24” Girls Rolumbiafast!!!! (Not Rollfast or Columbia!!!!!)

[MattiThundrrr]

we fear not the consequences of saws and grinders

But we keep score. Tools are up 4-1 over the Build Off Team. Lotta casualties this year

 

[Tallbikeman]

I have sold a lot of stuff that got only one call after 7 weeks and that call was to buy it. I usually list on Craigslist which gets the Sacramento region and the Bay area so it is a huge market. Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Huh..... sorta quiet ‘round here!

Everyone bustin’ their butt trying to get their bike done!

I’m hoping to get this thing done this weekend. I have everything but the tool pouch for the back....

Let the games begin!!!

Got the fresh new tires this week.

Good..... nice and clean......

 

[Jude Ephesus]

She’s gonna be cute!!!!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

....and, I’m super pumped on this.

I was really concerned about pedal strike.

She’s got all sorts of room down there.

4” maybe 5”. I was afraid it was going to be less than an inch!!!

So, she’ll get the benefit of the larger crank, combined with the smaller wheels, to accommodate her height, with no real drawback.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

So, sort of disappointed; these are basically brand new (big box) wheels.

Not very true.

I was snugging the front wheel into place, gave it a spin and picked up a nasty rub!!!

(Never mind I went from 1.75 to 2.125!!! Lol)

I straightened them up with the ol’ zip tie on the fork trick!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Got her some fancy pants grips, some fresh bars and a cell phone holder.

Really, this build is VERY similar to last year’s Grammaw Patina Bike build.

-kept the decades old earned patina on the original frame and fenders, all new and lubed “running gear” stem to stern.

There were slight mods; upgraded crank, filed axles, had to torque and widen the front fork a bit....seat clamp swap... I had to drill out the front fender braces for the 3/8 axle..... and put a 26” kickstand on it....

BUT, I DO think that is inline with the spirit of the class 1 build. As I LOVE and admire a lot of the frame altering and mods on the bikes in these build-offs, class 1 in particular, I do think a lot of those bikes should be in class 2.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Meh......

Cute.....

Navy girl took it for a spin as we set the seat for her. Rode like silk, sized perfect for her small frame and she hops on and hops off the thing no problem.

I’m a little upset about the tool pouch not here yet.

I can pull one off another bike for the photo shoot, but an eBay seller who promised a 5-7 business day delivery unfortunately hasn’t delivered!!!!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

I took it out and stomped on it pretty good!

Thing is SWEET!!!! Worked perfect with Dad thrashing it.

-Deathly silent, operates flawlessly.

Perfect little park cruiser for my Navy girl!!!!

 

[kingfish254]

CONGRATS!! Navy Girl!!!
Good lucking ride!!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

CONGRATS!! Navy Girl!!!
Good lucking ride!!

Thanks KingFish!

truth be told, I’m not wild about the geometry and “look” of the bike. -stance, etc. (love the patina and the wheels)

however, going back to my original post in this thread, I do think there is a market for the 24” bike.

my daughter is like 5’ 2”. To ride a 26” bike, she literally has to jump and pedal to get going. stopping and dismounting is equally as cumbersome.

although this thing has a unique shape and geometry, it rides like a comfort bike.

first thing she said after her first ride was that she liked how easy it was to handle.

petite women, young moms cruising their neighborhood chasing little ones…. They don’t need a 26” bike. They need something easy to control and handy! A 20” is probably a fuzz on the small side, and would be limited in crank size.

I’m convinced they need a 24” bike with a 6” crank….
and a front basket, rear rack, tool bag and a cell phone holder!

Navy girl nixed everything but the tool bag, so…. This is it!

I had a ball building, and am sure will build another to see if there is a market for the 24” “Macked out” women’s neighborhood cruiser.

I’m guessing when Navy girls is older, she may bring it back for the rack and basket upgrade.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Navy girl with the colonel after the commissioning ceremony last weekend

 

[OddJob]

Proud moment ^ ! For daughter and dad!

Jude, I had a lot of catching up to do here. Your Navy Girl turned out great, love the wheels and tires on that rat-ina original frame!
And I spotted your Schwinn Tornado 24" along the way too. I didn't catch the model year, but my first bike was a 24" Schwinn Tornado in 1962 ! And yes, unlike your daughter, I was a tall 6 yr old~!

Notice how the seat was 'slammed' for the 'show' and the 'go' position. The bike was probably a little tall for my inseam length, but my dad skipped over the starter bike and went straight for the Schwinn. He knew I'd grow into it.

That bike was later converted to a 'sting ray' style with banana seat and sissy bar and ape hangers when my brother inherited it in '65 for his birthday present. Our birthdays are a week apart in April, so bikes (or hand-me-downs, in this case) were big birthday gifts every few years. I upgraded to a 26" Schwinn Typhoon as a 9 yr old that year.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Thanks! Love it OJ!

Awesome you still have that pic’!!!

I’m a middle child, so I know the hand-me-down plane well.

A hand-me-down Schwinn of any type, was definitely a great thing!!!

Those were extremely expensive family items!!!

The big question is; who did the mod’s to the ‘naner and apes?

 

[OddJob]

As I've mentioned during my current build, and others of mine over the years, my dad was a 'modifier' rat-rodder before it was cool.

We saw the new Sting-Rays at the shop when we picked out my 26" Typhoon, and thought, "Hey, we could do that to Dave's bike and make it 'new' for him too." So as I recall, we picked up the seat, sissy, and apes on the same day. Went home and installed them, and he thought they were pretty cool; a 6 yr old with the latest and greatest add ons you could imagine! My brother Dave still has that bik se.

Of course, I loved my new 'big boy bike', but the panache of the sting ray style stilled nagged at me. So when my grandma 'rescued' this old Columbia pig bike that had been left chained to the bike rack at the school she was the grounds / custodian for, I now commandeered it as mine! You might remember it from a couple BO's back....it became Helen Wheels.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

As I've mentioned during my current build, and others of mine over the years, my dad was a 'modifier' rat-rodder before it was cool.

We saw the new Sting-Rays at the shop when we picked out my 26" Typhoon, and thought, "Hey, we could do that to Dave's bike and make it 'new' for him too." So as I recall, we picked up the seat, sissy, and apes on the same day. Went home and installed them, and he thought they were pretty cool; a 6 yr old with the latest and greatest add ons you could imagine! My brother Dave still has that bik se.

Of course, I loved my new 'big boy bike', but the panache of the sting ray style stilled nagged at me. So when my grandma 'rescued' this old Columbia pig bike that had been left chained to the bike rack at the school she was the grounds / custodian for, I now commandeered it as mine! You might remember it from a couple BO's back....it became Helen Wheels.

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Epic!!!

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Navy girl with the colonel after the commissioning ceremony last weekend
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One note on this pic’: Super proud moment for all, but amazingly, the proudest one there could have been the colonel.

the colonel is my daughter’s great uncle. He conducted a beautiful ceremony and there was quite the scene when this battle hardened, 30 year veteran (Huey pilot, 2 tours in Vietnam, 1 in Korea) choked back tears as he swore in this tiny little lady.

epic, epic afternoon.