I still have to finish Interrobang, but we're packing up to move and I'm in a relationship with a swell gal that's taking much of the rest of my time, so I couldn't do this no matter what.
BO Regulars sitting this one out and the reasons why...
- Thread starter LukeTheJoker
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I bought a bike part this year with anticipation of building something......and then I still have a Henry J to work on as well as a 65 Aristocrat Loliner just picked up, If I get there it will be later if possible.
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In defense of multiple buildoffs.
3 months in, one month off, rinse repeat.
3 months man! I walk into my garage and tinker for a bit almost everyday, but often it's only for 10 maybe 15 minutes. I get a little something done and even though I work with a limited budget, 3 months gives me time to save up a little for something extra on the build, plus there's a month of downtime in between that drives me nuts! I love everything about this place and haven't missed a build off since I found my way here and only dnf'd once. Maybe on Saturday I get an hour or two maybe not, sometimes I give up a bit of sleep to tinker in the wee hours... granted I'm a bachelor and my kids are mostly grown up. I know I enjoy freedom many don't have. But if build offs are taking time away from life, you are scheduling things wrong.
Carl.
3 months in, one month off, rinse repeat.
3 months man! I walk into my garage and tinker for a bit almost everyday, but often it's only for 10 maybe 15 minutes. I get a little something done and even though I work with a limited budget, 3 months gives me time to save up a little for something extra on the build, plus there's a month of downtime in between that drives me nuts! I love everything about this place and haven't missed a build off since I found my way here and only dnf'd once. Maybe on Saturday I get an hour or two maybe not, sometimes I give up a bit of sleep to tinker in the wee hours... granted I'm a bachelor and my kids are mostly grown up. I know I enjoy freedom many don't have. But if build offs are taking time away from life, you are scheduling things wrong.
Carl.
I almost sat out just because I was having a hard time finding a bike the tires I wanted to use would fit.
This one just didn't seem as publicized, I already know of forth coming Muscle Bike build, but even recently, there was little or no mention of this on the home page. It still had voting/build off images from the last build off
I notice there are a few RRB regulars like me siting out this Build-Off, I'm doing it because it is just too cold this time of year!
I'm curious, who else is sitting out and why?
Last year I sat it out cause it was too hot!
we will miss you, you are always on the bleeding edge. I might have to go extreme in your absence. I have way too many ideas and even more time these days..
Last year I sat it out cause it was too hot!
we will miss you, you are always on the bleeding edge. I might have to go extreme in your absence. I have way too many ideas and even more time these days..
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Too cold? No such thing as too cold, ha! Snow is predicted tonight and it occasionally gets to 50F. I am still waiting for warm weather to paint the CWC Girls bike I started in January. There is still patches of old snow in the woods but it is getting harder to find. It has been very windy for two months, which makes painting, shop work and riding a pain. Summer is very short and a bike project takes away from enjoying it. We are selling our house and moving to camp and it is semi off grid (no internet). For the above reasons I build simple quick bikes. I want to make a single speed gravel grinder but it will have to be very quick if I do it at all. I would like to race it in June, but have not started it yet. On the fence with this one.
There is such a thing as too cold when you have to work outside and you have illnesses which cause your joints and muscles to lock up!
Don't get me wrong, I could do it, but it would write me off for the next 6 months to recover!
Of all the reasons discussed so far, @furyus has by-far the best excuse:
Makes sense to me; gotta get your BMXercise.
I don't typically enter this things b/c i never finish in time. I work a lot of hours, i'm always tired, plus i tend to start new projects before i finish the current ones... but i wish i could claim it was all b/c of BMX.
Makes sense to me; gotta get your BMXercise.
I don't typically enter this things b/c i never finish in time. I work a lot of hours, i'm always tired, plus i tend to start new projects before i finish the current ones... but i wish i could claim it was all b/c of BMX.
Man... I'm chomping at the bit to jump in! But I've got the boys baseball right now and another build for a friend I'm doing. Literally "foaming" at the mouth cause I've got a really cool idea brewing in my head....
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Sorry, no disrespect, it was a joke in my mind. I based this on a northern, even in Scandinavia, philosophy or saying. "No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing". We didn't have good cloths, especially boots, in the 1940s and 50s. As a child my mother used to throw me outside in the winter when I got on her nerves. "Your driving me nuts, get outside". I hated that when it was below zero F. I would usually get involved with other kids and get distracted and my hands and feet would become numb. I would get horrible chilblains, especially in my hands and feet, warming up. Now a days my hands and feet get numb, to the point I can't shift or put on the brakes, like my fingers are made out of wood. I think I damaged my surface blood vessels and nerves when I was a kid as I can't feel the cold, I just seize up. I have built entire bikes in my unheated shop in the winter. You go out put on a bolt or test fit something, mark what needs to be filed etc, and then run inside for the warmth. Go out again in a half hour and repeat. I gave up on this two winters ago and take parts inside to work on and pile everything up behind furniture so it isn't so noticeable. This is my excuse for having such lame bike builds. It's freezing out right now with a stiff North Wind right off the ice laden Lake Superior shore. Here is my house right now.
well even though I don't participate and did once just for kicks I have to say I am kind of burned on the build offs their too close as much as I love this site and I do love it its my favorite pastime when I build a bike I'm never really actually "done" so the build offs are kind of too constricting to me and too close together maybe a time frame should be in order for other build offs where the big yearly rrrbbo can take control again but that's why I rarely participate in them is simply because I never quite finish or decide I hate something and then start over that and i don't like rules when i build but that has nothing to do with why I don't participate i understand rules are needed but I am against rules and like to play by my own rules which simply are there is no rules just have fun and enjoy what you do in retrospect ( man tough word) love the site don't love the build offs so much but that is just my opinion
change of heart i decided to enter hopefully i start a trend and get some more regs there
us56456712 you sound like another "old" guy! Like ME!
heartlandcruisers, join in! The only thing it says in the rules is be "nice". I'll tell ya what, you join, I'll vote for ya. Even if it's a kid's tricycle with one back wheel missing (sounds like something I'd build).
heartlandcruisers, join in! The only thing it says in the rules is be "nice". I'll tell ya what, you join, I'll vote for ya. Even if it's a kid's tricycle with one back wheel missing (sounds like something I'd build).
Uh oh! we posted at the same time. You were slightly quicker......I'm taking my vote back.
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well i did build some hot rod tricycles but their not worthy of riding just did a basic flip of the frame and added some solid rear wheels on them i got something in the buildoff though
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Problem is I am crotchety and not too nice. I could be worse.
Not sure I count as a regular (as I have only competed in one build so far) but:
1) I am in a very low-income bracket, and honestly can't afford to tinker the way i'd like. If I need parts it is easier to find cheap rusted frames at the local thrift store-custom anything is out of the question so I use what I have.
2) Transport-my lovely old 1993 Ford Festiva died this January of what the mechanic calls"total systemic cascading electronics failure"-in other words, ZZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPP!!!!!!!
As much as i'd like to spend in excess of $3000.00 to restore a 325K+ car to "Ugly but Functional" status...I just can't. So i'm saving my pennies for a decent car and currently riding a 2013 Zenn-n R-50 scooter I picked up nearly new for $450.00. This severely impacts my ability to carry cargo-especially in NC which does not allow the use of trailers on scooters...once I build a bicycle trailer I will have a few options locally, but a Hatchback would be even better!
3) Time-I am currently employed in a sawmill in one of the dirtiest, hottest jobs I have ever had (in a career that includes metal bending, assembly line, powder and liquid paint etc).We are currently engaged in 45-50+ hour work weeks.
The only good news is that problems One and Two may eventually go away if I keep getting enough of problem Three.
This is also of course why I don't post as often...
Please keep up the Build-offs though, and on any schedule you prefer. I'll jump in when I can-and if you're between BO's when I get some parts and some time, i'll start building ANYWAY!
1) I am in a very low-income bracket, and honestly can't afford to tinker the way i'd like. If I need parts it is easier to find cheap rusted frames at the local thrift store-custom anything is out of the question so I use what I have.
2) Transport-my lovely old 1993 Ford Festiva died this January of what the mechanic calls"total systemic cascading electronics failure"-in other words, ZZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPP!!!!!!!
As much as i'd like to spend in excess of $3000.00 to restore a 325K+ car to "Ugly but Functional" status...I just can't. So i'm saving my pennies for a decent car and currently riding a 2013 Zenn-n R-50 scooter I picked up nearly new for $450.00. This severely impacts my ability to carry cargo-especially in NC which does not allow the use of trailers on scooters...once I build a bicycle trailer I will have a few options locally, but a Hatchback would be even better!3) Time-I am currently employed in a sawmill in one of the dirtiest, hottest jobs I have ever had (in a career that includes metal bending, assembly line, powder and liquid paint etc).We are currently engaged in 45-50+ hour work weeks.
The only good news is that problems One and Two may eventually go away if I keep getting enough of problem Three. This is also of course why I don't post as often...Please keep up the Build-offs though, and on any schedule you prefer. I'll jump in when I can-and if you're between BO's when I get some parts and some time, i'll start building ANYWAY!
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Not sure I count as a regular (as I have only competed in one build so far) but:
1) I am in a very low-income bracket, and honestly can't afford to tinker the way i'd like. If I need parts it is easier to find cheap rusted frames at the local thrift store-custom anything is out of the question so I use what I have.
2) Transport-my lovely old 1993 Ford Festiva died this January of what the mechanic calls"total systemic cascading electronics failure"-in other words, ZZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPP!!!!!!!
3) Time-I am currently employed in a sawmill in one of the dirtiest, hottest jobs I have ever had (in a career that includes metal bending, assembly line, powder and liquid paint etc).We are currently engaged in 45-50+ hour work weeks.
Please keep up the Build-offs though, and on any schedule you prefer. I'll jump in when I can-and if you're between BO's when I get some parts and some time, i'll start building ANYWAY!
I have a friend that has a bicycle with a basket and an old kids trailer. She lives in an area where there are a lot of retired people. They go away for the winter and she cleans out all their food and gives it to charity, with her bike. Everyone in town knows the weird lady that rides her bike with the trailer and her service dog in the basket. You can't miss her riding along. Every time a tree blows down in town they call her and she rides her bike and trailer over and cuts the trees up with hand saws and hand splits them and takes the firewood home. It takes awhile but she is persistent and keeps at it until all the trees are gone. I can't believe how much wood she has stockpiled. Any time there is a home or building to clean out she gets a call and pedals all of it away. She has a lot of contacts and donates a lot of it to charity. She is a bike nut and is always getting free bikes. Her current bike and trailer were found for free. She lives very frugally and takes her bath in the local lake, until it freezes. She says if you go in every day it isn't bad as you get use to the slow drop in temperature over the days. This would be too much for my system but then she is retired military. She is a wonderful person and gives away almost all of her retirement money as she doesn't need it with her lifestyle. Anyway, it seems like if you are into bikes for a few years they find you, you don't have to find them. I am currently in refusal mode as I have too many. About 2 weeks ago someone I know told me they had a bunch of bikes that were tossed out in the alley behind their house and I could have them. I said no. Then they told me that there was one at the bottom of the pile that I could not say no to and so I now have a 1959 Hawthorn twin tube. Be patient, let all your friends know you are into bikes and they will find you. They have always made a lot of bikes and there are still a lot around that show up pretty regularly. With luck you might even find an old kids trailer. Good luck getting a stock pile of free or cheap parts together for builds.
