Yeah, I never had fenders for this one and I'm not interested in hunting for them, so unless something falls in my lap, this is going fenderless too.
24-inch Sears
- Thread starter ParkRNDL
- Start date
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@ParkRNDL , this is shaping up nicely! And that shifter console is immaculate and a white knob too to match your cable housing!
Don't know if you remember, but I did a 'refresh - mod' of a Sears Spyder, "RaTsberry BuffeT" for a MBBO a couple years ago. Mine was literally found in an old lean-to on a farm, no original patina like yours. I replaced the original dual rear brakes with modern upgrades, and added the dual-pull lever to run both off the same lever. It works great! Here are a few photos of my build.
RaT Muscle oN~!
The dual rear brakes. I also used Metalcast Black chrome on all my chrome parts, gives it a bit of a different look.
And a photo where you can see the dual-pull lever pretty well.
Ooops!
Full bike side profile....I had to replace my lever housing on the drive side, used an aluminum beer can bottom..
This bike is one of my favs for riding. The 24" size is great, even for a 6'1" guy with long arms!
Looking forward to your progress on your build!
Don't know if you remember, but I did a 'refresh - mod' of a Sears Spyder, "RaTsberry BuffeT" for a MBBO a couple years ago. Mine was literally found in an old lean-to on a farm, no original patina like yours. I replaced the original dual rear brakes with modern upgrades, and added the dual-pull lever to run both off the same lever. It works great! Here are a few photos of my build.
RaT Muscle oN~!
The dual rear brakes. I also used Metalcast Black chrome on all my chrome parts, gives it a bit of a different look.
And a photo where you can see the dual-pull lever pretty well.
Ooops!
Full bike side profile....I had to replace my lever housing on the drive side, used an aluminum beer can bottom..
This bike is one of my favs for riding. The 24" size is great, even for a 6'1" guy with long arms!
Looking forward to your progress on your build!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Great build, always makes me think of Prince
"She rode on RaTsberry BuffeT,
The kind you find in the Back40 store"
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Hey I remember that build now that I see the pics! I remember thinking the aluminum can fix was brilliant. Where did you get the dual-control lever? I might just have to find one of them...
Also, those look like Tioga PowerBlocks... what size tires did you run? I have a 20" set of them on a Fastback and I love them!
Great build, I will be referring back to it for inspiration. Thanks!
@ParkRNDL , it is indeed a Tioga Powerblock. 24 x 1.75 in the rear. I liked the low profile, nearly slick look of it. The front tire is mounted on an English wheel that came off another bike. That is a Vee Tire MK3 24 x 1 3/8. Again, low profile mini knobby, really smooth riding.
The dual pull brake lever is a Sunlite product, and I see they are available on Amazon, and deliverable in just a few days. Your LBS can also get them through JBI.bike, from one of many warehouses across the country.
PN 13748 through JBI. I see it available at 6 of the 11 locations currently. You have to order through your LBS.
I used a new steel fw hub wheel for the rear. This bike was pretty trashed when I found it. Lurking in the background of a pile of bikes in a facebook marketplace ad. Here's what it looked like when I got it home and set the bars up straight. Ended up just cleaning the whole bike, they had a 20" wheel in front as you can see, and then repainting it and doing the black smoke chrome paint. Other than the rear wheel and drive train parts in the back which were completely rust frozen in place, and the saddle which had a massive dent on the drive side, I used all the original parts in my build. Even the grips on the bars cleaned up nicely!
RaT Muscle oN~!
The dual pull brake lever is a Sunlite product, and I see they are available on Amazon, and deliverable in just a few days. Your LBS can also get them through JBI.bike, from one of many warehouses across the country.
PN 13748 through JBI. I see it available at 6 of the 11 locations currently. You have to order through your LBS.
I used a new steel fw hub wheel for the rear. This bike was pretty trashed when I found it. Lurking in the background of a pile of bikes in a facebook marketplace ad. Here's what it looked like when I got it home and set the bars up straight. Ended up just cleaning the whole bike, they had a 20" wheel in front as you can see, and then repainting it and doing the black smoke chrome paint. Other than the rear wheel and drive train parts in the back which were completely rust frozen in place, and the saddle which had a massive dent on the drive side, I used all the original parts in my build. Even the grips on the bars cleaned up nicely!
RaT Muscle oN~!
So I had no intention of actively hunting one of these down, yet here we are.
Long story short: the buddy who sold me the shifter has a pretty sizable stash of other muscle bike stuff. I asked if he had a guard like this and he said no, but he'd ask around. Next thing I know, he shook this loose from a guy he knows. It wasn't yard sale priced, but it was a good bit less than I thought I'd have to shell out for one of these.
Looking back at @OddJob 's RaTsberry pics, I'm pretty stoked about the way this looks on the bike. I'm wondering if it'll be mounted solidly enough without a fender to attach to, or if I will have to fake something together to support it.
Long story short: the buddy who sold me the shifter has a pretty sizable stash of other muscle bike stuff. I asked if he had a guard like this and he said no, but he'd ask around. Next thing I know, he shook this loose from a guy he knows. It wasn't yard sale priced, but it was a good bit less than I thought I'd have to shell out for one of these.
Looking back at @OddJob 's RaTsberry pics, I'm pretty stoked about the way this looks on the bike. I'm wondering if it'll be mounted solidly enough without a fender to attach to, or if I will have to fake something together to support it.
That lower hole in the back of the guard holds a screw that will run right into the chain stay on the drive side; along with the bracket on the front end to the down tube, it makes a pretty strong statement. If I remember right, my fender mount was the last one I tightened, and that was just enough to get it to sit in the perfect spot vertically, around the chain ring. I think you will be okay. If need be, a tab from your seat post over to the guard could be used to adjust that vertical position as well.
Your guard is in great original shape, as is your whole bike! After I got mine cleaned enough of the rust, the stripes were gone, so I cut some strips from an old 3M pin striping kit my wife had brought home from work 20 yrs ago to simulate the original stripes.
Your guard is in great original shape, as is your whole bike! After I got mine cleaned enough of the rust, the stripes were gone, so I cut some strips from an old 3M pin striping kit my wife had brought home from work 20 yrs ago to simulate the original stripes.
Couldn't resist for this price:
It looks a little different from @OddJob 's in that the cables attach top and bottom instead of front and back (don't know if that's the best way to describe it) but it's the same manufacturer and gets similar good reviews. This pic may help visualize how it's different:
Sorry about the potato cam quality, I robbed the pic from a review. best one I could find.
Don't know for sure if I'll use it yet, but at that price I don't mind throwing it in the parts stash for a future project.
It looks a little different from @OddJob 's in that the cables attach top and bottom instead of front and back (don't know if that's the best way to describe it) but it's the same manufacturer and gets similar good reviews. This pic may help visualize how it's different:
Sorry about the potato cam quality, I robbed the pic from a review. best one I could find.
Don't know for sure if I'll use it yet, but at that price I don't mind throwing it in the parts stash for a future project.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
That seems smarter than the other one. Makes the pull radius the same for each cable. I don't know if that is the reason for the change, but it is what my eye sees.
I only noticed this after the fact, but it also mounts differently. It has two Allen bolts and a cap, so it can be installed without removing the handgrip. The other one only has one bolt and must be slid on over the end of the bars. I'm guessing they have different specific applications, though it seems that either will work here.
Also worthy of note: though not well illustrated in the manufacturer's pics, both of these units mount the cables to a pivoting piece that equalizes cable pull. This is another customer pic of the lever type that Oddjob used:
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I found on mine that once I got the cable tension properly set on both brakes, the lever took over and pulled both very fluidly. The brakes work well, even on a smooth chromed wheel braking surface. Here's a video short I shot right after getting them dialed in. *Notice I'm in my garage here, the one reason the Fall MBBO gets risky doing here in the North Country. The BACK40 and it's 'off grid' heating system of a flower propane tank heater and slightly insulated walls make working out there only doable when the outside temp is 45 F and higher. Monday morning our first cold front is moving through; wind chills at -4 F and a high of 20 F predicted.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Yeah I noticed that too. Nice touch. Thanks for clarifying on the other style, it was bothering me.
@OddJob good to hear you again, bad pun and all. Those dual brakes are so killer, loved seeing them in action.
Totally forgot to mention that I picked these up from our own @ozzynut2 a couple of weeks ago. Just right for a Sears build, and they are perfect with the seat and shifter knob (though the knob is a little too bright white; gotta put some miles on this bike to dirty it up ).
I now have 3 bikes with these grips.
).
I now have 3 bikes with these grips.
I've used both versions of the dual-pull levers on my motor bike builds, and both have worked just fine.
Progress report: we have brakes. After all my waffling about the dual control lever, I think I like running it with two levers after all.
I think I bought these brake pads to get my Porkchop BMX order up over $39 so I could get free shipping. I had originally planned on using two identical brake calipers off a Schwinn Collegiate, but it turns out the upper caliper has to be longer. Somehow I couldn't see that by just eyeballing it.
Methinks I need to shorten up the cables a little, but I like the way the bike looks with both cables looped around to the rear.
I like the way the blue trim on the shifter looks with the red frame and white upholstery. Trying to figure out a way to add some blue accents; maybe on the guard...
I think I bought these brake pads to get my Porkchop BMX order up over $39 so I could get free shipping. I had originally planned on using two identical brake calipers off a Schwinn Collegiate, but it turns out the upper caliper has to be longer. Somehow I couldn't see that by just eyeballing it.
Methinks I need to shorten up the cables a little, but I like the way the bike looks with both cables looped around to the rear.
I like the way the blue trim on the shifter looks with the red frame and white upholstery. Trying to figure out a way to add some blue accents; maybe on the guard...
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Pinstripes would be a nice touch.
Worked on the rear wheel last night. I wanted to replace the alloy MTB wheel with a steel wheel like what the bike would have originally come with. I got a suitable wheel in a trade with @idiotboy at the beginning of the build-off. It came without a spoke protector. My primary objective was to find a period-correct metal spoke protector and get it mounted behind a standard-ish 14-28 freewheel cluster. I know a dork disc isn't necessary if you adjust the derailleur correctly, but for me they add to the chromed-out musclecar look that these bikes evoked when they were new.
My first thought was to use a Schwinn setup like this, as I have a couple of them around:
But I have this weird self-imposed policy: I try to use only Schwinn parts on Schwinn bikes, and the converse is that I try to put non-Schwinn bikes together WITHOUT using Schwinn parts.
I have this old Ross wheelset around off a 26" Europa 10-speed. For some reason, I was hesitant to rob the freewheel and spoke protector off it... you ever have some part you're hanging on to like you may use it someday, even though you know you never really will? I used these wheels for a little while on a Speedster masquerading as a Collegiate, and they served me well, but I have since picked up a few real Collegiates and blown the Speedster apart to be reincarnated as a BMX cruiser. Going forward, I can't think of any bike I'd want to build that I'd need this size wheel for. So the freewheel and spoke protector were yanked for this build. I was actually pretty stoked to see the little 333 on the spoke protector to match the one on the derailleur.
This is where I confused myself. First of all, I had completely forgotten that the wheel I'm using had a freewheel on it when I got it. Then in trying to find the best freewheel in my stash to use, I settled on putting a Schwinn freewheel on with the Shimano 333 spoke protector. The result was that in low gear, the chain and the derailleur cage both interfered with the protector.
I was hesitant to use the Shimano freewheel from the Ross wheelset for two reasons: first, it felt a little crunchy when spinning it compared to the Schwinn, and second, it takes a VERY small oddball freewheel tool which I only happened to have because I bought a cigar box with some odd bike tools at a yard sale.
I tried drizzling some Marvel Mystery Oil into it while spinning it, and it smoothed out considerably. So I spun it on, and it better work for a while at least, because the only way it's coming off now is if I take the axle out to get the freewheel tool into it.
(It was only this morning after all that excitement that I noticed the Falcon freewheel that I got with this wheel sitting at the bottom of the box of parts for this build. It takes the larger, more common Shimano tool that fits over the cone/locknut. I could've used that and not had to worry about repairs/disassembly. Oh well, I guess we will jump off that bridge if we get to it.
)
The good news is that now everything is spaced and aligned as it should be.
Then I went to adjust the derailleur and had to address this little issue:
The Shimano Eagle derailleur off the aforementioned Ross Europa donated a limit screw.
Mounted up that old 24 x 2.125 and tightened and adjusted everything, and it all seems to work correctly. And the big fat tire on the back really changes the look as compared to the 1.75 MTB tire that was on there.
Upcoming steps: chain guard, maybe rejuvenate this chain instead of replacing it, address the lower headset cup that seems to need a shim...
My first thought was to use a Schwinn setup like this, as I have a couple of them around:
But I have this weird self-imposed policy: I try to use only Schwinn parts on Schwinn bikes, and the converse is that I try to put non-Schwinn bikes together WITHOUT using Schwinn parts.
I have this old Ross wheelset around off a 26" Europa 10-speed. For some reason, I was hesitant to rob the freewheel and spoke protector off it... you ever have some part you're hanging on to like you may use it someday, even though you know you never really will? I used these wheels for a little while on a Speedster masquerading as a Collegiate, and they served me well, but I have since picked up a few real Collegiates and blown the Speedster apart to be reincarnated as a BMX cruiser. Going forward, I can't think of any bike I'd want to build that I'd need this size wheel for. So the freewheel and spoke protector were yanked for this build. I was actually pretty stoked to see the little 333 on the spoke protector to match the one on the derailleur.
This is where I confused myself. First of all, I had completely forgotten that the wheel I'm using had a freewheel on it when I got it. Then in trying to find the best freewheel in my stash to use, I settled on putting a Schwinn freewheel on with the Shimano 333 spoke protector. The result was that in low gear, the chain and the derailleur cage both interfered with the protector.
I was hesitant to use the Shimano freewheel from the Ross wheelset for two reasons: first, it felt a little crunchy when spinning it compared to the Schwinn, and second, it takes a VERY small oddball freewheel tool which I only happened to have because I bought a cigar box with some odd bike tools at a yard sale.
I tried drizzling some Marvel Mystery Oil into it while spinning it, and it smoothed out considerably. So I spun it on, and it better work for a while at least, because the only way it's coming off now is if I take the axle out to get the freewheel tool into it.
(It was only this morning after all that excitement that I noticed the Falcon freewheel that I got with this wheel sitting at the bottom of the box of parts for this build. It takes the larger, more common Shimano tool that fits over the cone/locknut. I could've used that and not had to worry about repairs/disassembly. Oh well, I guess we will jump off that bridge if we get to it.
)The good news is that now everything is spaced and aligned as it should be.
Then I went to adjust the derailleur and had to address this little issue:
The Shimano Eagle derailleur off the aforementioned Ross Europa donated a limit screw.
Mounted up that old 24 x 2.125 and tightened and adjusted everything, and it all seems to work correctly. And the big fat tire on the back really changes the look as compared to the 1.75 MTB tire that was on there.
Upcoming steps: chain guard, maybe rejuvenate this chain instead of replacing it, address the lower headset cup that seems to need a shim...
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MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
I don't think the steel pie plates are looked down upon, they have style! It's the plastic dork disks that deserve to be loathed. Always faded to that gross yellow, cracked and grimy ...
nothing interesting to see here, just cleaning and greasing the BB
And now, the moment I've been waiting for...
Digging the stance.
The guard seems to be mounted solidly enough without a fender to bolt to; I will have to put some miles on it to see if it stays aligned. I'm also thinking that maybe it needs something visually to connect to that top part of the guard... maybe I will cut a little piece of a 26" fender or something just to go from the bottom fender mount by the kickstand up to the lower brake bridge. As others have said, I don't think the stock fender, which is designed to work with a 24 x 1.75 tire, would play nice between the 2.125 tire and the brake bridges.
Have to come up with something a little more elegant to extend the kickstand. Whoever used this stand before me already extended it once with 1/2" I.D. copper tubing; I have a thin metal shim (actually a piece of a broken golf club shaft
) jammed up in there for that bolt to thread into.
Trying to stick with this particular stand because it's the only one I have that mounts perfectly to this frame; I assume it's manufactured by Murray like the frame.
I am waiting to tackle the headset till I get the front tire I ordered today off Amazon; I figure I'll blow the whole front end apart when I do the tire. I need to learn to pace myself on these builds. I have a tendency to let a project bike sit for weeks and then attack a whole bunch of different parts in one day or weekend instead of taking my time and picking away at it like many of you guys do.
And now, the moment I've been waiting for...
Digging the stance.
The guard seems to be mounted solidly enough without a fender to bolt to; I will have to put some miles on it to see if it stays aligned. I'm also thinking that maybe it needs something visually to connect to that top part of the guard... maybe I will cut a little piece of a 26" fender or something just to go from the bottom fender mount by the kickstand up to the lower brake bridge. As others have said, I don't think the stock fender, which is designed to work with a 24 x 1.75 tire, would play nice between the 2.125 tire and the brake bridges.
Have to come up with something a little more elegant to extend the kickstand. Whoever used this stand before me already extended it once with 1/2" I.D. copper tubing; I have a thin metal shim (actually a piece of a broken golf club shaft
) jammed up in there for that bolt to thread into.
Trying to stick with this particular stand because it's the only one I have that mounts perfectly to this frame; I assume it's manufactured by Murray like the frame.
I am waiting to tackle the headset till I get the front tire I ordered today off Amazon; I figure I'll blow the whole front end apart when I do the tire. I need to learn to pace myself on these builds. I have a tendency to let a project bike sit for weeks and then attack a whole bunch of different parts in one day or weekend instead of taking my time and picking away at it like many of you guys do.
Really not a whole lot to report... I finally got around to replacing the front tire/tube.
As crispy as the old stuff was, I am pretty amazed that it was all holding air, and has been since I started on this pile in November or whenever that was.
Good news: I thought the bottom headset cup needed to be shimmed, but upon closer inspection the problem seemed to be that the headset locknut was bottoming out before settling down against the top cone and washer. A little adjustment and an extra washer fixed it right up.
Also cut about 3 or 4 inches out of the brake cable housings and trimmed the goofy loops off the ends of the cables. Rode it around in front of the house and it all seems to work. If we get some decent weather anytime soon I'll take it downtown for a little mini shakedown run and some better pictures.
As crispy as the old stuff was, I am pretty amazed that it was all holding air, and has been since I started on this pile in November or whenever that was.
Good news: I thought the bottom headset cup needed to be shimmed, but upon closer inspection the problem seemed to be that the headset locknut was bottoming out before settling down against the top cone and washer. A little adjustment and an extra washer fixed it right up.
Also cut about 3 or 4 inches out of the brake cable housings and trimmed the goofy loops off the ends of the cables. Rode it around in front of the house and it all seems to work. If we get some decent weather anytime soon I'll take it downtown for a little mini shakedown run and some better pictures.
