The Further Adventures of Susan B. Allenkey - wheels and brakes and clamps, oh my!

So, I've got a buckled front wheel. I could roll like this...

... but instead I'm going to roll like this...

...with a little bit of this...

Yeah, I know I'll probably look like a tw*t, but to be frank, I don't really care. I'm more into making Susan a functioning little fixie for jaunts around town.

She's never going to be the most practical little bike, weighing in at a massive 16kg and about as compact as a cross-channel ferry, but hopefully she'll be fun.

She could be mistaken for a Brompton... if you are viewing from the moon.

The first task that I've worked on today, is stripping down the frame and measuring everything. The Raleigh Compact, I've learnt, likes to make use of an odd size bottom bracket and an oversized stem. These bits might be a little tricky to replace, if it comes to it, so I've already started trawling the internet for advice.

I've come across this modern referb on a Raleigh Shopper, which might be of interest further down the line. 

In the meantime, my bike has gone from looking like this...

To looking like this...

I've now taken a WD40 break, as the pedals and cranks are stuck firm. The front wheel is ordered, the seat clamp is purchased and the hunt for brakes that work with such a massive drop continues.

I'll keep you posted.