>>> SINGLESPEED HOTROD >>> done

[herr_rudolf]

^ Before and after. (I'll update this pic everytime the build progresses.)

How it all started...



A few months ago while I was taking out the trash at work I spotted this 26" Gazelle city/mountainbike in the scrap metal dumpster. The backwheel was locked but also crooked. I'm too shy for being much of a dumpsterdiver and left a few in the passed but this one I just couldn't pass up. It's just a low-end bike but seemed pretty well put together. Except for the back wheel everything was straight and tight with just some surface rust on the usual spots like chainrings and chain. To take it home I had to unscrew the lock and the backwheel all together and threw that back into the dumpster. Oh, I took home the pink fenders a week earlier because my brother needed some.


^ I thought this chainring cap looked cool in a way but I discovered it was cracked at home.


^ Because I was missing the backwheel I brought one with me the following week. Except... it was a front wheel. So the axle was too small for the back. I put it in the front and, allong with a lot of elbow grease, not to mention buckets of blood sweat and tears, I managed to get the original front wheel in the back.


^ Inspiration will be a combination of hotrods and racingbicycles from the 30's 40's and 50's. Eventually it's going to have the same vibe as the illustration I did for Customized Magazin: A simple, back to basic, no frills, singelspeed singlebrake hotrodbike.

[herr_rudolf]

^ Stuff I took off of the bike immediately.



^ Bicycle stuff I haven't trown away, yet. So it may end up on my singlespeed hotrod. And yes, that is the aluminum rack I made for my RRBBO#4 bike, Billet Bullet.


^ I have this soft spot for simple well-built singlespeed bicycles. Especially the ones with small frames. Just for fun I tried out some wheels I had laying around. These are large diameter 27s that fit just barely. So the slightly smaller rims of a 28" should also fit. But with the knowledge of the increasing amount of cool 28" tires coming out I wanted to try something fat.

Oh, and without those UGLY stickers the color really pops! I still want a more 'vintage' color for this build but I can't deny that I'm really falling in love with this metalic aqua-color... Stickers came off instantly with just some aceton


^ In good old hotrod tradition my bike just has to have a bigger wheel in the back so I bought a new wheel (28" - 622) with a coasterbrake. That way the bike won't need brakehandles and cables and stuff like 'normal' singlespeed bikes do. Besides, I feel braking with your foot is more 'hotrod'. I'll probably have some trouble getting used to that after not having such a brake for more than 20 years... My plan was to use a 26" wheel in the front, but I think it looks too much cartoony. Or worse... too much like a childrensbike.


^ Photoshopped 26" version of the 28" Fat Frank from Schwalbe I put in the back. But I discovered that in real the 26" Fat Franks not only look fatter than 28", they ARE... And like I said, I'm not too fond of the amount of difference in size between the front and back. I also photoshopped the racing stem.


^ I also have a trashed 28" ladiesbike in the shed that still had it's original creme tire. So I put that on a front wheel and think I like it. I REALLY like it Size-wise ofcourse. Tirecolors will have to match eventually....

FLipped handlebars are the way to go. That will be the easiest way of fooling the ignorant that this bike originated from the 30's 40's or 50's


^ The 28" Fat Frank just doesn't slide in smoothly though... the 26" frame just hasn't got enough room so I'll take out the grinder and, in good old hotrod tradition, MAKE it fit.

Now, LET THE BUILD-OFF BEGIN!
Good luck and have fun guys!

[bean]

Sweet. I love your drawings .

[Ken Nighplay]

Looking forward to seeing this, always like your work. Good luck

[SCHWINNRAY69]

That looks sweet Great drawing, can't wait to see it come to life Good luck

[Double Nickle]

You know I'm a fan of recreating a drawing

[hewey]

Looking forward to seeing this one. And totally agree about the simplicity of a singlespeed and backpedal brake and no other brakes

[herr_rudolf]

Thanks guys.

I will be recreating only the VIBE of the drawing. Not the bike literaly. I think...
I plan the bike to have an old (style) seat high up in the air combined with dropped/flipped handlebars. I like that ocre-color so maybe that will also end up on the bike. From there the bike is still a blank canvas. I always wanted to do some old style lettering. I'm thinking big racingnumbers.

And you know... I'll may become a professional pinstriper before august 1st! ...I guess I'll have to start practising right away huh?

[gowjobs]

Great eye for line and proportion - I look forward to seeing this as it progresses.

[herr_rudolf]

Great eye for line and proportion - I look forward to seeing this as it progresses.

Thanks. I feel 'rake and proportions' are very important. Especially when using a not so popular base like a diamondframe. (...which seems to be quite popular in this years build-off )

[herr_rudolf]

Looky here what I found at the Halfords (Wallmart-esque store when it comes to bikes):


^ a regular but relatively skinny, and almost matching creme 622 (28") tire for the front!



^ In between work I've managed to really do some stuff. I took the grinder and made a cut-out so I can fit-in my Fat Frank and pump it up to it's full gallore. It is really tight... I won't be able to squeeze in a fender, for now. But more importantly, I won't be able to adjust chaintension by moving the wheel front to back. It's all the way to the back and the tire is almost rubbing the chainstays in the front...

Have to check that later. For now these actions combined makes this:




^ I couldn't stand the pink on the fork so I did a quick fogging with some satin black. The fork still has some pink spots but for now this will do. Same goes for the handle bars.

Oh yeah, and I added the ever popular Brooks leather seat. $3,-
Gotta love those fleamarket-trips!

I guess I have a rolling chassis now!

[herr_rudolf]

^ ahem... When I wanted to sit on the bike to feel how it rolled I kinda broke one of the old Brooks springs...

Go ahead: laugh...
Luckilly I kept my old ugly seats, just in case... I swapped the springs. They're not chrome but I'm gonna paint em black anyway I guess. (Btw... I never had that happening to cheap springed seats...)

I soooo wanted to ride this thing so I 'found' some holes in my working-scedule to work on the bike.


^ I still haven't got any decent biketools but have been doing fine using whatever tools I could find. Still not sure about how to run a large coasterbrakewheel in such a tight spot. (zero room to move it forwards or backwards to tighten/loosen the chain.) The only thing I can think of (for now) is a chaintensioner. So I quickly fabbed one up using clamps and one of the derailer-sprockets.



^ Again, laugh all you want. It seems to hold up pretty well for now. Ofcourse there is some serious presure when braking. I guess time will tell...


^ Added original rubber grips so the frame and bars don't get damaged that easily. It actually has a nice feel...

The bike rolls great. Still not convinced of the wide seat...

[cman]

Look good. You have been busy.

I am confused about the need for a chain tensioner when you have horizontal dropouts. I see lots of room for adjustment.

[yoothgeye]

Look good. You have been busy.

I am confused about the need for a chain tensioner when you have horizontal dropouts. I see lots of room for adjustment.

He said that the wheel has to be all the way to the rear for clearance, moved any further forward and the "front" of the tire hits the chainstays.

[Georgeediii]

Look good. You have been busy.

I am confused about the need for a chain tensioner when you have horizontal dropouts. I see lots of room for adjustment.

He said that the wheel has to be all the way to the rear for clearance, moved any further forward and the "front" of the tire hits the chainstays.

I was wondering about this as well. Can you not get the chain tight with the wheel as far back as possible, and then inflate the tire?