Started today by working on the bars, decided to cut and reweld the mini apes with less pullback, that would also get the width out similar to the BMX bars for extra stability.
Here they are cut, moved and sleeved but not yet welded placed over the BMX bars:
Tacked and on the bike:
Test sitting on the bike and looking at them fitted, I decided I did not like the way the bars curved down to the ends, it made the bike look sad and I also thought the bars might be even more comfortable slightly higher, so I cut up yet another pair of BMX bars and used the bar ends off them to extend the original mini apes into mid size apes but with a narrow centre for knee clearance... These are the bars this bike needed:
Took it for a ride and it is so comfortable and much easier to control now!
That ride highlighted the need for brakes though, almost got myself into trouble by going way too fast and not being able to pull up!
So... On to the brake!
Fitted up the 203mm/8" disc and worked out where the calliper would mount best, turned out the angle of the seat stay was almost perfect!
I bolted a mount on and cable tied the brake closed tight to the disc and was ready to tack the mount on:
Weld, weld, weld and this is the result after refitting the calliper and wheel:
A functioning brake! And it works really well!
Last thing I did was to bend the chain stay down slightly on the drive side to give more clearance to the chain, it was occasionally bouncing just enough that it would mess up the paint when it was done, a couple of chocks of wood and a tap or two and now it has 1/4" of clearance:
That is it for today, I took it for a good ride, it is rather nice to ride now, happy to go fast and I can actually brake too!
Luke.
Here they are cut, moved and sleeved but not yet welded placed over the BMX bars:
Tacked and on the bike:
Test sitting on the bike and looking at them fitted, I decided I did not like the way the bars curved down to the ends, it made the bike look sad and I also thought the bars might be even more comfortable slightly higher, so I cut up yet another pair of BMX bars and used the bar ends off them to extend the original mini apes into mid size apes but with a narrow centre for knee clearance... These are the bars this bike needed:
Took it for a ride and it is so comfortable and much easier to control now!
That ride highlighted the need for brakes though, almost got myself into trouble by going way too fast and not being able to pull up!
So... On to the brake!
Fitted up the 203mm/8" disc and worked out where the calliper would mount best, turned out the angle of the seat stay was almost perfect!
I bolted a mount on and cable tied the brake closed tight to the disc and was ready to tack the mount on:
Weld, weld, weld and this is the result after refitting the calliper and wheel:
A functioning brake! And it works really well!
Last thing I did was to bend the chain stay down slightly on the drive side to give more clearance to the chain, it was occasionally bouncing just enough that it would mess up the paint when it was done, a couple of chocks of wood and a tap or two and now it has 1/4" of clearance:
That is it for today, I took it for a good ride, it is rather nice to ride now, happy to go fast and I can actually brake too!
Luke.
You really made progress today. And your paint idea sounds exciting. This "flake gun" how is that different from a regular paint gun? Not that I even know what a regular paint gun, says Mr Rattle Can.....
Would be awesome if you could though!
