Ah, my trusty steed. This bike will forever hold a special place in my heart as the first bike I built for myself. I bought it last year off the local marketplace for €50, which was a steal at that price for how well the frame had been kept (I uploaded some “before” photos here). Only the frameset is left of that initial bike; everything else I built up just the way I wanted it, and even though it looks a bit awkward with the tall steerer tube and tiny stem, it fits me perfectly and is incredibly comfortable on long rides, which is really the only thing that matters (although evidently I couldn’t resist color-matching the parts). Just recently I converted it to a 1x system and a cassette with a bigger range. I cheated a bit and installed a tiny 22-tooth bailout chainring behind the 36-tooth, but I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.
We’ve been on some fun trips, this bike and I, and we plan on going on a lot more in the future.
