4 of 516 Year Old Bike

When covid-19 hit in 2020 public transport went from routine to something to avoid, and the bike stepped up. It was now that I really started using it regularly, and to go longer distances. As a result, I did some comfort upgrades. First I replaced the seat post with a damped one, and added a padded seat. Together these made the biking shorts I had previously worn unnecessary.

Then I did the most complex operation so far: I replaced the front fork with one with shock absorbers. This took a lot of measuring and guessing, as mountainbikes had gone from the threaded forks and quill stems of '04 to the threadless forks and Ahead/threadless-stems of today. Unlike the first fork replacement, I had to replace part of the top headset bearing and the steering stem. The measuring and guessing worked out in the end, though, and after a couple of failed attempts I was the proud owner of a hardtail bike with front shock absorbers.

This change really made a difference to the ride comfort. Biking over roots, rocks, and bike path curbs suddenly felt very smooth where before I'd feel the bump in my hands.

I also bought a new chain lock that I could easily transport (unlike my old u-lock that I had to carry in a backpack), so I could lock the bike while out and about.

Album: Vattugatan 15