Louisville Cycle Klunker

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El Duderino

El Duderino

Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
457
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Location
Centre Hall, PA
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Well Ive been collecting parts for quite sometime to build a retro bike that will comfortably ride a guy that is 6'2. I might as well start the build up here. My plan is a Klunker. I also have an 8 speed nexus rear hub for this build. i need the roller brake though. as well as some aluminum rims to lighten it up a bit. The plan is to also purchase an SE landing gear chrome fork and Skull Skates Klunker bars. soon i will have money

Pre-War Schwinn DX frame which will soon be powdered gloss black
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American Flyer Louisville Cycle Badge since im from Kentucky
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Arnold Schwinn Drum front hub
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Oakley Repro grips
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early shimano 600 crankset. mine only have one ring
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slow and steady is my plan for this build.
my hookup to get a cheap SE fork fell through but I am going to check out a lead on a 30s schwinn frame and fork this week which would be true klunker style. The best looking Klunkers in my opinion had a straight downtube.

I also managed to get the pedal that was cross threaded into my 600 cranks out and a set of single speed chainring bolts on order. hopefully i can get some pictures of the silver/black 4 finger brake levers I got. This stem will adorn the build as well with the help of a quill adapter. its the exact one they used for DK's website photo.

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Great inspiration so far! I love DK stems! Around 1985ish I begged my grandma to buy some parts for my BMX bike. I remember it like it was yesterday.. The salesman pulling that DK stem out of the glass case. :x Too bad that bike was stolen.. Anyway, I have a soft spot for DK stems.. good choice!!
 
Awesome build... can't wait to see it finished.

My Dad was the distribution manager for Louisville Cycle when I was a kid. You don't happen to have another headbadge do you? If so... I would love to have one.

Good luck with the build!
 
crump582 said:
Awesome build... can't wait to see it finished.

My Dad was the distribution manager for Louisville Cycle when I was a kid. You don't happen to have another headbadge do you? If so... I would love to have one.

Good luck with the build!
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nice. i dont have another badge. I would love to have one of every model Louisville cycle badge but they are few and far between it seems
 
El Duderino said:
.......I am going to check out a lead on a 30s schwinn frame and fork this week which would be true klunker style. The best looking Klunkers in my opinion had a straight downtube......
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I like the looks of the straight dt ones as well, but Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher rode 40/41 DXs, so I'd call them just as 'true' as far as klunker style goes! :D

You'll make a lot of Klunker fans jealous with that drum brake! 8)
 
Well Ive finally gotten around to working on this bike again. Ive fallen in love with what is left of the original paint so im going to try to fill in the blanks. heres some progress. If i dont like it at the end I can certainly get it powder coated. Does anyone have a good pattern to follow on this? Im just going by photos of bikes on google.
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I also found a nice strong Vintage MTB Tange fork. Im going to chop off the canti mounts since im using the drum up front. I liked the look of the cruiser fork i just wanted a stronger one.
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Im thinking the set of Bates 70s Moto bars will go on this. I have so many ideas on every part im not sure what to do. Ive got a set of pre war and post war truss rods. ive got the shimano 600 cranks and ive got a set of chrome newer bmx cranks that i could then run the skiptooth. choices choices. lately ive really liked Joe Breeze's rig.
http://www.clunkers.net/joeb_41dx01.jpg
 
Chopping off some canti tabs on the Tange fork. I have both of the tabs off now with only a few nicks where i grinded a bit too deep. i tried to polish it up as much as possible. You can tell there were tabs there and im not sure if i will stick with the full chrome or leave the crown and the lower part of the legs chrome and paint the middle like a 70s road bike.
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El Duderino said:
Chopping off some canti tabs on the Tange fork. I have both of the tabs off now with only a few nicks where i grinded a bit too deep. i tried to polish it up as much as possible. You can tell there were tabs there and im not sure if i will stick with the full chrome or leave the crown and the lower part of the legs chrome and paint the middle like a 70s road bike.
Click to expand...
My vote goes for the painted centre and chrome top and bottom... Love that look!

Luke.
 
Wow I cant believe how ADD this build has been for me. Im so particular and then im not because I keep changing ideas. Even though the frame up top was the ideal choice for the klunker my long legs decided against it. I have a tendency to bent the narrow seatpost since im tall and I managed into a large bike.

I traded mine straight up for this. This one is a 38 Schwinn 20" frame. the big boy. Unfortunately the headtube needs work and the frame will go to my machinist friend for some work before going to the powder coater. I just received a sealed aluminum headset from Porkchop BMX today and I was excited to see what we were dealing with so I mocked it up. Heres the new frame, tange fork, prewar truss rods, bates moto bars and the GT stem i will be using.

My Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub and roller brake should be showing up tomorrow So i can then start wheel building.

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if your gonna use that GT freestyle stem it would look slick if you ran the front Cable through the fork to the drum brake hub..

like how the front brakes would be on the GT freestyle bikes hah..
i love the GT slant stems like that.. and old GT bikes/Parts :D
 
this frame has some issues. someone rode this bike with a very loose headset. I love finding bmx stuff but i dont like keeping it. I traded a buddy some bmx stuff for him to fix this frame. I dropped it off at his work where he rebuilds miller indy cars from the 20's. I have a feeling he wont screw it up.
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this is what he was working on
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