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JA331

Ride it like you stole it.
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I have always wanted to build a bike in the style of the klunker bikes ridden by the pioneers of mountain biking. In 2021 I bought this 1936 Schwinn built B.F.G. Goodrich frame from an ebay seller and it arrived in Australia damaged. Ebay refunded me in total for the frame and shipping and I lost interest in the project. This build off got me motivated to do something positive with it and I'm so glad I did. I named it the Freeliner, a combination of getting it for free and the Streamliner model name.

I was always in awe of the guys who raced these bikes back in the day and now even more after a short ride on the dirt yesterday.


1936 Schwinn frame
  • Giant Rincon chromoly fork
  • Electra Attitude handlebar
  • SR Stem
  • Changstar cantilever front brake assembly and levers
  • Shimano SIS shifter and derailleurs
  • 3 x 1 gearing
  • Sakae cranks with YST sealed bearing bottom bracket kit
  • Araya rims
  • Joytech front hub with chromoly axle
  • Maxxis DTH tires
  • Sturmey Archer drum brake rear hub
  • ACS Crossfire 18t freewheel
  • Viva leather saddle
  • Atom solid alloy seat post
  • Kalloy quick release seat post binder
  • Deity super cush grips
  • VP pedals



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As I assembled it in 2021 shortly after I got it for a test fit and ride. Being over 6ft I could barely ride it like this.

https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/freeliner-with-3-x-1-gearing-is-go.116646/page-6#post-1240350
 
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JA you krushed this klunker build! So well done.
 
Cool mix of old and new. This looks great!
 
Thanks Ulu. Most of the parts were pulled from a couple of early 80’s mountain bikes. Only last week I got another barely used 80’s bike which I pulled an almost mint set of Araya 7X rims, very early Dia-compe cantilever brakes and Polygon levers.

With regard to the fork, I would have preferred a straight blade chromoly BMX fork but they are impossible to find in Australia. The Giant fork was off an old Rincon I bought for $20 and is chromoly with very solid dropouts and cantilever brake mounts.

Once again thanks for looking.



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Those forks are plenty sturdy which is why everybody uses them, plus they are cheap to make. It’s just not my favorite style, that’s all.

I haven’t been a dirt rider since I was a kid and I don’t own a bike with dirt tires. Modern off-road bicycles all came about while I was interested in other things. By the time BMX became a thing in California I was 35, building stingray clones for my kids.
 
The Rincon fork is quite unique. It is chromoly and has very solid forged dropouts welded into a slot in the middle of the fork. I’m not sure if you are confusing it with one that looks similar with the thin steel dropouts typically found on a lot of newer cruisers. That fork i don’t particularly like.

The Rincon fork before i painted it.

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Typical inexpensive cruiser fork below like the fork originally fitted to my heavy duti.
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Please be happy. I voted for your bike. That’s about my favorite style of Schwinn frame ever. Every bike has something I don’t like. Mine included. They all could stand improvement.
 

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