacturer is good, they’ll do it.  If not, your bicycle shop should have done it before selling it to you.  Unless it’s a really cheap bike, when it’s just not worth the time to do it.

It’s all good fun and just reinforces for me what an amazing piece of machinery the bicycle is.  Especially as cheap as you can get them these days.

Not a Bad Way

…to start the day.

Here’s the view that I have every morning (well, when the sun is out, which is 50/50 this time of year in Germany).

Not a bad way to start the day

After ~20 minutes of riding through the relatively dark, cool forest, the path quickly opens to farmland.  If the sun’s out, like it was this morning, the feel changes immediately.

But the view is always beautiful.

And makes me thankful that Goddess lets me commute by bicycle to and from work.

Since that was a great way to start the day, it’s only fair that there be a musical diversion to end the day.

Jamiroquai – Live at Paleo (Complete Concert | 2010)

Zoom

Those who know me well know that some of my greatest joy, complete separate from my Goddess, is derived from my commutes to and from work.

Especially if the weather is horrible.

Give me pissing down rain and 35ºF (+01ºC) or dumping snow and 27ºF (-03ºC) and a good, hard push on the bike and I’m grinning from ear to ear.

Hell, give me +10ºF (-12ºC) on a clear day and I’ll still grin ear to ear.

It’s all about wearing the right kit.

But regardless of the time of year, every day is still a great day to ride the bike to and from work.

Especially when you’re going faster than those that do nothing more than twist their right wrist or press down their right toe.

Place du Théâtre, Dijon, France.

Rule 9.

Immediately followed by Rule 5.

Oh, and Rule 58.

Cobbled Wheels

Floral Wheel

I loves me some bikes.

All shapes and sizes.

All types and purposes.

They can be beautiful works of art.

I’m sure owner of the beauty kept a close eye on me.  Even though it was locked.

But it could have been better.

Polished.

Although the wicker basket was amazing!

Bamberg, Germany.