Changing of the Guard

     I've been pretty quiet on here for a while now.  This is mostly because my interests have lied elsewhere, and also a bit because some substantial changes are coming up in my life.  To be terse, we'll be moving within a month to a much nicer, larger space.  Yahoo!

     But this post is about some upcoming projects, and the most pressing one on my plate is getting my Fuji S12-S into a better riding state.  No, nothing is explicitly "wrong" with the bike.  I've just recently realized some elements could be improved, and so I'm working to improve them.

The ole workhorse, hanging up and waiting for its new parts.
Taken March 21, 2014

     First on the list is pedals.  Shortly after moving to Tucson, I installed my Origin-8 Track Pro pedals on the bike, which I honestly like quite a bit.  However, there are a few things I don't like about them, specifically that they are a bit on the small side (because they are track pedals) and they are asymmetrical.  I've developed quite a hatred for asymmetrical, one-sided pedals, and I've had my eyes on the MKS Sylvan Touring pedals for a very, very long time.  Finally, I pulled the trigger and now a pair are laying on my tool chest, ready to be installed.

The pedals I've mostly ridden the Fuji with, Origin-8 Track Pro pedals.  They are actually a pretty well-made pedal, apparently manufactured by Wellgo, they have sealed bearings and I've had no trouble with them.  But alas, they are small, and asymmetrical.
Taken March 21, 2014

     Mikashima Industrial Company, or MKS, pedals are made in Japan, something that stands out a bit nowadays.  A lot of the industry has since moved from Japan's labor force into the cheaper factories of China and Taiwan.  According to their website's timeline, MKS has been making pedals since 1946, and they are one of only two pedal manufacturers in Japan, although I'm betting the other company they are alluding to is Shimano, whose manufacturing is in Singapore and elsewhere.

MKS Sylvan Touring pedal.  Long cage.  So nice.
Taken March 21, 2014

     For their slightly steep price they may look simplistic but they are, from what I've heard, hardy and well-made through-and-through.  I know a few people with MKS pedals and nothing bad has been said of their quality, so I'm anxious to see how well they work for me.  Besides being symmetrical, the pedals are quite wide, even by today's standards.  I've been realizing lately that perhaps my feet are a little on the wide side.  About a month ago I threw on the original "quill" style pedals that came on my Fuji and went for a ride.  It was terrible.  The "quill" of the pedal was digging into my foot the entire time and I legitimately did not have a fun ride.  These new pedals, however, should fit the bill perfectly.

The original stock pedals, MKS Quill-2K.  Honestly not terrible pedals, they are just too narrow for my feet but also lack the iconic tooth which allows for easily flipping the pedal to the correct orientation.  The only thing worse than a one sided pedal is one you can't easily flip!
Taken March 21, 2014

     Despite their renowned ruggedness, they are also known to come from the factory with a tighter-than-necessary bearing adjustment, and unfortunately my pair were plagued by this as well.  Although I have not done a lot of pedal work, I'd overhauled a pedal once, for the heck of it.  It's not a terribly hard process, although a little trickier than the usual cup-and-cone adjustment due to the flats of the nuts being obstructed by the pedal body.  This means you have to use sockets, which changes the procedure a little bit.

The right pedal disassembled.  The chromoly spindle is in the vise, with the aluminum pedal body,
hardware and a few bearings in the plastic bin.  Ignore the left pedal chilling in the back.
Taken March 21, 2014

     Basically the trick is to not tighten the cone as much as you normally would, which allows the cone to not over-compress the bearings when you lock down the locknut.  It's similar to a technique I sometimes use on hubs.  These pedals, for one, had a scant amount of grease, and it was some kind of low quality clear grease.  That will not do!  So I loaded them up with some dandy Phil Wood grease and put it all back together.  It took a few tries to get the adjustment just right.  The process is a bit of trial and error, not terribly precise.  But I got it.

Left:  Original grease.  You can barely see it!
Right:  After cleaning everything and applying my own Phil Wood Grease.  Much better.
Taken March 21, 2014

     I'm excited to take the pedals out for a ride.  The next big project for the Fuji is none other than a pair of wheel builds.  After thinking about it and talking about it for a long time, I'm finally going through with my plans to lace the original hubs to some modern 700c rims.  I have the rims and hubs with me, just waiting on the spokes to arrive.  I'll be doing a 4 cross pattern on both wheels, which may make some people wince, but I am going for durability here.  I also have some Continental Touring Plus tires on the way, and after everything is put together, I'll be rolling along on an awesome setup.  Before it is all said and done, I'm planning on doing a complete overhaul on the bike, cleaning and rebuilding everything I can, and I will be experimenting with a new brake lever position to improve the fit of the bike.  I'm very excited.

All three pedals I've mentioned, side-by-side.  The size comparison should be obvious.
Taken March 21, 2014

     Another post will detail the wheel building process when I get all of my parts in.