24 inch Free Spirit BMX Cruiser (PAUSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)

[Bike from the Dead]

Okay, this is not the trike I had originally planned on building for my first ever Class 2 entry, but I think this bike will be a better project for me to learn some basic welding on.

Here's the patient: a 24 inch twin-tube Sears Free Spirit 10-speed boy's bike that I think was built by Murray in the '70s, but I'm not sure.
I picked up this bike along with 4 others for free off Marketplace last summer, and but to me, this one bike was the crown jewel out of the lot. I love twin tube frames, and this one had a really interesting frame design I just didn't see elsewhere.

Here's what this bike would've looked like new:

If you look closely, you can still see the red and blue paint poking through the ugly black top coat. Sadly, whoever painted this bike had really poor taste, because they painted this bike Earl Sheib-style! They painted everything; the stickers, the bearing cups, the shifter levers, even a bit of the chainring and crank!

Ever since I got this bike, I'd been trying to figure out how I wanted to build it. At first I though about converting it into a 10-or-more-speed muscle bike, but I wasn't sure how I'd mount the sissy bar, since there aren't any places I could mount one without it getting in the way of the derailer. Later this year, I tried mocking up a later-model 26 inch mountain bike suspension fork and some BMX-style handlebars to see if it'd make a good klunker build. However, between that mockup, and all the times I hung out with @billn and some other guys at local vintage BMX events, I got the idea to turn this old Free Spirit into an old school BMX "cruiser." I figured with a few welded gussets, a chrome straight tube fork, and some tasteful paint applications, this Free Spirit could easily work as a retro cruiser inspired by all those '70s and '80s BMX bikes I saw at the shows. Best of all, I can build it for a fraction of what most original vintage BMX parts cost!

Admittedly, I would've loved to save this for the Off Road/BMX Build Off later this year, but I want to hurry up and get all the bikes in my backlog built so I can start getting rid of everything I don't have a use for. Plus, by the time the Winter Build Off starts, the weather's not that great for painting. Not only do I want to learn how to weld on this bike, but I also want to try my hand at painting this bike too.

I whipped up this digital Mockup just earlier on Monday, and just like that, I knew this is how I wanted to build this bike. I'm not even a BMX guy, but I'm stoked to bring this vision to life!

I really wanted to include some shade of blue and green, my 2 favorite colors, on this bike, as well as some white and gold, which I think look good with blue and green. In fact, the entire paint scheme for this bike was inspired by this Lego set I bought 2 years ago, which I bought partly for the build, but mostly for the colors. I just felt the colors all work together really well, and I thought they'd translate to an old school BMX bike quite well.

I took some time to do a few mockups today while the weather was still dry. In silhouette, it's already looking like the bike I saw in my head!

...Out in the sun though, it's a different story. The vision's still there, but there's clearly a lot to do.

One of the challenges I need to figure out is how to squeeze the dropouts closer together without squeezing the upper seat stays too much closer. The 24"x2.125" tires I have on there are already a tight fit on these old out-of-true wheels as it is. I don't want to make it any tighter of a fit. Is there a way to focus the bend of the seat stays so it begins after it clears the tire? I've seen folks shrink and expand the dropouts using some all thread, washers, nuts, and a lot of patience, but I've never tried it myself. Is there a good step-by-step guide for this process? The more detailed the instructions, the better.

Truth be told, the main thing I was mocking up on this bike today was the crank and chainring. Most of my older cranks don't clear the inside of the bottom bracket, so I just used this slightly newer one that came with this funky chainring already. It had a look that felt like something I'd see on an early BMX bike, and had loads of potential for a gold/chrome two tone paint job. My only concern was that it might be too big for the look I was aiming for.

That concern was quickly replaced by the concern that my next chainring choice was too small. As much as I liked this 3-spoke "steering wheel" chainring, it just looked too dinky in proportion to the rest of the bike.

Even in silhouette, it just looked wrong.

I threw the other chainring back on, then Sharpied the cardboard gussets black to better blend in with the rest of the bike. Much better. It needs some refinements, sure, but I'm convinced that this is how I want to build this bike.

In order to save some money on sheet metal, I'm going to use this piece I picked up along with a lot of other material for free last year. I guess it was supposed to be a table or stool made out of a cross section of a tree trunk, but the guy who started it never got any further than this. I'll have to get some better pictures of it later, but this piece is big enough and thick enough to make plenty of solid gussets to help beef up this frame.

There's a lot left to do on this bike, but I think I'm off to a good start. With any luck, I'll be able to meet up with my friend Allan at some point soon so he can show me how to cut and weld the gussets to the frame. In the meantime, I've got some parts to order!

 

[Wildcat]

To solve the clearance problem, it will take some bending. But it's steel so it can work.
Here's what I would do:
1. Mark the spots on the chain stays and seat stays where the tire crosses.
2. Measure the width you need to fit your wheel in at the dropouts (axle width).
2. Take out the wheel and put something solid in between the stays right where the tire crosses. A bar or metal or a heavy block of wood would work as long as it's snug between the stays.
3. Squeeze the stays together at the dropouts until you get the correct width for the axle. The width you marked where the blocks are should remain the same.
4. The dropouts now won't be perpendicular to the axle, as they need to be. I use a big crescent wrench to line them back up and bend them gently until they are straight.
5. Check the width again for the axle and make small adjustments as needed.
Now you'll have tire clearance and the brake arm will be in the right spot for a clamp, and the chain will line up as if the bike came as a one speed.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Wow love the 24inch BMX idea with the gussets!

Fork crown looks really good too!

Build name idea: "Run DBC"
A variation on Run DMC.
DBC stands for "double bar cross"

 

[Pondo]

Great frame! This is going to be a fun build and I think your build plan is perfect. It already looks great and that twin top tube is very distinctive. Chain ring choice looks good. Are you going to use the gold anodized paint on it? I love those handlebars too.

For frame spacing the method from @Wildcat seems perfect. It looks like the axle is long enough that you could put some spacers in to keep the bending minimal. Sheldon Brown's write up on spacing is really good:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html
I'm looking forward to seeing how this one comes along!

 

[Pondo]

You should consider making a sticker of your logo.

 

[SSG]

That's a really cool frame, and your idea for the guessets makes it even better.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

To solve the clearance problem, it will take some bending. But it's steel so it can work.
Here's what I would do:
1. Mark the spots on the chain stays and seat stays where the tire crosses.
2. Measure the width you need to fit your wheel in at the dropouts (axle width).
2. Take out the wheel and put something solid in between the stays right where the tire crosses. A bar or metal or a heavy block of wood would work as long as it's snug between the stays.
3. Squeeze the stays together at the dropouts until you get the correct width for the axle. The width you marked where the blocks are should remain the same.
4. The dropouts now won't be perpendicular to the axle, as they need to be. I use a big crescent wrench to line them back up and bend them gently until they are straight.
5. Check the width again for the axle and make small adjustments as needed.
Now you'll have tire clearance and the brake arm will be in the right spot for a clamp, and the chain will line up as if the bike came as a one speed.

Great, thanks! Got a few questions though:
1. Do you squeeze the dropouts together gradually, or in one go? I've seen folks spread out the rear triangle a little at a time by gradually turning nuts on some all thread, but is it the same for narrowing the axle width? If it's a gradual process, what's the best pace to work at?
2. Do you have pictures or videos of that crescent wrench trick to straighten out the dropouts? I don't quite understand the process you're talking about there.

As for the rest, I think I'm picking up what you're putting down. Thanks for the help!

Wow love the 24inch BMX idea with the gussets!

Fork crown looks really good too!

Build name idea: "Run DBC"
A variation on Run DMC.
DBC stands for "double bar cross"

Thank you!

Good idea for the name, but as someone who had to look up "Run DMC" just now to remember what that was, that might not be the best name for me personally. Didn't listen to a lot of hip hop growing up; I was more of a classic rock guy as a kid in the '90s/early 2000s.

Great frame! This is going to be a fun build and I think your build plan is perfect. It already looks great and that twin top tube is very distinctive. Chain ring choice looks good. Are you going to use the gold anodized paint on it? I love those handlebars too.

For frame spacing the method from @Wildcat seems perfect. It looks like the axle is long enough that you could put some spacers in to keep the bending minimal. Sheldon Brown's write up on spacing is really good:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html
I'm looking forward to seeing how this one comes along!

Thanks Pondo! Yeah, I love this frame style so much that I didn't want to change it too much. Crazy how just a few small gussets and some beefier tires can change the whole attitude of a bike! Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on either that or my dad powder coating it gold along with the wheels and a few other parts. Problem with the chainring is that there's some slight pitting on the surface, so I'm trying to decide whether I want to replace the chainring (if I can find another one like it,) or sand off the bad spots and cover it up with paint somehow. Still haven't figured that out yet. Those are the handlebars that came off the "gravity trike" I picked up for free earlier this year! Good thing I grabbed that, because that stem's the only one I have in that style that'll fit inside the forks I plan to get. It's 21.1mm wide, while the rest I own are 22mm+ wide.

That picture of the rear axle is deceptive. I had to really work to get the nuts back on either end of the axle, so the dropouts really need a squeeze. I might consider spacers though. I skimmed through that page you shared, but it talked more about spreading the frame than shrinking it. I also didn't see how to really avoid potentially damaging the frame in the process, which I'd like to know as I've never tried this before.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops myself!

You should consider making a sticker of your logo.
View attachment 231965

Thanks, I need to! Maybe that's something I could sell or pass out at bicycle rides, swap meets and shows. I'd just love to have one on my helmet, personally.

Funny thing, I had planned to place that logo as a sticker on every bike I built, but so far I've only placed it on my first build, Dumpster Diamond.

Technically, I had a "Bike from the Dead" sticker on last year's Build Off entry, but not with this logo. I was trying to be a little more subtle about it.

That's a really cool frame, and your idea for the guessets makes it even better.

Thank you! I'm still shocked at how much of a difference those little gussets really make myself!

 

[Funkme]

When squeezing together I use a block of wood.
And then I use a old axle and tighten the bolts.
Does it slowly and you can see if it is going to crimp.
Just have the block up higher above the tire rub zone.

 

[Pondo]

Do you squeeze the dropouts together gradually, or in one go?

I'd go slow and measure as you go. I used the 2x4 as a lever method on a couple of my frames. It's quicker but easy to over do it or even go too far so slow is the way to go. There's a bunch of videos on YouTube. I liked RJ's:

Maybe that's something I could sell or pass out at bicycle rides, swap meets and shows.

I'll buy a few, that would be cool!

 

[Pondo]

Here's another video showing the all thread or old axle method:


I found cold setting to be pretty easy. It's just a matter of taking your time with it so as to not go over.

To narrow the frame fork just reverse the leverage on the 2x4 method or crank the nuts inward on the all thread method. Pretty straight forward.

 

[dropstep]

As another person who loves twin tube frames like the flightliner and space liner. I didn’t know this one existed!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I'd go slow and measure as you go. I used the 2x4 as a lever method on a couple of my frames. It's quicker but easy to over do it or even go too far so slow is the way to go. There's a bunch of videos on YouTube. I liked RJ's:

Here's another video showing the all thread or old axle method:


I found cold setting to be pretty easy. It's just a matter of taking your time with it so as to not go over.

To narrow the frame fork just reverse the leverage on the 2x4 method or crank the nuts inward on the all thread method. Pretty straight forward.

I'll try the nut and all thread method, as it looks a bit more precise and less likely to go wrong. One thing I'd like to know though is if there's another way to check the frame alignment without the specialty tools he's got. Can that be done with a yardstick or something?

So on the cold setting method, do you let it set for a day or so before you adjust it again, or can it all be done in one day?

I'll buy a few, that would be cool!

Well thanks dude! I appreciate that. I'll need to refine that design in Adobe Illustrator so it'll be ready for print!

As another person who loves twin tube frames like the flightliner and space liner. I didn’t know this one existed!

I've only seen a handful of pictures of these twin tube Free Spirit bikes beforehand, so it was quite a surprise to find one close to home, and for free no less! It's definitely a unique frame, as it's got about the same profile as a typical road/track bike, except that it's twin tube, and the top tubes bend down into the seat stays ahead of the seat tube, which is pretty cool!

 

[Pondo]

One thing I'd like to know though is if there's another way to check the frame alignment without the specialty tools he's got. Can that be done with a yardstick or something?

So on the cold setting method, do you let it set for a day or so before you adjust it again, or can it all be done in one day?

I haven't watched those videos in a while so I'm not sure which method of alignment he's doing. I like to use the string method. It's easy and gets it pretty accurate:

Unless your talking about realigning the dropouts? You can just put a Crescent wrench on the drop outs and use it as a lever to bend them back in/out so that they are parallel. When it looks right it probably is.

You don't have to let it sit, it's fine to just do everything at once. I think my last one took me less than half an hour? If you aren't moving the frame that much you might not even have to straighten the dropouts. I hope this makes some kind of sense and helps.

 

[SkyknightJohn]

Looking like a good plan and a good silhouette!
Seems a lot of people have beaten me to the dropout adjustment methods, and they all seem correct. I've used both the 2x4 and the threaded rod method with success, (though always widening the drops) and as others have said, make a small adjustment and check, then go back as needed. I've seen the string method for alignment before and recommend it. Then, plop a wheel in and align by eye. Then, see how it rolls. A minor mis-alignment at the axle can mean a noticeable difference in the track or lean.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I haven't watched those videos in a while so I'm not sure which method of alignment he's doing. I like to use the string method. It's easy and gets it pretty accurate:

Unless your talking about realigning the dropouts? You can just put a Crescent wrench on the drop outs and use it as a lever to bend them back in/out so that they are parallel. When it looks right it probably is.

You don't have to let it sit, it's fine to just do everything at once. I think my last one took me less than half an hour? If you aren't moving the frame that much you might not even have to straighten the dropouts. I hope this makes some kind of sense and helps.

I'll try the string method for sure. Just need to figure out how to keep it on the dropouts, as there aren't any other holes I can thread it through on the back.

I think I've got the gist of it now. Thanks, it definitely helps!

Looking like a good plan and a good silhouette!
Seems a lot of people have beaten me to the dropout adjustment methods, and they all seem correct. I've used both the 2x4 and the threaded rod method with success, (though always widening the drops) and as others have said, make a small adjustment and check, then go back as needed. I've seen the string method for alignment before and recommend it. Then, plop a wheel in and align by eye. Then, see how it rolls. A minor mis-alignment at the axle can mean a noticeable difference in the track or lean.

Thank you!

I'll be working on that sometime this week, so I'll definitely keep an eye on the frame's alignment. Thanks!

 

[rgrrbt]

This build has such great potential. Really looking forward to seeing you bring your vision into reality.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

This build has such great potential. Really looking forward to seeing you bring your vision into reality.

Thanks dude!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Loving this idea, that frame with the gussets looks awesome and very nice BMX cruiser style!

Do you have a straight tube fork for the build?

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Loving this idea, that frame with the gussets looks awesome and very nice BMX cruiser style!

Do you have a straight tube fork for the build?

Thanks!

Not yet. I'm waiting to order parts until after the Springfield Missouri bicycle swap meet this Sunday, just in case I find what I'm looking for there.

 

[billn]

To solve the clearance problem, it will take some bending. But it's steel so it can work.
Here's what I would do:
1. Mark the spots on the chain stays and seat stays where the tire crosses.
2. Measure the width you need to fit your wheel in at the dropouts (axle width).
2. Take out the wheel and put something solid in between the stays right where the tire crosses. A bar or metal or a heavy block of wood would work as long as it's snug between the stays.
3. Squeeze the stays together at the dropouts until you get the correct width for the axle. The width you marked where the blocks are should remain the same.
4. The dropouts now won't be perpendicular to the axle, as they need to be. I use a big crescent wrench to line them back up and bend them gently until they are straight.
5. Check the width again for the axle and make small adjustments as needed.
Now you'll have tire clearance and the brake arm will be in the right spot for a clamp, and the chain will line up as if the bike came as a one speed.

I was thinking of doing this the exact same way. Stringing it up is a good way to make sure everything is aligned - probably better than it is coming out of someone's junk pile.