>>1758006for some time now i have been looking for a decent bike that can carry alot of weight,but the recent trend of cargo bikes with the long wheelbase and the weight in the front of the handlebars just did't cut it for me due to the bad stability when fully loaded on low speeds.
through online classifieds i found this Mifa Biria folding trycicle in a horrid state for a hundred bucks which i bought out of sheer
curiousity.It had the usual marks of disregard such as untrue wheels,framerust,a shot gear hub,worn down chains and broken gear/brake levers with only partial brake shoes.
Alot of steel super-low step-throughs suffer from rust in the very bottom since water can easily sit there months if not taken care of .After a proper sanding and a bottle of framesaver the bad spots were ready for painting; following the usual procedure of cleaner,primer,paint and clearcoat. While the paint dried i got busy ordering the new parts and the bike was ready for assembly.
After repacking and truing the wheels the V-Brake got replaced immediately with Magura Hs33 hydraulic rim brakes,which i found to be a excellent choice after having two of them on my heavy recumbent.The old gearhub got replaced with a new Sram S7 with a coaster brake and a extralong jagwire shiftercable with housing.I upgraded the old steel square taper bb and cheap crankset to a octalink bb and a Ultegra FC6500 crankset with proper Shimano pd platforms.Add two kmc chains and thats basically it for getting her out of slumber.The gearing here now is a 39 in the front and a 22 on the hub omitting all the gear steps.
Cosmetic changes were mostly new steel fenders,self charging rear lights,a longer stem for a more upright riding style,nice pvc Torugata grips,a huge bell,a comfortable Brooks B97 and a Kryptonite New york lock.The crowning feature here is the obvious huge 40cmx60cmx40cmstackable Euro crate which easily fits groceries for a month,camping gear or my dog for longer outings.
