Clunker / Rat rod
- Thread starter Wingman
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
In my humble opinion...
A Klunker is a tribute bike celebrating the origins of mountainbiking and the crazed people involved in the creation of the sport. Some bikes are built with period correct parts while others are built with updated, modern equipment. Almost all are built upon the sturdy prewar balloon tire bike frames that were so prevalent in the 70s and sought after today. They can go anywhere and do anything that the modern bikes can do but do it so much cooler.
Rat Rod bikes are different, in every aspect. Often they reflect the artistic side, the mechanical side, the historical side and sometimes the cartoonish side. They are inspired by the past, by music, by popular trends and by passion. Think Happy Days meets Suicidal Tendencies.
So take your Klunker, paint it flat black, pin stripe it and call it a Rat, or take your favorite cruiser, bolt some aluminum rims and knobbies on it and call it a Klunker and hit the trail...whatever...titles are for followers, I think I will just go for a ride on one of my old bikes...
A Klunker is a tribute bike celebrating the origins of mountainbiking and the crazed people involved in the creation of the sport. Some bikes are built with period correct parts while others are built with updated, modern equipment. Almost all are built upon the sturdy prewar balloon tire bike frames that were so prevalent in the 70s and sought after today. They can go anywhere and do anything that the modern bikes can do but do it so much cooler.
Rat Rod bikes are different, in every aspect. Often they reflect the artistic side, the mechanical side, the historical side and sometimes the cartoonish side. They are inspired by the past, by music, by popular trends and by passion. Think Happy Days meets Suicidal Tendencies.
So take your Klunker, paint it flat black, pin stripe it and call it a Rat, or take your favorite cruiser, bolt some aluminum rims and knobbies on it and call it a Klunker and hit the trail...whatever...titles are for followers, I think I will just go for a ride on one of my old bikes...
good form lad, good form!
fast eddie outty
im only pretending to be a poser
fast eddie outty
im only pretending to be a poser
12bcruzin said:
testify!!
As much as I like my old iron, I'll give you the cooler part, but the pre-war frames really aren't up to the same abuse you could give a modern mtb. That was one of the main reasons for Fisher, Breeze, Ritchey etc going off and making bikes specifically engineered for mtb'ing as they broke alot of frames back in the day.
Parts built to take"abuse"were not readily available either back then. Hence the name on the steepest downgrade on Mt. Tamalpais "Re-pack ridge". Stock hubs with coaster style brakes were common on larger diameter wheels but would over heat quickly and "smoke" or fail!Most available calipers were too whimpy. Not to mention w/o proper gearing you would have to walk your bike up the hill most of the way as well. Twinn deluxe rear drum brake hubs were a popular choice early on as they were made to accept large diameter spokes and a 5 cog cassette,throw in the fact that it was a drum brake and BINGO! Its all good! I have to admit, when I first looked at this post my opinion was that the two are very closely related.My take on a rat is, using what you have to create the best possible ride to suit your own sense of style and function.I see elements of this in both actually! :mrgreen: Later & PEACE!!!
A Klunker is an attempt to make a mountain bike from a cruiser frame, with parts available before mountain bikes existed. It's a pre-MTB/BMX era dirt bike. A Ratrod may be more street oriented, allowing slick tires and other hotrod oriented features. The best thing is that there is no specific formula for either, allowing you plenty of latitude for your own creative ideas.
