shims are easy enough to make. try beer can first, IIRC, it's 0.1mm. other containers, such as the steel cans i sometimes buy ground coffee in are 0.7mm. copper pipe is thicker yet. trial and error & a pair of tinsnips will get you there.
agreed. i'm not normally a watercooled/front engine fan, but there's just something about your little golf. and shipping wouldn't be a killer for me - it's just a couple of days to calais, isn't it? :wink:
my opinion (if it's worth anything) is that it must have
1.relaxed geometry
2. hub gears or singlespeed
3. lugged steel frame.
tig welded aluminium with derailliers but with white tyres just doesn't cut it at all
when i read that, i thought it will easily be disproved. and then this came along instantly.
this green one is perfect. i'm well jealous. :D
i'm not sure that's true, either. i suspect that people have been flipping the bars and binning the chaincase and mudgaurds of their roadsters for...
i agree that the geometry is important, but as for them not being available since the '50s is to miss the current cheap and plentiful (and plain good) raleigh atb's. imho this sort of thing would make a good govn'r type
http://www.togglechaintour.co.uk/?FOR_SALE&pic=8&page=0
you don't need to know much. just to ignore all the stupid old imperial measurements and only take notice of The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO) numbers. in other words - go metric and stop having .... ups. :lol:
the case for helmets is a long way from concluded yet. brakes on the other hand are useful. whilst you'll struggle to get that age group doing maintainance, you could get them to do a basic check of their bikes before they ride them. brakes OK? tyres inflated? & etc.