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Sorry for the slow progress. I've mostly been gathering parts for this bike and finishing things up on my RRBBO entry from earlier this year. One of the most critical parts that just came in the mail was my drag slick! I never got a tracking number, email confirmation, nothing, so imagine my surprise when UPS dropped this off just a couple hours ago. And if that wasn't enough, it was shipping in a flattened box with just a bit of packing tape holding the tire inside! But hey, it's here, it's intact, and it's just what I needed.
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I'm going to try mocking up this tire and the front tire I got earlier, after I put another coat of primer on Schwinn Dixie's tank. So stay tuned, because there's more on the way!
 
Sorry for the slow progress. I've mostly been gathering parts for this bike and finishing things up on my RRBBO entry from earlier this year. One of the most critical parts that just came in the mail was my drag slick! I never got a tracking number, email confirmation, nothing, so imagine my surprise when UPS dropped this off just a couple hours ago. And if that wasn't enough, it was shipping in a flattened box with just a bit of packing tape holding the tire inside! But hey, it's here, it's intact, and it's just what I needed.
View attachment 178408View attachment 178411View attachment 178410View attachment 178409

I'm going to try mocking up this tire and the front tire I got earlier, after I put another coat of primer on Schwinn Dixie's tank. So stay tuned, because there's more on the way!
Hey Austin, That's amazon for ya.. What was shipping on that tire? What ever you paid was to much
 
Oddly enough, it wasn't Amazon. It was some other bike shop I found online. But yeah, I the shipping price was a ripoff. Sadly, they were the cheapest option I had available.
Yeah, that really bites.. I found a s-2 Bendix 70 model wheel on Flea bay and the guy wants $115.00 for the wheel and white wall slick.. It won't sell, so i'm trying to buy just the tire and we'll see how it goes price wise.. BUYER BEWARE...
 
Yeah, that really bites.. I found a s-2 Bendix 70 model wheel on Flea bay and the guy wants $115.00 for the wheel and white wall slick.. It won't sell, so i'm trying to buy just the tire and we'll see how it goes price wise.. BUYER BEWARE...
Zeesh. Prices, shipping costs and shortages are ridiculous for EVERYTHING right now. Doesn't matter if it's bike parts, computer parts, car parts, or whatever. Everything's crazy right now.
 
Par for the course, it's one step forward and two steps back. I quickly wiped down the wheels and mounted the tubes and tires, and it didn't take long for issues to present themselves. First, I decided to take a closer look at that Monark springer fork. For whatever reason, it always looked crooked when I looked down at it as I rode it around the block. Turns out, this fork is junk. I feel like I got ripped off at $100. As if the rocker bolts weren't bad enough, the whole spring arm is twisted. My friend Allan might be able to fix this, but I don't know. It's pretty bad.
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Next, I couldn't get the lock nut off behind the mag sprocket I want to use. I'm letting it soak in some PB Blaster in the meantime. I also made a rough cardboard mockup of this back plate I'm thinking of putting behind the sprocket. I don't know if I'm going to stick with it, but this is still the "stacking parts/envisioning" stage.
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Just when I thought I had enough issues with this build, another one shows its ugly face. I mocked up those wheels and tires on the bike, and while the front wheel and tire looked good, the back tire looked pathetic. It's not even 2 inches wide! It's in fact narrower than the white tire I had on there previously, and that was a 20x1.95" tire! There is too much space between the seat/chain stays, and the side walls of the tire. I'm genuinely disappointed with the size of this tire. It should not be almost the same size as the 20x1.75" tire up front!
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As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to see about returning this tire, if I can't trade it for something better. I've seen some 20x3.0 slicks that look good, but the problem is those tires might be too wide for this frame. I really want the back tire to look "period-correct," even if it technically isn't. If I can't find a wider slick that has the look I'm after, I might have to use a different style of tire for the front and rear. If anyone knows of some cool 20x2.5ish" tires that wouldn't look bad on a chopper-inspired muscle bike, I'm open to ideas.

So, now what? Well, I honestly don't know. I'm supposed to meet with my fabricator friend sometime later this week, but we're mainly working on the final assembly of my 2021 RRBBO entry, The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle. I can bring this bike with me for us to discuss, see if he can fix the fork at least. If he's not able to fix the fork, or it's too much of a risk, then I might just have to buckle down and spend $200+ on a new chrome fork. I'm also going to see what it'd take to return and refund this tire that more of a "drag" than it was "slick" tomorrow. As for the rest, I honestly don't know where to go from here. I guess that's a problem for another day.
 
Just when I thought I had enough issues with this build, another one shows its ugly face. I mocked up those wheels and tires on the bike, and while the front wheel and tire looked good, the back tire looked pathetic. It's not even 2 inches wide! It's in fact narrower than the white tire I had on there previously, and that was a 20x1.95" tire! There is too much space between the seat/chain stays, and the side walls of the tire. I'm genuinely disappointed with the size of this tire. It should not be almost the same size as the 20x1.75" tire up front!
View attachment 178463

As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to see about returning this tire, if I can't trade it for something better. I've seen some 20x3.0 slicks that look good, but the problem is those tires might be too wide for this frame. I really want the back tire to look "period-correct," even if it technically isn't. If I can't find a wider slick that has the look I'm after, I might have to use a different style of tire for the front and rear. If anyone knows of some cool 20x2.5ish" tires that wouldn't look bad on a chopper-inspired muscle bike, I'm open to ideas.
I reviewed the Duro 2.125 which is more like 1.75''. Aside from the inaccurate size, the main issue is poor quality thin rubber and absence of any anti puncture feature. The 3'' is just as bad, not worth the money IMO. The center bulging at even low PSI doesn't look proper. The 3'' is a comfortable tire but I've gotten 2 flats in under 100 miles:arghh: Needs a liner.
The narrow slick and front doesn't bug me.:wink1:

Comparison of the Duro next to a 70's Carlisle 2.125. Wish a company would make a good 2'' slick. The OG tire weight is 2.5lbs. That's a lot rubber!
comparison.jpg
 
I'd run that tire :113:

As Hamp was pointing out, you put a 3" on there and the narrow rim will squeeze it in and not allow it to reach a full 3" anyhow plus it will "crown" the tire more. Sure you might squeeze it in or even dimple the stays, but it still won't quite be right
 
There's simply not enough structure. Same on wide rims as well. I tried adding materials, plastic liners etc to retain a squareish profile, no luck.
3inch profile.jpg
I'm using an Innova 3'' in my build OP for effect. Doubt it'll remain in the final.

Round slicks appear modern. The Animal T1 was one of the closest I could find to faintly capture the effect an old slick. Wished it didn't have that "1" groove pattern.
Animal.jpg
 

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