Felt Heavy Duty

[kingfish254]

I just love all of the cool details of this build! Thanks for showing them so well.

 

[toro1978]

I went for a ride today and shot a few pics. I have the feeling that seat is a little too large for this bike. On the other hand this is more or less the idea... Luckily enough my Torch has the same seattube size so I can easily mock up a smaller seat.

The rear derailer is held in the correct position by a piece of gear cable in an adjustment screw:

The other side:

Shiny headlight:

 

[kingfish254]

Keep the big seat. I think it is the perfect scale for the bike.

 

[Jake Sensi]

DUDE!! THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MACHINERY

 

[metalchewy]

There is a whole Lotta cool in this build! Love the way it looks. Bet it rides like a dream.

 

[toro1978]

Using the left shifter is uncomfortable because it is too close to the bars, hard to get a good grip. It should be a lever.
So I took that piece from a bent suspension post:

Cut it and filed 8 slots in it, corresponding to the slots of the shifter:

There are two holdings screws (that usually hold the seat clamping plates in place):

First gear:

Second:

And a 7sp thumb shifter clamp preventing that piece from coming off in case it gets loose, but really mostly just for the sake of making it look more complicated than it actually is:

 

[kingfish254]

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Just read through the whole journal.
I have to admit that at the beginning I wasn't sold on all of the bolting parts onto parts onto parts. But pretty soon into it, my attention kept growing. Toward the last couple of pages I started feeling disapointed that I was nearing the end and that the ride was almost over! Then the shifter levers appeared! (Thanks!)

Having spent many hours as a kid bolting Erector Set parts together in ways that were never intended, I fully appreciate your vision! I love how this all works so well and has such a cool mechanical feel to it! What a tough looking bike.

I kinda hope you don't change the saddle but if you do, I'm hoping even more that it will have twice the amount of parts!

 

[toro1978]

Thanks, TRM! I loved Erector sets too when I was a kid. I found them much more interesting than Lego type blocks.

 

[toro1978]

I like it, but something is missing. A real shift knob should be there, instead of a plug.
So I took that plug (I think it is for the crank bolts), a rubber "spring" from a seat, and a opc spacer...

And there it is:

The rubber thing is a tight fit on the lever, so is that plug. The spacer is retained by the plug.

 

[toro1978]

This piece after the shifter is not quite right:

So looking around I noticed that pieces of 1 1/8" headset could be shimmed using segments of a grip to 7/8".
So after trying a spacer and a top cap I finally chose a bearing cup because it is quite flush with the shifter:

You can see the grip piece, also the gear knob and the Tacho with the rubber protector around it have somewhat similar curves:

It was quite a tight fit so I used this stem adapter that has a separate top piece to press the thing in. I first inserted the rubber in the cup, picking a grip piece just thick enough to not be a loose fit. Then pressed the rubber over the plug and on the bar while making sure the cup stays where it should:

A fork could be used too, of course, but this is handy.
I should have a look among my parts, I might have black or silver cups that would be a better match colorwise.

 

[kingfish254]

Thanks, TRM! I loved Erector sets too when I was a kid. I found them much more interesting than Lego type blocks.

I still have this one that I bought at a yard sale for $5 because I thought it would be good for making brackets and stuff for bike builds just as you've done on this build.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

If I told my teenage self how cool I think that set is, he'd probably kick my .... all over town. What have I become?

 

[toro1978]

I had one, then my parents quickly saw that one is not enough I was given a few more sets. They weren't thematic like that ferris wheel, but still had axles and stuff. I built a car that had the doors open... Also a revolver with a revolving drum because it was still VHS Era and I had seen the dollars trilogy 20 times and I read Karl May novels.

I found black headset cups in an old frame, but I didn't like them so I will leave the chrome cup finishing the shifter. It also turns out that the cup I used is 1" BMX and not 1 1/8" as I thought.
Anyway, I had noticed that pedaling hard pulls the axle in the dropouts and the wheel almost touches the left chainstays. I disassembled the rear, swapped the 16t rear sprocket for a 19t and pushed the wheel forward to the end of the dropout slots. I think it became a bit quieter too which makes sense since it should also improve the chainline - less angle from the rear sprocket to the BB, also the chain is better wrapped around the sprocket.

I am curious how will it ride, considering that I could go up to 23t. Unfortunately it is raining every ten minutes so I don't know if I could take it for a ride today. I am thrilled to test the shifter which should make all the difference.

 

[GeePig]

The shifter is now a real shifter, something one could find in the dark in the pouring rain

 

[toro1978]

I decided to have a look if I could find another suspension seat post of the same kind because I remember that there were a few when I bought it. And I saw that:

It was cheap because it is incomplete, it lacks the seat holder plates and the screws (m7, I think).
If it arrives on time along with a new shifter I might be able to realize my original twin shifter idea. Here is a mock up:

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

great job on this. Truly unique.

 

[toro1978]

I am happy to report that my seat post arrived. The internals are somewhat different but to me this is irrelevant since I need the top part only. Mock up:

I also received this 24t sprocket:

I thought 23t is the biggest. (I also thought 16t was the smallest but I saw 14t.) it will go to my ss daily that I put together again. It is constantly in 3rd gear.
I also received my new shifter:

Can anyone identify what is this plug?

Next to it a regular crankset plug:

The plug is supposed to hold the top spacer and finish the shifter, but the crankset plug is a little too wide on the shifter lever and a little too small for the spacer.

 

[GeePig]

I also received this 24t sprocket:
View attachment 170750
I thought 23t is the biggest. (I also thought 16t was the smallest but I saw 14t.) it will go to my ss daily that I put together again. It is constantly in 3rd gear.

F&S - mmmnnnnnnnnnnn!

My 23T ones turn my single speed folders into little rockets off the line, would love to to see if the 24T would lift the front wheel for unsuspecting riders

 

[toro1978]

Well, I don't know about that. Probably not because it is always in 3rd. But I just realized that there is something very wrong with the crankset:

I think it is time to convert to square taper.