Another bike evening!   In an attempt to get a good chunk of work in, I went directly from the Potrero and 18th stop to the Bike Kitchen.  The timing’s not bad, get there just as they’re opening up.  Volunteers get organized and then they check people in.   Not super strict on time, but it helps with the relaxed atmosphere.  I set up away from the back corner this time.  Much nicer, less foot traffic going past me.  But it was still close to the door and rather chilly.

The goal for the day was to get the drivetrain running.  Picked up a few pieces of chain, strung them together to figure out how much chain I needed.  The volunteer pointed out that my front sprocket was actually fairly worn out and if I was going to the trouble of finding a chain anyway, I might as well choose a better one first.   Some discussion on ring size, but since I was sticking to a single gear up front for now, middle of the road and I ended up with a 48.

Putting it all back together, I managed to pick a length of chain that actually fit on the first try!  Put it on with a loose fit before checking things with a chain tool.  Handy little thing to check if the bushings inside the chain have worn out without actually having to measure it.  It’s nice to have access to their tools.

After that, I didn’t manage to get anymore help.  So I decided to keep myself busy with adjusting and putting on things that were less complicated than putting on a shifter.  So I tried adjusting the brake pads to fit the 700 wheel.  Back one adjusted just fine, but the front brakes were rather bent.  Had to try a few before finding one that fit properly.

I also repurposed a bolt for handlebar and I also track down some brake levers that didn’t look too bent and mounted those as well.

Looking more and more like a bike!   But it was a rather chilly night and I was getting hungry so I took off a little after 8pm.  I think it also helps to avoid the cleanup rush. But next time I think I’ll want to pack a beat up old hoody and some of my own tools.