Tag: Sophie

I rebuilt the rear wheel with the new spokes and now I can say that I am just about finished with the bicycle restoration. Sophie is in great shape, with shiny new spokes, strong brakes, and new cabling all around. One thing that has changed from the original setup is that I removed both chain guards. The rear chain guard is pretty rusty, and it also rubbed on the chain when the bike was in its lowest gear. I think it looks a lot better without those! I am not too worried about keeping those for authenticity’s sake. After all, they were an optional component that was installed at the bike shop according to the receipt I found (and online catalogs).

After I took the photo, I re-installed the Christophe toe-clips that I used when I rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles back in 1982. The dark blue leather straps are still in decent shape, but I have a pair of brown ones on the way that will match the bike a bit better. It’s cool that Christophe/Zefal makes the same straps after all these years!

Of the three bicycle that I have, I definitely have the most affection for the Peugeot. And I have even received a couple of compliments about her when we are riding around the neighborhood! 🚲💜

I am starting work on Sophie’s rear wheel. My plan is to disassemble the hub, repack the ball bearings, and replace the spokes. It might take a couple of weeks because I will need to order the spokes after I measure them. Also, I’m not sure if I can disassemble the hub without a special tool. We’ll see!

But I am looking forward to having new spokes for the rear, just like the front. After I take care of that, there’s only the bottom bracket that should be serviced, but it doesn’t seem like anything is amiss down there.

Taking advantage of the nice weather while it lasts. A cold front is on its way so… let’s ride!

I have not been riding any of my bicycles lately because I am following a marathon training schedule, so it’s either a run day or a rest day. But today I decided to forego the rest and instead take Sophie out for a leisurely cruise around the neighborhood. It was so grey and gloomy, but nice to get some fresh air!