41. ATTACHING SOME BITS

Behold the attached whirly bits.

If you could use your mind to stick some pedals on the end of those cranks that would be good (I left them off on account of it being more convenient that way when I go to add all the other stuff I'm ordering next). Take my word for it - everything went into the holes they were supposed to and everything spins, or alternatively does not spin, as it is designed to.

So I'm pretty happy with myself. Of course I haven't actually done anything remotely bike like on it yet due to the fact that it, well, isn't remotely bike like, but I am confident.

and here's another view...

I decided to go for just the top part of the chain guide (which is almost certainly going to need some further adjustment once I get around to running a chain through it) on the grounds that 1. I am not a World Cup winning downhill race lunatic and 2. As previously mentioned - I can always attach it later on if I need to.

Next up is quite the shipment. Wheels, forks, headsets, stem and handlebars. Or if you want to be technical about it - the round rolly things and the steering whatsits. Preliminary YouTube research suggested I would need to invest in some fairly complicated and not exactly inexpensive tools to go along with those purchases in order to fit them in a manner considered safe and professional. Secondary YouTube research however suggests I can do the same job with some plastic pipe, threaded rod, two nuts and some blocks of wood.

So I'm going to go with the cheap option for starters, at least to the point where I'm absolutely certain carrying on in that manner will entirely fuck my nice new bicycle. It's all about the confidence right? As I'm sure I will find out when I finally get to the point where I have to cut a chunk of the steerer off my new $400 forks with a hacksaw (or possibly a pipe cutter). 

Measure 16 times. Cut once.