Death Trap

[us56456712]

I found another matching Araya rim in my junk stash. But, is it any better? I installed the water bottle mount.

 

[us56456712]

There's a mixte in there somewhere!

Not much known apparently about the Rene Hearst Mixthe bender bicycle. Speculation is that it was made for tradesmen (mechanic) or doctors as the front brazed on luggage rack is very heavy duty. It was a single speed so it probably was used for commuting with a load.

 

[Hukah]

It's not always that someone comes up with a name for my bike that I care about, but when they do it just "fits".

 

[us56456712]

I did a Dawn dish soap rag and wire brush scrub, doused it with a bucket of hot water and used an old tee shirt soaked in alcohol to finish scrubbing the frame. I plan to sand and apply a coat of metal etching primer before I do my before paint build.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Can I borrow it yet?
So unbelievably cool.

 

[horsefarmer]

Love that picture! Caption: "Still life with Bicycle frame".

 

[us56456712]

Love that picture! Caption: "Still life with Bicycle frame".

Your right, I never noticed the aesthetic.

 

[us56456712]

Can I borrow it yet?
So unbelievably cool.

Some day you can come here and borrow it. My notion for this build is to make the components, gearing and riding position as close as possible to original so a rider can experience how hard it was to ride the first purpose built trail bike. I want people to have the experience so they can really appreciate how far we came since Joe Breeze kicked it off. The problem is that 99% of mountain bikers don’t know about this bike or klunkers. They don’t know the origin of their sport.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Man, I just got Gary Fisher's book last month, it's so excellent! Breezers, Schwinn Excelsiors, Mountain Bikes, etc.
One picture, they're rolling up a hill on 3 Breezer 1. Nowadays, that's like 100k worth of bikes
Anyhow, I am not the typical mountain biker, I haven't even tried a "new geo" bike. I think I tried rear suspension once. Been thinking about changing that lately, might be time for something semi modern in my fleet

 

[us56456712]

This is my most unenjoyable part of a build. The dent, scratch and weld filling and smoothing. It seems like no progress and I’m always tempted

to skip it. It’s so slow. The frame has been acid treated with a light coat of phosphoric acid and that has to dry until this evening. Then a light coat of self etching primer. Then a little more gouge filling as more will pop out with the paint. more sanding and filing. Then mock up assembly. Too slow.

 

[us56456712]

After acid etching the raw frame I put on a light coat of self etching primer. This will be sanded down along with all the lumps. This is to help protect it and to make the divots, scratches and lumps more visible. I’ll use 2k filler primer when it’s smoothed out so the scratches won’t have to be worried about. I’m going to start the assembly this weekend. I will assemble it with all the lumps and primer. I won’t be able to ride it yet because of the ice.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Posting for comparison (and perhaps start a discussion about paint choices)

 

[us56456712]

The mock up is coming along. It needs cables, seat, rear brake, under the bottom bracket cable guides, pump mounts and chain. Im waiting for the mock up to be completed before I put on the pump mounts so everything clears. The tires have the original UniRoyal knobby pattern. No black walls are available, dang.

vintage motorcycle brake levers and friction shifters. SR stem as original. Vintage Sun Tour derailleurs. MAFAC cantilever brakes. Araya rims.

 

[us56456712]

The pump mounts are on. It’s a tight fit but it’s ok. The only thing remaining to mount on the frame are the under bottom bracket cable guides.

 

[us56456712]

Posting for comparison (and perhaps start a discussion about paint choices)
View attachment 152178View attachment 152179

I’m going to try to use what I have on hand. I have 2K filler primer, 2K black, chrome rattle can and 2K clear. I have another bike with with a black seat tube that needs paint so I’ll put up my spray booth and do both the same time as 2K has to be used up right away or it gets hard. I dip the nozzle in lacquer thinner between 2K coats so the paint doesn’t clog it up. I also have 2K blue, but I want to try the chrome paint first.

 

[us56456712]

I’m using motorcycle brake levers as per original but motorcycle cables are bigger than bicycle cables. You have to make cable shims for the bicycle cables to fit into the brake levers.

 

[us56456712]

Here is more detail on the motorcycle brake lever shims. Start with a bicycle cable brake hanger adjuster, cut it off, notch it for the cable, expand it so it fits tightly into the motorcycle adjuster and cut it off flush with the motorcycle cable adjuster. Somehow it’s all tight and works. The brass tubing is glued over a standard brake cable furel with quick set.

 

[us56456712]

It’s been a little chilly for a few days so I haven’t been doing much outside on the Bogus Breezer. Yesterday I drove to Wisconsin to see Horsefarmers horses and to swap for a new Araya rim. Thanks Horsefarmer. It snowed a little yesterday and today. I went for a bike ride today and that’s all. Here is the new rim.

 

[us56456712]

We got our traditional St. Patrick’s Day Storm last night. Either side by a week or two counts as the SPDS. Some are great, like the Great St. Patrick’s Day Storm of 1987. This one was wimpy, but bad enough to keep me from stringing cables on the Bogus Breezer. Nuts.

 

[us56456712]

It’s 7F with the wind chill and snowing so I’m sitting by the fire. It’s going to get warmer starting tomorrow so I’ll try and string cables and mount the under bb cable guides.