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Joined
Sep 18, 2019
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Location
Twente, the Netherlands
I promised @MattiThundrrr that I would start a build thread for the chopper frame I found in the corner of a metal fabrication plant. I payed 35 euros for this frame.
The frame is partially plugged and sandblasted.
I think it is a Nirve Cannibal or Switchblade style frame, but not from Nirve (they had some Nirve!). I looks very much the same except for some details.

At first I was looking for some chopper inspiration. I would like a actual patina rusty chopper.
HcMWbbJ.jpeg



But after a junk mockup with a relatively short fork, I am getting cruiser ideas. My thoughts are described after the following pictures.

lfkvytg.jpeg

lfkvytg.jpeg

h0LwDf1.jpeg

Testing some colours and spray cans.


YdMe3IE.jpeg

g2H6hHX.jpeg

Evx5CUv.jpeg

This looks more like a cruiser bike.
I like choppers, but I like large cruiser bikes even more!
In that last picture the frame is scraping the floor a bit. With 24x1.75 tires.

My first thoughts of bike style to build with this frame:

Faux patina. Matte red oxide with white striping and white/creme painted decals/shapes.

Wheelset, arriving tomorrow: With 3 inch tires.
GDS6KGv.jpeg

AhlGbBR.jpeg

tTaQHP8.jpeg



These are thoughts, I really like the antique looks, I just built a green boardtracker style bicycle.

Any ideas? Or thoughts? Fork style?
 
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Thanks for the advice guys. I decided to build this one as a chopper, but a bit low front end.
I already did a bid on a moped steel crown.

There are some bikes and parts I need to sell. But my things are not the taste of most people in the Netherlands. Thats ok, but I am probably taking a very nice bike apart to finish this chopper. A chopper/cruiser is still kind of wanted here.

Actually I am sketching and planning another 'frame from scratch' build.

Although I am not a huge chopper bike fan, I think this will turnout pretty neat!

But here is what I did with the frame today when the kids were asleep:

xoe8jKC.jpeg

46Zbvdw.jpeg

I8NWz94.jpeg

Metallic sparkles! :rockout:
 
I got an hour this evening to assemble some parts and make a mockup with the 28inch fork.

The wheels have 26x2.35 tires.

I do like the look of this stance, but it needs a longer fork period.
iaguZ9V.jpeg

FBobdzM.jpeg

a7Ol8Bv.jpeg
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I decided to build this one as a chopper, but a bit low front end.
I already did a bid on a moped steel crown.

There are some bikes and parts I need to sell. But my things are not the taste of most people in the Netherlands. Thats ok, but I am probably taking a very nice bike apart to finish this chopper. A chopper/cruiser is still kind of wanted here.

Actually I am sketching and planning another 'frame from scratch' build.

Although I am not a huge chopper bike fan, I think this will turnout pretty neat!

But here is what I did with the frame today when the kids were asleep:

xoe8jKC.jpeg

46Zbvdw.jpeg

I8NWz94.jpeg

Metallic sparkles! :rockout:
I suspect I’m seeing a very blue shade of purple because there’s so much green in your photographs that the camera drives away red light. Or at least that’s my theory.

I painted my first bicycle fiesta red with a brush but when I was 13 I sanded it all down and painted it with metallic purple spray paint & it was lovely.

About two years later I sold it to a kid, and as we were packing up to leave town I saw him painting it some horrible da-glow green color that reminded me of electric vomit.

When I built a catalytic converter cage for my daughter to protect her car from vandalism I painted it that same color and the dayum can exploded on my concrete!

And me, but the concrete didn’t wash.
5CBBE066-4581-407A-ACAA-53C52F817EE2.jpeg

It’s a Cursed color I tell you! I hate it to this day.
 
I think you need about this much fork:View attachment 195815
It has to be long enough to get the bottom of the frame parallel to the ground, and create symmetry and balance with the down tube
I see what you mean! Thats what I use for my spaghetti!

A bit of progress on the fork:

I found a 5 bucks moped crown with 1" bicycle thread on our Dutch craigslist.
These mopeds are wanted by teens who customize and tune them. And these old stamped steel crowns are many times disposed by them, rather using shiny milled aluminum pieces, with different fork legs, lucky me!

It is a "Tomos" moped crown.

I already cut off some ugly sticky out bits: the lock and some hooks for probably a bag.

And I found a cool square front light: Whatcha think of that!?

t926Hoy.jpeg

ZMlaLka.jpeg

2UQGzQJ.jpeg

sYNpUbX.jpeg

A bit longer, we can make it fit!

aPAx97m.jpeg

Ugly fork lock removed.

z0Q2Ljh.jpeg

22.2mm handlebar clamps, check!

7tbO5Nl.jpeg

This is interesting:
140mm on the inside of the holes. Quite wide. I can put a leftover (or spare :grin:) rear wheel in there with dropouts welded on the insides.

The holes are round 28mm. About 1 1/8", large enough for a strong, stiff fork.

Now to figure out how to tighten the headset bearing and clamp the crown nice and play free.

And another thing: the thread pitch is the same with 1" bicycle forks, but the diameter (maybe class thread?) Is a tad bit (0,2mm) larger, so a bicycle top nut wont just get on there..... and I don't know yet if a Tomos bearing headset fits in the chopper frame.

Some plans of attack to be made there.
 
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I suspect I’m seeing a very blue shade of purple because there’s so much green in your photographs that the camera drives away red light. Or at least that’s my theory.

I painted my first bicycle fiesta red with a brush but when I was 13 I sanded it all down and painted it with metallic purple spray paint & it was lovely.

About two years later I sold it to a kid, and as we were packing up to leave town I saw him painting it some horrible da-glow green color that reminded me of electric vomit.

When I built a catalytic converter cage for my daughter to protect her car from vandalism I painted it that same color and the dayum can exploded on my concrete!

And me, but the concrete didn’t wash.
View attachment 195814
It’s a Cursed color I tell you! I hate it to this day.
That's martian green 👽
 
I like the purple better in the indoor shots. It looks so much more purple.

As for the frame it is very stylish but not so much my style. Very swoopy but no rake!

Of course that will improve a little when you put some forks on it and get the pedals out of the dirt.
 
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