banana seat and found bike builds

[wyliek]

I recently started customizing bikes; I am a lifelong biker but usually just assembled parts. I collect free bikes from where ever I can get. Lots of craigslist and lots from the curb.

It all started a few years ago when my dad found a custom lowrider hacked with two frame welded together, banana seat and ape hangars, I rode that around and it got lots of looks. A while later my dad found another bike in the trash by the curb, fixed the tires and I recovered the seat with leather and rode it some. it was gold. I had a nice aluminum road fork I wanted to put on it but never did. Eventually the low rider got tossed and the other bike just sat around. Recently my buddys little cousin found an old columbia sprayed flat black. After bringing the bikes to a rat rod show near Worcester Mass I decided to completely rebuild my bike. After doing some research on I realized its a Ross Barracuda frame, although I painted over the badge before realizing it was so old.

Here is the bike. I repainted just about everything.

Late 60s Early 70s Ross Barracuda?? Can anyone confirm that?

baby blue mismatched rims, flat black spokes and hubs with a bare metal center section, brushed aluminum fork with aqua inside stripe, brushed chopped fender with aqua inside, blue and white Mexican Falsa blanket seat with aqua seat pan, baby blue and bare steel columbia chain wheel, white chain, huffy 26" cranks (longer arms), everything else is flat black, minus the aqua stem, new white walls from the shop

I had to cut the head tubes down to get the fork to fit but everything else was bolt on.

More pics to come later with tech.

 

[wyliek]

Re: Wyliek Bike Builds

After the blue bike I started some more projects. We are adding chain to the top tube of my friends columbia. Hes going for a bobber look. Mags and Falsa seat are just for mockup.

I also collect old skate board decks, snowboards and skis that I plan on making furniture out of soon. I had a few broken decks around so I put them to use on this huffy that we stripped for parts. I cut the upper rear stays and bent it on the kickstand bracket. There will be welded chain coming to reconnect the upper stays, one deck will be a rack and a smaller broken piece was shaped into a seat. I put 24" wheels and fork on it for a more comfortable stance. More detailed pics coming.

This my Trek bmx that I got when I was in middle school. I pulled it out of the basement and decided to re-arrange it. I added 10" to the forks and bent some rebar and welded a seat frame. I found some huge springs, welded them together, and welded some brackets to the frame, using 2 links of giant industrial chain for a pivot and connection to the seat post. I threw a horizontal mill cutter I pulled out of a dumpster under the stem for a spacer. More to come on the trek, it is almost ready for paint.

 

[wyliek]

Re: Wyliek Bike Builds

Last week I bought a few bikes on craigslist. one of them came from a collector who filled his garage with old muscle bikes that he keeps original in mint condition. I got it for $50 it was very clean and original looking but very dated and had some ugly writing scratched in a few spots. I threw some different parts on it and ending up settling on a rasta color scheme. I had some cool orangish red suede that my mom had lying around for years, so I covered a banana seat with it after ripping the old vinyl off. I put a set of coaster brake Tuff mags and a stem and fork from a Jamis beach cruiser that I got off c-list. The frame will stay stock, the rims are getting clean up, the seat pan, the fork, bars, stem, sissy bar and all hardware will be painted flat black, possibly a yellow chain. Riding on a set of new Primo walls a bmxer friend gave me.

Edit: I added some taller ape hangars I got in a c-list buy. Also going to be putting the chain guard back on with black out letters.

 

[wyliek]

Found a nice gear on an overgrown hay bailer in the woods. I plan on using it as a stem, with a wooden upper half made with 2 pieces of microlam

I will paint the gear blue and add it to the skate bike..its getting concrete paint on the frame with flat black components and a few bright blue and orange details

here are screen shot and render of a solidworks model...the microlam texture still needs tuning

 

[wyliek]

You can see the gear to the left of the vise in the red seat pic

 

[user 135]

Nice collection of builds. The black bike with blanket seat is cool.

The micro-lam stem looks cool but I don't think wood will be strong enough right on top. I built a wood bike using Laminated Veneer Lumber (type of micro-lam) and had some problems where there was a hole too close to the edge. I imagine yours will spilt right on the top. Not trying to discourage you, just trying to keep you safe.

 

[scrumblero]

I recently started customizing bikes; I am a lifelong biker but usually just assembled parts. I collect free bikes from where ever I can get. Lots of craigslist and lots from the curb.

It all started a few years ago when my dad found a custom lowrider hacked with two frame welded together, banana seat and ape hangars, I rode that around and it got lots of looks. A while later my dad found another bike in the trash by the curb, fixed the tires and I recovered the seat with leather and rode it some. it was gold. I had a nice aluminum road fork I wanted to put on it but never did. Eventually the low rider got tossed and the other bike just sat around. Recently my buddys little cousin found an old columbia sprayed flat black. After bringing the bikes to a rat rod show near Worcester Mass I decided to completely rebuild my bike. After doing some research on I realized its a Ross Barracuda frame, although I painted over the badge before realizing it was so old.

you should post this in teh intros section...

 

[wyliek]

Thanks Cman and no worries, I understand your concern. I think the render is slightly missleading, I plan on orienting the microlam so the layers are horizontal hopefully this will allow there to be complete layers going across....the original idea was to match the stem with the laminate construction of the skate decks, I came up with another possible design that I will model in the next few days....

more updates coming for the other rides

 

[kidgambit]

what size forks are on the black and blue one