J.C. Piggins

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

I had a chance on Thursday to stop by the bike co-op in Boulder with hopes of finding a stem to handle the big handlebar as the stems I had were kess than optimal. The Wald stem used for mock up was too small to fit the 22.2 needed. The other generic bmx stem would work but not sit as low as the Wald. Plus I would have had to trim 3/4" off the bottom to get the bar as low as possible. With the gusset underneath it was still less than desirable.

Thanks to my guardian angels I was able to find a good solution in a stem that will easily tame the big apes along with a Bendix 2 speed & 100mm cromo no rise stem.

Nice short quill stem next to generic bmx. It's more modern than I hoped but will be a solid mount with a unique look. Much better!

Yesterday I cut 2" off each end of the bar to fit (barely) through doors. Then polished them up along with the stem & mounted. Have to decide on red or white grips.

I also started working on making a bigger mess of the head badge. Didn't work out nearly as well as planned. Looks more like a bucket of smashed elbows.

I futzed with it last night & think it will be ok from about 10'-12' while squinting. Just need to tune the kickstand, replace rear tube with Schrader valve tube, choose grip color, nail on badge & go for a ride to get Glamor Shots for the Finished Thread. More later today!!

 

[user 35143]

That turned out amazing! Supersick plus.

 

[Palepainter]

I grabbed a few of those stems a week or so ago. They had several. Hard to beat the price.

 

[One-eyed Sailor]

Now THAT'S entertainment!

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

On Saturday I finished up the badge, decided to add a mirror, kickstand tuning & final adjustments before heading out for Glamor Shots for voting in the finished thread.

I've had a lot of fun building this one up! Nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary. Just a clean, simple pig bike to enjoy while honoring the kids that made the bike industry produce one of the most iconic American bike designs. Thanks for your comments and checking out my build!!

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

Thank you @The Renaissance Man & @Ulu for your kind comments in the Finished Bikes thread! I was going to reply & add some detail pics over there but those appear to be locked now.

A few close ups....

Tuned the kickstand to work better & follow the curve & tuck under the chainstay for better clearance, operation & aesthetics. Used a smaller clamp to move the kickstand to the bottom bracket. Works like a charm now!

How does a pinstripe on a rim get broken like this?

After a couple of days riding this pig, I am very impressed! I normally use new tires for my builds as I intend them to be ridden hard. Retaining the original Uniroyal Chain Tread 175 Nylon had me skeptical of it's performance but I was blown away with how this one performed! It's still in great shape, pliable & no cracking which is part of the reason it was retained. I didn't expect a 60+ year old Nylon tire to work so well. After 2 days of riding on a brick hard seat I can't wait for my rump to recover so I can ride it more! I'm enamored.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

So cool.
It's interesting to see how far off the factory black panel on the tank is from sided to side! That along with the swipe through the fresh pinstripe on the wheel tells me that the small things didn't get in the way of production.

FYI, the finished threads will be opened back up for posting as soon as the voting thread goes live.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

Thank you! I hadn't noticed those lines being off! From the wear on the right side of the tank from getting on & off the bike pulled everything to the left. There are a few things with this bike that show how manufacturers were starting to cut corners to boost the bottom line around 1960. Bottom of frame & inside fork didn't get much red color applied, file marks under paint, stamped stay bridges, lesser chrome on parts, etc. Still a solid, good looking bike.

I can see how a pinstripe would have a spot wiped off but for something to hit it while wet & leave the paint looking like an open gate is perplexing. Cool little detail though!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I can see how a pinstripe would have a spot wiped off but for something to hit it while wet & leave the paint looking like an open gate is perplexing. Cool little detail though!

I agree! It makes me think of the occasional Mexican terra cotta tiles with dog tracks. Just makes it that much more special and unique.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

I didn't know paw print tiles were a thing!! Dogs, like bicycles, are one of the best inventions EVER!! That's what got me into old bikes to begin with. I wanted a bike to put a basket for running errands & cruise a dog to the park & such. Happened to find 2 old bikes at an antique shop, one for a basket and another for just cruising to add to my mountain & road bike fleet.

Wellllllll, about 400 bikes now and no dog......Gotta do something about that ratio since I have the bike to build for the dog. Just need to make room for them both.

 

[Ulu]

. . .
Wellllllll, about 400 bikes now and no dog......

It’s amazing how these things in life work out sometimes. I only started out to build one, simple, 3-speed bicycle. A dozen bikes later I still haven’t done it.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

So many shiny objects, so little time.
My job has been a factor for a long time with little time for anything else. Shifting now toward more balance. Life is too short.

 

[DesmoDog]

I can see how a pinstripe would have a spot wiped off but for something to hit it while wet & leave the paint looking like an open gate is perplexing. Cool little detail though!

IMHO that isn't the result of something dragging across a fresh line. It may have been done by a machine or at least used some sort of jig to make it easier for a human and the start/stop point of the pinstripe wasn't dialed in quite right yet. First one after a long weekend maybe...

It’s amazing how these things in life work out sometimes. I only started out to build one, simple, 3-speed bicycle. A dozen bikes later I still haven’t done it.

That's pretty similar to my story too. I got back into bikes when a Typhoon frame dropped into my lap. That didn't get built like th ebike I had envisioned all these years I've thought about it, and the specific 3-speed I've also been thinking about isn't done either. I've only played around with about 4 bikes since then though, it could still happen. Maybe on the next build off. ;-)

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

I like the optimism!

I was planning to do all 3 categories this time & even pulled a couple of parts for the other 2 builds. Unfortunately, I didn't get off my rump & actually do anything. So rewarded myself with a brand new Off Road BMX bike after resisting it being on CL for a month.

Maybe I should have entered IT in the Off Road Build Off since I put it together & added custom valve caps......

Will have to plan for it next year!

 

[Ulu]

Well I bummed on the off road bike. Just not into dirt any more.

I had most of the parts for a third musclebike, but ran out of time. It’s nothing special, but it’s for my youngest granddaughter. I expect her to be peddling soon.

There were some real standouts in this round. Congrats to all you guys that worked late hours and early mornings, while still trying to work and make a living.