Yeah, the history of this old boy has really been exciting for me. After watching so many @Uncle Stretch builds back in the day and wanting one for myself, it was extremely satisfying to ride this one for the first time today!
ππππ ππ§ππ₯π πππ«ππππ‘ ππ¨π₯π¬π¨π§ ππππ - BO17 Build Journal - Finished in 3rd Place - 1937 Uncle Stretch Colson XLWB
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Yeah, the history of this old boy has really been exciting for me. After watching so many @Uncle Stretch builds back in the day and wanting one for myself, it was extremely satisfying to ride this one for the first time today!
I hear what you're saying, but I am pretty certain that I will be cutting the tubes down. It's just too funky with them up like smokestacks. Plus I feel like I kinda did the non chop fork tubes already with the Spoiler springer on my Holeshot build.
β..the infamous "NO CYCLING".β!
I imagine theyβre not too friendly about skateboards either huh?
I imagine theyβre not too friendly about skateboards either huh?
Looks like I am one day ahead of my BO16 bike HEXtreme. I just had this memory pop up that said my first ride on it was July 3rd last year.
That's unusual. You are riding yours and I haven't even thought about riding mine yet! So much for my 3-day builds from the past. This is an exercise of patience for me, but now I want to put a chain on that beach and try it out. It's not easy cutting down an original skip-toother. Ride on!
Here are a few more pics from yesterday's maiden voyage. I swung by some of the places decorated for the 4th of July.
Rolled the bike out to double check how everything did from the first ride. Wheels, drivetrain, handlebars, and seat were all still in good order.
When I started checking out the fork and more specifically the headset, I could tell there was some movement. It feels like the stack is all pretty compressed and tight, and there are no gaps above or below the headset cups. BUT, when I lift up on the frame, I can feel that there is lateral movement of the cups in the frame headtube.
This headset is one that is an 1-1/8 that has had its cups machined down to fit vintage headtubes that were meant for 1" steertubes. When I installed this, I could tell that it was just a little loose in the headtube. I just put about 1.5 wraps of electrical tape on it so it would fit tighter. I'm not surprised that the tape wasn't enough of a shim to keep it stationary.
I'll either make some shims from coke cans or use some lead tape that @Dr. Tankenstein has mentioned before. For now, I'll just not ride it until I am ready to address it.
I want to limit the number of times I go through the process of taking this fork apart, so first I need to mark up and cut the fork legs and steertube. I'm not prepared for that today. The temperature is only 93 degrees but humidity is crazy today and made the heat index 105!!!!
I did go out to my storage unit to pull some stuff and the humidity was like "OOPS UP SIDE YOUR HEAD!!!!"
When I started checking out the fork and more specifically the headset, I could tell there was some movement. It feels like the stack is all pretty compressed and tight, and there are no gaps above or below the headset cups. BUT, when I lift up on the frame, I can feel that there is lateral movement of the cups in the frame headtube.
This headset is one that is an 1-1/8 that has had its cups machined down to fit vintage headtubes that were meant for 1" steertubes. When I installed this, I could tell that it was just a little loose in the headtube. I just put about 1.5 wraps of electrical tape on it so it would fit tighter. I'm not surprised that the tape wasn't enough of a shim to keep it stationary.
I'll either make some shims from coke cans or use some lead tape that @Dr. Tankenstein has mentioned before. For now, I'll just not ride it until I am ready to address it.
I want to limit the number of times I go through the process of taking this fork apart, so first I need to mark up and cut the fork legs and steertube. I'm not prepared for that today. The temperature is only 93 degrees but humidity is crazy today and made the heat index 105!!!!
I did go out to my storage unit to pull some stuff and the humidity was like "OOPS UP SIDE YOUR HEAD!!!!"
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That frame is very tastefully lengthened. You did a nice job of keeping the proportions balanced.
Oh, I didn't make the frame. @Uncle Stretch did back in 2009. But I agree with you. You can see links to the history of these Ucle Stretch frames in the first few posts.
Rolled the bike out to double check how everything did from the first ride. Wheels, drivetrain, handlebars, and seat were all still in good order.
When I started checking out the fork and more specifically the headset, I could tell there was some movement. It feels like the stack is all pretty compressed and tight, and there are no gaps above or below the headset cups. BUT, when I lift up on the frame, I can feel that there is lateral movement of the cups in the frame headtube.
This headset is one that is an 1-1/8 that has had its cups machined down to fit vintage headtubes that were meant for 1" steertubes. When I installed this, I could tell that it was just a little loose in the headtube. I just put about 1.5 wraps of electrical tape on it so it would fit tighter. I'm not surprised that the tape wasn't enough of a shim to keep it stationary.
I'll either make some shims from coke cans or use some lead tape that @Dr. Tankenstein has mentioned before. For now, I'll just not ride it until I am ready to address it.
View attachment 198895
I want to limit the number of times I go through the process of taking this fork apart, so first I need to mark up and cut the fork legs and steertube. I'm not prepared for that today. The temperature is only 93 degrees but humidity is crazy today and made the heat index 105!!!!
View attachment 198898
I did go out to my storage unit to pull some stuff and the humidity was like "OOPS UP SIDE YOUR HEAD!!!!"
Wondering if you checked that head tube with a dial indicator if you wouldn't mind some ovaling from years of riding, assembly/disassembly, etc
I'd just try and shim it
The gapping seemed to be pretty even if I remember. It wasn't like the cup was pinched and teeter tottering when I did the first test fit. But I will check that when I break it down.
I think shims will work just fine.
One of the things I pulled from my storage unit was this long chainguard from the Tracer that I won earlier this year. The guard has a cool vintage vibe to it in my opinion and I thought of my Uncle Stretch frame time I won it.
It's still humid out, but I rolled out my bike just to lay the guard on there to get a feel for how it might play with the build.
Tried another honey PHAT Primus saddle on
Then I held this up to the bike to get a feel for this possibility.
It's still humid out, but I rolled out my bike just to lay the guard on there to get a feel for how it might play with the build.
Tried another honey PHAT Primus saddle on
Then I held this up to the bike to get a feel for this possibility.
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That guard looks like someone fastened it to the crank and then grabbed ahold of the rear wheel and strettttttchhhed it back to where you wanted it! I really dig it! 
Looks great so far my brother. Time for me to chip in on this massive thread...
Scribe the forks with a sharp point around the top of the triple tree bracket. Cut below that line with any cutter you want or are comfortable with. The top bracket will cover any line or imperfection and as long as you don't use the big thick cutter from Harbor Freight. The roller on that cutter is wider than the bracket and might leave a mark. But the rest of it is easy don't overthink it don't worry, just cut it below your scribed line as close to it as you can. That's taking for granted that you'd be using caps with jamnuts inside the tube. But either way the top of the bracket should hide the cutline within reason...
Carl.
Scribe the forks with a sharp point around the top of the triple tree bracket. Cut below that line with any cutter you want or are comfortable with. The top bracket will cover any line or imperfection and as long as you don't use the big thick cutter from Harbor Freight. The roller on that cutter is wider than the bracket and might leave a mark. But the rest of it is easy don't overthink it don't worry, just cut it below your scribed line as close to it as you can. That's taking for granted that you'd be using caps with jamnuts inside the tube. But either way the top of the bracket should hide the cutline within reason...
Carl.
Like I said when we were staring at the bike the other day, to me, everything is oversized on this beauty, the exerciser chainring just kinda makes sense.
Happy Fourth of July!!
I live in a very patriotic neighborhood and every other house here has done something. Iβm going riding this morning and Iβm sure I will see many more, but there were well over 100 flags and decorations on my route.
Great looking bike. Having owned a stretch at one time I know those long chainguards can be noisy. However the chainguard does add more magic to the bike. Keep up the good work.
That guard looks like someone fastened it to the crank and then grabbed ahold of the rear wheel and strettttttchhhed it back to where you wanted it! I really dig it!
Yeah, that ribbed front end does a twisted and stretched look to it.
