Recent content by ParkRNDL

Not gonna lie, I had to go to Google to see exactly what a gravel bike is. I have heard the term quite a bit, but never really knew what made it different from a cyclocross or mountain bike. And now that I have looked at it, I think the fact that it's single speed kinda keeps it from fitting...

just built up this Speedster last night and today, took it on a 10 mile ride with my daughter this afternoon

Just about exactly a year ago, I brought home this 1973 Speedster in need of TLC. I didn't have a definite plan for it, I just have a thing for rescuing Schwinn 26" camelback frames. I tinkered with it enough to make it rideable, then hung it in the shed and it has been sitting there...

Nice. Here I was coming to post that this build probably won't be finished in time, as I have had too much annoying adulting stuff to do, and I find that the deadline has been extended. Maybe I can get there after all. Thanks!

Sorry, late to this party on my own thread... That frame could work as a BMX cruiser. It's a Speedster, same as what I started with. It has a couple things going for it. First of all, it's a 3-speed with hand brakes. If it was a single speed coaster, the frame might not have the correct holes...

a vintage fork painted to match would really improve it. I was thinking springer like the old J33's. Something like this look. I ran this 2007 Black Friday Krate around for a while, sold it a couple years ago. That's part of why it took me so long to finally pull the trigger on this one... I...

hmmmm. I like that.

I wondered about that too. Maybe there's some sort of safety standards that require a tubular fork.

Don't get me wrong, folks... I love this thing for what it is. If I ever get the chance to swap out for more period-correct forks, bars, seat, I guess I'll do it, but it ain't bad for the money just the way it sits. I just have to laugh at the "purists" in the Facebook groups that talk these...

If I come across a vintage fork, I will definitely spray-bomb it as close as I can and see how it looks...

Fine, sue me. It's cheap Chinese junk. But it's a campus green Sting-Ray and I like it.

Someone (not me) put together a really cool video of the ride.

Like them a lot. I don't get too far into the woods with this bike, and these tires handle packed dirt and a little gravel just fine. They're great on pavement too. I run them up to 60-65 psi and they roll out pretty well... definitely a ton better than the cheap cruiser tires I run on a lot of...

Got to participate in a great ride yesterday. A group from Philadelphia organized a ride along the Abandoned Turnpike between Sideling Hill, PA and Breezewood, PA. There were over 30 riders, with folks coming from from Philly, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Maryland, and probably more. I'll let the...

last year's entry in the RRBBO, my BMX-inspired 26" Speedster. Took it on a ride on the Abandoned Turnpike in central PA yesterday.