Muddy Ox

As a volunteer warden in our local nature reserve I needed a cheap folder suitable for riding on rough muddy tracks. There are no steep hills in the reserve so no need for use of my (nice clean) mountain bike. A discarded Universal folder was modified to suit my requirements by replacing most of the original steel components with aluminium alternatives. So we have 20" BMX wheels shod with knobbly tyres, a six speed Shimano derailleur replacing the 3 speed hub gear, and a modern sprung seat. The original bike was made in Poland and has a non-standard bottom bracket which would not look out of place on a WW2 Russian tank. The chainwheel is welded to the BB spindle so not easy to update. However this was no problem as it gives a good range of low gears. The end result is a tough handy little bike which is very comfortable to ride and suits it's purpose well. Submitted by Les Sims on 28th February 2008.