This thing changed ideas a few times, but I finally decided to leave it as a loaner anyone could ride and try to use as much stuff lying around as possible.
Build thread filled with expired links:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/firebolt.108719/
As it started:
Rims were junk and I was only able to save the front wheel's worth of spokes. Added a 6 speed freewheel that I had and a stem shifter converted to handlebar (I'm using the second one for a throttle lever on an old kayak I'm modifying for electric power). Then I added a disc brake conversion to make up for the lost coaster brake. The rear wheel is un-dished by desire, so it took some playing around with washers and a longer axle and such to get it to sit evenly, then I had to double up on the rotor spacers to reach the caliper. Also went over the damaged "Firebolt" paint with retroreflective tape and added some nearly-perfect match green reflective tape on the wheels.
It definitely reflects well.
Head badge (including the green) is all reflective tape. Also replaced worn pedals.
Made this goofy headlight. I couldn't think of a theme, but I wanted something going through one of these LED ring lights. Then I thought that "Firebolt" is like "Thunderbolt" and a cyclops made Zeus' thunderbolts, so a stylized cyclops made of a wooden egg with thunderbolt limbs (also reflective tape over pieces from a plastic bottle) leaping through a ring of fire is what I came up with. All 12V with the lion battery sitting under the mount. The mount is two aluminum rods I threaded at one end for the mounting hardware and some aluminum sheet metal I had lying around that I formed around it and reinforced with epoxy with yet more reflective tape on it. After this photo, I covered the bottom with a second piece of sheet metal.
As I ended up putting the two LED rings back to back for lack of a better idea to finish the backside of the ring and they throw a lot of side light, it is unrideable in the dark with it on! Literally could not see past it from the glare. In this photo, I used the flash to attempt to even out the light so the green eye could be seen, but it did nothing except tidy up some graininess in the dark areas vs no flash.
It looks pretty good during the day, though, and can definitely be used as a being-seen safety light.
I think this bike is too shaky, but she liked it and I suppose it's really not meant for anyone my weight and height in the first place. I lost the charger for my good camera in the move last year and only found out the day I was to film this, so it looks like I filmed it with the video equivalent of a box with a hole in it (old iphone), but it rides.
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