I got it on with a Viscount

A Viscount jersey to be precise. It was something I really fell in love with when I saw it. And it was an early (very early, since mine is in May) birthday present, sort of. More a cheer-me-up as life had decided to slap me around the face. So when the buzzer went this morning, I didn't bother to open the door, why would I, I didn't expect anything. My upstairs neighbour opened instead and left the parcel, over which I stumbled when leaving the house, in front of my door. (Thanks, Helena!)
After the initial confusion on my part, it clicked and I realised it was the jersey! My mate had said he'd get in touch once he'd sent it out (it's come all the way from the US), but I never heard anything. Funnily enough, just today I thought it's taking awfully long.
Anyway, I slammed the door shut and ripped open the packet to reveal the most beautiful and cutest thing that made me gasp.
Needless to say that I had to try it on and take pictures. Here you go, me and my Viscount jersey. I think you can tell by my happy face how much this means to me. Can't wait for the weather to become warmer! I reckon I'll turn heads with the red flash and the jersey. About time London got an eyeful of it!
And for my birthday, I'll treat myself to the blue one.

Viscount forever!

I think it looks great, don't you?

Victory over a rather stuck freewheel

I'm feeling terribly sorry for my poor Indy 500, after I'd had some difficulties with the stem, the seat post and the bottom bracket, the freewheel gave me some attitude. It's not the bike's fault; it must have been kept outside in all weather conditions, hence the rusty frame, parts, and bits. You know me, I don't give up when I encounter a problem; far from it. I love a challenge, me. Unfortunately, not everyone does, and I ended up with a freewheel which had parts of the splines broken by what I think was not the appropriate approach, meaning the freewheel removal tool wasn't secured tightly in place.

So, for future reference: If you're faced with a freewheel like the one in the picture, with the two notches on top (not the holes), do not attempt to just chuck a tool like this onto the freewheel and the whole thing into the vice, without fastening the tool to the freewheel with either the QR skewer or, if it's a solid axle, with the nut. I believe you can also use the Park Tool FR2C. 

Beautiful unbranded Viscount hub

After I was given the advice--to my horror--to take an angle grinder to the freewheel, I took it to the one place I knew I'll get my hub back in one piece: Noah. (Damn do I need my own workshop!) We both have the mentality of trying everything to keep the bits/bikes usable and only if nothing else works, we'll apply brute force and destroy. While an angle grinder in the right hands can be a very apt tool, I wouldn't ever suggest to cut through a freewheel with it. You have no chance of knowing how far you're in, no matter how delicate you handle it, and will most likely end up cutting into the hub. And Viscount hubs are precious! 

The holes of the Tiger freewheel are much deeper

Back to my freewheel. It was so far damaged that it was impossible to remove it with the tool--even when secured in place; it kept stripping. Now we had a problem. It was seized up and as stubborn as the rest of the bike. Luckily, Noah had the right idea: after applying a bit of Plus Gas (the freewheel was worn and I was only after the hub) and armed with a centre punch and a large hammer, he set his jaw, put the tip of the centre punch into one of the holes and moved the inner ring clockwise, slowly, but steadily. A few minutes later, the freewheel was dissembled, bits and bearing scattered around the workshop. Now, with the freewheel body still screwed onto the hub, we could clamp it into the vice and turn the wheel anti-clockwise (if memory serves me correctly). It didn't give much resistance anymore and came off easily. Finally, I just needed to cut the hub out of the wheel. Happy days. Although on closer inspection after cleaning them, I found that some moron has tried to build wheels--badly. The flanges of the rear hub show massive dents from lacing it wrongly and with way too tight spokes, but since they're for one of my bike projects, I'll see what I can do about it, possibly sanding them down a miniscule bit before mirror polishing.

Damaged rear Viscount hub

Damaged non-drive side

Unfortunately, they also came with steel axles, which I'll replace with alloy ones. It's amazing how heavy they are just because of that, totally defying the original purpose of those beautiful alloy 1-piece hubs. Oh, and the bearings are worn, too. I'm sure, though, it'll all be worth it in the end, although I don't know yet which bike they'll go on, possibly the blue frame which is still waiting to be freed from the badly mangled seat post it came with. Everything in time, right? I think I'll first get the Indy road ready.
On that note I'd like to take the opportunity to give a shout out to Sean, who contacted me after stumbling over my blog. He, too, is in the progress of re-vamping an Indy 500 and has offered to give the original part to me. It's very much appreciated. 

And the stem is out!

Artwork at MicycleN4

The blue Indy 500 had been somewhat reluctant to give me its stem. Admittedly, my first attempt wasn't as successful as I'd hoped for, but that was entirely my fault. A little deflated, I'd left it with the guys at Micycle to return to it later. If you're following this blog, you'll know that I'll not declare defeat until I declare defeat, and that never happens. You can call me a lot of things, but definitely not a quitter when it comes to bikes. In my defense, when I worked on loosening the stem first time round, I was extremely tired. Due to some issues going on in my life, I have some trouble sleeping and tired + workshop challenge = silly mistakes. Nothing that couldn't be solved (bent forks back), but stupid nonetheless. I've watched Noah doing the fork-in-vice trick a few times, hence my knowing it works a treat. So today, I went back, grabbed the fork with the frame attached, and decisively marched into the back room to get this bloody stem out once and for all. And, most importantly, without causing any damage. I knew it would work because, as I said in my other post, the stem had moved a tiny bit.
With a generous amount of rust dissolver sprayed into the fork (from underneath) and resting for two minutes, I let out a deep sigh and clamped the fork--clad in rags--into the vice. I then unscrewed the bolt until it was about 1cm out (a bit less than half an inch), took the big hammer and gave it a good ol' whack. The bolt sank in and I went to move the handlebar back and forth and up at the same time. Didn't take too long and the stem was freed. No damage done whatsoever. Happy days.
After that much hard work, I needed to take a break and went for a brief ride on the blue Viscount Aerospace Sport. Besides, now that I've built that beautiful red flash, and learned to appreciate a new-build, I've decided to restore all my bikes. Yes, I know I said that before, but I didn't really want to get them stripped and re-painted (powder-coated). On the other hand, it's a good thing to look at the frames when they're 'naked' as any damage to the fillet brazing will show. I may not be a fan of helmets and high visible clothes, but I also don't want to go downhill with my frame coming undone as it happened today to my friend Cusqueno on his way to work. Thankfully, he's okay; just a dent in his heart, for one of his bikes is unridable now. The frame of his Aerospace Pro broke where the seat tube meets the bottom bracket. Unpleasant, to say the least. Viscount/Lambert lovers and owners are well aware of that risk, but it doesn't keep us from riding them; to be honest, I'd even ride a bike with the death fork -- I kid you not. Just not for a daily commute--even I have my limits.

I certainly did some work

Right, sorry for rambling, what I wanted to say is that the blue Indy frame is now ready to be re-build, but I'm still unsure what I'm going to do with it. Today, I've learned that the BB is rather low -- no harsh corners then, eh? I still haven't ridden a fixie yet; it'll be the next challenge. This bike will be more of a training bike for me, if I mess it up, then be it, you know? The hubs were the most precious about it. Not that I think I will, but I'm still a 'young' mechanic and need a lot more experience. Since I've chucked the rather rusty handlebar, I'll need new ones (probably straight?) and I'll build new wheels (exciting!); the headset needs a touch of brass brush and the frame needs some anti-rust treatment and waxing to prevent more corrosion. It ain't going to be a pretty Viscount, but it's going to be rather functional. If riding fixie doesn't agree with me, I can always change to single speed. Perhaps I should look into flip flop hubs -- even if only for the name.
I'll keep you updated, but it'll take a while on that project. Apologies for the lack of pictures of the process of stripping the bike and the method of getting the stem out, I'd left my phone at home. Maybe it's a good thing at least the head's attached, although that doesn't always help either. Never mind, my wonderful leg in dirty jeans will have to do for now.

I now own a dirtbike

Nice surface!

You don't! I hear you say. Trust me, I do. After today's ride, the red flash is definitely ripe for a bike wash. For weeks I wanted to go to Epping Forest to meet up with my friend Fifi, and it was a welcoming different route to the ones I normally take. Remember, I'm a pro at getting lost, therefore I consider myself a brave woman who goes into completely unknown territory. After carefully studying Google maps, and meticulously planning and writing every single turn down, I ran out of the house, leaving the piece of paper upstairs. That, I only noticed when I was already on the way, which was after I had to learn that I had a flat tyre and needed to pop into Micycle to get myself a new inner tube and fix the puncture.
Once done I was merrily singing along to Creed's tunes, pedalling away, enjoying the sunshine. Since I'd left the bloody notes at home, I asked a fellow cyclist for the way and it turned out I wasn't lost at all -- yet.

Epping Forest

Soon, I found myself on the tow path along the canal and took a deep breath of relief: at least I was heading in the right direction and I was alone. That pleasure was hacked to pieces shortly after, when the nice firm ground changed to little sharp stones surrounded by mud and puddles. Urgh! Not exactly the best surface to ride a delicate (and muchly loved) road bike on; but hey, I slowed down and made the most of the situation. There's always something, isn't there? Never mind, the friendly cyclists greeting me and two groups of people taking a walk, smiling at me, was a nice thing to encounter.
And not too long after that, I stood at a car park at the edge of the forest waiting for my friend, who couldn't be missed for her large horse. We chatted for a few minutes, before Murphy got impatient, wanting to gallop. Funnily enough, he was very excited to ride behind/next to me; Fifi even asked me to slow down as the horse became all bouncy, kicking out and having lots of fun. Playful, he is. A bit too much, and we had to part ways; time for me to ride home after very simple instructions of my friend.

The Dirtbike

That said, I had my fair share of hills today, some were a bit steeper, some where just long, and I managed them all. Yes! Very proud indeed. Okay, I'm not looking super good or relaxed climbing those, red in the face, wobbling from side to side and mostly gasping for air, but I still don't give up and keep going until I reach the top. Today, for the first time, my quads are hurting, and I'm expecting some aches tomorrow. Oh dear. However, that means I'll be even better next time when--suddenly--a hill pops up before me. And I'll take that again.
Tomorrow, though, I think I'll take the bike to the shop and give it a nice wash. I'm sure it'll appreciate it.

Viscountess out and about

Note: there's nothing, and by that I mean nothing, noble about me. I thought I'd get that out of the way before you think I've lost it. It's a great title, though, Viscountess. I should change my Twitter account to it instead of @viscountstella. That said, I just checked and the name's taken. Damn!
However, silly names and that aside, as the title says, I was making the most of the great weather today. Well, great in the form of it not raining and strong winds shoving clouds across the otherwise blue sky. I can't get over how lucky we've been with the weather; ideal for someone who loves cycling, but hates the cold wet. I'm a summer child (born in May, if you must know), and as soon as the sun's out, I'm on a high--and on the bike, for that matter.
So after a decent breakfast of omelette on a slice of sourdough bread, an apple and three large mugs of tea, I went to prepare myself for the 'big' ride.

Warning: oncoming girlie bit: I've got a new favourite hairdo, which is particularly practical for cycling. As beautiful as very long blonde hair waving in the wind might be, it's rather unpleasant when you get a gust from behind, as you're blinded by a curtain--the unsexy flip side. Don't get me wrong, I often cycle with my hair just fluttering around my head, but today I felt like keeping it a bit more under control. And the wonderful French side-braid looks really nice, too. Practical and pretty, what's not to like? (By the way, I never noticed how shiny and healthy my hair looks. Sorry, guys, you've been warned.) End of girlie bit.
Five minutes later, I was all set for an easy ride through London. 
Normally, I'd go to Lea Valley, but after the constant rainfalls in the past few days it most possibly resembles more a swimming poor than anything else. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't like getting wet from above, and certainly don't need to get drenched from below. My plan was to go to Hyde Park via Camden's Regent's Park, always quite nice as the outer circle gives a wonderful opportunity to challenge the leg muscles in a nice sprint. I did a bit more of that than originally planned, but I'll get to the 'why' later.
Since I haven't been out on a ride for a week or so--the short trips of 30 minutes don't count--I was glad to be reunited with my beloved red Aerospace Sport. Did I mention that I'm in love with that bike? Not only because I built it myself, but because it just flies. Mind you, when the wind came from the side, I started to wobble. Of course, the bike itself is a lightweight, something that can't be said about me. Although, I'm working on it.

One of many informatino points 

Going over Camden road, uphill, downhill, left, then ... where exactly? I've strayed from my normal route to try something else and ... got lost. How surprising! Believe me, I have no idea how I could have missed Robert Street and ended up in Delancey Street, basically having made an unnecessary loop. At least I then knew where I was and could continue my way. Or could I? The hurdle was to find Baker Street to get to Hyde Park. Dead simple on the map! But a challenge for me. What can I say? Challenge won, I lost. What the heck is wrong with my brain? It's about five minutes from Regent's Park to Hyde Park, but I cycle around in circles, not even being close. Luckily, London provides those handy maps all over the city--normally for the confused tourists, but very important information points for terribly lost Stellas. Only to find that Hyde Park wasn't even on the one I consulted first. Bugger.

Large Water Hyde Park

Eventually, I found my destination and cycles around for some time, enjoying the wind cooling my face; the Viscount effortlessly rolling under me, past other cyclists and behind those in Lycra. The park is rather odd to cycle in, well, you can't really cycle much in it. Most paths are marked as 'no cycling', and the cycle lanes are blocked by people on Boris bikes. Often tourists who cycle on the wrong side, or next to each other, texting, taking pictures, chatting, dreaming--the lot. Today, I saw a girl almost falling over with a Boris bike; she had a lucky escape, but I'm always amazed there are people who never rode a bike. If only they knew what they're missing out on.
I stopped at the Long Water to take a picture, before heading back to Regent's Park's outer circle for a last round, which accidentally became two. Needless to say, that it took me ages and a lot of head scratching to find my way back to Regent's Park. And, having finally arrived on the outer circle, I managed to miss the exit I normally take, wondering if someone's secretly moved it. How was that possible? Although I was already a little light-headed and extremely hungry after 2.5 hours of zigzaging through the city, I decided to do another round and then head home. On second attempt, I found my way out and was soon back at Finsbury Park, looking forward to a nice large Amaretto Latte and a bowl of pasta. Tomorrow, I'm planning to go for another ride, maybe to Epping Forest, although I fear I'll probably end up in Timbuktu.