Bike #2

            I am lazy. Only my real friends know that about me. I always plan things, great things for that matter, but I take forever to execute. I am great at planning and starting but I can't really close up. The only thing I know how to begin and end at one shot is procrastinating. When I decided to repaint and rebuild my bike, sometimes around Christmas last year, all my friends were excited. My roommate wasn't. He already knew that I will take at least 3 months to finish what I had planned to finish in a week. I surprised him -- it took me 6 months.

            In reality it took me about 40 minutes to put the bike apart, take pictures of the brake assembly, place front and rear brakes into separate marked bags, and spray the frame with a pretty powerful paint stripper (if you'd think it wouldn't burn and itch if it got into your eyes, you'd be wrong). Then I took about two weeks off. Tires and wheels were on the balcony, rain or shine, rest of the disassembled bike in the living room welcoming New Year's wishers. Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape - word that would best describe all the action that the bicycle, mainly frame, got in January. I don't think I did anything at all in February - I was busy at work and at school. In March I polished the frame and finally put on a primer. I was so proud of myself. I felt like I was only days away from finishing. I had the picture of the "new" bike in my head. Combination of silver, red, and black, tastefully sprayed in a very elegant yet creative way. April - I started experimenting with a "fast drying" silver spray. It didn't completely dry even after two days. I had to cancel the silver. I went all black. My roommate helped me paint the body, I did the wheels and finally sometimes at the end of May, beginning of June I started putting the whole thing back together. Problem was, that I did not remember how to do that. I used YouTube a lot. I sustained only minor injuries.

            The final result looks pretty good. I am proud of myself. It took me almost exactly six months, 4 haircuts, two girlfriends, one graduation, one Miami Heat title, and it only cost me about $100 in parts. I am already started looking for a 1965 Mustang for my next project. I'll make it a head-turner, a conversation piece, that horse that wins every race... or maybe not. Just like the guys from Top Gear, I am ambitious but rubbish... M.K