27 months

During the salad days in the States, I would spend long hours in a drafty corrugated tin shack repurposed as a bicycle shop that I shared with two of my closest friends, Paul and Matt. Located on the industrial-zoned fringe of Ballard, a one-time Seattle working class neighborhood, it had just enough space for a bike stand, workbench, a wall loaded with tools and a bucket full of beer. Bike frames, wheels and everything imaginable hung from hooks in the ceiling. It was freezing in winter, stifling in the August heat and the roof leaked badly when it rained. In other words, perfect. There we took bikes discarded, donated, damaged and forgotten, pieced them back together and either added them to our stable or gave them a new home. Projects of every description waited in the wings. We restored, painted and built-up fixies, singlespeeds, geared road bikes, cruisers, junkers, BMX bikes—whatever we could get our hands on. In time word got around and we began letting friends of friends use the shop to make their own repairs. The rest, as they say, is history.

Owing to the unique riding challenges and scarcity of spare parts in Cameroon I’ve opted to build a bike with a single, fixed rear cog (called a “fixed gear”). The drivetrain consists of just four basic parts: a bottom bracket, crankset, chain and cog. Derailleurs with all their attendant cables and hardware are unnecessary. This configuration is simpler, lighter, easier to maintain and depends on fewer expensive and breakable parts. It also differs from most bikes in that by lacking a freewheel it is impossible to coast on. I’d built plenty of fixed gears over the years in Seattle, but this one would require extra patience and creativity. I could expound on the manifold virtues of the fixie but many others have already waxed poetic [2] [3] on the subject. In addition to a fixed gear drivetrain, it would be nice if it were somewhat capable on both tarred and unpaved roads, which Buea has a good mix of. Thus I will try to work some cyclocross attributes into it if possible.

This bike is to have an African soul; which means that at minimum the frame and wheels must be sourced locally. The rest of the components may come from the States or from here at post, depending on availability. Here then is a list of currently gotten parts and those yet to be had.

Parts supplied from States (see photo)

• Sugino RD crankset, 170mm
• Sugino cartridge square taper bottom bracket (103mm)
• Chainrings, 48, 42 & 38 tooth
• Chainring bolts (lots)
• Dura Ace track cog, 16 tooth
• 1 pr folding Panaracer cyclo cross tires (700×35c)
• 1 pr folding Vredstein road tires (700×23c)
• Cable hangers (2)
• Spare tubes for both tire sizes (6)
• 1 pr tire liners
• 1 pr rim tape
• Saddle
• 3/32” chain (2)
• Old school Shimano cantilever brake (front only)
• Brake cables & housing
• 1 pr inline brake levers
• Old but good Shimano SPD pedals
• Ultra-cool silver bar tape

Needed from Africa

• 57-58cm road frame, preferably steel
• Cyclo cross fork (yeah, right)
• 700c wheelset in reasonable condition, re-dished for single cog
• Handlebars
• Stem
• Seatpost

It may not look like much, but that’s everything I need to assemble a sturdy, simple bike designed specifically for my post here in Cameroon. Unfortunately, the remaining items in the “Needed from Africa” list are the tough ones. I have a lead to check on this Friday that I am hoping will bear fruit. Stay tuned.