Zip Stripped Frame - Daddy's new cruiser

 

Blurry picture sorry

Zip Stripped Frame - Daddy's new cruiser. 

On the rack is my old train bike. It was used to get me to and from the Long Island Railroad. It has seen it's share of bad weather. I have left it out in the rain and the snow. I have general abused it. So what's up with it now.

Well, I am no longer living in Long Island. I no longer take the train into work. So I don't need a train bike anymore. At the same time family bike rides around the neighborhood are happening more often and my daughter Lily loves them. 

So,... as a train bike it did it's job fine. But, as daddy's cruiser, riding slowly looking at leaves and squirrels it is rather uncomfortable. Therefore it's time for a change. Time to change my old train bike into a comfy cruiser and the first set is to strip all the paint and make a fresh start. Well I left a bit of the black on the front but, the rest of the frame has been stripped down to the metal (Aluminum). 

Next up:

New seat (already arrived)

New Handlebars (in the mail)

New Cables (in the mail)

and the search for 700x38c White walls.

Sidenote: Yes I should of taken off the crank and the rear brakes before stripping. However, with all the times I have left the bike out in the rain the back brakes are rusted on. As for the cranks, they are super cheap and an earlier attempt to take them off stripped them. Metal is super soft. So, taking them off would involve banging and prying and could break them so I just left them for now. If they get screwed up all the better. I would like to replace them and turn the bike into a 5 speed with a single ring up front and a long chrome chain guard so I guess I'm kind of hoping I ruin my bottom bracket and cranks. At the same time I was really careful so I'm pretty sure it will be fine.