Kai’s Bicycle

Kai’s Touring Bicycle

Click here to read about the restoration and history of this bicycle.

Kai's Touring Bicycle 2010

Fat City Cycles frameset signed

Frameset

Frame – 23-inch Fat City Cycles “Wicked Lite” c.1994, TIG-welded custom-drawn, heat-treated, triple-butted True Temper 4130 Chrome-moly tubing, Ritchey double-eyeleted mountain dropouts, gussets at the head tube joint and where the seat stays connect to the seat tube, triple water bottle bosses & a full compliment of rack and fender bosses (plus a newly added pump peg). All powder coated black, with no-logos and fabricated in Somerville, Massachusetts by the following fine Fat Chance folks:

Fork – Fat Chance handbuilt Unicrown Fork w/1” steerer, True Temper fork blades, Ritchey double-eyeleted mountain dropouts, lowrider bosses. All powder coated black, with no logos and built by some of the same fine folks whose signatures are pictured to the right.

Transmission

Bottom Bracket – Phil Wood Stainless Bottom Bracket w/Phil Wood Cups, English, 122.5mm axle

Cranks – Shimano FC-M730 SG Square Taper Crank Arm, 175mm (74-110 BCD) – c.1993 (NOS)

Crank Bolts – Sugino Autex Self-Extracting Crank Bolts, NOS

kaibikecrank

Chainrings – Raceface “Race” chainrings, 24-34-46

Rear Derailleur – Shimano XT RD-M751 SGS Long Cage 9 Speed “Mega” Rear Derailleur – c.2003 NOS installed with the ingenious Middleburn Breakaway Derailleur Bolt and featuring an authentic Avid Rollamajig NOS

Front Derailleur – Shimano XTR FD-M900 Front Derailleur, 1 1/8″– c.1993 (original part) accompanied by the N-Gear Jump Stop which prevents chain from jumping over small chainring.

Cassette – SRAM 990 9-Speed PowerGlide II Cassette 11-32

Shifters – Shimano Dura-Ace SL-BS77 Bar-End Shifters, 9 speed

Wheels

Front Hub – Phil Wood FSA Touring, 36-Hole

Front & Rear Rims – Mavic EX721 CD 26” 36-Hole, drilled for Schraeder

Front & Rear Spokes – Wheelsmith (SS-14) 14-Gauge Stainless Straight Gauge Spokes

Front and Rear Nipples – Wheelsmith Brass Nipples

Front and Rear Rim Tape – Velox cloth rim tape

Front and Rear Tire – Continental Top Touring – brown sidewall, NOS (from back when they were still “Made in Germany”)

Rear Hub – Phil Wood FSA Touring Cassette, 36-Hole

Front & Rear Skewers – Pitlock stainless steel locking skewers kaibikefronthub

Front and Rear Fenders – SKS Chromoplastic P65 Fenders, Black

Mudflaps – DIY following these instructions (our thanks to the illustrious Alex Whetmore)

Steering

Handlebars – Nitto Noodle, 46cm

Stem – Nitto Technomic – c.1993 (original equipment)

Headset – Chris King 2-Nut 1” Threaded, Silver

Handlebar Tape – Off the Front, NOS (this stuff was/is incredible – my road bike has the same tape going on more than a decade! No adhesive and Lorica-like composition means the tape comes off for washing up and then goes right back on. It still looks like new…I stocked up!]

Brakes

Front & Rear Brakes – Paul Components Touring Canti’s, Silver

Brake Hangers – Salsa Wide Yoke

Levers – Cane Creek SCR-5 Levers, Black on Black

Pads – Koolstop Thinline Threaded

Barrel Adjuster - Jagwire In-Line Barrel Adjuster (ZRG217)

Headset Cable Hanger – DiaCompe Alloy Hanger, Silver NOS

Seat

Seatpost – American Classic Alloy (original equipment)

Post Clamp – Alloy, for 1 1/8″ seat tube & 26.4 post

Saddle – Brooks Team Pro (original equipment)

Waterproof/breathable cover – Randi-Jo Fabrications Saddle Cover for Brooks Pro

Water Bottle Cages

On the bike – Bikebuddy MK3 (2) and Klean Kanteen Cage (3)

On the panniers – Ortlieb Bottle Cage (2)

Racks

Front Rack – Surly Nice Front Rack, silver [I really wanted to use a Nitto Big Front Rack but was not 100% confident in their design for attachment to the bike.]