Cyclokairos

In assembling The Other Green Bike, much of The Purple Bike (that is also white) was stripped. In turn, The Burgundy (Aubergine?) Bike became donor, and with top ups from the spares’ box, The Purple Bike (that is also white) was born afresh.

I think it better suits its new guise—a reminder of my first mountain bike back in the late 80s (a MS Racing Comp XT); at least from memory.

The Shimano Servo-Wave Action brake levers have three settings, which I thought were for using them with V and cantilever brakes. Apparently not—they are for tuning the strength of braking. They may be for V-brakes only, and yet the bike, with its cantilevers, stops. The Rene Herse tyres had been sat in the garage for some time but their dark abode has left them in good condition, far from perished. They roll great on the local lanes and bridleways. The latter of which, after a period of next to no rain, are dry and quite the contrast to the filth that winter brings.

The Shimano XTR rear derailleur is opposite motion—up is up, if the shifters were mounted as bar-ends, but in putting them inside the bars (Nitto Albatross; lovely looking, lovely to ride) up is down, just like a “normal” rear derailleur.

As for the ride, it may be my favourite bike. The steel tubes, the curved lines of the bars, and the supple, wide-ish tyres make for a comfortable ride.

Did I say conditions were dry? It was actually a mucky cycle.