First foray into bike building...

[RatFink328]

So this is the first bike that I have ever built. I found a Ross Adventurer frame in the trash a few months ago, and I decided that I wanted to make it into something cool. Initially, I had planned on simply stripping the bike of everything unnecessary (I love simplicity and am a minimalist at heart) and just focusing on making it look aesthetically clean. But at the same time, I was starting to notice bikes on campus more, and realizing that what I was going to build looked like basically every cookie-cutter hipster fixie bike around.

Long story short, I stumbled upon a picture of a 1920's Excelsior boardtrack bike, and I realized that that is what I wanted. Halfway through the build, I decided to give the bike a bit more of a rat influence.

So, I present my rat-ified boardtrack racer known as "Frame #001".

First cuts...

Bit more done. Just a mock-up.

Rest of the frame welded...

Bondo and bodywork...

Painted rims...

Finished!

As I said, most of the frame is from a Ross Adventurer. A few bits and pieces are from a Schwinn. It has a 3 speed Sturmey hub. The fender is Schwinn, as are the handlebars, the wheels, and the front sprocket. I mounted the shifter as close to a motorcycle style "suicide shifter" as I could get it. I feel like I shortened the seat tube a bit too much, so now my legs come up a bit far when I pedal. There are a few more mistakes, but overall im pretty happy with the way it turned out!

I still need to mount the front brake (the only brake), tighten up the fender, and find some nice white handgrips. And a nice bullet style headlight.

 

[gowjobs]

I am also just beginning my first real frame mods on a build, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Looks like if you had tilted the rear triangle forward a little, it would have dropped the crank in relation to the rear axle a bit, which could have allowed for a little more legroom, but would have reduced pedal clearance in the corners.

Oh yeah.... I LIKE THE BIKE!

 

[aka_locojoe]

Just when you think every possible frame design has been done...
Cool!

 

[screw_dup]

man! that thing is sexy!

 

[RatFink328]

I am also just beginning my first real frame mods on a build, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Looks like if you had tilted the rear triangle forward a little, it would have dropped the crank in relation to the rear axle a bit, which could have allowed for a little more legroom, but would have reduced pedal clearance in the corners.

Oh yeah.... I LIKE THE BIKE!

I agree with you on tilting the rear triangle forward a bit. It would have given me some more legroom. But I really wanted the back bottom tubes (chain stays?) to fall in line with the down tube. I like the way that the line flows more now. It sounds stupid to say it now, but I didnt even think about raising the crank height and dropping the seat making it a bit cramped to pedal. I also wish the tube head could have matched the angle of the seat tube, but it just wouldnt work. I cant remember why though...

man! that thing is sexy!

Thanks!

Just when you think every possible frame design has been done...
Cool!

Thanks! Ive seen some of the amazing bikes on here, and I was slightly worried that my aberration of a bike would either be laughed at, or flamed for not looking like some of the other bikes, or poked fun at for the amount of mistakes that I made. Glad you like it!

 

[mastronaut]

Very cool, nice job. Always think outside the box 8)

 

[Rat Rod]

Looks great!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

I would think it would ride better with a little more rake in the neck/forks. Its a cool build and the lines turned out really nice.

 

[stretch]

for a first its pretty good! now to hone your skills to do things like galtbaken can!

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Nicsh ! very o.g. frame design,but wat kind of schwinn did you cut up ? who cares it's goin to a good cause ,keep up the good work !

 

[RatFink328]

Nicsh ! very o.g. frame design,but wat kind of schwinn did you cut up ? who cares it's goin to a good cause ,keep up the good work !

No Schwinns were harmed in the making of this bike! I just stole the handlebars, the neck, the fender, and the wheels from a 1974 girls Schwinn.

for a first its pretty good! now to hone your skills to do things like galtbaken can!

Gah, I was just looking at some of his bikes. He does really amazing work!

I would think it would ride better with a little more rake in the neck/forks. Its a cool build and the lines turned out really nice.

I agree. My biggest regret about the frame is that I didnt take a bit more time and play around with the head tube more. More rake is certainly needed. It rides a bit wobbly at low speed. That might have also been the ice I was riding on...

 

[Rustinkerer]

This is one of those unique creations that at first, just looks all wrong. Then, after a minute or so, you say to yourself, actually, that's pretty neat! :mrgreen:

 

[deorman]

It's never too late to rake it out.

 

[stretch]

youve got a welder, now stretch it! :mrgreen: :wink:

 

[ratina]

Very cool and unique frame!

I agree, I would rake the headtube a bit

 

[Kuttnhack]

Really nice bike, I like what you have done with a not so cool bike to start and what a little brainstorming can come up with. I'm taking notes.

 

[RatFink328]

Its been a while, but I have finally completed the build of this bike!

I ended up just using a white athletic-like tape for my handgrips. I wanted something a bit different, and cloth seemed to work for the bike really well!

Since I went from the original 27" tires to 26" ones, I had to fabricate some sort of a bracket for the front brake to hang from. You cant see it very well, but I took a piece of hollow steel rod and welded two endplates on it. I then drilled holes in the tops of the end plates. The holes in the endplate line up with the original mounting point on the fork, and the hollow rod hangs down enough for the brake to mount to. Simple, but it works.

Thats it!

Im happy for it to be completed, and im excited to finish up my other build. (viewtopic.php?f=21&t=23755)

Ive ridden this bike on campus a few times, and ive actually had three people so far that want me to build them bikes!

 

[stretch]

hockey tape grips are awesome! :lol:

 

[Markm]

right on!!!
8) 8) 8)