I've had this hi-ten Bridgestone 200 frame hanging around for years, waiting for parts to drop in my lap as time passed. Eventually it worked, and last week I finished the build, and can keep my ol' mountain bike at home now. Ramp Rat is a term sometimes used for the folks who work on the flightline at airports, and that's exactly what this bike is gonna do now, hence the name.

The wheels came from a friend who needed to free up some garage space. They're 700c, so I had to find some longer reach calipers to fit... and didn't realize until it was time to install that I'd purchased brakes with recessed nuts. Well, nutz! A few minutes with a drill and some advice from Sheldon Brown (bless him and his bikes) took care of my brake-fit issue.

I had a singlespeed conversion kit from Nashbar I wasn't using (it had been for a mountain bike frame that was stolen a couple years ago), and the parts from a Giant I found at the thrift store for $20. The bike had LX stuff, and the crank made it onto the Rat, sans the big ring.

Tires are 700x28 Pasela TGs, and roll very nicely. Between them and the frame, this bike feels great on the ramp. I don't remember tooth count off the top of my head, but it's just about perfect for my purposes.

I'll figure out a rack setup as I go, and I still need to fine tune the seat height, etc. I have a spare seatbag for tire fixin' stuff, and I'll find something a little bigger for airplane stuff.

spacer.conrad@lycos.com