TRADITIONAL Pensioner

[Wildcat]

This is my entry in the traditional category. I'm upgrading an old build to make it more suitable for a retiree, or pensioner, or just plain old senior citizen. It's a BMX style bike now, but I'll add a springer fork and cruiser bars. It'll get this set of 57mm wheels with 26 x 3.0 tires I recently laced up with gold spokes. They were planned for another build but that didn't work out.

I tried the regular 2.125 and 3.0 tires and like the 3.0. I can use coaster brakes or band brake. Probably coaster to omit any cables.

This bike will be geared for easy crusing and comfort. It may or may not get painted. I did the splat paint job on it a couple years ago.

This build won't take too much work. I hope to be out riding it soon.

 

[kingfish254]

I continue to love watching your builds brother. Those 57mm wheels remind me of all the documented research you did hen 3G came out with those. You were our go to source for what frames and tires would fit on what(I am guessing 2013/14 timeframe). Have fun my friend!

 

[Wildcat]

I got some work done even though the heat index was still too high. Most of my work (if you can call it that) will be done between 7 and 9 in the morning.
Last look before I tore it apart:

The rear will need dropout extensions to fit the 3" tire. I can also lower the rear at the same time. I hope to be able to flatfoot it.
If the pedals get too low, I can raise the front with some flanges on the springer.

The front wheel fits with no widening or anything done to the springer.
These springers only fit one size head tube on a bike. I need to put a spacer up top to make it right. There's only one spot for the top bracket to sit level.

I also tried out the new crankset. 36 teeth with an 18 tooth cog will make for an easy ride.

I'll take it all apart, clean the frame and give it a coat or two of clear to freshen it up.

 

[OddJob]

Love those bike whitewalls on there! Gonna ride like a dream.

 

[Pondo]

Looking good, should be comfortable and stylish.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Sounds like a plan! Those wheels and tires are going to look great on there!

 

[Wildcat]

Got both 3" tires on the rims. I'm going to have one cable after all, for the front band brake. I like the big chrome disc. And if the chain comes off I still have brakes.

I looked through photos of splatter paint and was going to sand it down and go with a tan background and brighter colors but gave it one coat of clear and liked how it looked, so it got 3 coats in my garage paint shop. The big fan and 85 at 7 am helped.

Watching paint dry. First vid of the build off!

It was completely dry in 15 minutes. Tomorrow I'm going to see if this rear triangle might work for the rear extension.

 

[Wildcat]

Removed the rear brake bosses, mixed some paint to match the old green, added some splat and laid it out to get an idea of angles and what is needed. Clear over the touchup tomorrow.

The patchwork should match up better with clear.

I was trying to keep the length short, but it looks like about 76 inches long.

Laid back seat angle.

I was thinking about moon bars but these may have enough reach.

Termites in the shop! Another 5 feet and they hit metal. No wood there either, just more concrete.

 

[Pondo]

Gotta love a good spark show!

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Wow, that bike looks really good with those tires. I'm enjoying the progress so far.

That front brake is a band brake I believe? Sturmey Archer? And usually the reaction arm is on the left hand side right?
I know it is a mockup, and I am probably a bit early on that last question

 

[Wildcat]

Yes that's a band brake, fairly common over here on the bikes used for work. They get a lot more usage from these when using the vending carts or hauling junk. Calipers wear out fast with daily use.

I didn't know SA made them, everything I can get here is Japan or China made. They work fine, just cheaply made and a very cheap pricetag.
Less than a dollar for a standard 80mm disc, but I use the 90mm and they provide much better braking for two dollars. That's what I put on these wheels:

They don't use them on the front wheels, but I do. The downside is that they work by constricting a band, so they only work in one direction, they don't give any stopping action rolling backwards. So they only go on the left side.

Duh! Looks like I put the front wheel on backwards again!


I ordered some spacers for the fork and a shim for the seatpost. The only challenge now is the droput extensions. The scrap triangle won't work, I need something stronger fabbed up.

 

[Wildcat]

I think I have just the right metal for the droput extensions. I never trimmed the heavy steel plate I used for the kitchen chair on my previous build, Lazy Boy. I pulled up a pic to see how much I could trim off and see it's more than enough and still be good to mount the chair seat. I should have trimmed it down before. I should also go ahead and round all the edges.

I marked off what could be trimmed off in green. The plate is 10" by 10" so it looks like plenty of metal. A lot of sparks too, maybe a nighttime video!

 

[Wildcat]

I took the cog off the front wheel and realized I could solve the band brake problem of no brakes when rolling backward. I put another one on the cog side, now it has two brakes on the front wheel along with the rear coaster brake. One side brakes going forward, the other when rolling backward.

I sized up the rear wheel to estimate the dropouts extension. I think it can work with just a small extension which will keep the length reasonable and not require extra braces. Just bolted right to the existing dropouts. Spreading the stays out to 3 1/2" is the challenge. I'm going to come up with some ideas for that.

It looks like I'll still be able to flatfoot it with the rear wheel closer to the dropout.

 

[Pondo]

One side brakes going forward, the other when rolling backward.

That's genius. Looks good too.

 

[kingfish254]

Love that wheel / tire combo.
I don't quite understand why you need brakes going backwards though?

 

[Wildcat]

Love that wheel / tire combo.
I don't quite understand why you need brakes going backwards though?

It's hilly here, I had a close call last month. I was turning and ran out of momentum and crashed. I managed to stay on my feet, lost my flipflops flailing around trying to keep my balance. The bike make a lot of noise as it went a ways down the hill. Neighbors came running out to see what happened. No damage though. If I could have stopped I wouldn't have crashed, but the bike had band brakes front and back.

 

[twojs.bike]

Reverse braking on a bike is a problem I have never had. I love this though!

 

[Chad T]

love the wheel set and tires. Looks like a super fun bike.

 

[Wildcat]

I came up with a plan!

Spreading the stays for the 3" tire shouldn't be a problem. The chainstays can be opened up by using a 2x4 piece of wood hammered in to where the tire will sit. A 2x4 is about 3 1/2" wide so that should work fine.The bracket for the kickstand serves as a focal point as the dropouts are then squeezed back together while the 2x4 is still in place.

The welds on the BB won't be taking all the stress if the bracket holds. That should be all the chainstays need, leaving 1/4" clearance on either side.


The seatstays are more involved. I will take a section out of the brake bridge for two reasons. One is so the stays can open up enough to allow the tire and leave clearance. Two is to provide support for the stays at that point to take some stress off the welds at the seat tube.

I'll cut out a section in the middle of the bridge to leave some on each stay. Then I'll widen the stays using the 2x4 method, hammered between the stays to allow 3 1/2" of space where the tire will ride.

While it is opened up, I will add the bolt (with head cut off) into the sides of the bridge. Then tighten the nuts so the bridge will be holding the stays open, taking some of the load off the welds at the seat tube. There's the brake cable bracket there also which helps.

Chainstays and seatstays will be opened up with the 2x4 at the same time. The dropouts will get squeezed back to a normal position, then clearances checked and adjusted again if needed.

Once it's done I can get an exact measurement for the dropout extensions.

 

[twojs.bike]

Interesting