Nuff Z Nuff

I got up to find the fourth flat in three days on the GT, this morning. I'm beginning to have doubts as to whether using it as a commuter is a good idea.

It's Fall, here, and the goathead thorns are plentiful. Riding a bike with no thorn protection on any of the bike paths, or even on many of the streets around here, is just asking for a flat. But, I have yet to see a 29er tube that is self-sealing, nor can I find a Mr. Tuffy liner (or its equivalent) in a length and width which would offer any protection. I ride a short distance on a bike path on my afternoon route, and I suspect that's where I'm picking up the thorns.

So, this bike, which I put together with the idea that it could be my backup bike, may just become the primary commuter, since I can get thorn protection to fit the 26" tires.

The bike is a Jamis Diablo from the late 80's or early 90's with a fillet-brazed front triangle and below-the-chainstay u-brakes on the rear. I put it together out of leftover parts (the ENO hubbed wheelset from the pink bike's fixed gear days, the Mungo bar from the KHS I sold to one of the Adams down at Kaladi, the Wright's saddle from my Triumph fixed gear, etc.), and it just happens to be one of those bikes that fell into place just right.

The paint and decals are in near-perfect condition, and I kinda like the pastel green. If I park it and the pink bike side-by-side, it's like being in Miami.

I figure I can get along with the ENO on the Jamis because the bike has horizontal rear dropouts, and I don't have to rely on the eccentric axle to maintain the chain tension. If I come up with a better wheelset, later, I might swap out. Then again, I might not.

Anyway, I think I'll put a cyclometer on it, Slime tubes in the tires, and start using it on the commute and see how it goes. The 29er might just get a bigger cog on the back and become a true off-roader that I can use as an emergency backup.

This is my favorite angle from which to photograph bikes.

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