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I stalled chain and actually test road all in one day. I really rides smooth. Chainring fine but not sure in the gravel. I’m sure it will get changed around a lot, but this the basic overall look. ( I had this done yesterday, but was as stated earlier day behind in posting due to storm) I am far from done
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Well, it is a fine looking machine already, but I gladly await the changes if this is merely the initial build :)
 
Thanks GeePig, I hated to post everything in one day, but this is we’re am really at, Any new changes I make I’m gonna want to post and not wait.
 
Put a tin badge on frame.The frame was missing a badge when I assembled,.Funny side note, when I tore bike down a few weeks ago, I noticed the headbadge was missing. I was pretty mad this bike had, had a supposedly rare starburst schwinn badge. It was one of best things about bike in my opinion and I thought who’s found out I have bikes behind my shed! I felt mad and violated. I live in a rural area, the bike was covered up, had been inside since purchased, but with exceedly hot , dry summer took some bikes out of my bike shed for awhile.Fast forward I was walking back to shed later that day, see something on ground, it was my starburst schwinn badge! Relief, after closer inspection, the badge had been glued to frame, didn’t know Schwinn ever glued badges? The glue finally decided to give it up after all these years. There’s mounting holes for screws, but no holes in this badge, and never realized it’s made of plastic! Not wanting to lose it again, I screwed on standard tin schwinn badge…




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It’s a Brooks b-17. Also need to raise front of saddle up, having problems getting the seat clamp tight enough on the tapered stem. Every time I ride it shifts alittle.
 
Saved biggest change for last. I like the look of bike, it’s clean, pretty tradition bomber. Thing is I my mind I want to do something to make a little different, I don’t necessarily like the norm. Had really wanted to do something different with forks. So I start thinking what about suspension? I have seen a few with suspension, a few girvins, a few with traditional schwinn springers. I’ve got a few springers, a Shelby, vintage schwinn, 80’s mtn bike and then I just tore down a bike with a rat trap springer. The steerer tubes are too short on others so rattrap only possibility, it fits. I’m thinking I really don’t think that’s gonna look good and never seen klunker with rat trap ( until saw Hamppeas). Heck what can it hurt to try. I had to take it apart and flip rockers back to normal since I had confirgurefd it with rocker forward raked look.This is what I came up with, I look at a lot of pictures of bikes and don’t recall ever see this
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I really think I achieved a different look i I personably like. It looks rugged, heavy duty. Yet when you look at it from side your eye follows the flow of truss rod and then it’s like “ what is that”? The rat trap just made front end look to chopped off to me, so I came up with this idea. In my opinion truss rods extend the visual of frame making it flow more. Had to bend them quite a bit to get them to fit. It should I would think add to rigidity of springer assembly also.
 
I took it for a ride and it’s stiff, like it want it. When I got out of saddle and hammered it I could occasionally hear a slight rub. I was alittle baffled, not rubbing sides of forks, must be barely rubbing bottom of fork crown, like barely! So I looked at springer, rockers have stops on them to hit fork and limit travel. So I needed to come up with something to put on fork blade to limit travel and see if that was it? So I came up with this fast hooky solution. Cut up an old inner tube, wrapped around fork and zip tied to act as a bumper and hopefully limit travel enough to stop rub
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I like the rat trap but am confused by the truss. Aren't they working against each other, the trusses preventing springer action?


*Confession: I've never had trusses, not sure what their function is!
 
Went for a ride , took up neighbors steep gravel driveway, NO rub. Rode up gravel drive and down several times NO rub. Took home removed hooky bumpers to see what would happen. Without bumpers NO rub, the tire must have worn just enough that it no longer rubs( remember I said barely) when compressed, as you can see from pics these 2” x 2.35” tires BARELY fit, it’s tight. That knob sticking down inside fork crown could be removed also fo more clearance.
 
Hi Matti, I was thinking what you did to begin with, but if you had one sitting in front off you easier to dissect. I had to think about it, but fork blade is stationary, everything else moves, the wheel is attached to rocker not the fork.
 
By the way this bike rides great. I never was fan of schwinn bikes growing up( way too heavy). But of all balloon tire bikes I have, I think my ‘54 schwinn wasp with springer the nicest riding balloon bike I have. This bike not far behind, with these tires it rolls great!
 

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