TRADITIONAL ⚡️⚡️⚡️THUNDERBOLT⚡️⚡️⚡️

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

With plenty of parts on hand, along with some nice parts on their way, I have started to put my ideas together for this build. I had planned for this build to be a “board track” or “dirt track style bike with low slung handlebars and a 3 speed. I have a few Shimano 333 twist grips on hand that I am choosing to use in this build. One of the shifters may be modified to be the brake lever. I picked up a NOS 3 speed cable kit that I hope will have enough reach. I have chosen a beehive springer instead of the Monark springer, originally planned. The Monark has a broken spring strut and needs welded. I found a beehive and a couple of parts lots, which will allow me to make two beehive springers. One to use and one to possibly sell later on.

 

[Pondo]

One of the shifters may be modified to be the brake lever

That's a cool idea. I remember seeing that done on a custom motorcycle many years ago. I think it would probably work great on a bicycle, maybe not so much on a motorcycle. Gotta love those beehives!

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

Took some time from making parts for Elon to cut a piece of my cheater bar, to make a shim for my 5/8ths lucky 7 seat post. It will press in nicely though I will have to do some work on the bike to make it fit.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

I’ve got my main idea in place and I can mostly fulfill my plan. The forks are an issue. The Beehive looks awesome but I’m missing the spring retainer. I may be able to make one, unless someone out there has the piece, that they are willing to part with. The Monark springer has a broken spring post. I may go ahead and weld it up myself with a newly purchased welder. I’m just a bit inexperienced and don’t want to practice on the part I need to use. The welding the Monark would be easiest if I cant find the original part for the beehive. Making that part would take a bit more work. I chose a crank from my stash that I’m happy with. It has an old watch gear feel to it. I need to chose some pedals, get a chain amd front wheel to make it rideable. Then tires and a finished tank. That feels like a lot of work.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

That's a cool idea. I remember seeing that done on a custom motorcycle many years ago. I think it would probably work great on a bicycle, maybe not so much on a motorcycle. Gotta love those beehives!

Thank you! I had done this before on a Cranbrook for my wife. It was a skinny tire muscle bike build for a past past build off. Remove the ratchet ball and it works fine. You can remove some material for more twist action but not really needed.

 

[Wayne]

With plenty of parts on hand, along with some nice parts on their way, I have started to put my ideas together for this build. I had planned for this build to be a “board track” or “dirt track style bike with low slung handlebars and a 3 speed. I have a few Shimano 333 twist grips on hand that I am choosing to use in this build. One of the shifters may be modified to be the brake lever. I picked up a NOS 3 speed cable kit that I hope will have enough reach. I have chosen a beehive springer instead of the Monark springer, originally planned. The Monark has a broken spring strut and needs welded. I found a beehive and a couple of parts lots, which will allow me to make two beehive springers. One to use and one to possibly sell later on.
View attachment 264927View attachment 264928View attachment 264929View attachment 264930View attachment 264931View attachment 264932

If you use the shifter for a brake, swap the core for a brake cable core. The two cables are made different. Brake cables use a spiral wrap cable, very strong, but stretch a little when pulled. The shift cables are straight, light twist core. Not very strong, they don't stretch as the gear requires precise movement, not a hard pull.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

If you use the shifter for a brake, swap the core for a brake cable core. The two cables are made different. Brake cables use a spiral wrap cable, very strong, but stretch a little when pulled. The shift cables are straight, light twist core. Not very strong, they don't stretch as the gear requires precise movement. not a hard pull.

I’ve used the Shimano cable with the casted “small” slug that mates to these twist shifters. I would have to modify the slug to fit. Here is a bike that I’ve done this before. Works as good as any caliper brake.

 

[Wayne]

When you ride easy, and brake easy, the shifter cable will work as you know. My info is from Sheldon Brown:

Slight extension of the housing is not a problem with brakes. Sometimes the rear brake may drag slightly when the handlebars are turned all the way to one side, but you can't turn the bars that far when the bike is actually in motion. The small variation in housing length was too much for reliable indexed shifting, however, so Shimano introduced "S.I.S." housing, now widely copied by other manufacturers. This type of housing does not have a single helical-wound wire, but instead, it has a bundle of wires running pretty much straight along parallel to the housing. They are held in place by being sandwiched between the plastic housing liner and the plastic outer covering.

Parts of index-compatible cable
plastic outer covering	longitudinal wires	plastic liner	inner cable

Index-compatible housing doesn't change length significantly as its curvature changes, and so the shifter is able to communicate the correct setting to the derailer, even as the handlebars are turned, and the loops of cable housing bounce up and down due to bumps.

Warning: Since index-compatible housing relies on plastic to hold it together, it is not as strong as conventional helical housing, and should never be used for brakes! The loads applied to brake cables can easily cause index-compatible housing to rupture and burst, causing a complete and sudden loss of brake function.

Extra care must be used in routing index-compatible housing because it is also less flexible than conventional housing.

(You may be able to get away with helical housing with indexed shifters where there is little or no change in cable curvature. I use helical housing for the handlebar-end shifters on my Bike Friday folding bicycle. The cable's greater flexibility makes the bicycle easier to disassemble and pack for travel. My Bike Friday has an 8-sprocket cassette. A cassette with more sprockets would be more finicky, because the sprockets are closer together.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

When you ride easy, and brake easy, the shifter cable will work as you know. My info is from Sheldon Brown:

Slight extension of the housing is not a problem with brakes. Sometimes the rear brake may drag slightly when the handlebars are turned all the way to one side, but you can't turn the bars that far when the bike is actually in motion. The small variation in housing length was too much for reliable indexed shifting, however, so Shimano introduced "S.I.S." housing, now widely copied by other manufacturers. This type of housing does not have a single helical-wound wire, but instead, it has a bundle of wires running pretty much straight along parallel to the housing. They are held in place by being sandwiched between the plastic housing liner and the plastic outer covering.

Parts of index-compatible cable
plastic outer covering	longitudinal wires	plastic liner	inner cable

Index-compatible housing doesn't change length significantly as its curvature changes, and so the shifter is able to communicate the correct setting to the derailer, even as the handlebars are turned, and the loops of cable housing bounce up and down due to bumps.

Warning: Since index-compatible housing relies on plastic to hold it together, it is not as strong as conventional helical housing, and should never be used for brakes! The loads applied to brake cables can easily cause index-compatible housing to rupture and burst, causing a complete and sudden loss of brake function.

Extra care must be used in routing index-compatible housing because it is also less flexible than conventional housing.

(You may be able to get away with helical housing with indexed shifters where there is little or no change in cable curvature. I use helical housing for the handlebar-end shifters on my Bike Friday folding bicycle. The cable's greater flexibility makes the bicycle easier to disassemble and pack for travel. My Bike Friday has an 8-sprocket cassette. A cassette with more sprockets would be more finicky, because the sprockets are closer together.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

Thank you for your help! And all good information. I will give it a try. Sheldon Brown is a very reliable source. Thank you!

 

[Pondo]

Thank you! I had done this before on a Cranbrook for my wife. It was a skinny tire muscle bike build for a past past build off. Remove the ratchet ball and it works fine. You can remove some material for more twist action but not really needed. View attachment 265396

Now that's a good looking Cranbrook!

 

[kingfish254]

This is shaping up nicely so far.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

In much need of a spring retaining bracket part.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

This is shaping up nicely so far.

Thank you! Some fork issues are stumping me at this point. But I think I can press on!

Now that's a good looking Cranbrook!

Thank you @Pondo this was a build for my wife with an old bike of hers. But she fell in love with my build off bike “Hellion” and the Cranbrook went to parts.

 

[Captain Awesome]

In much need of a spring retaining bracket part. View attachment 265730

Like this?

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

Like this?

View attachment 265732View attachment 265733

Ummm. Yeesssss! I do have a few of the top pieces. I had panned on an attempt to make one from a conduit box that has at least one of the bends I need to make it.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Ummm. Yeesssss! I do have a few of the top pieces. I had panned on an attempt to make one from a conduit box that has at least one of the bends I need to make it.

If you can wait until I get back from vacation in a week I’ll send it to you

PM me

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

I accumulated a lot of parts through this week and I look forward to working out a few more issues over the weekend. I may have the most important piece of my beehive springer fork coming my way, through the help of a very Awesome forum member. I picked up a nice lot of bits and pieces which I may swap parts on the fork. The all black beehive gets lost when I look at the bike, so I think I will go with a few of the crusty chrome pieces I picked up. I have a 2x4 that will be the center of my tank. I think I have enough sculpture block to give the piece some style. Wood, Sculpture Block, Bondo and paint is the recipe. I also got some nice 2.35 knobby tires to go for a dirt track look. Still need to decide if I want to use my 333 hub and a hand brake, or mate the 333 twist shift to the Stermey Archer 3 speed with a foot brake. I also JB welded my 5/8 seat post to another seat post that fit the bike and the inner diameter of the 5/8 post.

 

[kingfish254]

That's a lot of hive parts right there!
Cool solution for your seat post. I am guessing that should work fine.

 

[OddJob]

Looking forward to your wood / sculpted tank!

 

[Pondo]

I have a 2x4 that will be the center of my tank. I think I have enough sculpture block to give the piece some style. Wood, Sculpture Block, Bondo and paint is the recipe.

foot brake

Looking forward to this!