Low Flyer MORE PROGRESS

[brentville]

The allure and excitement of the build off has caught me and I'm throwing in with my Low Flyer! Going to try to live within the non frame altering rules and my lack of a welder and still try to make some worthwhile alterations.

Starting with this 20" Western Flyer from the '70's. Going to incorporate 2 forks to rake it and get 26" wheel up there.

I'm going to add from this wonderfully organized parts bin I have.

My plan is add the mountain bike fork and then bolt the road in front. Drilled out the road fork and used the center pull brake bosses to mount it and also the brake mount from the road bike bolts into the mtn bike fork. I'd like to cut the head tube down and leave only enough for a headlight or something, and also cut the mtn bike fork off just below where the road bike fork attaches. Think that would be strong enough? I could leave everything and connect the head tubes and the dropouts too.

I'd like to add a bolt on rear drop out and somehow move the seat and or seat tube back so I could really ride this 20" devil. But I think the rules will require me to keep the original triangle intact. Hmmm have to get creative here.

 

[emanon]

Re: Low Flyer

Cool ideas, but please don't paint it!

 

[brentville]

Re: Low Flyer update

So the double fork idea sucked so I kept the moutain bike fork and I went with a homemade style truss bar thingy.

I took a couple of front brake bolts with the double threaded ends and threaded them into the brake bosses on the fork

Next step was to make a couple of brackets for the bottom of the truss.

The trusses are made of 1/2 diameter steel tubing

I used more brake hardware and cups to connect the horizontal tubing to the vertical tubing.

A front fender is liklely in the works. Next up is the rear triangle.

 

[brentville]

Re: Low Flyer UPDATE

Got the front end mostly where I want it so decided to work on the other end. Going to try taking the rear triangle from another bike and bolting it to the seat post to extend the length of the bike and effectively move the seat back and make it easier to ride.

The donor bike is a generic mountain bike that has seen better days. I cut the rear triangle out with the angle grinder.

More grinding let me fit the new rear seat stay/drop out into place and bolt it through the seat post bracket. Need to work on this a little as it's really hard to get that bolt tightened down onto the seat stay and secure. Will probably fit a post between the original triangle and the new steat stay to give it support. C clamp will probably go.

Here's what it looks like with the new seat stay bolted in and a 26" 3 speed wheel. Need to fashion some kind of support bracket to connect the original rear dropouts to the new ones. Maybe some type of leaf spring thing? I thought this was a coaster brake hub but now see it's not. That means mounting a rear hand brake and probably not being able to paint the rims like I'd hoped.

Definitely getting a banana seat. With the change in angles and moving the wheel back, it should let me get the seat back quite a bit and stretch my legs on this one. Not sure about the bars yet.

 

[karfer67]

Re: Low Flyer UPDATE

weld in the c clamp. i like the bike so far

 

[user 135]

Re: Low Flyer UPDATE

Great idea extending the rear out. 26" wheels on that frame is killer.

 

[brentville]

Re: Low Flyer UPDATE 7/26

Wow, did I get derailled on this build. Ok so the race is on to finish and here is what I've got. I tried to use some little hydraulic automobile hood lifters to do the rear triangle supports but it didn't work out at all... Too long. So I went back to what I have on the front which is 1/4" round steel stock.

Seems sturdy and like it will hold up. I'm going to put in more support by connecting the two rear triangless where the back brake would go.

Got a banana seat and sissy bar to slap on too.

Here is the rough mock up. Still need to cut down the super long seat tube and put the seat on. The rear wheel is a three speed which will need to be hooked up and some bolts that intefere with the shift linckage have to be trimmed back. I've also got a tad bit of a chain line problem I need to sort out.
Not sure that these small ape hangers are the way to go. Have a couple other choices I need to figure out. And then the paint and tweaking it all out.

Better get busy!

 

[brentville]

Re: Low Flyer UPDATE 7/26

It's beginning to look like a bike. Not sure what kind of a bike tho. The seat is on, and the angles look ok. Should be able to fit on it and ride it ok. Big problem now is that I seem to have "misplaced" my shift cable and twist grip handle for the 3 speed. I need to find that sucker or I'll have to do some serious figuring.

Still need to figure out the paint and whether to stick with the little ape bars or go another direction. Oh yeah and tires...back to work.

 

[herr_rudolf]

nice...
looking good. I like the extreme yet logical angles on it.
And I'm a succer for sparkling purple...