experiment

In an on going effort to do all that I can to not purchase a cyclocross bike I have begun a new experiment to transform my single speed cross bike over into the geared world. I really enjoy single speed cross, and my motives to switch are not entirely performance inspired, just mostly so.... so to say. I just want to try racing with a gear bike to see if it makes that much of a difference. If it does I'll keep it, if it doesn't I'll keep it until its time to tune up the rear derailleur and then change back to single speed. I have always been a firm believer in the adage "a poor carpenter blames their tools", but I do believe tools have their limits I saws-all cuts a lot faster than a regular hand saw. Of course I'm not adding an electric motor to my bike...
I don't really have to money available to spring for a new derailleur and cassette and index shifters. I do however have an old sun tour 8 speed index shifter set from an old gt mountain bike that was given to me. The original drive-train on the Centurion was friction shifting. So with a little elbow grease and some major wheel trueing the Centurion single speed is now a Centurion 8 speed. I had to get ride of the drop bars to accommodate the mountain bike style shifter. Not too much of a loss, I never road in the drops anyways. I'm excited to ride in the fast and shifty new world of geared bicycles.