ORBO Let's Go Ride Bikes

[metalchewy]

This first Schwinn my parents got me. The bike and I went through a lot together. The few dings on it and lack of decals all have a story.

Being hard on things, my 83 Predator saw a lot of hard riding, things broke that could, the Front reflector was broke off within a month. The clear chain guard came off after the first ride and went into a box, never to be found again( as of yet).

The pedals came apart within 6 months. Brake shoes have been replaced twice. Original pads are faded, but around here somewhere as well.

Stitches in the chin, back of the leg, and more bruises, abrasions, gravel in the elbows and such than can be counted. Get up, brush it off and do it again till it was got.

It's jumped off picnic tables, the run.through the trails we made in town gravel pits and a few alphalpha fields, canal riding, creek riding, mountain trail riding, jumped into the lake, jumped over neighborhood kids, cinderblocks, and anything else we could find.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Words. Lots and lots of words. Words everywhere

Tldr. Summed up as follows:

Subscribed for the love story

 

[Pondo]

Great bike and great story! It's awesome that you still have it after all this time. Love it!!

 

[metalchewy]

Tldr. Summed up as follows:

Subscribed for the love story

Yup, this is one of my first loves. Hehehe.

Great bike and great story! It's awesome that you still have it after all this time. Love it!!

It was stored at my folks place for a number of years. Dad brought it to the house, after we moved here. My son rode it back and forth to school for a few years, he outgrew the torker stallion he got when he was 5.

 

[metalchewy]

Been collecting parts for little while. Still need a few more details.

 

[OddJob]

Cool back story and build inspiration!

 

[metalchewy]

Half way thru the wheels. Tore them down for regrease, and wanted to take care of the fade that they've done over time.

Plenty of good grease in there but what's to hurt with a scrub down and new grease.

When wet, they look close to what they looked new.

Scrubbed , cleaned and dried.

Enter WD40. Doesnt.work to release stuck on bolts, but when wiped on the old resin mags...

Will wipe the rest of the excess off tomorrow when I put them back together.

 

[metalchewy]

In the little mountain farming town I grew up in there were 9 guys my age. 3 of us had red accented chromoly bikes.

John had a Diamondback( replaced his Mag Scrambler), Dwaine had a mongoose (Replaced his Free Spirit BMX), and I had the Predator ( Replaced my 77 Silver with Gold Team Murray ).

Funny thing is. Living in the rockies, there are rocks that don't give. All three bikes ended up with these pedals on them within a year. The stock pedals just couldn't take it.

One of my yardasale wrecks that left a mark on the frame gusset, was in a downhill when I hit one of these Hsing Ta's on a boulder half way down the hill. I had a bit of gravel in my elbow, but the bike ended up on a rock which dinged the gusset right in the middle.

Planning to overlay these pedals with clear red after the rain stops. Disassembly was a bear. Over torqued and rusted. Took sea foam a lot of muscle and a bit of knuckle blood to get removed.

Shouldda wore my red gloves...

 

[metalchewy]

Not going todo much with the stem. SR MS-422. Will clean up the corrosion on the quill bolt, but just shine up the rest.

Will clear red the alloy seat post clamp that was red, bit faded to pink over the last 40 years.

The Sugino "CHAINWHEEL" as they called will be taken apart and cleaned, but like the neck, not planning to try much more with it.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

like the neck, not planning to try much more with it.

Lol young chewy put in the necessary work long ago. Great patina.

 

[metalchewy]

Lol young chewy put in the necessary work long ago. Great patina.

With so little paint on the bike, I always used chrome polish on everything including the chain. I used to polish it up at least once a month.

The bike saw creek and canal riding often. After spring runoff the canal usually had about 2-6 inches of water in it all summer. Was a nice way to cool down. Lots of snow riding as well with ropes tied into mags for traction.

 

[metalchewy]

I've been soaking the seat tube since last weekend. It was stuck in the frame.

After work today, with the help of more sea foam penetrant, a heat gun and a BFW, I was able to break it loose and remove it from the frame.

Seat tube is bowed a bit.

The Viscount Aero seat has been broken for a lot of years. I broke the back of it with my rear, after going of a jump in the gravel pits and losing my pedals mid air. Came down on the seat hard enough to break it. It was in the padded seat cover I had on it at the time.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I broke the back of it with my rear, after going of a jump in the gravel pits and losing my pedals mid air.

This thread is fantastic. I had some of my first hard riding experiences in gravel pits and rock quarries, riding a beast similar to this

Thanks for bringin it all back

 

[metalchewy]

This thread is fantastic. I had some of my first hard riding experiences in gravel pits and rock quarries, riding a beast similar to this
View attachment 258549
Thanks for bringin it all back

You're welcome Matti. Rally cool you had pits around you as well that you could get into.

That's a cool looking CCM. Those rear shocks on the back would be great to javelin had on a number of trails.

 

[metalchewy]

Pulled this out of the drawer last night.

Lots of pages not shown

 

[metalchewy]

Changed the thread name to something we used to say, every day of the week in the summer. And most days the rest of the year.

Still say it at least once a month to my best friend from growing up, who lives in town also.

"Let's Go Ride Bikes"

 

[metalchewy]

Picked up these Cinema Williams BMX tires last summer. 2.5's

Have to say, after the original tires wore out, these are the next best fit of the 7 or 8 sets of tires that have been on thes mags

Matches the color as well.

 

[metalchewy]

Did a fair amount of cleaning of old hard grease, oil and grime off and then an alcohol rub down to wipe any residue off.

More parts yet to clean.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

 

[metalchewy]

More cleaning. Small parts are ready for install.

A little saaembly.

I forget how smooth these red stones spin with new grease and proper adjustment.