New to the forum- here's my Schwinn

mecha-paladin · Apr 13, 2011

Hi,
I've been reading the forum for along time but haven't joined until now. Here are a few pictures of one of my bikes. I've got a couple other bikes that I'll take pictures of soon.

This bike had a motor on it and a bad paint job when I bought it. It's a Schwinn Clear Creek which was probably bought at Target. I sanded the frame and left the paint on all the welds and joints, then I clear coated it. I added the handle bars, which were donated from a friend and then added the seat. Oh, and the tires too. They're Maxxis Hookwoorms and at 26"X2.5 they barely fit, but they worked after I cut the boots off the shocks. I also moved the shifter below the seat and took off the front derailer.

Thanks in advance for any comments, and thanks for all the great ideas I've gotten from this forum.

DonQui · Apr 13, 2011

welcome!!
Nice bike!

Fireproof · Apr 14, 2011

Hello and welcome from California!

Nice bike! It looks little in the pictures but it must actually be the MTB geometry that makes it look short (26x2.5) . . . I like the bare metal kinda look.

mecha-paladin · Apr 14, 2011

Thanks for the comments.
The bike does look small, but I don't have a problem riding it and I'm 6'2". That being said, I did have a hard time riding it with a cruiser seat before I got the banana seat. The gooseneck is adjustable which helps. The bike didn't have a seatpost when I bought it and the one I'm using now can't be moved up or down. Mostly I was just trying to get this thing together and riding without putting any money into it. It ended up a little ratty. Glad you like it though. I'm sure that I'll be changing it up as time goes by...

mecha-paladin · Apr 14, 2011

A little bit more about myself

I suppose I should tell everyone a little about myself. I live on the northern California coast in the land of the redwoods. I'm in my late 20's and I spend most of my time riding bikes and fixing them up. I just got a job today, so I'll have a little less time for projects, but a little more of a budget. Otherwise, I try to go camping and hiking as much as I can, and I enjoy mining turquoise and turning it into jewelry. I've been lurking around this forum for about six months. My reasons for starting a membership are to have access to the for sale items here, and to document my builds.

I've got a couple other bikes that I'll post pictures of. Not all of them are rat rods though.
1. Diamondback beach cruiser- Probably from the mid 90's and in rough shape but it rides great. I haven't changed it at all yet but this bike will probably be next.
2. 1960's Schwinn Fairlady- This bike is a lowrider with 20" wheels. It has the classic color scheme of red rims, whitewall tires, and flat black paint. It gets a lot of looks.
3. SE Lager- This is a fixed gear/single speed bike. Not a rat but it has a neat woodgrain paint job that might interest some readers.
4. Trek 7.2 FX- The workhorse of the stable, but not a rat. I'll take some pictures of the 40 year old Brooks Saddle I have on it though.
5. Worksman Trike- This trike is ancient and so rusted that it looks like it is turning back into stone. Looks great and still rides. I could use some help identifying it, so I'll take some pictures for sure.

There's also a bike library in town here with a lot of old bikes and parts that I'll show you guys and gals.

Pictures soon...