(MBBO Class 2) Muscle Basket Case

[Jamie825]

My LBS's (I have 2) both really like my bikes, but they are nothing they're familiar with. The mechanics are young, so have no experience with the old stuff. The opposite is also true. While in there buying a cable or housing or something, and discussing old stuff, they show me the new stuff on the $6,000 race bikes and $4,000 Mountain Bikes. It's incredible where the level of technology has gone since I stopped riding mountain bikes in the 90's.
To me, the old stuff is simplistic, yet challenging (rebuilt my first SA internal 3 speed recently). But bikes are bikes, and they're all good.
As far as shopping for actual parts at an LBS... I ask if they have an "old parts bin" I can rummage through. I've gotten a couple good pieces from them that way. Outside of that, RRB "For Sale" and Ebay.

Oh... and I buy entire bikes just to get one part, which leaves me with lots of extras. :banghead:

Yeah I almost bought a Raleigh mountain bike today for $30 it had a thread less fork it had the shimano thumb shifters that has the two levers one for upshift and one for down that will skip a couple if you want it had two of them 1-3 and 1-7 and many more good items only had a flat and chain was run off but had no way to bring it home but if done over would have tied to top of car

 

[GuitarlCarl]

^ that was some slap shifter parts there man...

Carl

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I have to drive for 2 hours each way to get to the closest bike shop that stocks Muscle Bike parts, even then they are only open on Saturday or by appointment during the week, and they only stock new "Lowrider" stuff anyway...

Ebay, the local scrap yard or shops at the dump if they have them are your friends!
Or of course if you are in the USA, the RRB for sale section... (Or just pm Crash, he seems to have a lot of bits and pieces!)

Luke.

 

[Jamie825]

^ that was some slap shifter parts there man...

Carl

Exactly I was thinking about you and your slap shift plan when I was looking at it. I would like to see someone use front and back gears and two shifters like that you could line the shifters up to look just like a linko lencko ?? However it's spelled is that what you had planned ?

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Exactly I was thinking about you and your slap shift plan when I was looking at it. I would like to see someone use front and back gears and two shifters like that you could line the shifters up to look just like a linko lencko ?? However it's spelled is that what you had planned ?

No just the one click shifter...
I'm still looking around for the perfect shifter arm/handle...

Carl.

 

[Jamie825]

No just the one click shifter...
I'm still looking around for the perfect shifter arm/handle...

Carl.

I have two handles from a external hydraulic valve for a tractor I'm thinking of trying to use they are aluminum might be something for you to look into they are good looking handles

 

[Jamie825]

I made a laid back seat post today and did some work on my bars they are pretty tight now but still move if you have to pull on them hard I might tack them in place before it's over also put a chain on and went for a short ride it rides better than I thought it would still got the 16 on it's growing on me but I have no fender for it but it is not wanting to rare up now I hope it does that good when I put the 20 back on I'm gonna have to do some work on my chain stays when I put the derailer on


Added a pic with the 20" up front wanted to compare them together please chime in and let me know which y'all like best I wraped my sissy bar up I don't need anymore scratches it fell over last night

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Starting to look like a Muscle Bike!

Luke.

 

[Jamie825]

Haven't had any updates to post been waiting on my slick and giving the Basket Case a rest and fixed a couple riders and had a couple mechanic jobs show up hopefully my tire will be here soon!

 

[Jamie825]

It's been a while since an update so here goes . I am not able to get the Jerald tire now so I ordered some white wall beach nobbies for now still hoping for a Jerald later . I M having a hard time with the white and black color plans mostly because I hate to not have any chrome but biggest reason for not having chrome is my handlebars aren't and my wheels are not chrome . The springer , sissy and spoke protector is chrome don't think that would look right leaving them that way I would almost use silver or grey paint on the things that is chrome and other things that normally are ? Just don't know what to do ?

 

[Jamie825]

Gonna start on installing a derailer and shifter next this will be my first so wish me luck

 

[GuitarlCarl]

The ALiEN also has a mix of black and chrome. But I don't think of the black as part or the color scheme. Some chrome is cool, right now all I have is the crank and the bars in chrome. Your bike will be fine, you may well later find some more chrome or black to swap in.



Carl.

 

[Jamie825]

Yeah I am thinking of finding some new apes I just hate to not use the ones I made for it oh well just use them on something else thought about trying to polish them but that would be a big chore .

 

[Jamie825]

Can anyone tell me a good starting point on how long a chain should be when setting up a derailer just a general idea I know it would probably be different for various derailers ? Or a link to a how to

 

[Bluemustang21]

I prefer the 20" I think. The 16 is a bit more extreme, but the 20 feels right

 

[Jamie825]

Well that wasn't so bad got my derailer on and working now I need to figure out what to do for a shifter I have a thumb shifter or friction ? With a handle mounted yo it but that is exactly what it looks like then I have this other thing ? I believe it is some kind of throttle control it looks cool but don't know where to mount it thought about putting it next to the seat post like in the pic ?

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Just spitballin' here but...
Looks like you need about 6 more inches on yer' chain...
IF its in first gear in that last pic.
(or do I have that backwards?)
Put that big knobber ON that throttle linkage.
The seat post mount is cool.
POLISH them bars with a wire wheel in an angle grinder first ....
won't take no time and will look cool.
or do your own thang! lol

Carl.

 

[Jamie825]

It shifts pretty well don't know which is considered high or low but when I guessed at chain length I put it on the big cog and guessed at length seems like if it was any longer they was slack but was not sure about it if I have any problems I'll try a few more links kind of hate to modify the throttle may use it on my rat truck for something one day gonna try and find a shifter for it.

 

[Chad T]

Can anyone tell me a good starting point on how long a chain should be when setting up a derailer just a general idea I know it would probably be different for various derailers ? Or a link to a how to

Looks like you already got it but for future reference the instructions for the sram chain I put on my bike said to put the chain on the 2 largest chain rings and ad 2 links. I ended up adding another 2 links to mine but I had moved the wheel back some.

I like the 20 inch front wheel. Makes the bike look a little longer.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

It shifts pretty well don't know which is considered high or low but when I guessed at chain length I put it on the big cog and guessed at length seems like if it was any longer they was slack but was not sure about it if I have any problems I'll try a few more links kind of hate to modify the throttle may use it on my rat truck for something one day gonna try and find a shifter for it.

Well bro if it's shifting then you must have got it...
That brass throttle is cool, at second look you're right don't mod it.
If you're not going to polish the bars, you will at least need to strip them for paint. You may be surprised how good they look bar metal...

Carl.