Slow bike.
I'm almost done sanding my frame. And of course, what's remaining is the worst part. Getting all the nitty-gritty paint that's leftover in the grooves and corners. I could use a dremel tool for this, but Will can't find his dremel since our two recent moves (into the ether, I guess, like the $900 worth of eyewear I lost in our cross-country move – yes, NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS in the form of one finished pair of glasses and frames I hadn't had lenses put into yet – don't get me started), and we don't really want to spend the money on a new one right now; we're getting ready to install the concrete countertops and cabinetry in our kitchen, so we have to watch our nickels and dimes.
So we meandered down to Velocipede Bike Project here in Baltimore that, bully for us, is only about a ten-minute walk from our house. You can volunteer here for three hours a month for access to their bike shop and tools. We brought the Weims, of course, but the shop dog, Tater was there. A little runt of a brindle pitbull, she was very alpha. While dog is not my native tongue, after living with these two gray ghosts for the past five years, I'm pretty fluent. In no uncertain terms, her body language said, "Back the fuck off, boys!" So we tied the Weims up across the street and went in to check the place out.
The cool thing about finding holes in walls like this is that each time you go, you learn something new. We found out that yes, we probably will volunteer here. Even more useful, the guy gave us the name of Powder Coat Finishes of Baltimore. According to him, I can have my frame and fork sandblasted and powdercoated for about $125. This is really great news! The place I had researched while in DC – somewhere in Manassas, VA – wanted $300. Which is why I had decided to do it myself. But now, at this stage and with the summer upon us, I really want to get this bike built so I can ride it. I will happily fork over the money. I think you realize at a certain age that there are some things in life that you should really just pay someone else to do. Like change your oil, clean your toilets, and paint your fixed-gear bike frame.
After Velocipede, we strolled about two blocks west to Baltimore Bicycle Works, a local shop that sells custom-built bikes and bike parts. I absolutely LOVE shopping at places like this. This store is run by a group of twenty-somethings who are just passionate about bikes. They are living their passion, tactically. In three-dimensions. Which makes me think of this book I want to read, Shop Class as Soulcraft. It's on my list….
Anyway, this bike shop reminds me a lot of CounterBalance Bicycles, on Queen Anne near our house in Seattle. The Weims came in with us (no bitchy, bossy shop dogs there!) and with Will's help, I ordered my bracket, crank, crank arms, and chain. I'll post pictures of these parts when they come in. Currently, I have my frame, my fork and my seat. GETTING CLOSER.