Do it yourself diary
04:30pm
I just bought the Cycleops Mag Trainer online… because it’s freezing outside and I miss riding my bike. :(
But some reviews online say that it is pretty noisy especially for a flat (on 4th floor)…
Can someone confirm?
08:00pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!!!
Well…it’s been a quite long time since I’ve taken a break from my online social life. I’m back.
My bike is still in progress, but I need some money to finish the work. So everything’s on pause until end of february. :/
This year I have a new project for Cycling in Style. I’d like to create an eBay account to sell some recycled bike parts I will find in France & Switzerland. The purpose is to give people from accross the seas the possibility to acquire french/european bike frames/forks/etc. at very little prices. I love the idea to participate to a re-use’s cycle of vintage bike frames and parts instead of just throwing them in a landfill.
///THU: 24.11.2011
07:00am
I received the bottom bracket this week! :)
It’s a SunRace square tapered bb. I bought it on eBay for like 15£.
It was really easy to set on the bike. I found the right tool in my basic IceToolz toolbox: I think it’s called a park tool. :-S
I received the crankset as well. But without the crank bolts :(. I need to find a pair of them in a Geneva cycling shop. Will put some pics soon.
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///TUE: 08.11.2011
01:32am
I chose my gear ratio: 18/48t (72 gear inches, 3 skid patches) and found a way to get a 48t crankset/chainset + bottom bracket pretty cheap on eBay. :)
I will use this ratio in Geneva city (a few smallish suburban hills)
I will use the flipflop hub by setting my 14t sprocket on the left threaded wheel’s side (for flat road/long distance using). The gear ratio will be: 14/48t (92.5 gear inches, 7 skid patches)
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
08:10pm
How the bike looks like for the moment
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
08:00pm
I greased the threaded part and screwed the sprocket on the flip-flop hub (I used a sprocket tool) and blocked it with the lockring.
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
06:33pm
EX Fixed Sprocket 14t and Lockring (for use with 1/8” chain)
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
06:12pm
I put my cream tire (Schwalbe Durano 25mm) on my back wheel. It was easier than with my Charge bike (which has 28mm tires) I love the color with the grey reflective rim. It looks good!
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
05:59pm
Well I received my Brooks B17 narrow saddle in black 4 days ago. For the seatpost, I was not sure which lenght should I choose, so I took a 400mm Push in silver color. I noticed that I had to be careful of the seat tube’s diameter. In my case, it was the standard size: 27.2mm.
But now I think I might have a problem with this seatpost. It’s a 400mm and the available lenght in the tube is shorter than that. It means that the minimal saddle’s height is already too high… I should have bought a 200mm :(
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///SAT: 05.11.2011
05:27pm
I received it (Leader 725 2011) this morning! This is actually the fork which is going to Africa (Leader LLC Bike put “Swaziland” instead of “Switzerland” in my address :/ )
But a guy from Leader Bike wrote me yesterday to apologize and offered me a deal: they send me a new fork with a free headset (FSA ZS3 Zero stack)!
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///SAT: 29.10.2011
01:50am
UPS just sent me a notification for my bike frame: “your package has been shipped by LEADER BIKE LLC” to …
…
…
…
SWAZILAND!!!! 
I live in SWITZERLAND!!! Not SWAZILAND…
Swaziland is a country near South Africa… I live in Europe! I’m soooo disappointed… :(
I tried to contact them… but it’s the weekend… and they’ll only answer me on monday…
What was up before that? go in the DIY section
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///THU: 27.10.2011
03:10pm
Bon, après réflexion, voici le type de cadre que j’ai choisi de me procurer: un leader 725 tout en aluminium. Ils sont vendus sur Tokyo Fixed au prix de 300£ = 422chf =479$
Mais je l’ai trouvé bien moins cher sur eBay, en vente directe au prix de 326$ = 287chf = 204£ expédition par la poste comprise! J’ai choisi la couleur vert mousse de mer.
Je vais l’acheter en 51cm. C’est un peu plus petit que mon vélo Charge, mais au moins la tige de selle sera plus élevée.
Avec ça, je vais me procurer une fourche noire matte en carbone s805 à filetage large de marque Leader également.
Well, on reflection, this is the type of frame that I chose to buy: a Leader 725 2011 in aluminum. They are available on Tokyo Fixed website for £ 300 = $ 479 = 422chf
But I found it much cheaper on eBay at a price of $ 326 = £ 204 = 287chf shipping included! It was not by auction, but with the “buy it now” method which is more accurate for the bad-faithed person I am (I told you I was not good at winning items…). I chose the seafoam green color.
I’ll buy it in size 51cm, which is a bit smaller than my actual Charge bike, but i prefer having an higher seatpost.
With that, I’ll get a Leader matte black carbon fork S805 Brand Leader threaded large.
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///SAT: 22.10.2011
06:02pm
Bon, ça y est! J’ai une selle!!! YEAH! Il m’a fallu pas mal de temps parce que je n’avais plus de carte de crédit depuis un moment. Cette semaine, j’attends les roues que j’ai commandé: des Velocity 700c Reflective Rims (à jantes réflectorisantes).
J’ai abandonné l’idée d’acheter un cadre vintage sur eBay, parce que les prix montent tellement hauts que c’est juste pas possible! Les gens sont tarés! Des cadres rouillés, sans fourche, etc. qui dépasse les 500$! J’ai donc laissé tombé mon rêve de gagner un cadre Peugeot aux enchères.
J’avais également ce cadre qui me plaisait beaucoup: un Specialized Langster (Steel Frameset Red), mais finalement, le vendeur ne livrait pas en Suisse. 
Mardi, je vais aller à la fourrière à vélo de Genève. Ils y vendent les vélos non réclamés pour une bouchée de pain et je pense que dans mon cas, c’est le meilleur compromis! On peut aussi y trouver des fourches à la pièce et des pièces détachées pour tout type de vélos. J’espère y trouver ce que je cherche. 
I finally got a saddle! YEAH! It took me a lot of time, because I have to re-order a new credit card. This week, I’m waiting for wheels (front and rear) I ordered: Velocity 700c Reflective Rims.
I forgot the idea of getting a frameset by auction on eBay, because people are crazy with the prices! 500$ for a rusty vintage frame without fork is way too much for me. I can always dream about a Peugeot frameset from the 70’s… :(
I also had this frameset that I liked a lot: a Specialized Langster Steel Frameset Red, but finally, the seller was not shipping to Switzerland. :(
On tuesday, I’m going to the pound bike in Geneva. They’re selling unclaimed bikes for not much. In my case, it’s the best compromise. :) We can also find forks, components for all kind of bikes. Hope to find what I’m looking for.
What was up before that? Go in the DIY section
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///WED: 17.08.2011
02:16pm
Salut les gens. Bon, j’avance pas trop pour l’instant. Aucune commande en cours, pas de budget et surtout pas de temps. Je dois finir mes rattrapages universitaires. Mais dès le 1er septembre, je commence à remplir la rubrique vidéo. Je ne sais pas trop ce que ça va donner. Désolé si y’a des gens anglophones qui me suivent, les vids seront en français. Pas particulièrement envie de me payer la honte en Anglais… Par contre, pour les posts, je ferai un effort de polyglote.
Hi guys. Well, I’m not very productive for the moment. No processing order, no budget and certainly no time. I have to finish some work at University. But from 1st of September, I’ll begin to fill the video section. I don’t know what will be the result :-S . Sorry for the english speakers who follow me, because the vids will be in French. Not really in the mood to shame myself in English in front of strangers… By cons, for the posts, I’ll make a multilingual effort.
And when I’m lazy? go on Google Translate
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///WED: 10.08.2011
21:51
Le blog créé y’a 2 jours, les différents composants repérés sur eBay et autres sites sur le net, je saisis actuellement toutes les opportunités de mon boulot pour me faire un peu d’argent en plus. Je prévois un budget total de 700 francs suisses pour l’élaboration d’un premier vélo.
En ce moment, c’est l’occasion rêvée pour faire du business sur le net: 1 chf = 1 euro = 0,73 $ !!!
