Muscle Spasm

[GuitarlCarl]

Can a fat tire burrito squeeze through the cracks and compete in a muscle bike build off?

Maybe... here is the starting point

A link to the build thread HERE

26 x 4 rear tread - 24 x 2.125 front tread
chrome front springer and custom butterfly apes
7 speed Suntour dérailleur & reconfigured "rear" steering
rear disc brake - incomplete with 24 hrs to go...

Is it a muscle bike? Maybe, meets the two out of three rules and it's quick, indoors at least, the weather hasn't been exactly cooperative. So I give you my latest rat, MUSCLE SPASM.

Carl.

 

[ParkRNDL]

man, that is WILD. love it.

 

[OddJob]

Can't wait to see you folded up in this muscly burrito and pedaling down the street under the hot summer sun.

Until then, I'll take a Fellowship Hall shot with great lighting and temps in the '60s (indoors).

 

[GuitarlCarl]

man, that is WILD. love it.

Thank you, it's been a labor of love.
I've been reimagining this bike for a while.

Can't wait to see you folded up in this muscly burrito and pedaling down the street under the hot summer sun.
Until then, I'll take a Fellowship Hall shot with great lighting and temps in the '60s (indoors).

Ah, but not folded up. It rides very much like a recumbent. I have a set of dimensions I use, discovered while building Harlequin, that provide a comfortable ride for me at 6' tall. 30" center of the BB to the seat top, lets me pedal easily without hyper bending my old knees. That's why I like riding Harlequin so much but it's a single speed. Muscle Spasm will leave single speed cruisers in the dust (I'm actually looking into a larger front sprocket too) While we're at it, realize I never quit tweaking my bikes. By the summer I expect a orange flake paintjob to appear (my painter buddy is offering to do it for a Monark sprocket I have) I'm also eyeballing a chrome landing gear fork I have. So note, my voting photo is just a fixed point in time, all my builds keep evolving...

Carl.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

You got it done!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

You got it done!

It's a roller and she goes good. No brake caliper bracket yet... I'm working on it. But the rules don't say anything about being able to stop. [emoji2957]

Sent from the edge of an alternate universe...

 

[OddJob]

I meant 'folded up' like the filling in a burrito. The ingredients. It was a simile. Like 'smile' with an extra ' i '.

But hey, had we stopped at that, I never would have got all the 'inside' scoop on the dimensions / future plans / etc.

And I still want to see that photo when the big ring, landing fork, and very muscly orange flake paint job! RaT oN , brutha!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

All good bro.
As my commentary was more about comfort than defending any imaginary honor

Sent from the edge of an alternate universe...

 

[ParkRNDL]

All good bro.
As my commentary was more about comfort than defending any imaginary honor

Sent from the edge of an alternate universe...

WOW. The pic with a rider on it changes the whole perspective. Looks like an amazing ride, like a totally different experience. Now I want to try one. What's it like to ride a burrito? Easier/harder/different to balance? Based on my limited experience riding the Twinn I picked up a couple summers ago, I assume the long wheelbase means you have to plan turns waaaaaay in advance.

 

[furyus]

WOW. The pic with a rider on it changes the whole perspective. Looks like an amazing ride, like a totally different experience. Now I want to try one. What's it like to ride a burrito? Easier/harder/different to balance? Based on my limited experience riding the Twinn I picked up a couple summers ago, I assume the long wheelbase means you have to plan turns waaaaaay in advance.

This exactly, and exactly what I thought. I could not for the life of me figure out your (GC) obsession with “burrito” bikes, though I do much admire your plain ol’ flat out hard-headed stubbornness on making this bike happen. And while Selector is dancing around calling it “perspective,” I’ll just come right out and say it - you’re one handsome devil, Guitar.

furyus

 

[GuitarlCarl]

WOW. The pic with a rider on it changes the whole perspective. Looks like an amazing ride, like a totally different experience. Now I want to try one. What's it like to ride a burrito? Easier/harder/different to balance? Based on my limited experience riding the Twinn I picked up a couple summers ago, I assume the long wheelbase means you have to plan turns waaaaaay in advance.

The ride is very much like a recumbent.
The steering depends on the rake of the fork.
But yes it has a larger radius turning.

This exactly, and exactly what I thought. I could not for the life of me figure out your (GC) obsession with “burrito” bikes, though I do much admire your plain ol’ flat out hard-headed stubbornness on making this bike happen. And while Selector is dancing around calling it “perspective,” I’ll just come right out and say it - you’re one handsome devil, Guitar.

furyus

Haha! Thanks bro. The burrito just fits me, although I have many bikes that aren't, the most comfortable ones are at least stretched.

Carl.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Oh and... Technically Muscle Spasm isn't a classic burrito either. The California guys say the frame cannot be higher than the tops of the wheels. To get that going on you really have top something with the rake and the fork. An extreme KOTA bend gets you there and then it steers like a snake. I did it with Harlequin during it's build and I couldn't safely control it with the chain steering. Probably with practice but the fork was sketchy anyway so I swapped it out for whats on there now and put a 20" on the front to keep it all low. Here I went with a decent rake and it has a bit of sketchiness at low speed. There's infinitely more that can be done on it. the kick stand barely clears so it will be relocated. I may ditch the springer fork too. I have a nice landing gear style fork in chrome that would look sweet and it's too modern for any classic cruiser I build on the horizon (BO#14) classic burritos shun paintjobs too and this tandem conversion may just end up with some speedboat style flake on it, if I can iron out the kinks and get it bullet proof. I'm happy with it as it crossed the finish line with a fixed point in time photo... But I'll be tweaking it as I wait for the next buildoff, and beyond.

Carl.

 

[Glen]

I saw this on the FB page and thought of you…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratrodbikes/permalink/2184952588423742/

Glen.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I saw this on the FB page and thought of you…


View attachment 89813

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratrodbikes/permalink/2184952588423742/

Glen.

Those early Colson tandems were the inspiration behind the rear steer I've used on first Harlequin, and now Muscle Spasm. If anyone is interested my friend Pookie is selling one of these tandems over on the "For Sale" forum.

Carl.

 

[tjwilson]

Love it Carl! Looks great and like a lot of fun to ride.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Love it Carl! Looks great and like a lot of fun to ride.

Thanks, it means a lot to me when pro fabricators appreciate what I've done with a cutoff wheel and a harbor freight splatterbox. It's still evolving, I think we have 2 months till the Big Build Off, so I've got the time.

Carl.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Unofficial fourth in class two! It IS a muscle bike. WOOHOO!

Sent from the edge of an alternate universe...

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

The more I look at it ,the more I like it , good building !