The big heavy (19 lbs) box arrived around noon today, so my daughter and I took it down to the basement to at least open things up to take a look. I'm not sure if anyone has ever tried to do bicycle maintenance with a toddler around, but it is not too easy, and nothing every really gets done.
Once out of the box, I was amazed at how long the Freeradical is. It was as long as the Haro itself, at least the frame. After briefly looking through the included manual, which was very well done on recycled card stock it seems, I had a window of a few minutes to bolt everything together. All that I can say, is wow. This thing is long. Crazy long.
After my daughter lost interest, I patiently waited until my wife was home from work and tried to finish everything up. A couple interesting things to anyone interested in this kit. 1) The cables and housing that are included are ready to go out of the box for v-brakes. I am running discs. 2) You will need a larger rear rotor than a 160mm, the frame says 203mm. These are just two minor inconveniences, but still a little bit of a bummer. After I discovered these items, I took the rolling chassis down to my local shop Bishop's Bicycles to have them finish everything up for me. They are a great shop, and they seemed jazzed to have a long bike roll in.
So that's where the project pauses for the moment. I hope to have the bike back in the next day or two to really try it out, and see how this thing works. I am already stoked, and I haven't even rode it yet, it just looks comfy and practical. Can't wait to put it to use this year. Makes me think of a great Dr. Seuss book, and how it starts...
"Congratulations,
Today is your day.
You're off to great places,
You're off and away!"
Can't wait...
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