Influenced by wood's widespread popularity at this year's Eurobike and coinciding with the successful retrieval of a Bob Yak trailer specific skewer from storage sees the resurrection of these bespoke Maple wood fenders. Originally designed and built for my beloved Ilpompino some three years back, they became redundant when I felt compelled to run tyres twelve millimetres wider than the 28mm profile allowed. Fast forward eighteen months and their warm, tactile colour coordinates beautifully with the Teenage Dream's rich, luxurious green livery and there's just enough clearance at the fork crown and rear triangle.
Form and function extend the bike's horizons beyond October's end but I'll stop short of running it through the purgatory of the meaner months characterised by salt and slush. However, there's no sense in performing these adaptations until modernisation of the front end is complete-namely carbon fork, Woodman headset and a befitting bar and stem. Extensive upgrades are heavily reliant upon publishers cheques fluttering through the letterbox.
Project Road Path has reached the heady heights of decal design and I've agreed a price with a local graphic design company but our old adversary, fiscal restraint means the deal will complete come September's close. I had also toyed with the idea of making the pilgrimage to Cycle 2009 at London's Earls Court but having just returned from the enormity of Eurobike, will pass on the smaller show this year.
Preparing the Univega for the fall has seen not only pad upgrades but new levers and cables too. Changing a set of pads takes around fifteen minutes tops, allowing for any last minute fettling. However, somehow the nylon cable pulleys had deformed at the nipple rendering them useless after fifteen years loyal service. Shimano Ultegra have taken their place and this evening's wet blast through the lanes suggests they're an excellent pairing, although the lever's lighter action required a short period of adjustment. Repeated unravellings of the flamingo pink bike ribbon over the past six months have finally taken their toll. Electrical tape has come to the rescue, keeping it presentable enough until I can settle on a replacement-the smart money's strongly favouring Specialized's Roubaix wrap.
Adding insult to injury, gremlins also appear to have worked their mischief on its Basta dynamo lamp, melting the internal circuitry! High power NIMH and Lion rechargeable systems offer fantastic, retina burning performance but nothing compares to the convenience of a hub dynamo set-up-lighting's on tap with no charge or run times to constrain riding pleasure and there's something deeply satisfying about generating your own illumination. I will email Mr Hunt, our local Recycle agent to see if he'll supply a replacement in exchange for a small donation. 
On the subject of recycling, constructive vandalism sees this this tired Raleigh mtb frameset complete with misaligned rear triangle reincarnated as a headset crown race setting tool and work of modern art. The tubing was so thick as to tolerate MIG welding and bereft of my beloved pipe cutter, reducing it to useful scrap required an hour's intensive hacksaw surgery.
After some deliberation, the bottom bracket area characterised by a very worn, oxidised crankset has a certain artistic quality. A lick of paint and polish will see it transformed into a very fetching piece of sculpture...Albeit more out house than penthouse!