My Grandpa's runabout given a new lease of life.
This one is both very personal, and perhaps the most drastic transformation in terms of form and function. It's the first bike I ever converted, and it shows in places, but you never learn anything by not trying.
When my Grandpa passed away his bike was destined for the charity shop, but I couldn't bare to think of someone else having his bike.
Admittedly I'm not sure a fixed gear cyclocross bike would be something he's have been into, but I'd been spending a lot of time browsing Squid Bikes and really wanted a tracklocross.
One fluoro sunset fade, some new wheels and cranks and the tyres off my old 'cross bike and it was basically good to go.
The bars I sanded back to bare metal, and now they're slowly rusting. With the occasional rub down it stays nicely on the patina side of the rust/patina continuum.
It's taught me a lot of things, and serves as a good test bed for practiscing new things. My first wheel build, after having to replace the rear hub, and my first time riding fixed.
The final flourish on the top tube is a reference to the Litany Against Fear from Dune. I won't quote the whole passage, but in summary... Fear holds you back. It's a useful reminder, both before bombing a hill, and in everyday life too.