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It was a decent day for painting today. Not real warm, only 6 degrees above freezing, but sunny and no wind. I preheated the frame with a heat gun and paint with hot water before taking outside and all went well. I will give the paint some time to cure as I shift attention to my muscle bike entry.

I have challenged myself to do this build with what parts I have on hand and a skinny 20" tire has become a roadblock. I am shifting over to another option. I have everything on hand to build a 3 speed roadster with 26 X 1 3/8 wheels and incorporate the original fork. I'm glad now that I didn't...

Absolutely right. The rear tire is marked 22 X 1 3/8 and the front measures a hair wide at 1 9/16". I am hoping to find a narrower front tire byfinal assembly time. This creation seems to be evolving into the muscle genre, so I may move it there.

The extended fork came together serendipidously. The tubing that I had , fit nicely over the fork stantions and inside the lowers. The steer tube and upper stations are lengthened to fit this frame. It looks reasonable to me but the real test will be in the handling characteristics. Now to...

Reminds me of my paint deal. I went to see about left over paint and related chemicals at a small auto body shop. I only wanted enough to paint a couple of bikes. The stuff was already boxed up so you couldn't really see what was what. I asked if I could cherry pick what was there and I was told...

Thanks Tucker. I think the frame would retain enough strength with the seat stays removed. If not, I suppose they could be welded back on or some other bracing added. Ya, I'm going to go for it, I think.

A quick arrangement on the garage floor. I think it has potential. I wonder how much fork extension is practical. I am contemplating deleting the seat stays and shortening the seat tube, but hesitate because then there will be no turning back. Any input?

I find that the build can take on a life of its own if I let it. I may start with a preconceived concept but I try to stay open to diverging ideas about theme and component choice. I had no clear direction in mind when I started the Mixed up Mixte build and I hoped that inspiration would come...

Decision made. This triple tree fork from a juvenile mtb will be modified to fit the mixte frame and fitted with a 20" wheel. This is my first foray into the area of steering geometry and I have to do some research in order to end up with a rideable result. I can extend the fork legs as much as...

Improvised dropout alignment cheking tool. I used a large crescent wrench for the bending.

Nice vintage frame with beautiful details that truly deserves a new life.

There is nothing more expensive than a free bike. lol.

Rust removal of shiny parts. Overnight soak in citric acid/water bath. A quick rise under the tap and yer done. Non toxic, non corrosive, cheap and no work involved. I keep a batch in the garage in a plastic tote. It has turned as black as tar but still works after soaking many chrome parts. I...

Tucker, a bicycle guy, and an aquaintence of mine mentioned this forum to me and at first glance I feel like I have found my tribe. I come from a motorcycling background and in recent years have rediscovered bicycles and cycling. I looked at getting a smaller motorcycle, like a 250 or so and...

Well the seat post removal was fairly easy and the crank cotters obliged as well. To my surprise and delight, the BB threads were well greased and the bearing cups came out with ease. But what a pile of crap in the BB shell. Not much rust. It looks like ground up plant fiber on top of the old...

This frame nearly ended up as part of a fence at a local small town bike shop. The fence project was cancelled and a heap of frames was offered up free for the taking. What could I do, right? I picked up a handful of them that looked promising. I have chosen this one for the skinny wheel...

1984 Ritchey.

For 50 clams, a Centurion in that condition... how could you not go after it?

The dark biue and leaves and stripes are original factory finish. Lucky. Glad you are retaining it.

The actual fictional account is fascinating. Looking forward to the finished build.