"Project 3"

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!

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!

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.

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'...

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"

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!

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...