Coincidence?

I think not!

I was reading the conditions of entry for the Three Peaks Cyclocross, a race I have always wanted to enter.

Rule 5 states:

• Only competitors riding cyclo-cross bikes with drop handlebars will be allowed to take part. Mountain bikes (or any other type of two-wheeled transport) are not permitted and anyone who appears (in the opinion of the race officials) to contravene this rule will be disqualified and/or prevented from taking part in the race.

Now, I bought some "butterfly" or "figure 8" handlebars when I was last in the local shop, as my wrists are getting painfully bored with "flat" bars, and the limited hand positions they offer. I do have a pair of drop bars, but don't really use them.

On closer examination of my new frame, I discovered that it has braze-ons for downtube shifters, and decided instantly that it would be a crime not to use them. It then occurred to me that, by taking the gear controls off the handlebars and onto the frame, I have opened up a whole set of possibilities for interchangeable handlebars.

Inadvertently, I have also opened up a whole new can of worms vis-a-vis the rear wheel! Because the downtube shifters are non-indexed, it matters not a jot whether my rear wheel has 6,7,8,9,10 or even 11 gears! As long as the chain is adequate for the cassette, the shifter will cope with any number of gears!

I cannot believe how this new venture is panning out! I had planned to buy a Surly frame during my 50th year, and build a bike up from the ground, but lost my job at the wrong moment. Luckily my friend gave me a frame in return for work done for him, and my bike got built anyway, with, most importantly, handbuilt wheels. Now, that frame has died (stripped threads in the bottom bracket) and a new phoenix must arise from the ashes.