Meeting #6 - Rebuilding II - 12/14/2015

Today, with JE, TZ, JD, GM, RK and MS, we installed the new seat tube and saddle, remounted the chain guard, replaced the back wheel's tube, and put on some decorative valve caps:

Friday, we'll install the spring fork, handlebars, front wheel, and finish this project.

Great thanks to the MPH Parent's Association for helping with this project and with affording the MPH Bicycle Mechanics Club the means to buy tools and to set up a permanent bicycle workshop in the Fab Lab.

MPH Bicycle Mechanics Club helping with the CNY Bike Giveaway

On Saturday morning, with JE, JD, SF and Mr. Stegeman, our crew probably fixed 20 bikes together and triaged a few more, a small dent in the goal of 2500 bikes to be handed out at Fowler High School on December 19th. That was some real hands on experience for our club's US mentors. Thanks Mr. Stegeman for the Pizza!

Volunteering Opportunity for All Students

On Saturday, 12/12/2015, the MPH Bicycle Mechanics Club will participate in the CNY Bike Giveaway at the New York State Fairgrounds from 11:00 to 4:00. 

All students are welcome to join and get some fun experience volunteering by helping load and unload donated bikes from trucks and repairing them before they are donated to children in need at Fowler High School on December 19.

Those interested should get in touch with M. Leclercq, or go directly to the NYS fairgrounds this Saturday at 10:00 a.m., and meet the program director, Jan Maloff, himself a former MPH student.

Meeting # 5 - Rebuilding- 11/30/2015

Today with JE and GM, we learned how to install new tires on wheels, and started rebuilding the bicycle. This involved modifying the length of a chain using a chain tool, and putting back together the ball bearing cups, ball bearings, crank, chain-wheel and pedals.

We ran into a couple of problems: When installing the spring fork, we realized that the fork would bump into the tank when turning. We had to make a hard choice - tank or spring fork? We chose to keep the tank and to install a regular cruiser fork, which we need to paint before installing. Also the coaster hub was making a funny noise when activated by the chain. This was easily solved: the driving cone had been reassembled backward, and just needed to be inverted.

This is what a Komet coaster hub looks like when taken apart (driving cone is part K107):

Side note: We obtained a brand new cruiser chain by bartering with The Green Avengers. They had a thick chain, inadequate for their bicycle electricity generator, and we had a thin chain in our parts bank. So we swapped and offered them our expertise and services in chain customization.

Truing a Wheel

To day, during a free block, junior wheelmaster JD trued the wheel that we built yesterday. He used a truing stand and a #2 spoke wrench. Now the hub is perfectly centered and the wheel will not vibrate when riding.

Meeting # 4 - Wheel Building - 11/9/2015

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory donated these two mountain bikes to the club after hearing that we were looking for 26" wheels. So we took apart two wheels and put aside the rims and spokes to recycle in our project.

With the help of seniors TZ and JE, junior JD, and Middle School students RK, GM and JH, we reassembled one of those rims and spokes with our original Komet 1960s coaster hub. We learned that spokes, woven in criss cross triangular pattern give both strength and flexibility to the wheel, and allow for some level of shock absorption.

Notice that we opted for a white T-shirt as a trademark for our MPH bicycle mechanic's outfit.

  

Next time we'll build the front wheel. At some point before the end the week we'll learn how to true a wheel on a truing stand. We'll also apply the last coat of paint on the frame, weather permits.

Painting in MPH Colors

Here is our bike's frame after two coats of automotive grade paint. We took advantage of the warm weather this week to paint outside. The frame was hung from a tree with wires outside of the art center, and spray painted by US students JD, AP and me, with the help of MS student GL.

Meeting # 3 - priming - 11/2/2015

Today we've finished to sand the frame and chain guard, and we've applied a coat of primer. Since it's warm this week, and we prefer to paint outside, we'll take advantage of the weather to apply three coats of candy apple red as soon as possible.

 GM, sanding the chain guard.

JE and MH, detail sanding the frame after a few rough spots were revealed by the first coat of primer.

Meeting # 2 - sanding - 10/26/2015

JD, working on our dream bike's frame:

Today we continued to prepare the frame for painting, which we will start next time. We also took apart the coaster hub, cleaned it and rebuilt it. We did the same with the fork mount parts. SF and his dad are making a little welded repair on the chain guard. We found a nice vintage handlebar and stem, but we still need to find the following parts:

- one chrome spring fork (1" tube) GOT IT!
- two 26" chrome/unpainted aluminum rims to accommodate 1.75 tires or bigger
(we're hoping to recycle those from an old mountain bike) FOUND!
- two 26' rim strips FOUND!
- two 26" tubes FOUND!
- two white wall tires (26/1.75) or creme balloon tires (26/2.35) GOT IT!
- two grips GOT IT!
- one cruiser chain GOT IT!
- one 22.2 mm seat post GOT IT!
- one brown spring cruiser seatGOT IT!

We will look for vintage/recycled parts as much as possible.

1st Meeting: Oct 19, 3:15 p.m., Fab Lab

Bicycle Mechanics Club is an Upper School & Middle School design and engineering club that encourages students to understand the mechanics behind the functioning of a bicycle, and teaches them to use tools in order to repair, customize and design bicycles. Bicycle Mechanics Club will build a dream bike together, and invite members to customize their own bike. The club will also promote service through the set-up of an MPH based bike clinic, the participation in the CNY Bike Giveaway in December, and the organization of a bicycle drive to benefit refugees in the spring. The club meets every Monday after school in the Fab Lab.

Today we had our first meeting. We took apart this Firestone 500 II 1960s cruiser: the wheel, the crank, the handlebar and the fork. We learned about the tools we need to work on bicycles, like metric and standard wrenches, chain tool, spoke wrench, tire levers and more. We saw how ball bearings work as we took apart the crank and the fork. We learned about the different kinds of rear wheel hubs. We de-greased and cleaned mobile parts, shone those chromes with steel wool and sanded the frame in preparation for painting.

 

1960s Firestone 500 II

We're going to need tools to set up a permanent bike station in the Fab Lab, and funding to buy supplies. If you are interested in helping, if you want to donate used tools or share ideas, please contact Alex. Leclercq ("Email me" button, top right hand corner).