Bill's Bike

Still Fun!!!

2011-08-01T09:38:00.003-05:00

I really need a kickstand...

Grin Factor!

2011-04-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

It's just not possible to have any more fun than riding this little thing brings me! The grin factor is just off the chart! :-)

After painting the tank for the third time, I decided to go with it as is...just all red. I might stripe it...or attempt to stripe it again...but I dunno...I sorta like it as is!

This is what it looked like after tonight's hour-plus ride...

Sorry for the poor quality...I took it with my cell-phone camera...

AWESOME FUN!

Things that suck...

2010-11-14T09:07:00.000-06:00

I mocked up the final design for my tank and drove over to Kurt's place and dropped it off. Below is the mockup, though the font in the mockup isn't what Kurt is going to use--he's going to paint "Mallin" in an Indian-style font, but I don't have that on my computer. Anyway, you get the idea...

I thought that was that and very shortly I'd be getting a call from Kurt to come get it. Well, I got a call from Kurt all right. He said I wasn't going to be happy. He said he began painting the graphics on the side of my tank, but when he pulled up the outlining tape, some of the paint came up with it. Great...just great! I went and picked up the tank...here's the damage...

At least Kurt didn't get too far into the painting...he simply put down the first coat of gold on one side and hadn't gotten into a second coat or the details with the black outlining.

You know, I used paint and primer from the same manufacturer--the paint and primer recommended for use with each other...and I even scuffed up the primer a bit before applying the color coat. The only thing I can figure is that somehow some way some sort of contaminant--oil, gas, oil from my hands...something--got on the primer. Aggravating!

So for the third time, I will sand the tank down again (at least to the primer) and repaint it. I think I will also allow a longer drying time before I take the it back to Kurt...maybe even put the tank in the oven for a bit (after 48 hours) to ensure the paint is cured.

On the plus side, it extends this project out a little longer and stops me from buying an old motorcycle for my next project...

Anyway...that's the current status. I'm about to head into the garage and start sanding...[in the voice of Yosemite Sam] Frickin fracken...

Stay tuned...

Almost...

2010-10-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

Well, as I mentioned earlier...tonight was the night for the final coat of color paint on the tank. I dry sanded everything...then wet sanded everything to make it as smooth as possible. There are a couple/three imperfections in the tank...I left them. The reality is, I don't want it to me "flawless;" I want it to look as authentic as possible, so the imperfections add to the character. Anyway, I think it turned out beautiful!

I'm very pleased!

So for the next 48 hours I will let the paint dry. Friday afternoon (night) I'll go see Kurt so he can pinstripe and put the "Mallin" graphics on the sides of the tank. Then the tank will get a coat of clear enamel...then 48 hours after that I will reassemble everything and take a few glamour shots of the bike and call it officially "Done!"

Almost there!

Preparing for the final detail...

2010-10-24T19:58:00.001-05:00

I found someone to paint the graphic and pinstriping on the sides of my tank. The guy is a professional artist who does this sort of thing all the time...and he’s giving me a pretty sweet deal to do my tank. I'm going with what most of you suggested: old-school gold letters in an "Indian style" font with a black outline around the letters and black and gold pinstriping around the tank.

So given that his work is professional, I wanted my tank to look just as nice as his work. I’m not the greatest painter, but my frame and fender came out great. Unfortunately my tank had a few fisheyes in it, so before I drop it off with Kurt, the pinstripe guy, I decided to strip the tank down and redo it. I don’t consider myself a perfectionist, but clearly I have issues.

Here’s today’s work...

Step 1...(kinda looks like Eddie Van Halen painted it)

Step 2...

Step 3...

In 48 hours I’ll sand it down one last time and give it one final color coat before it goes to Kurt. I figure I’ll sand it and do the final color coat on Tuesday night...48 hours after that it can go to Kurt...so probably Thursday or Friday night. Then once I get the tank back I have to hit it with a coat of clear...then 48 hours after that everything will final be dry so I can put the bike back together and officially call it done!

"Mallin" ???

2010-10-18T08:17:00.005-05:00

So one more (multi-part) question for you guys...

A. Do you like a graphic on the tank?

B. If the yes to A. above, which do you prefer from the choices below:

Choice 1 (gold):

Click to enlarge

Choice 2 (silver):

Click to enlarge

Choice 3 (silver with a black and silver pinstripe):

Click to enlarge

Choice 4 (gold with a black and gold pinstripe):

Click to enlarge

Thoughts?

Beginning to end...

2010-10-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

Since it's a little challenging to see the progression of pictures throughout the build in this blog, I made a little slideshow...

:-)

All Done!

2010-10-17T19:45:00.001-05:00

Well... I that's that.

All done (sans some minor little things...but it's 99.9% done)!!!

I see red...

2010-10-10T19:00:00.003-05:00

I didn't do a lot today on other than lay down a base coat of blood-red paint. I got all sorts of pieces and parts hanging and drying...

That's where it stands right now. I have to wait 48 hours to give everything a good sanding then lay down another coat of red. I imagine I'll have to do this at least three times...then a similar process for the clear. Then reassembly, blah blah blah...

I also need to decide on lettering. In my original mockup, I was going to put "MALLIN" on the side of the tank...but I don't know. Here's a look at the original mockup again...

A friend suggested "MALLINATOR" I dunno...

And, here are two pictures...I'm looking for input on the seat-post color, the seat-post-clamp color and the conduit brackets that hold on the tank...

I'm using simple conduit straps to mount the tank (four of them). I was thinking of leaving them bare metal, but maybe they need to be red as well? I guess I could paint them silver?

Basically, I originally thought I would do the seat post the same color as the frame...maybe leave the clamp chrome...the seat rails and springs are black...and leave the rear bracket I fabricated black...

Like this...

But the more I look at it...well, I dunno.

Here are a couple of other choices...

I like the back bracket being the same color as the frame like this picture...

On most original bikes, you cannot see the seat post or clamp, so it's not an issue...

WAIT!!! (I just though of this)... what about leaving the seat post read and making the clamp

Yeah...I still dunno. Maybe I'm brain dead from all the paint fumes...?
I'll think about it over night and see if any of you have opinions in the morning...
Decisions decisions. I'm sure it will come to me sooner or later...
If you have thoughts on any or all of the above, I'm listening...

More details...

2010-10-09T23:58:00.001-05:00

Today I got a chance to work on the bike a bit. I spent a lot of time sanding sanding sanding...then Bondo Bondo Bondo...then more sanding sanding sanding. Here's a shot of the frame at some point during the process...

At some other point I got it to a point where I could put down a coat of primer...

Here are some of the other bits and pieces with the first coat of primer...

Clearly everything will need to be sanded again...probably a little more Bondo...then some more sanding...then another coat of primer...then more sanding...then the first color coat...and so on...

And even better...my wheels are done! I mounted the Quick Bricks on them today...NICE!

I was able to get the white letters off of the side using some MEK. Here's a close up of the tread...

Retro!

So that's it for today. I'll probably piddle a bit tomorrow with sanding and primering...

I'm in the home stretch!

No more Rat!

2010-10-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

I'm to the point now where I'm ready to grind, sand, Bondo, sand, primer, sand, and paint. My new wheels will be ready on Tuesday…but that's no reason to hold up the finish work. So this is final picture as a rat bike…

After taking snapping that shot, I disassembled everything and separated the parts that need to be painted and started doing some test sanding. Here's where the project is right now…

The painted parts…

The non-painted parts…

My new tires are here too (forgot to take pictures of them). I used some MEK to get the white writing off the sidewalls…all black…they're going to look awesome on the new wheels.

Hopefully over the course of this week, I can take some time in the evenings to grind, sand, Bondo, sand, primer, sand, yada yada…

It's coming along...

I can breathe!

2010-09-29T20:55:00.001-05:00

Before...

After...

That's better. Too much empty space before...

Details...more details...

2010-09-26T09:43:00.001-05:00

Probably not a lot going to happen on the project today aside from gluing a piece of rubber on the outside of the clutch cover to quiet the clutch noise a little (which I already did). I read somewhere that this will significantly reduce the clutch noise…and sure enough it does. I first applied the rubber to the outside cover with spray-on adhesive and went for a test ride. Sure enough, the noise was reduced. So I removed the rubber and reapplied it with high-temperature silicon and clamped it on the case to dry…

It's like I say when doing carpentry work…and in the words of Norm Abram…"You can never have enough clamps." Here's a project I built for a friend of mine...

... see...clamps good!

OK, back to this project...
Before I glued on the rubber to the clutch cover, I did take a picture showing the bike with the modified faux-oil-pump chain…

I'm much happier without the tentioner on faux oil pump...and I love the copper fuel line!

Tomorrow my retro Quick Brick tires arrive. And by the end of next week, my new wheels should be built. Then it's on to final tweaking…then all of the prep work (which is going to be significant--disassembly, sanding, grinding, cleaning up welds, Bondo, more sanding, more grinding…then eventually paint!) It'll probably be a while between getting the new wheels on the bike and paint…I'll more than likely ride it around like it is for a while (I like it). Though, maybe I will primer it and ride it around primered (like the hot-rod guys did in the 70s!).

Mas later...

Getting into the details...

2010-09-25T23:34:00.001-05:00

Last night and today I worked on my fuel tank. I purchased a Kreem tank liner kit and went through all of the gyrations required thoroughly line and seal the tank. It seemed to work perfectly. Looking down into the tank, you can see the white liner….

The Kreem tank liner requires 24 hours to drive before putting any fuel into the tank. I will probably give it a couple days to ensure it's completely dry given the humidity we have here.

Next I worked on the exterior of the tank. Sanding…Bondo…sanding…Bondo…and so on and so forth…

I got it close enough to give it a coat of primer. I'll work on the finish more when I'm ready to paint, etc. That'll be awhile…so the primer will protect the exterior of the tank until I'm ready…

Next it was on to the fuel line. The rubber hose looks ugly…and I wanted a copper fuel line anyway. Without a whole lot of thinking, I was able to get the fuel line installed.

And yes…there is a filter; it's inside the petcock. Here's how everything looks so far...primered tank and copper fuel line...

The final thing I wanted to accomplish was to remove the "chain tensioner" from the chain on my faux oil pump. To accomplish this required significant amounts of pain and suffering…but it lost--I won!

Looks much better!

I also switched the pedals for a less ratty set...though the new set are still a little ratty.

Anyway, that's all for now. Tomorrow morning I get to put fuel back into the tank and go for a ride! Slowly but surely, it's taking shape.

More later...

A couple of daytime pictures of the new fork...

2010-09-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

The picture from last night was obviously not too good...very dark, little camera, weak flash, etc. So I took a couple more pictures this AM at different angles to show how the new fork looks on the bike. I think it is a very nice improvement...

The bike rides a lot better as well. I'm happy!

I ordered a different air filter...a different petcock (so I can run a copper fuel line easier and cleaner)...my tires have shipped (finally!)...and I have two new wheels being built (the front wheel with a Sturmey Archer brake...no brakes is a bit challenging...FUN!...but challenging).

Stay tuned...

Fork me!

2010-09-21T22:10:00.000-05:00

I got the new fork installed tonight. Too tired to do much other than post the picture...

It rides much nicer!

'night.

Choke me!

2010-09-19T01:47:00.002-05:00

Well...I had a little time to do a little this and that on the bike tonight. I did some piddly things like adjusted the clutch arm (the way it comes from China is crap...it’s now at a right angle to the cable--much nicer), greased the gears on the right side of the engine (dry as a bone from China), and moved the choke from the handlebars elsewhere.

There wasn’t much to the clutch arm or the gear greasing, but I did have a bit more fun with relocating the choke.

I guess they (whoever they are) think the controller for the choke should go on the handlebars. It looks like crap in my opinion, so I moved it.

After searching a bit, I found a great spot--on the right side behind the tank.

I took apart the controller and welded the back metal part it to the frame...

Then I drilled and tapped a hole and screwed the rest of the controller to the frame...

Nice, right?

I also installed the cheap chrome pipe...though not sure I like it...

We’ll see.

So I’m still waiting on my new fork, tires, and rims...and while I do, I might figure out a cleaner way to mount the coil...just need to think about it for a bit...

That’s it for this weekend...I’ll probably find some time to piddle during the week. Hopefully the rest of my parts will show up next week!

Update on parts and pieces...

2010-09-17T07:38:00.004-05:00

No pictures to add this morning, but things are happening...

My Sturmey Archer front hub arrived, so I dropped it off at the bike shop last night to have a wheel built. While the original board track racers didn't have brakes, living in Houston requires a front and rear brake! I thought about doing a disk brake up front, but stylistically it's not appropriate for the era; hence, I went with a hub brake. I also ordered stronger rims and spokes. The 12-gauge spokes I have now look the part, but the reality is they are just old pot-metal spokes...so I'm having some double-wall downhill-racer wheels built--black rims, chrome spokes.

I also ordered a new front fork...again, something appropriate for the period. I went with a Monarch replica. I like the design of the forks and think they compliment the rest of the bike. And yes, I've read all the comments on the Monarch forks on the Internet. I actually called the guys at Crossbow--apparently they were aware of earlier problems with the forks and have addressed the issues. The forks are now welded--not brazed--but if needed, I'll reinforce it with extra welds where it's needed (if needed).

I also got a chrome exhaust...it was cheap (really cheap)...so I thought, why not.

And I'm still waiting for my Felt Quick Brick tires to arrive--they've been on backorder forever...ugh! I'm told they will ship today...though I was also told they would ship on the 8th. Maybe they’ll arrive before my wheels are ready...

So when all those bits and pieces arrive and are installed, that will pretty much be the end of the "building" (aside from moving the choke cable from the handlebars elsewhere)...then it's on to the finishing. I have to clean up welds; Bondo where needed (smoothing out the tank, for example); sand blast a few parts; send a few parts out to get chromed (my buddy owns a chroming and plating company); paint the frame, tank, and faux oil tank their respective colors; and so on. But the question is...do I want to do all that finish work? It's not that I'm lazy or averse to the work...the reality is, I sorta like the bike just the way it is--bare metal and raw! Most folks I talk to (you cannot go anywhere on the bike without random people talking to you about it...I love that part) love it just the way it is...in general folks are trying to persuade me to leave it a rat bike. I dunno...I guess we'll see...

The littlest things take so friggin long…

2010-09-14T17:46:00.001-05:00

Mas progress!

I got the rear fender installed, but like everything else, it wasn't without a few challenges. This had to be ground down; that had to be drilled; this over here had to be bent…

Anyway, here are a few shots of the fender…

More later…

Now that's an engine!

2010-09-12T20:23:00.001-05:00

So this is another one of those times where it doesn't look like a lot was done, but it took a long time to do it!

I worked on my faux oil pump today…and also welded the pin-hole leaks in my gas tank. The tank welding was easy…the oil pump…a little challenging. I mean, even to get to here took entirely too long...

But eventually I got it installed. I had to fabricate another piece of aluminum for the other side…then figure out how to mount a chain tensioner…blah blah blah. Seriously…I know it doesn't look like a lot, but dang it…what a pain!

When you step back and look at it all together…tis nice, no?

Hopefully my tires will get here this week; I need to install those...and I want to move the choke elsewhere...and I have a lot of finish work to do--like grinding welds, installing the rear fender, filling all the scratches from the grinding, installing some copper tubing, yada yada...

Anyway, it's coming along!

A couple of videos I found on YouTube...

2010-09-10T07:28:00.001-05:00

This one is from 1920...

...back when men were men!

This one is some modern-day guys having fun!

Mas progress...

2010-09-09T20:46:00.001-05:00

I had some time this afternoon to do a little work on my project. As I've mentioned several times, I needed something to fill the area where the oil pump used to be on the turn-of-the-century board track racers. Well…I finally found something! I went to see my buddy Vic at The Rover Shoppe…he let me wander around a bit and within a few minutes I found it--a fan clutch out of an old Land Rover…perfect!

I spend some time drawing and subsequently cutting out a bracket to hold it. I need to weld in a couple of bracket to bolt it to the frame, but this is what it looks like right now…sans paint, etc., but you get the idea…

I have to make another bracket for the other side, weld on the brackets (like I mentioned before) and then install a shaft and gear for the chain that will run to it…yada yada… but at least it's taking shape!

I've also mentioned how I wasn't happy with the seat, so I fabricated a bracket and a way to mount it to the seat and the bike…looks nice and will support the back of the seat…

And then one other thing I was able to accomplish was to weld a tab to the frame to mount the chain tensioner. I had this bolt-on thing that looked like crap, so I cut it up and was able to use a piece of it to accomplish the mission. And actually, I was going to weld it, but Sergio (I was at his shop) welded it while I was working on my seat bracket. Thanks Sergio…but you only welded one side…now I got to weld the other!

hmm...gonna need to clean up those welds :-)

So not much time, but it feels good to knock out a few piddly things.

Mas later…

IT'S ALIVE!!!

2010-09-06T19:30:00.003-05:00

I didn't plan on working a whole lot on the project today, but it was raining, so I piddled in the garage...

The first thing I did was to mount the tank to the frame. Here's the hardware I used...I lined the inside with rubber and used rubber washers on the tank...

I've got four brackets on the tank...this is what it looks like mounted on the bike...

Remember me saying I didn't like the way the seat looked on the bike...well I fixed it! I like this a lot better...

I'm going to fabricate some brackets to go from the seat stays to the bottom of the seat. It will look a lot like an Indian from the era, but I don't have the metal to make it right now...it can wait. But doesn't that look a lot nicer than before?

I guess you can see all the wiring and extra-long clutch cable flopping about in the picture right before the seat...so I went ahead and cleaned up all of that...

Muchas better!

After I checked to ensure all of the bolts were tight and double checked everything else, I put some fuel in the bike to see if it would start. The first thing I noticed was that I had a pinhole leak in the tank. I guess my welding isn't as good as I thought, but it wasn't too bad...I'll fix it later. So after dealing with that...I started up the bike and went for my very first ride on it! Omar was outside with his wife and kiddo...I gave him the camera to film the inaugural ride!

I was so fast I was a blur as I buzzed the tower!

And here's the bike after the ride!

I guess the pinhole leak in the tank was a little worse than I though...no problem...I'll fix it.

My first ride was awesome! I'm still grinning.

There's still a lot left to do. I did fix the seat, but I have to make some brackets for the rear of the seat. There's also a lot of little details, but the big thing is to fabricate an "oil pump" and finish my gas tank... and all the other yada yada I've mentioned before.

I'm pretty jazzed about the bike starting so easily and running so well. Super fun!

More later....

It takes a lot longer to build a tank than I thought...

2010-09-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

Mission accomplished, but it took a lot longer than I expected...

I started out by placing all of my templates onto the sheet metal and tracing them out...

Then with my cut-off wheel, I went to work...

Next I needed to mark out everything. I wanted to mount the tank to minimize external hardware, so I decided to weld some coupler nuts inside the tank so I could screw the tank to the frame in a more professional manner. Here's the layout of the six of them...

Then I screwed them to the sheet metal in preparation for welding...

Next I needed a gas cap. Since the tank that come in the kit had one, I decided to use it. Before...

After... :-)

Here's a few other views...

Here's what the coupler nuts look like welded onto the inside of the tank...

And here's yours truly welding and grinding the new tank...

So here's the tank on the bike...

It took a long time to build the tank, and when I was done... I was done! Clearly the tank needs more grinding and sanding, but it's all welded up. I'll pressure test it at some point in the next few days.

Aside from that, I still have a ton to do. I don't really like the way the seat is mounted to the bike; I'm going to do something different. I still need to clean up some wiring. I want to use copper line instead of rubber hose for the fuel line, so I got to figure that out. I also need to fabricate an "oil pump" and incorporate it into the design...and on and on...but I'm getting there...slowly...

I don't think I'll be working on it tomorrow, but I'll piddle a bit during the week...

That's all for now...

A place to sit!

2010-09-04T14:02:00.002-05:00

I got a little done today, but a lot of time was spent going here and there getting parts and whatnot...plus, I only wanted to spend part of the day on the project...the other part of the day is family time!

And by the way...I was able to get the right grip installed so that it controls the throttle. That was challenging...I though it would take about 20 minutes...an hour and a half later...UGH!

Anyway... today Sergio and I went to Triple S Steel and purchased some metal. I got some 18 gauge steel for building my fuel tank (it came in a 4' X 10" sheet, so I reckon I can screw up several times), and

Doesn't really look like a gas tank does it? :-)
And, sorry about the picture quality...all we had was a cellphone camera...I forgot the digital camera...

Sergio got some tubing for his very own board track racer project. After loading the steel, we went to Cox Hardware and Lumber (only the greatest hardware store on the planet!) and purchased various bits and pieces for our projects. And we finally ended up at our friend Lance's shop--a warehouse where Lance lets Sergio keep some of his tools...and Lance is also kind enough to let his friends use the shop for random projects. Thanks Lance! By the time all the running around was done, it was lunch time, but I at least wanted to get the seat on the bike before calling it a day...

I got a couple of seat posts to accomplish the task...

And after some measuring and figuring, I proceeded to cut them into pieces :-)

I had to do some grinding here and there to get the angle just right. This (picture below) wasn't the final angle, but you can see where I was heading...

Once I got it right, Sergio stepped away from his bike and welded the two pieces together for me...

Here's the raw product product...

Clearly the weld needs to be grinded and cleaned up...

...and the seatpost itself will be chromed by another buddy who owns a coating business...

...and I will also lower the nose of the seat a bit...

...and I'm also going to fab some brackets to attach to the back of the seat...

...and that seatpost clamp is not the one I'm using...I just forgot the bolt, so I used that quick release to get by...

...so over look all that for now...

:-)

Here I am testing riding (pedaling) the bike with the seat installed...

Sergio even used my cell phone camera to record the first ride...

So here's where the bike is right now...

Tomorrow I've got big plans and should be able to get a lot done. Hopefully I'll have the fuel tank build (of course the welds will not be cleaned up until later), and I should be able to put fuel in the bike and take it out on the first ride. There's a lot of work between now and staring the motor. I have to tighten cables...clean up wiring...actually fabricate the tank and install it...yada yada...but I should be able to do it all tomorrow unless something goes wrong...which typically does...

Anyway, that's all for now...
...until tomorrow morning!

"Aged" Leather...

2010-09-02T20:18:00.001-05:00

Well, look what showed up today! Clearly the new grips and seat aren't permanently mounted yet, but with them sitting in place...oh yeah...sexy!!!

So this weekend I don't know how much I will get done...probably small things that won't really make a huge visual impact, but I do love attention to detail! We'll see...

Oil Pump?

2010-09-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

Well...I found something...maybe. It's a high-dollar variable pitch sheave wheel from browning that has been discontinued...

I got it fo' next to nothing because it has been replaced by new version.

It's O.D. is 6.5 inches...should fit nicely and certainly looks the part... and maybe it combined with the other bits and pieces will work? (doesn't hurt to try I reckon.) It'll be here Tuesday.

The Oil Pump and Tank...

2010-08-31T21:31:00.002-05:00

So in the design I'm sorta basing my design on, the gent used a couple of sheave wheels as a faux oil tank. He used a large sheave wheel as the main part then used a smaller sheave wheel to run a chain around. It looks like he used a tractor pin in the middle. Looks like this on the left side...

And this on the right...

Pretty darned clever if you ask me!

But I want to do something a little more representative of the period. Not sure what yet, but I'm thinking... So I took a piece of cardboard and traced out the opening. Here's the opening below the engine...

And here's my tracing...

So today I went to Northern tool to find anything round with about a 6-3/4" diameter. I mostly struck out--I did find the smaller sheave wheel. But, my buddy Serg gave me a part off an old BMW that houses the air filter. It's quite "mechanical" looking; and I think if I combine it with something else, it might work. Here's what I'm talking about...

So you have to imagine something behind the these two pieces with the muffler in front. Maybe a larger Sheave wheel at the back...I dunno yet...I'm still looking for something. And you have to image the cast piece in the picture above painted black...basically it would look something like this...

or like this on the bike (with it painted black)...

You can click the image to enlarge it...

And I guess on the back side it would look like this (in the mockup) if I did a sheave wheel...

Anyway...just thoughts.

By the way...did you see the toothbrush holder in the first two images? That guy is pretty darned ingenious!

Stay tuned... :-)

Need parts and time...

2010-08-31T08:23:00.002-05:00

I haven't had and won't have much time this week to work on the project, but I can order a few things here and there online...

I can think of nothing better than an aged Brooks saddle and grips for this project. I ordered both!

Classic and perfect for this project!

I need to keep looking for something for the oil tank. I also need to use my fuel tank template to cut out the metal for my tank.

It's all on my list...but my list includes more than just this project...unfortunately...

Stay tuned...

Doesn't look like much...but it was a lot...

2010-08-29T22:03:00.000-05:00

You ever have a time where you worked your butt off, but it really didn't look like you did a whole lot? This evening was one of those instances...

I put on a spare set of mountain bike tires while I await my Quick Bricks to arrive. Apparently they will not ship until after the 8th.

I also needed to mount the motor more permanently...but I needed some rubber pieces to go between the motor and the frame. Not a problem...just look on the side of the road and you can find exactly what you need...

With a hacksaw and some patience, I was able to make the rubber insert I needed...

It was a pain the in butt getting the motor mounted, but I finally got it done.

I also installed a chain...and some old pedals to hold me over until I can go get some nicer ones. Then I did the majority of the wiring... The way the wiring comes from the factory leaves a little to be desired, so I redid all of it...and still have a little more to do. I also got the clutch working and installed the ignition coil. I even pedaled it around a bit...

Here's where it is right now...

So that's all for now. I probably won't do much until next weekend. Stay tuned...

More progress...

2010-08-29T10:43:00.004-05:00

I stayed up entirely too late last night with some poster board, an X-acto knife, cutting map and tape. I constructed a fuel tank as the go-by for my project. I'm not sure if I love it or not...clearly as a cardboard tank it's not very attractive, but with the right paint scheme I think it might have potential...

I also realized I have some tires I can install on the bike while I wait for my Quick Brick tires to arrive...so if I get to piddling on the bike today, I will install the tires to get me by until the new ones come in.

I also realized I need to pick up some more parts:

pedals
Brooks leather saddle
Brooks leather grips
chain

I'm sure there's more...

I would like to fabricate some "rockers"...something like these (circled in blue):

Click to enlarge the picture (actually, you can click to enlarge any picture)

And I also need to design some sort of oil tank...
I've not seen many examples of board track racer replicas in general, and the ones I have seen have a fundamental problem in my opinion--the frames don't dip down for the oil tanks (like the originals), and even if they do, many times the engines look too small in the frame, and there's simply too much open area...

All those bikes look great! But I really want to fill the frame as much as possible. The guy who built the example bike I like so much accomplished this by using a couple of pulleys to make the engine look bigger...

You can see the black pulley below the engine in this picture.

It appears he tack welded the pulley to the frame. I probably won't do that; I'll mechanically secure it to the frame some how.

On this side you can see how he used a smaller pulley and incorporated a chain and sprocket into the design. I really like the way he did this!

Here's the other side...

So while I like the pulley idea, I want to use something else--something more industrial or mechanical looking. I'm not sure what yet...but something. We'll see...

Update on the Board Track Racer...

2010-08-28T21:20:00.003-05:00

Today was a good day! Sergio told me about a Sprockets Bicycles and More near Kingwood, Texas. Magnolia Marc and I met Sergio up there to go through the boneyard of old bikes. I needed a few bits and pieces for my project. Matthew Morrison, the owner of the shop, was kind enough to let us rummage through all of the old bikes. As luck would have it, I found everything I was looking for and spent a total of $13! For that $13 I got three and a half crank arms, three sprockets, a neck and a set of handlebars...and Matthew even let us take off parts there in his shop.

Matthew was great! I highly recommend Matthew's shop to anyone looking for bike parts...great shop...great guy!

When I got home, I was able to spend a little time fitting various bits and pieces to the bike. Here's where I am as of this evening...

Clearly there is a lot left to do...but I'm making progress.

I'll spend some time tonight or tomorrow making my tank out of cardboard to use as a template for the steel version. My tires are on backorder, so I'm still waiting for those. I still need to fabricate some sort of "oil pump" to go below the engine, yada yada yada...

Stay tuned...

A change of direction...

2010-08-27T08:10:00.026-05:00

Since my last post, a lot has changed...I've gone off in an entirely (though similar) direction. Since I've already restored a couple of bikes, I decided instead of building a board track racer bicycle that I would build an actual board track racer replica--motor and all.

The black bike in my previous post was the genesis; hence, I'm modeling my design similar (though different) to it. So I'm scrapping the direction I was heading (and the parts I was going to use) and starting all over. So here we go...

The first thing I did was use various graphic tools to do a mockup of the bike I wanted to build. It's been tweaked a couple three times, but ultimately this is the bike I'm going to build...

I decided to find a girls bike as a starting place. The reason for the girl's bike is that I wanted to design the front of the bike myself. I also like the way the seat stays of a girl's bike terminate into the seat tube. Plus, girl's bikes are traditionally cheaper! Searching the Internet, I found a 1952 Hawthorne on Craigslist. I got it for $35, and the headset and bottom bracket were in fantastic shape. Here's what it looked like when I picked it up...

It stayed like that for about 15 seconds before disassembly began...

Anyone need a basket? (actually the basket has been accounted for already...)

Since then I've been locating parts... I ordered and received the motor kit... and doing a lot of cutting and grinding on black gas pipe that I used for the new tubing. A few parts that I've found were some 12-gauge-spoke wheels and a Schwinn springer front end...

With those wheels and fork installed, the bike looked like this...

Then to the cutting and grinding...

I cut a new top tube out of gas pipe and fitted it to the bike...

My buddy Sergio welded it to the bike...

Next I needed to build a bottom tube. With a little measuring and figuring, Sergio and I came up with a template for the down tube that matches many of the original board track racers.

The problem was figuring out how to bend the pipe. We tried stuff the pipe full of sand and using heat to bend it, but at the end of the day, I ended up taking the pipe to a pipe bending company; they made short work of it...

Here's what the template looked like and these were the pieces the tube was bent around...

Here's the pipe-bending machine...

Here's where the guy is marking for the final bend based on the template...

And here's aside about the pipe-bending place...

First, I tried bending a piece with a conduit bender. It worked great except the radius was too big. The smaller conduit bender couldn't bend it. Next, Sergio and I tried bending the pipe by compacting it full of sand and heating the pipe to bend it...unfortunately it kinked. So I made several phone calls to pipe bending shops...most weren't interested in such a small job...but I finally found a place that would do it. It's a funny story...goes like this...

Me: Hey, I have a small pipe I need bent in a couple of places for a project I'm working on...could you help me out?
Heavily accented Mexican dood [the owner of company]: Sure man! Tis no problem. Bring it over...we'll bend it!

Me: Cool. I'll see you in a bit!

Me [walking into building]: Hey I called about the pipe...I talked to the owner and he said...
Arturo: Sure man! Tis no problem. I'm Arturo. The owner is at lunch...

I showed Arturo the full-scale mockup. He and a couple of other guys talked for a few minutes in blistering fast Spanish (too fast for me to pick up much)... then they set off to a couple of impressive and quite formidable looking machines. I got to thinking..."hmm...3 doods and two large pieces of equipment...I better ask how much..."

Me: Arturo...what's this gonna cost me?
Arturo: About a hundred and feefty dollars.
Me: WHAT? Seriously? That's way too much...sorry Arturo, I'll figure out something else.
Arturo: How about a hundred dollars?
At that point I got to thinking...well, I drove all the way out here...there are three guys on it...and the equipment is HUGE...
Me: Well, OK...

So Arturo and the two other guys set to work on my down tube based on the template. They actually did an incredible job, took their time, and ensured it was perfect.

As Arturo and I are walking out to my truck...

Me: Do you guys take plastic? (my debit card)
Arturo: Nah...no plasteec.
Me: OK, well I will need to go to the ATM and get a little more cash...
Arturo: Well, how much cash you got?
Me [looking into my wallet]: I only have $63. I'll go get the other $40.
Arturo: No no...that's good...[as he takes the $63]
Me: No... seriously...I'll go get the rest from the ATM...it's no biggie...
Arturo: No no no...it's OK. [as Arturo stuffs the $63 into his pocket] If you need anything else, you call me... Arturo. [as he scribbles his number on a slip of paper]

The owner is probably thinking...I wonder why that guy who needed the single piece of pipe bent never showed up...

That night I went back to Sergio for some precise welding!

And we also figured out where and how the motor should be mounted in the frame...

And more cutting, grinding and welding pipe...

All done (for now anyway). Here's Sergio standing with his welding handiwork!

Here's what the frame looks like relative to the template...

And here's where I am on the bike itself...

...and the front tire is flat in that picture...and the new tires are a bit taller, so the frame will be a little more off the ground than it appears to be in the picture.

While I wait for parts, I'll be cleaning up the welds and fitting the pieces I do have to the frame. I also need to mock up a gas tank with some cardboard and design an "oil sump."

Stay tuned...

"Project 3"

2010-08-08T16:41:00.002-05:00

I mentioned earlier that I was looking at creating another bike. Since that post I've done a bit of research. Turns out that the style is called "board track." Board track racing was popular between the second and third decades of the 20th century. Competitors would race on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks. Typically motorcycles did the racing...something that looked like this...

Here's another version of a board track style bicycle I like a lot...

Since Bruizer is done, I am on to this new project. I imaging it will take longer than Bruizer, because I need to find a lot of different parts, and because I want to take my time. So far I have found a bike to get me started...

I've narrowed the color choice to green or orange because I really want a tan fully sprung Brooks saddle and I think the orange or green would look the best. Here are some mockups...

So that's the direction I'm heading...and here's where I currently am with the project...

Stay tuned...

Now it's done!

2010-07-25T19:41:00.002-05:00

I simply hated the chromed upside-down Madonna seat frame on the new seat. As a matter of fact, I disliked the seat frame so much that I spent part of this morning getting the old seat frame cleaned up and painted so I wouldn't have to look at the chrome anymore.

I think that looks muchas better...and with that...Bruizer is done!

And today... I just scored a 1977 Schwinn Speedster! Stay tuned!

All Done...mostly!

2010-07-25T10:42:00.003-05:00

A lot has happened since my last update. I mentioned about the serial number thing, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought it might be OK. I called Steve at Precision Powdercoat and told him I wanted to see the serial number thing...maybe it would be OK?

After looking at it, I decided I actually liked it, so I brought the frame and other bits home.

Here's what the serial number looked like at first...

To make it less conspicuous, I taped everything off and hit it with some flat black paint, so this is what it looks like now...

After that ordeal, I began the reassembly...

That last picture is where I called it a night.

Yesterday morning, I took an inventory of what needed to get done next. I needed a seat post (mine is with a friend getting chromed, and I didn’t want to wait), and I also needed a clamp for the arm on the coaster brake. A quick trip to Cyclone Cycles and a half-hour-or-so later (digging through old parts bins) I found what I needed!

By early morning, this is what the bike looked like...

For the most part, I am happy with it, but I don’t like the seat. The old seat was shot, so I bought a new one, but I don’t like all the chrome and the upside-down Madonna look. My plan is to use the old frame, but you can see it’s in pretty bad shape...

I think what I’m going to do is clean up the old seat frame (I need to go to my buddy’s place and use his sand blaster), then paint it flat black. I will use the padded seat and grab rail from the new seat and use the frame from the old seat as the final version...

I think this will look much nicer.

Anyway, here’s the before-and-after picture...

And, I figured out what kind of bike it is (well, I didn’t...I asked the question on ratrodbikes.com). Turns out it is (was) a Huffy “Good Vibrations” from the late ‘70’s or early ‘80s. With a quick search on the Internet, I was able to find the following two pictures:

If you took the cranks off the bike in the second picture and put them on the bike in the first picture, that would be how my bike originally looked when new (and if you didn't notice, the seat in the second picture is different than the seat in the first). Anyway, Bruizer sure doesn’t look like that now...

Overall, I’m very pleased with the look and ride of Bruizer. Even on my shake-down ride, I had three random people make comments on the bike. It’s a head turner! I’m happy.

And I just picked up an old Schwinn last night...stay tuned for "Project 3."

Waiting sucks.

2010-07-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

Well, the bike won't be ready tomorrow [insert sad face here].

My powder-coat guy called me today... he asked about the serial number on the head tube. Basically he said the frame looked awesome, but they didn't coat the serial number on the head tube. So there's a 2" strip in the head tube that's not coated so the serial number shows.

In a perfect world, I would have had them coat over it, and I guess he heard that tone in my voice when I said it would be "OK." He replied, "No, that's not what you want; I want you to be happy." So he's going to blast the entire frame again and recoat it tomorrow.

On one hand I'm sad the bike won't be done tomorrow, but on the other hand, I'm thrilled with the customer service. In the long run, I'll be happier--besides, the chrome won't be done by this weekend anyway...

On a positive note, the front wheel came in today!

Insert bike here

So more waiting [insert another sad face here]...

Fixin' to be rollin'...

2010-07-21T19:03:00.001-05:00

That's a good-looking wheel... and is going to look awesome on Bruizer!

And look at it when the whitewalls are added!

O yeah!!!

The front wheel will be here tomorrow...and the frame will be ready Friday. I think I might be short a few chrome pieces though, but at least it's progress...

"Project 3"

2010-07-21T07:12:00.002-05:00

So while I wait for Bruizer's painted parts to get powder coated and the chrome bits to get re-chromed, I started looking for ideas for the next project. I gave some thought to building a "stretched" bike...something like this...

And while something like that would be fun to build...I happened to stumble upon the following pictures while doing my research...

I think that about sums up perfect! While I'm not a huge fan of the baby blue paint or the all-white tires, I love this bike. I'm thinking finding a front fork like that is going to be a challenge... though, I guess I could make one...maybe make one from some parts from something else...???

Needless to say, the wheels are turning...

Powder Time!

2010-07-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

All the painted surfaces are now with Precision Powder...

They said they should be done with every thing as early as Friday! Awesome.

And I have a few chrome bits and pieces with JK.

Now I wait...

Now that's a seat!

2010-07-19T19:12:00.001-05:00

Well, the seat is here... I can either use it on the bike or on the John Deere tractor!

As you can see, the seat post needs to be re-chromed...the corrosion is so bad that I cannot get it cleaned up enough. I have a few other parts that need chroming too...my buddy JK is going to help me out there!

I also drilled out the front fork to accept a 3/8" axle.

I think that sums up all of the modifications I need to do to the painted parts, so at some point tomorrow, I will take everything (frame, fork, fenders, chain guard, other random bits) to the Precision Powder to get powder coated.

It's coming along... I'm looking forward to riding it!

My best guess is that I'm about three weeks out from completion.

More soon...

Progress on Bruizer!

2010-07-18T18:34:00.001-05:00

I spent a couple of hours working on Bruizer today...and probably an equal amount of time finding replacement bolts.

All of the bolts on the bike are a rusted mess, so I gathered them all up and went to Lowes and ACE Hardware to find replacements. It was difficult to find exact replacements in terms of length, but I found bolts that were close enough--I’ll make them work.

I also spent some time cleaning rust off the lower chrome piece of the chain guard, then I assembled the parts I’ve cleaned up and the new fenders. I was going to use the fenders that came with the bike, but the rust had eaten through the metal on the back fender, and the front fender had a dent in it. Since I’m not rebuilding an all-original bike, it was easier and cheaper to simply buy new fenders. The new fenders did require a little “fitting” to make them work--nothing that a drill and a tap couldn’t fix--but it wasn’t a simple bolt on replacement. Here's where I am right now...

I could send the painted parts off to the powder coater tomorrow, but I want to wait until everything is installed in case I have to do any additional modifications. Basically, I don’t want to have to drill or grind on anything after the bike has come back from the powder coater...tis better to know now if there are going to be any unexpected "issues."

That’s it for now...stay tuned...

The Bruizer!

2010-07-11T00:18:00.001-05:00

My buddy, Magnolia Marc, brought over his dad's 1941 Western Flyer. Nice!

Marc wanted to know if I could restore it...and of course I could...but the reality is that I do not have enough free days in a row to complete it in a timely manner, and it would be extremely difficult for me to put a price on it because there's no clue what it's ultimately going to cost.

Since Marc brought the bike over, I've developed the bug to do one of my own. If it takes two to three months...or two to three years for that matter, no biggie...I have the time.

So I started looking for a bike and ultimately found this for $30...

It's not much to look at...at least not yet...but it will be!

The first thing I did today when I got it home was tear it down...

I thought I would call it a day at that, but the teardown went so quickly, I decided to try and clean up a few parts to see what it would take to get some of the rust off, etc. The following pictures show the results of that effort...

Obviously there's more to come...a lot more!

Stay tuned...there really is a plan...

Magnolia Marc's 1996 Proflex Attack

2010-07-03T19:03:00.004-05:00

My buddy, Magnolia Marc, has a 1996 Proflex Attack. Old School.

I told Marc I'd take a look at it...see what I could do. Well, this is what Marc brought over (I already took off the front wheel when I took the picture)...

The biggest challenge of this project was trying to find the elastomer replacements for the rear suspension. The elastomers apparently disintegrate over time. When Marc brought the bike over, the elastomers were completely gone.

Another challenge was to clean the bike. The old elastomers appeared to have "melted" in that there was sticky gooey residue all down the back side of the bike...and I mean everywhere. It took significant cleaning.

Since the bike was old and needed so much cleaning, I decided to simply disassemble the entire bike and redo it all...new grease for the bearings, re-cable it, etc...

The old tires were a bit rotten as well. Since I have a ton of spare mountain bike parts, I dug up some pretty much new tires and tubes to replace the old ones. This is what the bike looked like after a thorough cleaning...though you can see the elastomers for the suspension are still missing...

Since I knew finding the elastomers would be a challenge, I did a little research on the internet and a few emails back and forth with Jim of Suspension Fork Parts, I scored two elastomer replacements. I ordered them on the Monday after Marc brought the bike over. As luck would have it, they shouwed up today!

Here they are installed on the bike...

And with that, the restoration is complete!

Not bad at all if I say so myself...especially for only a half-day's work!

:-)

Photo Ride on The 601...

2009-10-16T15:56:00.002-05:00

I had an opportunity to get out for a little ride today and snap a few pictures of The 601...

I ended up riding just under 18 miles on my excursion. The following link will take you to the route and all of the details...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16368528

Of course, I "needed" to stop for a little lunch... the Broken Spoke Cafe seemed appropriate...

Everything on the bike is in working order. Rides perfectly. The most impressive thing is how quiet it is. When riding it, you hear absolutely nothing from the bike.

That's all for now...

"The 601" is complete!

2009-10-15T23:08:00.003-05:00

I got a call that the frame and fork were ready today... way earlier than I expected to receive it... Of course I went and picked it up immediately!

I had just started the rebuild when I remembered to grab the camera and snap a shot...

Dang that's pretty!!!

Check out the metal flake powder coat job... AMAZING!!

I also scored a smaller break lever. It's not as tiny as I'd like, but it'll do while I keep looking...

I took my time putting it back together tonight. Boy did it turn out sexy!!!

The end result...

I'll snap some better pictures tomorrow--right... now... I'm... tired...

And I've decided on a couple of things. I'm going to skip the Brooks saddle. I actually like the look of the saddle Tim gave me. I think it's perfect!

And I've decided to name her "The 601" 'cause that's how much coin on dropped building her.

That's all for tonight... I'm off to sleep. More later.

Doing the Math...

2009-10-13T14:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I decided to run the numbers on this project. I actually expected it to be worse than it was, but with friends, used and old parts... it really wasn't that bad for what it's going to be...

The following are items I've paid for:

Wheels: $220
Tires: $70
Tubes: $10
Powder coat: $161
Seat post: $30
Grips: $20
Chain: $20
Freewheel: $20
Headset: $50

Grand Total so far... $601.
Geez... it sure do add up quickly!
CRAP!!! that $601 is without the Brooks seat...

But let's see...

Frame - Free, thanks Tim!
Fork - Free, thanks West End Cycles
Cranks - Free, thanks Tim!
Rear cog - Free, thanks Tim!
Front brake - Free, thanks Tim and Dr. Josh!
Quill - Free, thanks Tim!
Handlebars - Free, thanks Dr. Josh!
Pedals - Free, thanks Houston Gym!
Seat - Free, thanks Tim! (but when... if... I get the Brooks, I will return this one to Tim)

Well, for starting with the idea of building something from nothing, I sure did manage to spend a lot more than I thought I would...

Oh well, it's still cheaper than a comparable new one... and since I built it, it's worth it!

Powder Coat!!!

2009-10-12T19:19:00.008-05:00

The frame and fork are at the powder coating shop!!! Here they sit in the back of my car about to be hauled into the shop...

I stripped everything down to the frame and fork and took the two parts to Precision Powder in Spring, TX. They had an awesome red-with-metallic-flake powder coat in stock, so I went with that... frame and fork. It's the same as the red motorcycle frame in this picture (the picture is from the shop where I'm getting my frame and fork done...)

The guy said it would be about a week and a half... UGH!

Oh well, it will be worth the wait...

I also found a the perfect seat for the build... the Brooks B17 Special...

"The B17 is our flagship model, ideal for long distance spors touring, trekking and atb use. It has been on the market for over 100 years, being featured in as early as the 1898 catalogue ."

This is a pretty darned impressive YouTube clip about Brooks...

Part 1

Part 2

I think it'll look fantastic on the bike. I sure do wish it was cheaper though...
I haven't purchased it yet... but maybe.

I also took the old quill over to J.K.'s shop, Gull Industries. (J.K. is another buddy from the gym). He sand blasted the quill to remove some scratches. We also were able to remove the word "Mongoose" from Dr. Josh's old bars with some Scotch-Brite pads. I was able to polish the quill back to it's original shine prior to the sand blasting... so that'll all be good-to-go when the frame and fork come back from powder coat.

Now the waiting begins...

Here's some bike-porn to hold you over...
http://www.fixedgearbiking.co.uk/bike-porn/

Stay tuned...

Getting Closer...

2009-10-10T21:08:00.004-05:00

Today was another productive day... though in reality, I only spent a couple of hours working on the bike...

My buddy AJ, from the gym, told me he had a Chris King headset that would fit my bike. He gave me a SA-WEET deal on it... this be it... literally...

So I took off the old crunchy one (even though I rebuilt it... it was just too old and worn out) and installed this beautiful piece of art! Man is it awesome--sealed bearings and bulletproof!

O yeah!!!

I also took apart and rebuilt the pedals. Twenty-six little tiny ball bearings on each pedal... tedious, but I persevered!

And I also think the Flash Gordon color scheme is the way I'll go... (as you can see in that picture of the bottom of the head set, it needs a coat of paint!). Maybe a DEVO theme...

Though, a Ferrari theme might be a little more to my liking....

hahahaha... OK, maybe not...

And another friend made an interesting observation...

Maybe I'll go with all red, instead of red and yellow, and call it good...

We see...

Stay tuned...

And the votes for Pink are rolling in!!!

2009-10-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

The Details....

2009-10-09T19:07:00.006-05:00

I picked up a couple of things... a freewheel and aluminum seatpost...

The aluminum seat post looks muchas better than the black one in my opinion...

Then I installed the freewheel on the other side of the hub and flipped the wheel over...

I got a 16-tooth for the freewheel. The fixed gear is a 17...

So that's that... now I need to decide on a color scheme. And the more I look at the red and yellow, the more it's growing on me. It's sorta reminds me of Flash Gordon!

I spent a little time on PEDALMAFIA (and Fireworks) and designed the following...

You can click any image to enlarge it, by the way...

... hard to see, but note the Flash Gordon logo on the down tube. I reckon this design looks OK, though I guess I'd have to get the T-shirt...

I've also considered black...

By the way, I drew a Chris King headset on all of the designs. Turns out a buddy of mine from the gym has one he's going to sell me fo' good price.

... but it seems like lots of folks go with black.

So Tim gave me an idea. He said why not paint it like my truck, "Sherman"...

... hmm!

So this is what it would look like painted green...

... and I have "SHERMAN" on the top tube. I actually think this might be the ticket! I also think a Brooks saddle would be the cat's ass to complete the project...

(I wish they were not so expensive).

Anyway, that sums up where I am right now. If you have an opinion about the paint scheme, feel free to leave a comment.

Stay tuned...

Now That's HIP!

2009-10-08T21:46:00.004-05:00

Several friends have come through by donating old parts to the cause! Tim gave me a bunch o' goodies... I mean a bunch! Dr. Josh gave me an old mountain bike, and I had some various bits.

This is going to be a short post because I am tired... so I will post the photo along with captions. More later...

This is where I started. Tim gave me this old frame last night...

These are some of the parts Tim gave me and some of the old stuff I had...

These are the headsets from the new bike and the red and yellow bike...

Getting there!

I bought two wheels and tires. You'll also notice I have the yellow fork from the other bike the build. The problem with the Romic fork was that it didn't fit with the wheels and tires. The tire was too tall and rubbed... to the point that the wheel wouldn't turn. Of course the yellow fork was too tall, but I was able to cut it down and make it work.

I used the handlebars from Dr. Josh's old mountain bike, and I chopped about three inches or so from each end...

I didn't have a seat post that would fit... and the only one I could find was black. Since I wanted to ride the bike immediately, I went ahead and spent the $20 on it. I'll swap it for an "aluminum finish" later.

Fixed single speed!

This is a brake handle from Dr. Josh's old mountain bike. I used the brake part that Tim gave me...

A better look at my chopped handlebars...

I also had to buy a chain, but that's about it. The pedals are from an old "spinning" bike. Note I shortened the brake cable too...

Now I need to decide on a color. I'm thinking all red! We'll see. I'll ride it as it is for a while...

Stay tuned... :-)

I Got a Frame! ...but it's too big :-(

2009-10-03T18:11:00.002-05:00

I got a frame today. I happened to be in West End Bike Shop for no particular reason... other than to see Frank the cat I guess (Frank is 19... he's lost about 10 pounds, and he's not doing so well. Frank was actually born inside the bike shop and has lived there his entire life. Not a bad life for a cat... not bad at all). I was looking at some of the new single speed bikes, and as it turns out, they had a spare frame and fork. Free! Well, I had to haul it away, but free nonetheless.

"Coach", from my gym, gave me a set of old Rolf wheels. They're campys, but I see there are single speed conversion kits available for Campy hubs, so I'm good to go there... unless I can find some single-speed-specific wheels...

Unfortunately, the frame is a bit tall. Too tall for me I'm afraid. Even without tires on the wheels, the top tube hits me in the boys. But, I will start with it.

I also have an old set of CODA cranks from a mountain bike. I need to convert them to a single gear, but the Shimano 105 sealed bearing fits perfectly into the "new" frame.

Here's where it stands right now:

When I think about it, I need little. Seat, seat post, stem, bars, chain, single-speed conversion kit, tires, tubes, pedals, and I reckon that's about it. Hopefully my buddy Tim will come through with some old track bike parts!

Anyway, this is where I am. I'm still looking for parts... and in reality, I still need a frame--something smaller. I'd be willing to trade of course...

I need to decide on a paint job, though, the red and yellow doesn't look so bad... we'll see.

Stay tuned...

And I have found more examples online...

2009-10-02T19:20:00.002-05:00

I found these pictures tonight online...

This one is OK...

Cool.

This one I really really like!

Stay tuned...

The Beginning...

2009-10-01T20:54:00.002-05:00

Well, I want to build a Fixie... a Single Speed... a Hipster bike... something. I have very few parts, but I am starting to collect some. I have no clue what I will get; hence, I have no clue what I will build. I do have an idea of what I want to build... something similar to one of the following:

Clearly someone mirrored this image... this one is OK...

OK... I'd have to skip the pink front wheel...

This one would work...

This one is OK too...

I like this one...

And something like this would be OK too...

Clearly the parts I find will directly impact what I am able to build...

If you have some old bike parts you'd like to donate to the cause, please send me an email... I'd love to have them!