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  1. RatRodDad

    Subtle changes

    Okay, I made another subtle change - only this time to my wife's Columbia Clipper. It was fenderless and white with a mustard yellow fork on it. I took the set of fenders off of the Roland cruiser I bought this weekend and painted both them and the fork black and I just got it back...
  2. RatRodDad

    Subtle changes

    62, redline tires may look good on it. They are definately retro - since I put a set of those on my 66 Chevelle SS 396 back when the car was only a year old!
  3. RatRodDad

    Subtle changes

    Thanks, Lefty. My other thought is to switch from whitewalls to blackwalls - which might then actually set off the alloy rims and make them look pretty good. Baby blue rims sounds good too, though. I need to keep that in mind, since a little blue might really set off the black.
  4. RatRodDad

    Subtle changes

    I liked most everything about my Chief when I got it except (1) the cheesy kickstand that came on it, and (2) the also cheesy chrome front sprocket. I immediately swapped the steel kickstand for an aluminum one I had laying around. Solved that issue. So that left the sprocket to deal...
  5. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    Yeah, I'm anxious to get it from my brother and throw a fork and some wheels on it and at least roll it around to see how it feels. I have a ladies cruiser I just bought this weekend so I can easily swap all of the parts from that one to this one to see how it rides. Maybe I will get it...
  6. RatRodDad

    3 speed Nexus question

    I had a Nexus 3 speed on my Caloi cruiser and it originally came with a standard 44 tooth front sprocket. I felt like the low was not low enough and I rode around in that gear much of the time. So I ordered a 39 tooth and swapped it out and I liked that combination much better. It lowered...
  7. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    Thanks, 62. I will check out their web site when I have some time to browse. This stretched bike could be a good candidate. When Steve and I lived in Michigan a pilgrimage to Ontario would have been an easy trip. From Texas it's a little different story. :lol: :lol:
  8. RatRodDad

    new wave blue monday

    Rachel, check it out. I just bought this "Roland" Coral 1 cruiser over the weekend and it's the same bike as your Norco. I did like you and pulled the black bumper pads off of the handlebars and found the same nice chrome handlebars to go with that nice aluminum neck. Lots of luck with...
  9. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    Well, my brother went back to the drawing board and redid the stretched frame today. He found out the bottom bracket wasn't true on both sides - because he cut it with a band saw. So he cut another one with a pipe cutter to make sure it was true on each end. Then he decided he didn't like...
  10. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    He initially cut off the bottom bracket with the plan to reuse it, but it was pretty rusty - and flimsy, and he didn't think it would hold a weld that well. So he checked and found that the inside diameter was exactly the same as a 2 1/2" piece of water pipe, so he cut a piece of that and used...
  11. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    I see a lot of the bikes on the forum with those seat posts on them and that does put the seat position back some - plus they usually look good too. The nice thing about moving the seat tube back from the pedals is that you can keep the seat low and still have ample leg room to pedal since...
  12. RatRodDad

    If it costs too much, build your own

    I recently bought a new Firmstrong Chief cruiser - which has the "pedals forward" or "flat foot" designed frame (see photos below). Steve came to town for a visit this weekend so I met him and brought along the Chief to let him ride it. My younger brother was there too and also took my bike...
  13. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    The ratting process began today on the Roland. I took off the fenders and checked them out and sure enough, they will work perfectly on my wife's Columbia, so I was really pleased about that. I also removed the black "bumper pads" from the handle bars and underneath were a set of pristine...
  14. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    Yep, Aaron, I love blue. It immediately grabbed my attention in the CL ad. I will probably pull the fenders off first and see how it looks without them - more rat style. If it looks okay, then I will most likely use the fenders on the Columbia. I can always stick them on and make sure...
  15. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    Okay, the rat wheels are turning tonight, so I got to thinking about the new ladies bike I just bought and I checked my wife's Columbia and the two frames look almost identical. So I'm now thinking I may pull the fenders off of the Roland and stick them on her Columbia. Since the Columbia...
  16. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    I ran across this web listing ... Men's version of the same bike - and someone with lots of extra time on their hands - plus an old leaf blower motor .... http://mywilson.homestead.com/gallery91.html
  17. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    The wheels are chrome. Whitewalls, but not super wide ones. Most of the chrome parts - crank, sprocket, wheels, fender braces, etc., have some surface rust, but nothing too bad. The wheels are probably the worst. The front fender was originally bolted to the front of the fork - which put...
  18. RatRodDad

    Bought a Roland Coral today ...

    I found a ladies cruiser bike on Craigslist today for a reasonable price, so I bought it. It's a Roland brand - Coral I model - whatever that is. Couldn't find anything about that brand with a quick web search so it was probably made by one of the main bike makers and branded as a Roland...
  19. RatRodDad

    Coaster brake question - wear in needed?

    Thanks for the response MR. It was a new rear hub so I'm not sure about the oil in it. My assumption is that they filled it correctly since you don't normally have to do that on a new one. I rode it around again yesterday - stopping every 20 feet or so, and it slowly got better. So I...
  20. RatRodDad

    Coaster brake question - wear in needed?

    I recently bought a Firmstrong Chief bike that came with a single speed coaster brake rear wheel. I traded out the 3 speed Nexus rear wheel on my Caloi and put that on the Chief and put the single speed rear wheel back on the Caloi. The few times I rode the Chief with the single speed rear...
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