Last class

Well folks we all knew this day would come, when the mother bird pushes the baby bird out of the nest and says 'tweet, tweeeeeet' (Translated to - Get out of my nest you onesy wearing strange bike building bludger) it's the last class. Whilst this is the last class it's certainly not the end of the journey. It's time to spread my wings and fly (not over the handlebars!)

I had a very busy weekend involving a lot of grinding and sanding and painting to take the bike from this.

To this

There are some slight improvements.

To celebrate the milestone of our last class the Genuine Woman Janine baked a cake bless her cotton socks.

First time I've ever seen a p-far cake! Janine and CJ have been the primary suppliers of sustenance for us hungry p-far builders thank you very much, also thanks to the others who brought food in. After three hours of filing you get a bit hungry and it kept morale up!

Thanks Brett for having the patience of a Saint to deal with the whiny questions from me I dub you Brett Patron Saint of P-fars. (you can add those to the other titles including king, sensei and countless others bestowed upon you during this course)

So this weeks class the bike was ridable but not finished I started work on the brake. I got the brake shoe mounted.

But you'll notice there is no brake lever. Some of the other class mates took the easy way out and got the pivot point brazed on.... but not me I decided it's the hard way or the high way (plus I had painted my handle bars already) so i set to make a clamp on mount that will work as the pivot point for the lever.

This clamps over the bar with one bolt holding it on tight and another being for the pivot. Now I need to get a bit of metal to use as the brake lever. So after dithering around most of the class it was time. Something I had been looking forward to but scared of was to bite the bitumen and ride the thing. It was super frightening but I'm so brave.

 YAAAAY Me! Lets big it up for ME! But thanks to CJ for encouraging me otherwise I'd have waited until the lesson this weekend where I'd learn to ride properly. Phew dodged that bullet.

So onto another important part of the p-far experience the bike naming. I've settled at the moment for Betty after Betty from Hey Dad and Black Betty. Somehow the lyrics resonated with me see if you can see why....

The damn thing gone wild (bam-A-lam) (when I almost ran into a parked car.)

She really gets me high (bam-BA-lam) (Apple picking high)

You know that's no lie (bam-BA-lam) (lies makes baby Jesus cry - Rod Flanders)

She's so rock steady (bam-BA-lam) (well built that bike at around 16kgs worth!)

She's always ready (bam-BA-lam) (for a jaunt)

whoa, black betty (bam-BA-lam) (Whoa was what I was thinking when i was going out of control down the slight slope)

So whilst we've reached a milestone there is still more in this journey I'm going to finish off the brake. Still going to get the badge installed and need to true the wheel in the frame. Actually learn how to ride the thing. So stay tuned dear reader.