Tractor

Decided to stick to the Ritchey theme so used a black Ritchey bar I had lying around ... obviously got the strip and polish treatment Before and after pics (alongside the stripped and polished Ritchey seat post)

Posted now that I'm nearly finished with all the polishing - this is just so wrong Awesome equipment on offer though

NICE!!!

Talk about a freakish accident Gives you the chills thinking what would have happened if you weren't wearing one!

Can back up what has been said, spend more time in the sanding and the final polishing goes a lot quicker.

Nou net lekker gelag, maar feite, dis so v%$#en amper in die hol

Thanks Eldron - it's actually pretty big so I have to use two 100mmx100mm pieces of gauze to cover it with

Worst thing is I keep to the single tracks on the dirt on either side of the road and only literally cross the tar to get from left to right when riding home

Unfortunately so true - sadly to say I sometimes almost look for an excuse as to why a driver didn't or couldn't see a cyclist but you hit the nail on the head

Reported the next morning to a very un-enthusiastic officer

The driver of the first car that stopped pulled me off him, I was trying to pull him out of his car, just for the dumb ass to get out of the car and make a comment and make me go for him again, only to be stopped by the ever persistent good Samaritan. Luckily a passing SAPS van stopped and separated us completely

On Friday evening I'm riding home from my evening ride around the Chartwell area near me and I have to cross over Cedar Ave - look back and there's no cars so I move across to the white line in the middle of the road (two lanes either side of the road in this section) before crossing over the road. Cycling along waiting for an approaching gap to cross the rest of the road and hit the dirt shoulder again and WHAM - I'm hit from behind. A young guy in a Golf, no other cars near him, despite it being a double lane he's in the right lane and he hits me with the right front of his car. I do some airborne birdie wannabe moves before bouncing along the tar. This idiot at no time even asked if I was alright, couldn't explain why he hit me, couldn't explain why he was so far right in the lane - personally I think he was on his phone. Anyway a big thanks to the 2 drivers in the oncoming lane who stopped and helped and called the paramedics and cops (this happened about 200m away from the Life Fourways hospital). Luckily literally 5 minutes from home so quick and easy for someone to come and collect me. could have been so much worse. Roasties on my legs already stopped "sweating" and sticking to everything BUT my ass is another story.

Unfortunately happens everywhere - with the Christmas season now here be prepared to see it more and more often. I once stopped at a group as they were leaving and asked who they think was going to clean up after them - not a good idea unless you're in karate monkey kind of mood

Things of beauty now Nicely done - dirty work but worth it in the end

NICE!!! Who did the spray painting for you?

Frightening stuff! Heal up soon Johan

Mooi Izak, van die fotos af lyk die raam flippen excellent!

Patience - hand crafted things of beauty take time

Faark NO - I reckon frame, seat post, crank (and super bling bash guard) and pedals are about it! I already have a black FSA bar and white stem and don't really want to start stripping and polishing these as well. I reckon I'll assemble and then have a look at what really looks out of place - no doubt helped along by some Hubbers input This bike is going to turn out totally different to what was originally planned for it

Just a quick update with regards the missing derailleur hanger - and to show that service does indeed still exist I sent off an email to the Raleigh SA guys via their website, I get a reply the next day indicating that this specific RM was imported by the then Probike. Probike was swallowed up by Scott-Sports so once again I drop them an email, I get an almost immediate response asking for me to please email some pics of the bike and hanger area to them, which I duly do. Later the same day I receive a reply that they do in fact have stock of the hangers BUT it could be one of two different types, they then ask me to place an order via my LBS using the product codes supplied. I've now done this, so hopefully the hanger will be here shortly.

Gummi - have the bars and seat post sent over to me, I'll sort them out quick quick Have to agree though, strange that they were skimped on ?!

Gummi stop it! If I see another part that I HAVE to polish I'm going to scream

Strange question but what's going to happen to the old Design Quarter store down the road from the new one? I assume it's being closed completely?

To be honest it's gone from being a 26" single speed play bike to more of a café cruiser. Looks like I'll have to build up another more rugged and less 1970's porn star disco mirror ball type play bike

And talking about the pedals - I have a pair of old Wellgo platform pedals that I want to use, they're old and have some scuff marks and they're a funny "goldish" kind of colour, but they're aluminium so I took out all the grub screws and just took the grinder to them (fitted with a flap disc wheel) and then finished off by sanding them with a fine sanding block. These won't be polished to a shiny finish.