HRSO2: It's about time I went public!

As I'm a contractor, I managed to negotiate with my client to have the summer off to look after my daughter whilst she is off school. So I finished work on the 2nd July and I'm due back on the 13th September. I have worked the equivalent of 52 weeks at 37 hours a week over the last 10 months so I feel I deserve it.

Anyhoo! My race bike has not been ideal, but it has been functional. However, since riding Barney's Raptobike I have hankered for something faster, lower and better handling. So with HRSO1 being too tall, wrong steering geometry and extremely short wheelbase I hatched a plan. Now I was going to leave my bike so it could revert to original and be sold, but as a wise old friend of mine once told me "Faint heart never...(the rest is too rude for here, but so true)"

So on Sunday 4th July (Yee Haa) the hacksaw came out and irreversibly cut HRSO1 in half.

Now, you should be able to tell that I am not blessed with a large, uncluttered shed! So there were a few "misplaced" tools and choice words during the build ;-)

I used copper plumbers tube to mock up the new frame with the idea of bending the steel tube when it arrived, with my tube bender. The new material arrived (CDS2 / CFS3BK steel tube) on Tuesday 6th in the morning. So I set to work, hoping to bend it to the same shape as the copper tube. Somewhere between Bob Hope and No Hope I gave up and started plan B which was welding straight sections together. Not as nice or neat but it would be effective.

Part way through welding here.

Fully welded, prior to painting.

Note the tiller steering now installed.

At this point I tried it for a transportation fit in the Jeep. I used to have to take both wheels off and lower the handlebars to get HRSO1 in. HRSO2 goes in with the front wheel removed for convenience and nothing else moved. Result!

So I painted HRSO2 matt black and rebuilt with a new chain and the inevitable new cables and the result is below. I need to do some more work on the head rest which is nowhere near where I want it. But now I have a picture from the side I can see what I need to do, rather than going on feel.

So there you have it.

8 days, certainly not solid days or everyday.

It was not entirely hard, but difficult enough not to be taken on lightly.

So the next steps are

1: Testing on the Turbo Trainer to check it all works when pushed hard.

2: Sort out the headrest (Potentially a new seat).

3: Sort out the brakes to disc variety as I'm fed up with the old style brakes not fitting brilliantly or being that efficient.

4: RACE at Lancaster and Preston (24th / 25th July)

I allowed myself a 4 week time slot to sort out HRSO2. 2 weeks into it and so far so good...

I'll let you know how it goes.

Laters, MBG