PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION

[Rat Rod]

Maybe you can build a gun themed bike next.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

More fun to sit in the AC and build guns. Its almost too hot to go shoot them though.

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

I started with bikes on a Minnesota farm at 5yrs old pedaling between farmhouses & fields on ballooners. I spent a lot of time at farm auctions and in 1974 found my 47 Monarch, my 1st Tanker. In 80 after college, I went to work in Dallas, TX as a western territory rep. for International Harvester . I spent a lot of time in small rural towns, and all of them had pre and post war ballooners stacked unused against fences in open yards. I had always been a cyclist, but there was just something cool about these old fat & functional bikes that drew me in, and they were everywhere. So I started picking them up for nothing. I left manybehind. I also found Mrs. Pattons Schwinn Shop (AvitarLeft) driving around Ft. Worth one day, and boy oh boy that did it. She had an acre stacked with un-stripped bikes to sift through, multiple sheds stuffed with cabinets and boxes full of cool old parts. Today a dream come true. She let me take anything I wanted that I could pull out of the yard or the sheds. I restore stuff, am mechanically inclined, a hard-core cyclist, and I just plain love old functional cycles. 60 going on 40..

 

[Funkme]

Kimberly 50. Have always been riding since a young age.Bikes,horses etc.Had a back issue a few years ago,so slowed down with horses. Came across a few ratted bikes on the net,was amazed. I did a search and found this forum,the bikes,the comps.I sat and watched for a few years while I was building here,and eventually thought why can't a girl join in on the fun. Since then I have been collecting parts from all over the world,I have a addiction for wheels,and just keep creating bikes in my mind over and over.crazy:Somebody make it stop). Have not had time in last 2 years to build. But that is about to change. Too many parts and bikes need building. Whens the next build off?

And you guys all rock

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Whens the next build off?

4 days!

https://countingdownto.com/countdown/mbbo-06-2017-start-date-countdown-clock

.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

...I did a search and found this forum,the bikes,the comps. I sat and watched for a few years while I was building here,and eventually thought why can't a girl join in on the fun.

And also, why can't a girl join in a build-off comp... and win!?!

 

[MazdaFlyer]

After a career as an educator and architectural designer I find bicycles fill the creative gap after retiring. I bought a new mountain bike in 1995 while still working and a year later a road bike. I did a lot of riding as a stress relief from work, in group and individual long rides. Even did the Flint Hills Death Ride 5 times.
At some point I went to a local "Art of the Bicycle" event. I found a 1949 Schwinn there for sale. We arranged to purchase it, and the addiction started. The collection of new and old bikes got rolling. The first restoration was a 1947 girls Roadmaster from eBay, we replaced the wheel set with a rebuilt Morrow hub, powder coated frame, fork and fenders. We had pin striping added at a car show.
I found out about this forum and that added fuel to the fire. I've built and finished 7 Build Offs to date along with numerous personal builds. I've sold some bikes, parted some, rebuilt some from left over parts. One part can initiate a bike Build. Pretty sucky that PhotoBucket decided to hold a bunch of my older posted photos hostage at 71 years of age.
Inspiration from the Coasters bike club and LocoJoe helped develop the Rat Rods Bikes forum participation.
As we/I have built bikes we have taken pride in showing them at events, shows and the local Starbird Devlin Cars for Charities Car Show. We've received some awards over the years. So all in all the bikes satisfy the need to be creative. Now we just need to thin the collection as wagons have started showing up.

I guess there's some ego involved as well, have a few other awards not in the photo above.

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[Funkme]

And also, why can't a girl join in a build-off comp... and win!?!

We use to have a few other girlz join in,they seem to have disappeared. I miss Mamma Jats etc.

 

[dropstep]

Im 30, i rode street style bmx in highschool in the early 2000's on modern 20 inches and ended up ruining a bunch of parts in my knee over time. Between working in a garage and on my own project car i kind of forgot bikes. Had twin boys who love to be outside so i dusted off the old bmx bike to ride with them. Found out my knee couldnt handle it so i started looking at mountain bikes. Broke a few cheap ones doing dumb things like jumping stairs. Realized i really just needed something to cruise and wanted something similiar to my car in age (cars a 78). Then i found this place and i now crave something even older vintage, just have yet to find a deal i can live with. For now the western flyer and 20 inch all pro give me something i can tinker with and enjoy with my kids.

 

[RustyGold]

New School...

Old School...

You may not like the way it looks...but, our knees probably lasted longer !

Jason

 

[heartlandcruisers]

well i guess i can chime in here although truth be told i don't really know what actually brought me to the world of vintage bicycles and rats i have always had a passion for building bikes and grew up around motorcycles and hot rods and the rat rod image really caught my attention building machines to run and not worry about destroying that 20k paint job used to race bmx bikes back in the day and had quite a few really choice bmx bikes ( hutch haro schwinn gt just to name a few) and always enjoyed these bikes growing up i am 44 now and i have determined about 7 years ago i really like the look of some of these forgotten relics that were once kings and queens of the streets the older bicycles are true works of art and half the fun is finding them and hearing how people got the bikes the rust tells a story in it's own each dent scratch and wear mark has a story i still got the rear fender from my camaro because i actually met the original owner and he told me the rear fender was dented because him and his brother had a fight and his brother kicked it and a week alter he passed away so the fender never got repaired you just cannot buy these kind of memories with new bikes plus these old bikes were built to last i salvage out bikes a lot for parts and i have always gotten bikes from wal mart that are only 2-3 years old tops and junk my bikes are 1968 1964 and 1959 and it took very little effort to get them running not to mention the craftsmanship in these bikes is truly amazing i guess that is what draws me to the hobby the artistic perspective of creating something that was once great and reliving those days just imagining how it must have been

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Well I was standing on my toilet adjusting a clock and slipped on the wet porcelain and hit my head when I came to I had a vision ,a vision of .... this

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

So did ICHI! (bike). I also got's a 20 & 22, er, uh, 10 & 11 Tooth ICHI dream sprocket...... Hmmmm. What's the real story ASBN?

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

So did ICHI! (bike). I also got's a 20 & 22, er, uh, 10 & 11 Tooth ICHI dream sprocket...... Hmmmm. What's the real story ASBN?

The real story, you can find on pg.1 of this tread ,

 

[rusty flyer]

Three years ago I wanted to do a rat rod pickup truck but could not justify the time. Not a huge thing but always in the back of my mind to do a rat rod. One day I picked up a Hot Rod magazine and saw an article where a guy took an old bicycle and motorized it and made it look like an antique motorcycle, I thought I could do that! I already had a 60's Clinton two stoke engine that would be about right. I picked up a '62 Schwinn ballooner and started planning...... I also started just riding the bike around the house, just few blocks at a time, legs burned pretty good, Had not been on a bike in about 20 years. Did motocross in the '70s and bikes before that as a kid so it was nice to feel the two wheel sensation again.

During the planning process I stared thinking where would I ride such a motorized bike? At the same time I was putting more miles on the old Schwinn and enjoying fixing it up along the way. I started enjoying the exercise part of it being outdoors in a pleasant environment. I could ride in many more places that a motorized bike could not go. I got a ride app and started keeping track of miles and times. I built up a couple more bikes tweaked for the areas I ride them. Last ride on my '64 Western Flyer track bike was 25 miles in 1 hr 44 min. I have a total of about 3,500 miles from when I stared three years ago. These old bikes are great for exercise but also satisfies wrench turning and contemplating how to make them perform better. I enjoy the fact that they are different from the more modernized bikes and cyclist I come across when riding, generates a lot of curiosity and questions......Not running with the herd 59 years old,

Rusty

 

[bikebuilder]

38, I have liked bikes ever since my grandfather bought me my first bike (A used girls straight bar 20" banana seat bike). I loved that bike but the stingray my brother got a year or two later is what started my fondness for old bikes. A year or so after that I was looking through a junk yard and saw a stingray with a redline slick. I was hooked. The building began in part because I couldn't afford the bikes I really wanted and also because I lived next door to a grandfather who took the time to show me how to weld, braze and cast.

 

[papawrandy]

I have been a car guy all my life,59 years come November. Working on bikes found at yard sales,junk yards and Craigslist lets me modify them and take some of itch away from not having time or money for hot rods. I can share them with my grandkids which is a big plus. All of you on here are better builders than I am but I get a lot of ideas and inspiration from you. Thanks

 

[James Wascko]

I'm hoping a few of you can answer a question for me.

Within a paragraph, tell me why you chose to start working with vintage or custom bicycles. Also, if you don't mind, state your age in your answer as well.

I'm curious to know what motivates the users here to be involved in this hobby and what you get from it.

Greetings I am Jim and 58
For me it's several reasons.
1. When I see an old bike, to me it's a blank canvas screaming free me into what I should have been.

2. Old stuff works and was built to last and repair, unlike most of today's bikes.

For some reason bikes seem to bring happiness and energy into my life.

Jim

 

[FreddyS]

Greetings I am Jim and 58
For me it's several reasons.
1. When I see an old bike, to me it's a blank canvas screaming free me into what I should have been.

2. Old stuff works and was built to last and repair, unlike most of today's bikes.

For some reason bikes seem to bring happiness and energy into my life.

Jim

I dig bikes like you my friend. I don't have the skills, space or time to do full blown restorations. Maybe when I retire in a few years. What I do like to do is find bikes that are old and crusty but can clean up with things like tires, pedals, chains, cranks, hubs and bottom brackets. Some light painting and a lot of buffing with steel wool. I do this all the time. Enjoy working in my garage while drinking some cold beers. I lose myself in it


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