Pigeon Placeholder

notepad watercolour

I learned a few things building the PA-02 Flying Pigeon, one, that I probably need to take a camera with me on maiden voyages,  two: don't attempt to tighten cotters by tightening their nut. You'll just strip the threads.  - Verbatim from the wise Sheldon Brown, but I unfortunately read these words... after I stripped the threads.   I finished up the Pigeon Sunday, tentatively tightened everything up, positioned the rear wheel to what I thought was a good chain tension, got the rod brakes working, put the bike out on the driveway, mounted it-

  And promptly rode the bike I had assembled for four miles.  The bum cotter fell out right as I got back into the driveway.  So the Pigeon is convalescing while some new cotters, and a somewhat better seatpost arrive by post.  It is a bike!  I didn't reduce it to scrap! I learned things!  Rod brakes actually work well when set up correctly!   I just pre-tensioned them a little bit, no problem. They pull at least 70% of regular cable and caliper-rim brakes.

I'll get a proper review done up shortly.