Search results

Scored these two today for chicken scratch. The blue 26” is a Schwinn-based “Fleet”? Maybe that’s the model and it’s just a Schwinn, I’ve heard that name before but I don’t remember. The 24” I don’t recognize, so if anyone recognizes the chain guard or chainwheel that’s maybe a place to...

I think you’re right. Looking at the pictures now it’s definitely different patina than the rest. It didn’t look that different close up. Like I said I haven’t tried to do much research yet.

Picked this beauty in the rough up this weekend for a pretty reasonable price, considering it was in an antique mall. It could stand to be “un-patinaed” a little bit, but I can see enough of the head badge and chain guard to make out it’s a Wards Hawthorne Jet Star. Haven’t really looked for...

Unfortunately I’m going to have to bow out of this one, at least for the build-off. This build has been frustrating at every turn, and I’ve got to much invested in it to start cutting corners now just to make a deadline. I knew I was going to be short on time to begin with, but there’s still...

Small update. I have been working on the bike, just not anything real picture-worthy, like trying to get the wheels not to wobble and finishing all the assembly on the toolboxes I skipped over to begin with. Nothing looks different, it’s just more complete now. I did manage to get my fender...

Did a little “proof of concept” engineering today....don’t mind the chunks of yardstick, that’ll probably be changed out. 😂 I think if I can get all the fabrication done by July 1 I cave a chance of finishing. I’m still anticipating blowing it apart for some paint work.

No real updates to speak of, other than I think I’m still in the game after considering bowing out. I took a little break, and mostly since my last post I’ve just been doing minor things that weren’t really post-worthy. The main challenge has been getting the axle right after screwing it up a...

Ironically, the best place to find one is at a swap meet. The last one I went to had a handful of vendors selling them.

My bad. I do this all the time, but I never know what I need until I go do it. You’re probably right.

You’ll need a chain whip too to keep the freewheel from spinning while you loosen it.

I don’t think the Trek and Specialized BMX bikes ever caught on as much as the companies had hoped. Not that they’re not nice bikes or anything, if anything they were overbuilt tanks, maybe that was the problem. I had an all-chrome Trek that looked brand new, and I think I still have an olive...

Yeah I mean you can just cover over the label and put new marks on it yourself, as long as you know what they mean.

You mean this thing?: It’s a sliding gauge to figure out the bolt pattern for wheels. It’s kind of the companion to the disc that goes over studs to measure the bolt pattern of an axle or wheel bearing. I like this one because you can either insert the pointed side into a wheel or flip it...

Played with the front fenders a little bit today. I think the last one is probably best, but it doesn’t hurt to try some other positions.

Spent some time in the shop tonight and got further than I thought I would: It’s still got a case of the Weeble-wobbles I need to fix, and it looks more like a car than I thought it would, but I’m kind of diggin’ it? First thing I need to do now is shore up that rear end so it doesn’t fold...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B091HS9J5M/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

More parts pile stuff: Firstly, I WILL get this front axle done this weekend! I’m done messing around trying to save wheels no one will ever be interested in! Here’s the issue: because of how this is all fitting together I am using the inside holes of the wheels to support the wheel...

Eh, I don’t hate ‘em. Could be a little bigger and in better shape, but these could work. Next step I think should be to get the front wheels/axle buttoned up and see how it sits.

Got some more big stuff to mess around with while I’m waitin’ for little stuff! First up, I got me some Hoosier-daddy well-loved racin’ slicks! Not sure if they’re the size I want to go with, but they were free so why not slap ‘em on? I don’t get to keep the wheels, and I’ll probably have to...

So, two steps forward, one step back (guess that’s better than 1 step forward, 2 steps back...) - turns out all VFR front wheels are not created equal, even from the same generation bike. Not insurmountable, but I can’t make both of them work the same way using the same bearings. I was trying...