I’ve been plugging away on both bikes. The North Road handlebars didn’t work out; though I liked the upright position they were too unstable for my comfort. I’ve added an oversized bottle cage capable of carrying a 1 liter Nalgene bottle for tea. New brighter headlight mounted on the forks. The purple bottle contains a set of tire levers and a spare tube. (I got a flat on my third commute.)
The big modification is a Swytch electric conversion. So far I love it. I’ve been commuting as much as weather will allow.
The Univega is coming along nicely. Most of the work isn’t visible though. I’ve repacked the front wheel bearings, lubed the chain, and installed a new set of Panaracer gum-walled tires. The black bottle is from the local bike shop.
I have new red brake cables, new brake hoods, new bar tape, and new toe clips for it. A set of custom leather toe straps came from a bike shop in France, and now Etsy thinks I’m into, um, ‘custom leather‘ items.
It’s cold and dark early these days; I’ll get to install it all soon. I haven’t decided what to do about the seat yet.
Notes from Mosquito Hill 