I'm on the hunt I'm after you!

Today was a beautiful day here in Indy! It would have been an epic day to go for a bike ride. Since the bike isn't fixed and I had other things I had to do, I settled for enjoying an iced armaretto latte and taking every chance I had at walking around outside.

Progress on the bike is now going to be a little slow going because we now need to start gathering up parts that we need to get. Like I said in previous entries we were really lucky with this bike because we had most of the body. However, we do have a little list of things we need to get. I figured it'd be fun to create this list so that when we checked something off the list you guys could celebrate with me!

1. Seat post, clamp, and seat. One of the things we noticed when we found the bike that there was no seat on the frame. We didn't think this was odd or anything because his dad had taken parts of the bike off it. When we searched the garage and asked G's dad, we found out that we don't have a seat post, clamp or a seat. When it comes to these parts I want to try to find/use Schwinn parts because I do want the bike to remain true to the Schwinn style. Seat wise I've looked at a few of the seat that Schwinn has out in stores and there are a few options. That being said, I'm going to try to avoid a banana seat unless it's going to be the best fit for the bike.

2. Handle bar grips. These I know exactly which grips I want.

These bad boys. They were originally on the handlebars but we weren't able to save them when we went to paint the handlebars. I love their style and appreciate the little ridges for fingers. They're precious. Definitely going to get a pair of these guys!

3. New Tires. I really want white wall tires because they really scream '50s to me. I know that my bike is from '78 but the hollywood appeared in the '50s and by George I'm going to have a '50s/'60s bike.

4. Brakes. Schwinn Hollywoods use the rear brakes that require you to pedal backwards. I haven't used that type of break on a bike since I was 6. However I'm excited! We'll be keeping our eyes out and doing research as to what exactly we'll be needing to make this happen. When I know, I'll let you guys know!

5.Master link or new chain. I talked about this in a previous entry. We're hoping to use the original chain because it looks like it's in great shape. A master link is a relatively cheap solution. One of the great things though is that even getting a new chain isn't all that expensive. I believe I saw one for $7 at wal-mart the other day when I was looking at bike stuff.

Those are all the things we need right now to get the bike up and going. Eventually I'd like to add on a few other things. For non-essential bike purchases, I want to get the following items:

1. Fenders

I think the fenders(the coverings of the front and back wheels) really give this bike some character. While it'll look fine without them, I know that they'll really make the bike what I want it to be in the long run.

2. Wire bike basket. I really want a basket on my bike. I started looking at these the second I knew I wanted to get a bike. While I won't be using this bike as a daily rider or commuter bike, I would like to be able to have a bit of storage just in case we find stuff when we ride along the monon trail!

3. A bell. Yeah, I'm that cheesey bike rider. I want a bell on my bike to ring. You'll be able to hear me coming from like a fifth of a mile away!

See, we're going to be busy bees trying to track down all of these parts. Keep your eyes out for the next entry where I'll tell you guys about finding the serial number on the bike and learning about Gretta's history. Until then enjoy the weather guys and keep the bike ridin'!