LHT coming home

[Catrin]

After three weeks at the shop, my steel steed is coming home tomorrow after the conversion - and pictures as soon as I can get to it!

There will also be parts for sale when I get a chance to post them...

[Catrin]

OMG! The LHT conversion is fantastic and worth even more than what I paid! Details and pics later

[indysteel]

OMG! The LHT conversion is fantastic and worth even more than what I paid! Details and pics later

That's awesome. Can't wait to hear more!!!!

[Catrin]

It has been a comedy of errors this day, for sure. I finally got my steel steed from the LBS (and found out later they had double-charged my check card - and we are NOT talking a small amount of money...and of course I found out AFTER they closed and I already paid the rent check...arrrrrgh...but am trying to not panic. Left messages at both LBS and rental office, nothing much else to do until tomorrow.

Took my newly reconfigured bike to the park I keep mentioning, got it down from the rack, and was just ready to swing my leg over it and the heavens opened in a downpour. There were things in the way so it took me a good 10 minutes to get my now soaked LHT into the trunk.

Off to my health club. It had stopped raining by then so I dried it off as best as I could and, being bound and determined to ride it today, took a few spins around the parking lot.

OMG - even in that confined space I could tell a WORLD of difference. No pain, I could shift - and talk about ease of shifting! On my Trek I have to use quite a lot of force to shift (esp. with my thumbs) but with these trigger shifter it is like there is no resistance at all - it is like shifting through/with silk - sweet! It was hard to tell in a parking lot, but I think the twitchy steering is gone. I will find out tomorrow when I take it to the park and see how it rides over the course of a few hours. Or I may hit my main country road route, it depends on the weather...

Under the original complete build, my hands were in pain within 30 seconds on starting up - this is SO much better than that or even the Trek that I had this huge smile on my face. Poor Trek, I think she just became my short trip bike... The LHT can make much tighter turns, and even in that parking lot, I found myself riding over pavement that I wouldn't consider on the Trek. Well it was that way before, but the pain detracted from everything.

These are not good pictures, my camera was out in the car and I didn't want to move everything back inside, lock the apartment and go out to my carport to grab it, but they will give you an idea of what he looks like now - and will start with a picture of the original build.

[Catrin]

One nice thing happened during the pouring rain at the park yesterday - a rider came up who was parked next to me, and not only did he compliment me on the bike but asked where I bought it. As this was a rather tall man looking at my very small bike, I imagine that he had a woman in his life in mind. It was surprising that he had attention for anything other than to get his bike out of the rain though.

[Trek-chick]

It looks really good...Glad you finally found the set up that works for you

[OakLeaf]

That's wonderful! Happy miles! (and hoping it quits raining for a while, I need to do laundry )

[KnottedYet]

It was surprising that he had attention for anything other than to get his bike out of the rain though.

Bikes don't melt in the rain. You didn't have to rush to put your bike back into your trunk when the rain started, and then drive to the health club. Seriously, rain will not kill your bike. You can ride a Surly in the rain without fear. Yes, steel will rust if left out in the rain for months, but it isn't going to die from a rainy ride.

If your Surly gets wet (as mine does at least once a week), bring it into the house to dry. After it is fully dried (like the next day) check that the chain is still happy and greasy. If not, dribble your Boeshield or other wet-tolerant lube onto the chain and wipe off the excess. I'm sure your shop (knowing the care and feeding of steel frame bikes) treated the interior of your frame tubes with Boeshield or Frame-Sav-R. Honestly, steel will not die from rain. Unless you leave it chained to a tree in all weather for months, you will not have a problem.

Your bike is lovely! Ride it!

[uforgot]

I take the seatpost out and flip my Surly upside down when I get home and I've been in the rain. We don't seek out the rain, but it's okay if it hits.