Defiance - Aannnnnd it's done!
- Thread starter kingsting
- Start date
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Since the bike is now a rider, that's about all I've been dong with it. With the Fat Franks and Sturmey hubs, this thing is super smooth. And thanks to the fact that I went through the trouble of aligning everything and used a lot of new fork parts, it's super stable. It is also the first bike with a springer that I can ride no-handed. It feels great but still can use some more tweaks...
I changed out the KMC Z chain with a Shimano unit.
The Z chains are cheap, tough, and easy to work with but can run a little rough in certain gear combinations. Shimano chains can be a little temperamental and have a fiddly little pin to connect them but they run super quiet and help make the shifting extra crisp. This one made the bike feel even smoother...
I changed out the KMC Z chain with a Shimano unit.
The Z chains are cheap, tough, and easy to work with but can run a little rough in certain gear combinations. Shimano chains can be a little temperamental and have a fiddly little pin to connect them but they run super quiet and help make the shifting extra crisp. This one made the bike feel even smoother...
Cool Build! I love HotRod Jen's pin-striping. Looks great!
This is the part of the program where I add some little part to the build and complain about how difficult it was - Just to bump the thread back to the top... 
I bought two of these on eBay last week and they arrived over the weekend. Tiny five-spoke mags!
These are made for newer derailleurs and are 11 teeth. The older ones were 10. They are also narrower and would rub on the inside of the side plates. I used a little washer on each side and they ended up fitting fine. A dental pick was a big help at lining everything up. (Having small hands with 7 tiny fingers on each would have helped even more but I had to make due with my little fat sausage fingers...) Everything fits now and it shifts fine on the stand. I haven't ridden it yet to see if there are any other issues with the new pulleys. Next up is to get rid of the ugly white lettering on the freewheel.
The tough white ink was impervious to all the harsh chemicals I threw at it so I removed it with steel wool and some polishing compound.
I found a nicer headbadge that was hidden away in my stash...
Gave it a little shining up...
Still trying to take a good picture of the pinstriping. It was glowing under the fluorescents but some of that was lost in this pict...
Still more to come as I add to it...
I bought two of these on eBay last week and they arrived over the weekend. Tiny five-spoke mags!
These are made for newer derailleurs and are 11 teeth. The older ones were 10. They are also narrower and would rub on the inside of the side plates. I used a little washer on each side and they ended up fitting fine. A dental pick was a big help at lining everything up. (Having small hands with 7 tiny fingers on each would have helped even more but I had to make due with my little fat sausage fingers...) Everything fits now and it shifts fine on the stand. I haven't ridden it yet to see if there are any other issues with the new pulleys. Next up is to get rid of the ugly white lettering on the freewheel.
The tough white ink was impervious to all the harsh chemicals I threw at it so I removed it with steel wool and some polishing compound.
I found a nicer headbadge that was hidden away in my stash...
Gave it a little shining up...
Still trying to take a good picture of the pinstriping. It was glowing under the fluorescents but some of that was lost in this pict...
Still more to come as I add to it...
Super sharp looking bike.
Looks great!
DoubleL
Double L's Steel Crank'n Vintage Rustorations
Great posts...good information. My alignment tools consist of a hammer, torch, files, and some grunting.....looking forward to seeing more from you....thanks and good luck....ride safe!
Nice bike and the pinstriping is spot-on.
Rg
Rg
So, I've been pretty busy with other projects but found some time to ride the bike. I'm still picking up little things to make the build better and/or more practical.
I ride after work and get stuck out after dark from time to time. I had Knog Blinders on my last build-off bike and liked them so I picked up another one for this one. They're small, unobtrusive, easy to remove, and quite bright for their size.
I also had these way cool Vans grips. Love the pattern and color on them which matches their old school sneaker soles!
Unfortunately they looked absolutely terrible with the build. The color clashed with the creme tires - so back in the package they go until another project comes along where they will look better...
I ride after work and get stuck out after dark from time to time. I had Knog Blinders on my last build-off bike and liked them so I picked up another one for this one. They're small, unobtrusive, easy to remove, and quite bright for their size.
I also had these way cool Vans grips. Love the pattern and color on them which matches their old school sneaker soles!
Unfortunately they looked absolutely terrible with the build. The color clashed with the creme tires - so back in the package they go until another project comes along where they will look better...
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Once again, I find myself using the talents of others that I met on social media to improve the quality of my build. I went and ordered a set of Mr. Tick bars. They arrived last week!
They are a high quality product and he even made a custom width for me.
The next step was to get them to match the rest of the bike. Sand, scuff, acetone wash, spray clear coat, sand, buff, polish, decide I need another coat, spray clear coat, run out of clear coat, go get more, spray clear coat, sand, buff, polish...
All this to make it extra shiny so it's harder to photograph.
Next up is to put them on the bike. and get everything dialed in again...
I went and ordered a set of Mr. Tick bars. They arrived last week!
They are a high quality product and he even made a custom width for me.
The next step was to get them to match the rest of the bike. Sand, scuff, acetone wash, spray clear coat, sand, buff, polish, decide I need another coat, spray clear coat, run out of clear coat, go get more, spray clear coat, sand, buff, polish...
All this to make it extra shiny so it's harder to photograph.
Next up is to put them on the bike. and get everything dialed in again...
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Those vans grips look about as cool as they come, I guess you are right they are really for certain style bikes.So, I've been pretty busy with other projects but found some time to ride the bike. I'm still picking up little things to make the build better and/or more practical.
I ride after work and get stuck out after dark from time to time. I had Knog Blinders on my last build-off bike and liked them so I picked up another one for this one. They're small, unobtrusive, easy to remove, and quite bright for their size.
I also had these way cool Vans grips. Love the pattern and color on them which matches their old school sneaker soles!
Unfortunately they looked absolutely terrible with the build. The color clashed with the creme tires - so back in the package they go until another project comes along where they will look better...
Nice work on the bars.
Luke.
Luke.
The bike has been enjoying the attention and money being spent on shiny new goodies for it lately. The other night it decided to repay me the only way it knows how....
By breaking something...
The saddle was super nice except for a couple small stress cracks up by the nose. I guess they were a little worse than I originally thought. Whups...
I replaced it today with a B-66. It doesn't look as sleek as the B-72 but it did make the ride a little cushier.
By breaking something...
The saddle was super nice except for a couple small stress cracks up by the nose. I guess they were a little worse than I originally thought. Whups...
I replaced it today with a B-66. It doesn't look as sleek as the B-72 but it did make the ride a little cushier.
CCR
Mouth-Breather
Your Tick bars are sweet !!! Great looking bike to throw them on too !!! Bought a pair of ticks bars second hand, mine are insanely wide though for me as is, but I bet I could dent a garbage truck with them as I rode by if I wanted to.
Your Tick bars are sweet !!! Great looking bike to throw them on too !!! Bought a pair of ticks bars second hand, mine are insanely wide though for me as is, but I bet I could dent a garbage truck with them as I rode by if I wanted to.
I think he makes some that are 34"-36" wide. Mine are 30's that he cut down to 28". They still have the nickles brazed on the ends.
These things are about as bomb-proof as they come!
Here are a couple other things added along with the Tick bars...
I found another little skull style Blinder taillight.
I swapped out the brake levers again for an all silver set. I have the same ones on another build and they work great. After trying a lot of different grips, I ended up settling for an old school pair of clear slim ergo grips. Not my favorite of the bunch but the clear doesn't take away from the coloring of the bare metal.
I found another little skull style Blinder taillight.
I swapped out the brake levers again for an all silver set. I have the same ones on another build and they work great. After trying a lot of different grips, I ended up settling for an old school pair of clear slim ergo grips. Not my favorite of the bunch but the clear doesn't take away from the coloring of the bare metal.
Lets call this one complete!
The weather cooperated a little this evening so I decided to snap a few crude pix with my phone...
Yep! Back to my favorite fountain!
My yard and flowerbeds look like crap so I made a stop at the local college campus and borrowed theirs...
I'll get some better shots of the bike soon and add it to the completed bikes thread.
The weather cooperated a little this evening so I decided to snap a few crude pix with my phone...
Yep! Back to my favorite fountain!
My yard and flowerbeds look like crap so I made a stop at the local college campus and borrowed theirs...
I'll get some better shots of the bike soon and add it to the completed bikes thread.
Looks great! Good job, it's a shame the first seat broke, can something like that be repaired?
Rg
Rg
Thanks!
There are a couple guys out there that put new leather on these but it would be easier to just get another one. I'll probably leave the B-66 on it. I like the added spring action.
