Re: Diamondback street rod
Unlike many hipsters, I'm diggin the pie plate, any extra chrome is all good to me 8)
Unlike many hipsters, I'm diggin the pie plate, any extra chrome is all good to me 8)
Diamondback street rod now JOSCAT'S CAFFEINACHRONISM RACER
- Thread starter JOScatRATrod
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
Re: Diamondback street rod
Here is my new (old) seat! real vintage brooks. to my astonisment the classic english seatpost fits the frame with just 1 (yes, ONE) layer of beer can shim! Sweet i have a cool steel post instead of the newschool aluminium one.
after 1 ride wth the seat way forward, it felt totally unco so its now set up this way. re- rivetted the bdge wth mismatched brass rivet.
note also the partially stripped paint and final position of stick shifter. I am yet to finalise the foot pedal lever arm! thinking maybe a bent antique spoon with some grip studs bolted to the back
Here is my new (old) seat! real vintage brooks. to my astonisment the classic english seatpost fits the frame with just 1 (yes, ONE) layer of beer can shim! Sweet i have a cool steel post instead of the newschool aluminium one.
after 1 ride wth the seat way forward, it felt totally unco so its now set up this way. re- rivetted the bdge wth mismatched brass rivet.
note also the partially stripped paint and final position of stick shifter. I am yet to finalise the foot pedal lever arm! thinking maybe a bent antique spoon with some grip studs bolted to the back
Re: Diamondback street rod
I wanna ride it.Very cool.
I wanna ride it.Very cool.
Re: Diamondback street rod
have stripped paint and hand- cut the cable lugs off. my camera needs new batteries, so havent many pics. have come up with a fairly satisfactory foot shifter made from a bit of aluminium tv ariel tubeing- great material for fabricating.
have stripped paint and hand- cut the cable lugs off. my camera needs new batteries, so havent many pics. have come up with a fairly satisfactory foot shifter made from a bit of aluminium tv ariel tubeing- great material for fabricating.
Re: Diamondback street rod
looking forward to seeing the shifter! i cant recall anyone ever doing a foot shifter(if anyone has i didnt say it HADNT been done.....i just dont recall it :wink: )
looking forward to seeing the shifter! i cant recall anyone ever doing a foot shifter(if anyone has i didnt say it HADNT been done.....i just dont recall it :wink: )
Re: Diamondback street rod
my next goals are:
-swap pedals, cranks/BB, install chainguard again (I have an extra wide cotter pin Bottom Bracket off an exercycle which HOPEFULLY will allow me to run old cranks, along with some sweet pedals and Raliegh cranks but i might use the Hand crank off the rudge after all)
-Mechanical Speedometer off exercycle with custom metal casing
-re-lace at least the front wheel with a rear screw-on hub so i can install screw- on band-drum brake
- possibly re- lace with wider rims if tire will still fit in rear of frame
-twin tail lights..?
-attempt at making some wierd chain tensioners for the tiny forward facing dropouts. my chain seems to keep loosening despite over- tightening axle nuts. the cool gear cable mount plate probably has something to do with this.
my next goals are:
-swap pedals, cranks/BB, install chainguard again (I have an extra wide cotter pin Bottom Bracket off an exercycle which HOPEFULLY will allow me to run old cranks, along with some sweet pedals and Raliegh cranks but i might use the Hand crank off the rudge after all)
-Mechanical Speedometer off exercycle with custom metal casing
-re-lace at least the front wheel with a rear screw-on hub so i can install screw- on band-drum brake
- possibly re- lace with wider rims if tire will still fit in rear of frame
-twin tail lights..?
-attempt at making some wierd chain tensioners for the tiny forward facing dropouts. my chain seems to keep loosening despite over- tightening axle nuts. the cool gear cable mount plate probably has something to do with this.
Re: Diamondback street rod
I've spun the seatpost back round the forward facing way and put the seat as far back on it as possible. I'd like people's opinion on this aesthetic- should i put it in backwards again? both ways dont look or feel perfect to me but i like the fact that it's a real classic post and kind of weird for nz these days to have a '7' seatpost. the forward way is weirder looking so i kind of prefer that.
I've spun the seatpost back round the forward facing way and put the seat as far back on it as possible. I'd like people's opinion on this aesthetic- should i put it in backwards again? both ways dont look or feel perfect to me but i like the fact that it's a real classic post and kind of weird for nz these days to have a '7' seatpost. the forward way is weirder looking so i kind of prefer that.
Re: Diamondback street rod
this is the bike next to his sister- bike, a modified GT motoglide i made a few years back and sold to a friend. i am now babysitting her. note homemmede leather bucket seat and sissy
this is the bike next to his sister- bike, a modified GT motoglide i made a few years back and sold to a friend. i am now babysitting her. note homemmede leather bucket seat and sissy
Re: Diamondback street rod
Technically speaking, they are intended to face the way you have it. It does look kind of "unusual" on the steep modern road frame.
Technically speaking, they are intended to face the way you have it. It does look kind of "unusual" on the steep modern road frame.
Re: Diamondback street rod
Re: Diamondback street rod
I think it looks better facing to the back and I'm sure it's more comfortable as well. Most of the cruisers those posts came on were sold as boys bikes so the forward facing direction was likely to help shorten things up in the arm-reach/leg-reach area, but I think they also favored a different riding position back then as well one that feels rather cramped nowadays. I put my 7 posts facing to the rear, that way I can maintain the leg reach while also sitting somewhat lower at least in comparison, more like a layback post on a bmx.
I think it looks better facing to the back and I'm sure it's more comfortable as well. Most of the cruisers those posts came on were sold as boys bikes so the forward facing direction was likely to help shorten things up in the arm-reach/leg-reach area, but I think they also favored a different riding position back then as well one that feels rather cramped nowadays. I put my 7 posts facing to the rear, that way I can maintain the leg reach while also sitting somewhat lower at least in comparison, more like a layback post on a bmx.
Re: Diamondback street rod
yeah this post is most likely off an early 20s/30s english bike, as i am in NZ and we dont really have "cruisers". the frame this would have been designed for would have a lot of slope on the seat tube, and this way the seat has plenty of for-and-aft adjustment, while generally still having logical position in relation to pedals. I kind of like being almost illogically right over the pedals, because it gives you lots of power without standing up.
yeah this post is most likely off an early 20s/30s english bike, as i am in NZ and we dont really have "cruisers". the frame this would have been designed for would have a lot of slope on the seat tube, and this way the seat has plenty of for-and-aft adjustment, while generally still having logical position in relation to pedals. I kind of like being almost illogically right over the pedals, because it gives you lots of power without standing up.
Re: Diamondback street rod
I think that's partially why the old cruisers had the seat position so far forward, most of them were geared brutally high by todays standards, like 52/18 where you needed all the power you could muster.
JOScatRATrod said:
I think that's partially why the old cruisers had the seat position so far forward, most of them were geared brutally high by todays standards, like 52/18 where you needed all the power you could muster.
Re: Diamondback street rod
what's wrong with 52/18? that's not too ridiculous!
what's wrong with 52/18? that's not too ridiculous!
Re: Diamondback street rod
Climbing a long grade on a crank forward job it would be pretty grueling. Great for hauling toucas on a road bike, though.
Climbing a long grade on a crank forward job it would be pretty grueling. Great for hauling toucas on a road bike, though.
Re: Diamondback street rod
indeed.
indeed.
Re: Diamondback street rod
Yeah not too harsh on todays 20 pound bikes but on the 65 pound bikes of old another story when the kid riding it probably only weighed as much as the bike.
JOScatRATrod said:what's wrong with 52/18? that's not too ridiculous!
Yeah not too harsh on todays 20 pound bikes but on the 65 pound bikes of old another story when the kid riding it probably only weighed as much as the bike.
Re: Diamondback street rod
Hehe at the risk of sounding too cheeky.. we dont really have 65 pound bikes in nz. Those funny bendy looking structurally illogical american things (as my dad's generation would probably say)- too much metal for the sake of looking speedy! but really, cruiser frames are rad.
Hehe at the risk of sounding too cheeky.. we dont really have 65 pound bikes in nz. Those funny bendy looking structurally illogical american things (as my dad's generation would probably say)- too much metal for the sake of looking speedy! but really, cruiser frames are rad.
Re: Diamondback street rod
Yeah, like our early 50s/60s cars, wings and fins everywhere, crap loads of steel... that's why we put V8s in everything... so much steel ... we had to (of course had our own oil then which helped), the other funny thing in retrospect is we'd hide the gas cap behind license plates and taillights back then as if it would never get used or something. Yep a different time.
JOScatRATrod said:
Yeah, like our early 50s/60s cars, wings and fins everywhere, crap loads of steel... that's why we put V8s in everything... so much steel ... we had to (of course had our own oil then which helped), the other funny thing in retrospect is we'd hide the gas cap behind license plates and taillights back then as if it would never get used or something. Yep a different time.
Re: Diamondback street rod
So, that's what my Columbia had originally and it seemed fine, but it only weighed 35 lbs (U.S.) Might have been 40 with all the sheet metal on it. Works out to 75.14 "gear inches". I'm running 46/16 right now (74.75), and weight is down to 32-33 lbs, the weight difference is more noticeable than the gear. Everyday chores were a lot more work in those days, no doubt the effort seemed trivial after getting up at 4:30 to feed the tractor and egg machines, bring round wood and water, and if lucky, walk a few miles to school, before coming home to clean out said tractors stall of "exhaust". The speed and ability to continue riding it into adulthood were probably considered well worth it. I have ridden similar gearing with 10-20 lbs of cargo, and aside from pushing occasionally on long steep hills, it ain't that bad. Beats spinning your crank like a madman trying to get anywhere, at least for me. Helps if your seat is up where it should be, thus the popularity of the diamond frame in places where bikes were widely used as primary transportation. Some of those big English bikes weigh a ton, too. :wink:
Anyway, good day and good luck w/the build.
So, that's what my Columbia had originally and it seemed fine, but it only weighed 35 lbs (U.S.) Might have been 40 with all the sheet metal on it. Works out to 75.14 "gear inches". I'm running 46/16 right now (74.75), and weight is down to 32-33 lbs, the weight difference is more noticeable than the gear. Everyday chores were a lot more work in those days, no doubt the effort seemed trivial after getting up at 4:30 to feed the tractor and egg machines, bring round wood and water, and if lucky, walk a few miles to school, before coming home to clean out said tractors stall of "exhaust". The speed and ability to continue riding it into adulthood were probably considered well worth it. I have ridden similar gearing with 10-20 lbs of cargo, and aside from pushing occasionally on long steep hills, it ain't that bad. Beats spinning your crank like a madman trying to get anywhere, at least for me. Helps if your seat is up where it should be, thus the popularity of the diamond frame in places where bikes were widely used as primary transportation. Some of those big English bikes weigh a ton, too. :wink:
Anyway, good day and good luck w/the build.
