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Believe me.... I understand the difficulties of manufacturing in the US given the current economy and competition from China. In fact, I've studied the marketplace very closely for several years, and ... I'm not of the defeatist opinion that some folks seem to have. I've already costed out...

Actually.... I know Worksman quite well, and have talked to them about selling me bare framesets. AND I know there are a number of higher-end bike builders. BUT.... 86% of all bikes sold in the country are Chinese made, and none of the builders that I know of have actually tried to compete in...

In another topic, we've been discussing the demise of Schwinn as a domestic manufacturer of bikes..... and whether or not there was room in the marketplace for a REAL american-made bike. I think there is... and actually there already ARE a number of American builders who cater to the...

Actually.... .a lot of you guys are right... but only partially so. Schwinn tanked because they misjudged the market of the late 1970's, and invested too heavily in the ElectroForged process. This process could snap out a LOT of high quality frames.... thousands of them per week.... but they...

without going into a long explanation.... yes it will increase the trail, and alter the way the bike handles. It will tend to make the bike less maneuverable. Whether or not this is a bad thing is a subjective matter. Some folks like a sluggish handling bike.

This topic came up last week in my bike riding group.... so I thought I'd toss it back into the arena for the benefit of those who didn't see it the first go around. Most of the folks I ride with really don't like Pacific Cycles and/or Walmart..... and I myself am not so fond of them. I've...

I do a lot of Schwinn resto-mod conversions.... especially old 27" 10 speeds to 26" 3 speed Shimano Nexus w coaster brakes, and they always work out perfectly. With such a conversion, you get the "cool factor" of the older frame and the easy-shifting, good ride of the modern wheels. When...

ALSO there is a great article here on RRB's... viewtopic.php?f=58&t=2468 It has a lot of good ideas.

Saki.... such a conversion is one of the easiest things you can do.... and it's one of the best. That frame is great. Harris Cyclery has a whole series of web pages devoted to converting bikes to single speeds or fixies, and they have all of the pieces you'll need. Basically, all you need to...

the last time I bought spokes, I got them from Harris cyclery. I don't recall them costing anywhere near that much.... but that was a few years ago.

I know your pain. I too would prefer to put original American Made rubber on my Chicago Schwinns..... but unfortunately they are rather difficult to find. And of course I'd rather have good Tiawanese tires than no tires at all.

;) I hate to always be the one to swin upstream.... (not really).... but I'd say "none of the above" when it comes to Walmart bikes. They just always seem to be of lower quality than other brands, or older bikes. If I were looking for a lesser expensive cruiser bike, I'd find a used bike...

Scott..... I noticed some wooden fenders for sale in an ad in Bicycle Times magazine. They were from a company called "Planet Bike". I'm sure you can find them online.

Congrats on your conversion! A coaster brake is a far better set-up than a fixtie in my opinion. To take up the extra space you have two options, both of which seem obvious if you think about it. 1- you can bend the frame to a narrower configuation,,,, wich is actually fairly easy on some...

Gentlemen..... I think you are right. A proper test might just be needed. I was hoping however that someone else had already done such a test, and I could benefit from their knowledge. If nobody has any reviews to post in the next few days..... I'm going to try it out, and let you all know...

A few weeks ago I saw Jay Leno recommend a spray-on Chrome paint for use in restoring old parts. It's a 3 step (base coat, powder chrome, and sealer) type of thing that is supposed to give you a hard, shiney chrome finish. It's called Alsa Killer Chrome. I've read their web-site, and it...

thanks man. Now that I'm off the road and working back in my hometown, I have a little more time for RatRodding. Keep a watch out for my latest project!

Yep! I remember those Good Old DaYS! I was one of the first folks who came here when it first got started.... when I got tossed from the Schwinn Forums for saying that REAL Schwinns came from Chicago, not China. Apparently, Pacific Cycles didn't think it was too funny, so Viola! Here I am...

OK... I love that sprocket!!! My Babe is a primo collector of COOL Sprockets! She's got one of just about every kind ever known to drag a chain around...... and she does not have one of those. If I got her that for her birthday, she'd be mine forever! If you decide to sell it, let me know.

Uncle Stretch..... I had problems with Cross-Bow's Monarch re-pops about three years ago. The one's I had were very similar to the photos you had posted, and they required some re-work before they were actually usable. For mine, I welded the juncture with a MIG and also had to extend the stem...