The bike is called "She's The Bomber." I wanted to put rivets on it but my skill set is not there yet.
I paid $350 to Astro Metal Polishing and Plating to polish the Noleen fork, frame, dual chain rings, and brake mount. I thought that was steep, so I tried it on a Proflex I had that I bought for it's Noleens. I have not been enjoying that effort and I will gladly pay another $350 to polish another cruiser. I am sure the Proflex will look good when I am finished but I can only hope that it has 1/2 the shine this thing does. If you want a comparison just look at the chrome seat post, the aluminum canteen, and the polished aluminum stem. The frame and fork outshine new aluminum stem(the canteen is not new but the stem is).
The chain guard and fenders are left-overs from a Felt Baron that is being built to mimic the blue Felt "Yale" custom that I built but in the end I decided not to use them. Both headset and bottom brackets are sealed units. The bare metal Digital cranks are LHD/RHD and so is the hub that I was gonna run but I could not find the proper 16T LHD mini thread rear cog so I put the factory Felt wheels back on it instead of the bulging 57mm 3Gs that I bought.
I will be sitting on either a Felt seat, Persons seat (pictured), or one of those cool leather seats that look like the seats from the 1930s. I built it to sell for a ridiculous price but I am liking it too much. I might add an 8 speed,rear disc or 5 speed drum hub. The bike will run a bright LED headlight. I had intended to use the torpedo light as a rear fender mounted red light but the rear fender you see is really a re-drilled front fender. I love the way it looks. I have a couple of black number plates that I may swap for polished units once I am decent at polishing.
This puppy is being built for comfort and is intentionally flashy. The "She's The Bomb" nose art style decals are custom made. I took a cover model from an old issue of Vogue and the bomb from the F-Bomb Camaro. I Photo Shopped out the beach ball and added the smiling bomb. I am looking for a few more WWII era airplane touches. I didn't want to run Maltese cross chain rings but that is what I had 2 of in case my rear freewheel situation changes. I may eventually swap them for solid aluminum units. I have had fun on this one thus far. No frustrations yet with the exception of the rear hub. If I do feel the need for speeds I will have Studio Cycle Company rebuild the back wheel for me. I couldn't wait to see how the bike would shape up so. A week or so later, my 22mm American bottom bracket arrived so I could finally put the cranks on. I will likely have it rideable this weekend and will give those 26" Bontragers a spin or two.
I don't know if I'll keep it. I walked home from the BMX track many-a-time when I was kid. People liked my bikes enough to buy them right out from under me. Maybe nothing's changed but the prices and my pants size. I am still a kid at heart.
- by Gigmata