Hot Karl update

The last bike I assembled for a friend is the Hot Karl. It was a SRAM shifter and it just isn't very good. Shifting problems keep re-happening and the foot hits the guard. The former is exactly the kind of pain-in-the-ass I don't want to deal with. The latter is a basic design flaw that can't be fixed.

I bought the bullet and ordered yet another Shimano Nexus hub. Strange that Sheldon Brown's place seems to have a lock on their sales. I tried to buy one online through Ebay, but the place that was selling the older (heavier) model doesn't have any in stock. Anyway, when the hub comes I think I'll just take it to my bike man and pay him to swap the hubs/build the new wheel. I don't really want to bother. But I do feel I owe my friend a good bike.

[November 10th Update: the Hot Karl is back in business and she's never been hotter.]

Problems with the Hot Karl

There are problems with the shifting in the Hot Karl. I should have bought a Shimano hub. I'm not quite certain what the problems are (beyond slipping), but I have no real desire to figure it out. It's not my bike. But maybe Karl will buy a Shimano Nexus and I'll build him a new trouble-free wheel.

The Hot Karl

I’m pretty pleased with the Hot Karl. Total cost, around $550. That’s within pennies of Katie’s Del Ray. But with the internal hub, I think the Hot Karl is a nicer bike. It's light, rides great, makes a nice old-school clicking sound as you peddle, and has some flourishes from the Mexican-run bike store (purple chainring bolts and silver handlebar grips).

And my first experience painting a bike. Spray paint is fun... and cheap. I felt a wicked thrill buying it as the man at the hardware store unlocked the case. But despite my outlaw feeling, I don’t think too many taggers buy primer and masking tape with their spray paint.

The only problem with the bike is the damn hub itself. There are two related problems:
1) the shifting mechanism sticks out the side, just waiting to get smashed. There is a metal guard, but I don’t know how long one can go with breaking the damn thing. We’ll see.
2) the front of the external shifting mechanism is teeny bit too close to the pedal. If you’re not careful, the back of the right foot hits it on the backswing. Whether this is a fatal flaw or something that correct pedaling position can cure, I figure we’ll figure out in about a week.

Shimano hubs, of course, don’t have any of these problems. They managed to get everything inside the hub. Those clever Japanese. But I couldn’t buy an internal 5-speed shimano hub on a new, built wheel for the bargain price of $150 dollars. Whether this hub out of be a good buy or wasted money on a flawed design remains to be seen. The frame and wheels cost another $270. Everything else (seat, chain, peddles, brake) cost about $150. The bike still needs fenders. They’ve been ordered on-line. In the end, the total cost will be closer to $600 for parts. Labor is free. And a rack and bags would also be nice. That would be another $50-$100. And the words: “Hot Karl” still need to be painted on the frame in a very bright red.

Putting the bike together right took about 1 1/2 days of labor and 2 trips to the bike store. The bike store is great. They actually made me a $1 coaster-brake strap from scrap. No charge.



The external shift mechanism with metal guard


Removing the external shift mechanism, you can see the shifter pin. This moves in or out to change gears.

purple chainring bolts

locking down the seat with a 3 links of chain

shifter

US flag bell… for the Canadian

blinky handle bar lights

front brakes

rear hub and rear drum brake cable

Introducing the Hot Karl

I went over to Jersey City today. N to the PATH train. It really is easy to get to. It’s kind of like what we say about Queens, I suppose.

And I picked up the bike that will become the Hot Karl. $270. It’s a perfectly sized frame. Light. Steel. Lugged. Two excellent wheels. Bottom bracket. Crank arms. Fork. Handlebars. And break levers. All top of the line. It’s a fixed gear. 26-inch (559, not 650B). My plan is to replace the rear wheel with an internal 5-speed hub that I bought on e-bay. And then sell the fixed gear wheel on e-bay. I don’t have any use for a 26-inch fixed gear wheel. And Karl is not an advanced biker. A fixed gear is not for him. The new wheel should be here any day. The wheels are standard mountain bike



I also got an extra very nice rear wheel (700cc). $70. It’s always good to have backup. It will fit my Bianchi and Katie’s Del Ray. It’s always good to have backup. And with that he gave me handlebars and stem. I don’t really *need* them. But they’re nice and it was quite a bargain.

It’s too bad that I haven’t used the same size wheels for all the bikes. The Bluebird is one size (650B). My bikes and the Del Ray are another (standard road 700). And now the Hot Karl will be a 3rd size (standard mountain bike 26 inch). But when you assemble, sometimes you have to take what you can get. And the standards 700mm size wheel is not the best size because it has no clearance. If only everything was 650B.

On the way home (FYI, you can get a bike through an “iron-maiden” style turnstile. But it takes a little effort), I stopped by the wonderful bike store (see above) near here and bought a chain and front brake and chain ring bolts. The Hot Karl will be sweet.


Once the new real wheel is on, the bike needs:
1) fenders
2) a rear brake cable
3) peddles
4) probably a new seat
5) cable to lock the seat
6) crank arm nuts
7) a proper lock
8) a paint job