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Hi,
bkentr-(aka banjokent) here, now also posted as "threeforks"
73 in one month, might have time to grow up someday, maybe not.
South coast Oregon
First try at assembling a bike from junk in 1974 gas crunch. old Terrot. Added sewups and TA tripple chainrings.
Found out the "bike club" rides were not for me. The sewups were fine until the first flat. No more sewups!

Around 1985, after a bad faceplant when the front wheel fell out when jumping off a curb, I wanted to change
my gung-ho MTB speedracer riding style for something slower and relaxed.
That started me "upsizing" BMX bikes to fit my size.
Took a good BMX, 20", and an old Schwinn 10 speed, used the rear hub,freewheel, chain, cranks and small
chainring from the Schwinn, the frame and forks from the BMX, found a tall stem from those scooters that were
around then, and anything that might work to raise the seat up.
Called the end result a "funbike" as they were fun to ride around, not so much to go anywhere on.
In 1985, 20" multigear bikes were no so common .
Lost track of how many of those were made over the years. Made a lot.
Saved the Redline from then, (all new parts), and the DiamondGooseGT type, used Mongoose frame , all other parts new. Diamond Back forks, GT bars, forklifter type (from chinese scooter) stem, until two weeks ago.
Been lurking here on RRB a while , which got me to thinking about some changes. More on that a bit later.

Around 1997, started fabing up recumbents using from the pile of bike parts collected for the "fun bikes".
Also started building tandems from the BMX frames.
All were fun rides, as I've tried to make sure function and rideability came before looks.
Still can't find the patience to do good prep for paint.

Somewhere around 2003, started at it again with the BMX tandems, bents, choppers, trikes and velocipedes.

One of the upright trikes was so unstable I could ride it on two wheels. (or fall off), and one of the longwheelbase
bents was too flimsey. Cut them apart , welded the front of the bent to the back of the trike and had my first
bent trike. Still have that one.

Now to around two months ago.
A friend uses a Miridian trike, with E-front hub, as his only transportation. He broke the spokes on the drive
wheel. Could not buy a new wheel as so many things are "sold out" right now.
A local church bought him a new complete trike. I assembled it and transfered over the E-hub and such.
So for that he gave me the hulks of not just one, but two Schwinn Miridians.

Oh boy. I could build a bent trike with that.
Well there went the Diamond Goose. Used the front of the frame and the forks. Used the front wheel
from that 1985 build, and the rims/stainless spokes from the 1985 Redline build.
As it turns out, it is such a fun ride my wife claimed it for hers. That's OK as she'll let me ride it.

So there was a need for one more, and there was one more rear frame.
Used the 26" wheels for this one, and the front part of an old Viking road bike. Has the Nervex lugs.

Both builds use an intermidiate hub with gears and a disk brake. Another nice ride, but not quite as
responsive as the 20" trike. Both have a simple wooden basket that allows the trike to stand on it's end for storing.

Well, now that I've written a short book, finally back to two weeks ago, and the finial nudge to join
this Forum.
There hanging up was the back half of the DiamondGoose, and the stripped frame of the Redline.
Sure looks like a good tandem project.
Seems fitting they should end up together after all these years anyway,
I use 2" exhaust tube to join the two half frames.
Two old Schwinn cranks, chainrings from the old Funbike builds, widerange freewheel, and comfortable seats.
Slow, just for cruzing, and solid, this on turned out to be the best one yet to ride.

Thanks for all the DIFFERENT bikes posted here. Great to see so many other ways to build.
RRB is a fun website and forum. Thank you RatRod for starting it.

I will need to learn how to upload picks all over again. Been a few years.

threeforks
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your kind comment.
Our daughter is graduating from OSU this Saturday.
Be making the trip up.
Will make for a long day, but worth it.
Since we will be coming back kinda that way anyway, planning to stop
by our friends the Coles, who wound up with two of my tandems, and more.
Besides the quick visit, hope to be picking up the chopper built in 2018, as well
as more parts.
It's Ted who keeps asking me to build the "UpDown", now entered in the RRB 17
buildoff.
He has offered lots of parts for that if I leave the end result to him when I pass on.
Well, when that happens, I wont be needing it. Sounds like a good plan.

kentr
 

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