Bed Frame Bike, v2.0

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Sacramento, CA
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Anyone remember the bed frame bike? It was a simple $60 build very early in my custom bicycle days that put me on the map, so to speak. I built it in 2012, and took it to the Sacramento Cyclefest Bike Show that year. That’s when folks started to take notice of me. It even got me on TV, haha.

My plan is to cut it up, and make version 2.0, a more rideable and cleaner built bike. First two photos are how it looks today, once I dug it out of the back of my shop, where it’s been for eleven years. Next shots are how it looked back in the day. Last shot gives you an idea of what I want to do with it now. Stay tuned…
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I used the two cut off ends of the bed frame to make the two sides of the rear of the bike, and tried to connect them in a way that they still line up just as the headboard lines did. The posts were removed, as they screamed "headboard" just a little too much for me, but the post toppers may still be integrated into the build somehow.
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I used the two cut off ends of the bed frame to make the two sides of the rear of the bike, and tried to connect them in a way that they still line up just as the headboard lines did. The posts were removed, as they screamed "headboard" just a little too much for me, but the post toppers may still be integrated into the build somehow.
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I love this!😍
Maybe the toppers would make nice taillights?😉
 
This is my favorite of your builds that I've seen over the years!😎😎 Great proportions, stance, etc. & looks like it will be a nice rider as well as dazzling looks. Nice work!👍👍
 
A bottom bracket has been added. Also, I was so lost as to what to do with the loose tubing ends in the back, that I simply cut them short, and welded in some 1/2" nuts. Now, anytime I want, I can add to it. Sissy bar for a different seat? Tail lights? Spikes? I can decide all that later, and I have my mounting point.
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The Bed Frame v2.0 is a rider. To answer a few of the criticisms I've gotten online, yes, the pedals are on either side of the front wheel. It hasn’t bothered me. And yes, I did have to notch the cross brace a bit for the chain line. That was my bad. haha

It’s quite comfortable to ride, with perfect dimensions for me.
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Once a year, I go to a local high school that has a shop class dedicated to bike maintenance, called Bike Tech. I bring a few bikes, and talk to five classes of kids about building custom bicycles, answer questions about getting into fabrication for work or hobby, and let them know about non-college options in the building trades.

I bring this up because the bed frame bike was one of them that I brought, and while many voted it as their favorite looking, they also voted it as the worst to ride, because of the pedals hitting the front wheel.
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I decided I'd better do something about it. I found a set of cranks that I had that were one inch shorter than the set currently on there (5.5" as opposed to 6.5"). They were also much wider, maybe from an exercise bike? In any case, now the cranks don't hit the wheel, making this bike MUCH easier to ride. I suspect the width almost helped more than the length.
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Once a year, I go to a local high school that has a shop class dedicated to bike maintenance, called Bike Tech. I bring a few bikes, and talk to five classes of kids about building custom bicycles, answer questions about getting into fabrication for work or hobby, and let them know about non-college options in the building trades.
Forget about the bedframe upgrades*, this is awesome. You da man, Deven!

*Bedframe is awesome too!
 

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