ORBO "Plan 9 from Outer Space"

[us56456712]

It's called "Plan 9 From Outer Space" as a tribute bike to the worst movie ever made. It is about my 9th plan for this build off so what the hay. Originally I wanted to build a hybrid klunker using this stuff.

Frame parts to weld up into a custom frame.


Rear drum brake, grips, freewheel, chain ring, friction thumb shifters, Araya rims, old alloy cranks, pedals etc.

Ultra lite Tange Cromo fork and cobbled together from here and there bits MAFAC cantilever brakes.


Now I have to have my shoulder operated on Jan. 11 so the new plan is to replace my winter mountain bike with a new one. My old one from last year got rusted shutt. It is the red one at the bottom of this junk pile.


I made a commitment to do a ORBO build so it will have to be a few days build using all this stuff to make a winter bike with studded tires. I can't make anything elaborate with one arm and I want to use it before the surgery.


If I am up to it I will work on the hybrid during the Jan build off but I don't know how particle it is to measure rims and hubs and then build the wheel? If I could get all the parts polished and built I might have time to weld up a frame at the last minute if it is OK by April? Anyway, the winter mtb will most likely be my only effort.

I quit for the night. I need to find a seat post and a better rear wheel. I'll have to put the electronic micrometer in the frame to see if I can locate a post, its very large. I have a lot of wheels but I don't want to have to rebuild one. I have a straight one but it is a quick release and I bend that stuff in no time. I'll look tomorrow in my junk for a rear wheel with a solid axle. I plan to run a 24 tooth single chain wheel in the front with a derailleur to help hold the chain on. I have a 5 speed and a 6 speed rear freewheel, both with 32 tooth large sprockets. I can't gear any lower unless I buy something. This set up should be OK as I don't do any real heavy duty single track for the chain to bounce off. The snow makes it smoother.

 

[us56456712]

I was planning on going on our group 1 PM ride today but I am still messing at 2 PM with the rear wheel. All my rear wheels are quick release with bent axles except the one from my last winter's bike. Last winter's bike has a solid axle but the freewheel is rusted shut. The freewheel was so frozen on it two of us reefing on the wheel to remove it. The wheel is corroded but straight. It now has a 6 speed 14 - 32 cluster on it.

Old frozen up freewheel and replacement. I should be riding soon?

 

[metalchewy]

Good starting point.

Sorry to hear about your shoulder, hope it heals quickly

Building... riding...

 

[us56456712]

The tires with studs are mounted. The heavy duty tubes plus the extra split tube for a tire liner weigh more that a regular MTB tire. The spacing on the replacement rear wheel gave me fits but I finally got that solved with a variety of spacers. I still need to do fine tuning and adjustments. Hopefully it will be ready for test beating and more adjustments tomorrow. This build is taking way too long, waisting valuable seconds of my life. It will be good to get it out of the house as it is too cold to work for very long in my shop. Makes a mess in the house. Once the bike is finished I can remove the boxes of kindling the bike against. That should make others who share this space happier.

 

[us56456712]

My gearing on this winter trails bike will be a little high for our single tracks, 19.5 gear inches. The guys I ride with are pushing 16.1 or 17.7 gear inches. My Specialized I ride in the summer is 20.2 gear inches and is lighter than the Giant I am building here. I can't keep up on the steepest climbs with 20.2. I can't gear the Specialized any lower unless I make a custom cluster, and then I will loose my 11 tooth high gear. A 28 tooth narrow wide single chain wheel is the smallest that will fit my crank and that is offset so it can be that low. I haven't been able to find a 9 speed free hub with any larger cog than 36. 28 front by 11- 36 works pretty well on the Specialized, except for the steep hills and rock garden steps. The Specialized is a Frakenbike anyway with disc brakes replacing the V brakes, upgraded shocks front and rear and new rims with tubeless tires. I would like to put hydraulic discs on it. I built this bike because I could not find a modern MTN bike with 26 inch wheels. There are lots of problems encountered when trying to make a bike into something it wasn't intended to be. For me the Specialized is the best MTN bike I have ever ridden. Simple shifting without the ever problematic tripple chain wheels. In the future I think there will be more options in gearing available. I have heard that they are developing a 9 speed free hub with 40 or even 42 teeth. If a 40 tooth free hub doesn't materialize by next summer I will get a new 10 speed rear wheel, 10 speed free hub, shifter and rear derailleur.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Winter bike is looking good, love the sound of your hybrid, looking forward to seeing that build whenever it happens!

Hope you shoulder surgery goes well!

Luke.

 

[us56456712]

Winter bike is looking good, love the sound of your hybrid, looking forward to seeing that build whenever it happens!

Hope you shoulder surgery goes well!

Luke.

Thanks, only worry about the surgery for me is infection. If I make it past that it's good. Tomorrow morning I will take the winter bike out for a test. Around the block and if that pans out a short trail test.

 

[us56456712]

The Plan 9 bike is done. I'll be the first to admit it's not much of a build, more of a reassembly of an old Giant I had. I changed the wheels from quick release to solid axles and changed the gearing. Other than a new seat, pedals, crank, homemade studded tires and gooseneck it is original. It rides real nice but we got snow last night and might get 10 inches more today. Now there is way too much snow to ride on the trails without a fat bike. I missed the riding on the lightly snow covered trails with skinny tires by a few days. I did go out for two and a half hours today and that kind of exercise is all I am really after for the next 5 days. Then it is off for a rotator cuff repair and the bike will be dormant for a few months. I hate to ride these bikes in the salt and sand. It doesn't matter whether you ride it once or 100 times in the salt as either way everything steel or chrome plated will be pretty much ruined. This bike is a sacrifice to the elements.



Sunday morning "Church Ride" . Going by the church at the end of my block. Lots of ice under the snow on this hill.


Riding on the street.


Riding along Lake Superior>

 

[metalchewy]

Looks like a cold ride. I remember in the 80s riding my BmX in the cold and snow. Was always fun. But usually cold as well.

Now I see why you were mentioning the studs

Building... riding...

 

[The Renaissance Man]

The Plan 9 bike is done. I'll be the first to admit it's not much of a build, more of a reassembly of an old Giant I had. I changed the wheels from quick release to solid axles and changed the gearing. Other than a new seat, pedals, crank, homemade studded tires and gooseneck it is original. It rides real nice but we got snow last night and might get 10 inches more today. Now there is way too much snow to ride on the trails without a fat bike. I missed the riding on the lightly snow covered trails with skinny tires by a few days. I did go out for two and a half hours today and that kind of exercise is all I am really after for the next 5 days. Then it is off for a rotator cuff repair and the bike will be dormant for a few months. I hate to ride these bikes in the salt and sand. It doesn't matter whether you ride it once or 100 times in the salt as either way everything steel or chrome plated will be pretty much ruined. This bike is a sacrifice to the elements.



Sunday morning "Church Ride" . Going by the church at the end of my block. Lots of ice under the snow on this hill.


Riding on the street.


Riding along Lake Superior>

That was quick!
Good luck with your surgery.

 

[us56456712]

I have been riding the plan 9 bike daily. I rode it for about 2 miles on the frozen sand beach along L. Superior. That was really fun as there is very little shore ice because it has been so warm. I even rode it across a 3 foot wide small stream mouth right where it emptied into the Lake. The water was over my pedals but I had on boots. The unfrozen loose pebbles and 6 inch unfrozen step out of the stream water was a little challenging and I almost stalled out but I powered through and reached frozen beach. The frozen sand is just like riding on concrete. I ran into about 10 other young guys and gals on fat bikes that were also riding the shore and rode with them for about 5 miles on the bike path. The bike path along the Lake was like a lumpy ice rink because of the waves washing over it and freezing. The fat bikers were a little tentative on the ice but I had no worries with my studs. One of the fat riders made a comment that I really didn't need a fat bike. I told him you really need a fat bike for any more snow than what I was riding on. The fat bikers cut off and went on the single track. Too much snow on the single track for this bike so I continued on the road. So far it is the best winter bike I have ever built. Lower gearing would be the only change I would make to it.

 

[metalchewy]

Sounds like a fun ride!

Building... riding...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I have been riding the plan 9 bike daily. I rode it for about 2 miles on the frozen sand beach along L. Superior. That was really fun as there is very little shore ice because it has been so warm. I even rode it across a 3 foot wide small stream mouth right where it emptied into the Lake. The water was over my pedals but I had on boots. The unfrozen loose pebbles and 6 inch unfrozen step out of the stream water was a little challenging and I almost stalled out but I powered through and reached frozen beach. The frozen sand is just like riding on concrete. I ran into about 10 other young guys and gals on fat bikes that were also riding the shore and rode with them for about 5 miles on the bike path. The bike path along the Lake was like a lumpy ice rink because of the waves washing over it and freezing. The fat bikers were a little tentative on the ice but I had no worries with my studs. One of the fat riders made a comment that I really didn't need a fat bike. I told him you really need a fat bike for any more snow than what I was riding on. The fat bikers cut off and went on the single track. Too much snow on the single track for this bike so I continued on the road. So far it is the best winter bike I have ever built. Lower gearing would be the only change I would make to it.

Awesome!

Luke.

 

[KJV]

 

[Funkme]

That was over before I even started...
A quicky but a goody...

 

[OddJob]

Love the vid of the "North coast", as we call it. And yes, when bike building in the north country you move fast to stay ahead of the weather and from your hands freezing solid to the bike! Nice winter bike build! Hope the surgery / recovery goes well too.

 

[us56456712]

My rotator cuff repair is healed enough so I can ride. I took the plan 9 bike to lunch with the guys today. We have gotten 33 inches of snow in Marquette over the last week and 12 miles away in Negaunee they have been getting 10 inches a day. 3 days were record snow fall amounts for that date. Everyone is single track snow biking with their fats but I am not in shape for that so the plan 9 bike with the studs is coming in handy. I have ridden it about 10 times starting with 10 mile jaunts in March. When the roads get less icy I ride either my 1982 Peugeot or 1992 GT Mountain Bikes. They are easier to ride without the heavy studs.

 

[us56456712]

It snowed all night and is still snowing. The plan 9 bike continues to be useful. I built it just because I said I would build a bike for this build-off as circumstances prevented me from building my first Klunker choice. It sure has come in handy. Who would have thought that winter would forget to show up for 6 months and then remembered it in April? I'll take the plan 9 bike for a spin today to the grocery store. Yesterday I pushed snow for 11 miles on it so I am tired and achey, I won't go far today. This morning out my front door. Bah!

 

[deorman]

Darn that jetstream. We've got snowflakes mixed with rain here, and this is supposed to be the "temperate" zone.