It must have been a moment of sheer delirium or exasperation when I had my chromoly steel Miyata converted to a commuter bike. Straight bars and bar shifters replaced drop bars and down tube shifters — a granny gear in the back and more black cable housing made up the transformation.
It was my fault. It was my idea. I feel sorry for my friend who did the work for me. Almost immediately I changed my mind because I – well I hated it.
The geometry of the Miyata 512 does not support the pleasantries of straight bars and gentle pedaling. It is an entry level racer/triathlon bike that rides more like a track bike. I felt cramped on the straight bars, unable to stretch out into the drops for which this bicycle is tuned. What’s a girl to do.
The realization hit me one day when I was feeling sorry for the miserable state of my bicycle and myself. Oh sure, there are other bikes in my basement, but none had I ridden over the winter. I once rode year ’round but life got busy and then I sprained my back. It became apparent to me while I was recovering that I needed to squeeze in my riding, my passion, or suffer the consequences of inactivity. And so the Miyata became my focus point for building a program to improve my strength and refocus on that core understanding of being alive that two wheeled locomotion brings.
Step one was to order a bike stand. Then I pulled the drops and stem from the closet and began searching for the other parts. A call to JW … do you still have my cogs. I need them. I can’t find my shifters, do you have them?
I ordered new brake and gear cabling with white cable housing while I waited for my bike stand to arrive, which it soon did. I found it quite reasonably priced at Amazon and of good quality when I assembled it in my living room where it would live out the last few weeks of Winter because Summer; Summer is coming.
The next few posts will chronicle the rebuild of my Miyata 512 … It shall be done.