My neighbor had her bike stolen and her backup was a very short Schwinn Caliente road bike with 26″ wheels. This was the right height for her, and she wanted me to get it going. I noticed the original fork was bent, and I knew the steel wheels and crankset had to go. I started by installng a replacement 27″ road fork, an aluminum crankset, 700c wheels and a honey Brooks saddle.
However, the shift from 26″ to 700c wheels made the bike tall for her, so I decided to build her a set of 650c road rims to a flip/flop hub set, approximating the size of the original 26″ wheels.
The only thing left was the fork. There’s not a caliper brake alive that can reach a 650c rim on the 27″ fork I’d installed, so I got a chrome 26″ mountain bike fork with cantilever bosses, and installed it with a cantilever brake. The pads lined right up the with 650c rims. Cantilever brakes have multiple times the stopping power of caliper brakes, so now the Caliente has more braking power with a single brake than it ever did with two.
For final touches I got her a new, shiny 165mm track crankset, and took back the vintage 165mm road double I’d originally installed. She wanted bullhorns, so I cut some drop bars into a bullhorn shape. I used natural colored cork tape, and covered it with two coats of amber shellac, giving it the honey leather look.
Now it is pleasing to the eye, and with all the new gear, its built to work well into the far distant future. One of the nicest things is that she has some serious braking power for the winter months. The chrome MTB fork looks nice, too! Here are before and after shots.
Cheers,
Brian
Cog Cycles 
Nice work!
I like the way you think. I found your blog through your post on bikeforums.net, and have enjoyed what you’ve posted so far. I was even more pleased to find you are in Chicago as well.
I’ve already subscribed and I may have some bike questions coming up for you on a project of my own.
b,
where are you! caliente is doing well and i’m loving her more and more. we survived the winter with only three spills. I will be switching out the handle bars soon so i can sit more upright.
swing by sometime and we’ll share a drink.
great work as always!