I am thinking of starting a website, that addresses the need for poor folks, to have nice bikes. If you start with less than the bleeding edge, recent generation components, and especially if they are carved up on spots, they can be made into better components than you could EVEN buy. Indeed, many GREAT components are SIMPLY better finishing of lesser components.
So, you take your carved up say XTR derailleur. And you use your bench grinder, scotch wheel, then dremel, then light touch scotch brite wheel again, one that is used on buffer bench grinder. Then, sanding with fine ISH sandpaper. then, coarse scotch brite pad by hand. Then, if you enjoy a DIFFUSE smooth, sexy, expensive looking finish, STOP THERE.
To do so, is to make your components good for life, able to be fixed to fresh in seconds. So, for instance, if you did this to a wear surface, like the face of your cranks, then as you rescuff, just break out your coarse scotch brite pad, and in seconds, it is good as new.
IFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, you choose to go the next step, it takes about two minutes, and again, you can do this FOREVER, to have gleaming, beautiful parts, finer, better, lighter, and more expensive looking than the best you can buy.
The next step, is Semichrome polish. And it is fast. The finish I support, is a DARK, luxurious finish, not gawdy and garish, like HIGH gleam alloy.
So, we know how to make our parts AWESOME LOOKING for life. JEWELRY really. BUT, what to remove?
All materials that have no bearing on strength go first. Then, you swoop things, to remove stuff that is in the middle, and is overbuilt. Then, you remove materials that surround platforms that support bearings, shafts and such, leaving the maximum surface area to do so. When you are done, it is DEAD ASS SEXY, as form following function is pure PORN, to a geek.
So, which parts to perform this engineering masturbation to? The GOOD ONES. The upscale ones that had a LOT of engineering into their function.
Go on CRAIGS, or EBAY, and get the ones that are hacked up, but newish in appearance. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR WAY WITH THEM negotiating, like TRUMP university salesmen.
I for instance, will pick up an XTR 8 speed derailleur, for nine bucks SHIPPED. After I hack on it, and polish it up, it will look like a BEAUtique piece.
Indeed, MANY stock pieces make the BEST custom parts.
For an example of what I am talking about, I own an R1 1000cc rocket. I removed 65 lbs, and made the suspension CUSHY. I am not NUTZ enough to carve my stock wheels for instance, so I negotiated for some Cheaply stolen craigs FORGED aluminum wheels.
But, most other parts are carved from stock or stocklike parts. OFTEN, they are forged, and are of a higher quality than you could even get after market, and often, there ISNT even anything available aftermarket.
AND, ALLLLLLLLLLLLL stock parts fit. GENIUS.
And, you KNOW the Stock parts are OVERBUILT, with BEANCOUNTERS in mind.
So, you take your carved up say XTR derailleur. And you use your bench grinder, scotch wheel, then dremel, then light touch scotch brite wheel again, one that is used on buffer bench grinder. Then, sanding with fine ISH sandpaper. then, coarse scotch brite pad by hand. Then, if you enjoy a DIFFUSE smooth, sexy, expensive looking finish, STOP THERE.
To do so, is to make your components good for life, able to be fixed to fresh in seconds. So, for instance, if you did this to a wear surface, like the face of your cranks, then as you rescuff, just break out your coarse scotch brite pad, and in seconds, it is good as new.
IFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, you choose to go the next step, it takes about two minutes, and again, you can do this FOREVER, to have gleaming, beautiful parts, finer, better, lighter, and more expensive looking than the best you can buy.
The next step, is Semichrome polish. And it is fast. The finish I support, is a DARK, luxurious finish, not gawdy and garish, like HIGH gleam alloy.
So, we know how to make our parts AWESOME LOOKING for life. JEWELRY really. BUT, what to remove?
All materials that have no bearing on strength go first. Then, you swoop things, to remove stuff that is in the middle, and is overbuilt. Then, you remove materials that surround platforms that support bearings, shafts and such, leaving the maximum surface area to do so. When you are done, it is DEAD ASS SEXY, as form following function is pure PORN, to a geek.
So, which parts to perform this engineering masturbation to? The GOOD ONES. The upscale ones that had a LOT of engineering into their function.
Go on CRAIGS, or EBAY, and get the ones that are hacked up, but newish in appearance. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR WAY WITH THEM negotiating, like TRUMP university salesmen.
I for instance, will pick up an XTR 8 speed derailleur, for nine bucks SHIPPED. After I hack on it, and polish it up, it will look like a BEAUtique piece.
Indeed, MANY stock pieces make the BEST custom parts.
For an example of what I am talking about, I own an R1 1000cc rocket. I removed 65 lbs, and made the suspension CUSHY. I am not NUTZ enough to carve my stock wheels for instance, so I negotiated for some Cheaply stolen craigs FORGED aluminum wheels.
But, most other parts are carved from stock or stocklike parts. OFTEN, they are forged, and are of a higher quality than you could even get after market, and often, there ISNT even anything available aftermarket.
AND, ALLLLLLLLLLLLL stock parts fit. GENIUS.
And, you KNOW the Stock parts are OVERBUILT, with BEANCOUNTERS in mind.
