el campeon

El Campeon is the name of a burrito sold by El Cotixan off Genessee in San Diego. The only time I ever finished one was after a soccer tournament.

Anyway, seems like a good name for my polo bike. Tange Champion II lugged 80's raleigh missing everything but the tubing sticker. Minor toverlap, quick steering, fun frame. Mixed with parts from my former commuter - a Ketler glued aluminum noodle from about the same era. I replaced the noodle alu fork with a Tange Champion item that I picked up from a dude at the Fremont bart station. Cranks are a outboard bearing tripple less the big ring. Tread is pedal scraping wide, and I'd like to swap them for something more narrow at the knees. But I like the 42/32 for getting to the court. White 17/19 freewheel, almost always on the 19, and a derailer because I had one and not a tensioner. No shifters. Front wheel has been waiting for death for years. Rear wheel de-dished and re-spaced 36 weinmann of some kind with cheaper eyelets.

Side story: This frame was stripped, locked with the rim (hub had been cut out) off Steiner St. for 2 months. I broke my noodle aluminum commuter bike at the seat tube - right where the chainguard was tacked on - and I needed a new commuter frame. Borrowed a sawsall with batteries. Now it's my polo bike.

Bars came out of Valencia Cyclery's dumpster. Brake levers came off a GT Mach One from the dump.

Add love and a several crashes and you've got my polo bike. hereby dubbed El Campeon.