POISON APPLE: '79 Schwinn Fair Lady Trike

[Bike from the Dead]

Met with a potential fabricator earlier today. Meeting went well, but I was left with an unpleasant wake-up call: it is highly unlikely that I'll achieve my vision for this trike within the budget I currently have available to me. Worse yet, the guy I met with gave me even more ideas of how to enhance this trike, which in turn would make this even more expensive and time-consuming.

So, I'm stuck in an uncomfortable position;
--- Keep searching for other fabricators close to home who might be able to do what I need faster and cheaper than the first guy I met and possibly strike out or "get what I pay for" this project,
--- Ignore my budget, as generous as I feel it is, pay whatever it takes to make my vision for this trike a reality, and struggle to pay for some more critical items I really need to invest in,
--- Extensively scale back my plans for this trike to meet my budget, settle for an... okay design, and hope I can save up the funds to rebuild this trike the way I really want,
--- Or worst of all, throw in the towel and revisit this project in a future Muscle Bike Build Off when I have the funds to do what I want to this trike without compromise.

I hate to admit that this trike build has not been and is not the most... financially responsible decision I've made given my circumstances, but it's one of the few things that's given me any sort of motivation to push through this rotten year. This year's RRBBO and MBBO have been just as exciting and therapeutic as it's been challenging for me, and both instances have given me a desire to not only get some of my bikes rideable, but also push my creativity and skills in new directions.

It's funny, I'm not even all that competitive, but during both Build Offs, I've been determined to prove that even though I'm one of the new guys here, and a younger and relatively inexperienced one at that, I can still design and build some really cool custom bikes. I just seem to forget that my ideas can be too ambitious for my own reality sometimes, as was the case with my RRBBO entry earlier this year. I have a serious OCD perfectionism problem, and it makes settling for "good enough" a lot more difficult than I'd like.

So, that's where I'm at now. I'm still figuring out how to scale back my plans and still achieve an agreeable final product and reaching out to people to might be able to help me fabricate the pieces I don't have, but I'm not sure what's going to happen now.

 

[biggraham]

I totally empathize with the dire year and looking forward to this build, I was so surprised how happy the Swing Low frame made me! Love your builds, and their constant evolving, may I suggest narrowing it down to Evolution 1,2 ,3 etc and sticking w one? Thus further Evo's to be revisited in future times?

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I totally empathize with the dire year and looking forward to this build, I was so surprised how happy the Swing Low frame made me! Love your builds, and their constant evolving, may I suggest narrowing it down to Evolution 1,2 ,3 etc and sticking w one? Thus further Evo's to be revisited in future times?

Thanks. Yeah, that Swing Bike will make a great project! I'd love to get one myself at some point, but right now I need to focus on the bikes I have.

I like the idea of coming up with different design phases that can be enhanced over time. I'm actually looking back at a photo I took of the bike when I just swapped the fork, and I think I have a cost-effective worst-case-scenario idea on how to make this into a cool-looking bike, if I can't afford to make it into a cool-looking trike. I'll try mocking up everything tomorrow so I can get some better reference photos for illustrating my ideas.

I'd still like to make this a "muscle trike" if I can, since no one else is building a trike for this year's MBBO currently, but if push comes to shove, I think I can live with 2 wheels instead of 3.

 

[hamqqea]

Have fun designing and building something you want. I entered because the BO comes at a time when I can focus on making some nice rides for the following year. I don't ususally tend to as many bikes at once. Got carried away due to covid. I stuck with things that weren't over my head, or very consuming. Pure and simple cool bikes that can perform, that's what I do. Someday they'll be more artistic... When I slow down I suspect.

You've gotten this far in the build, it doesn't have to all be perfect. Focus on the main parts and keep at it, even if you feel you're not doing enough.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Have fun designing and building something you want. I entered because the BO comes at a time when I can focus on making some nice rides for the following year. I don't ususally tend to as many bikes at once. Got carried away due to covid. I stuck with things that weren't over my head, or very consuming. Pure and simple cool bikes that can perform, that's what I do. Someday they'll be more artistic... When I slow down I suspect.

You've gotten this far in the build, it doesn't have to all be perfect. Focus on the main parts and keep at it, even if you feel you're not doing enough.

Thanks Hamppea. Yeah, you're going to have a bunch of really cool fully-functional bikes by the time this Build Off's over! I would love to enter some of my other bikes that only need a fluff-up and a little T.L.C., but I've already started on each of those bikes, and I didn't want to test the rule about not starting on my project before the competition.

I've not given up on this build yet. Even though my RRBBO entry didn't turn out the way I had planned, I am happy with how it did turn out in the end. Hopefully I can get this one to a point I'm satisfied with it as well.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Think this way: budget wise, how much have you spent this year on travel? Entertainment? Dining out? Roll it ALL into the bike budget!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Think this way: budget wise, how much have you spent this year on travel? Entertainment? Dining out? Roll it ALL into the bike budget!

Travel, not much, maybe $200-$400 on gas, conservatively. Entertainment, $70 for my MotortrendonDemand subscription, nothing else. Dining out, probably nothing, or close to nothing. Bike stuff... I think I've already spent about $800 already just in this year alone.

Plus, I don't have a job right now, and I'm waiting for PC parts to go down in price so I can build a new computer. That alone will eat up about $1500. So, yeah, I could pour money into this project, but I need to watch my finances.

 

[hamqqea]

Thanks Hamppea. Yeah, you're going to have a bunch of really cool fully-functional bikes by the time this Build Off's over! I would love to enter some of my other bikes that only need a fluff-up and a little T.L.C., but I've already started on each of those bikes, and I didn't want to test the rule about not starting on my project before the competition.

I've not given up on this build yet. Even though my RRBBO entry didn't turn out the way I had planned, I am happy with how it did turn out in the end. Hopefully I can get this one to a point I'm satisfied with it as well.

You'll do well.

Restorations are acceptable. There's nothing to win but your own bike anyway. The build off is partly to showoff.

Think this way: budget wise, how much have you spent this year on travel? Entertainment? Dining out? Roll it ALL into the bike budget!

zxactly.
Got over $130 into 1 wheel/tire combo even experts aren't fully sure of. I'll be 1st, far as I'm aware.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

You'll do well.

Restorations are acceptable. There's nothing to win but your own bike anyway. The build off is partly to showoff.

I hear ya. I don't want to do a restoration, but based on how this is going, Poison Apple will closer to stock than the full-blown custom I had in mind. I did want to show off my creativity and design skills on this trike, but I think it's safe to say I bit off more than I could chew for this project.

 

[hamqqea]

I'm relieved you're aware of your situation. Didn't want to discourage a brother.

You got plenty to work with. Graphics go along way in this game I'd be all over it if they made the bikes really faster! Now is not the time to be critical. At least one or more of mine wont make it cos' I waited too long for ideal conditions.

 

[hamqqea]

Why not shelve this build until the RRBBO and work on the full size bike you were starting. That'll give you plenty of time to get things sorted.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Why not shelve this build until the RRBBO and work on the full size bike you were starting. That'll give you plenty of time to get things sorted.

I might, but I've got a few ideas for this trike that will make use of most everything I've got, and not go over-budget. I started tinkering with those ideas today, but I ran out of daylight to flesh those ideas out as much as I wanted. I'll share pictures of today's efforts later tonight.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Okay, so today was a "back to the drawing board" kind of day. I picked up a few parts and pieces out of storage that I hoped would help me figure out the new direction for Poison Apple, as well as the Mini Mystery Muscle Bike.

I'd like to get this weird "Toledo" bike fixed up and riding again, but the big stumbling block is this unusual bottom bracket setup. I'm not sure how to disassemble this correctly so I can service the bearings, and I'm not sure who to take it to so it can be done correctly. Anyone know how to take these apart and put them back together, or at least know the best place to take this to get the job done?

I took out my 1950/1951 Schwinn DX frame, Project Quick Change / Subject: Schwinn Dixie, and started playing around with different parts. Here's how it looked before I started playing around with it:

Here it is after fiddling with it for a bit. I'm still not feeling it just yet, but I like the idea I came up with of sticking one of my spare AMF Roadmaster tanks in between the top bars. I'll play around with it more tomorrow.

I started playing around with making Poison Apple a 2-wheeler again, but I'm not crazy about the stance.

When I mocked up a 24" tire next to the rear, I was thinking of fabricating a couple plates that would bolt into the dropouts to stretch out the rear end. What it made me think of instead was an earlier mock-up I did with the trike axle in its original form.

Looking back at this version of Poison Apple, I think I could make this design work without breaking the bank.

Here's my idea: Leave the frame stock, and most of the trike rear end. I have a pair of 26" Shelby or Monark deep-dish fenders that need some work, but could be smoothed out, trimmed and mounted over the trike axle frame/brace. That's the first fabricated/modified piece. Next, I'd redesign the fork extensions to a cleaner look, then take them to my go-to welder to cut them out. That's the second, and really only other fabricated piece that I can't do myself. Once all those parts are done, I'll get everything sandblasted and powder coated before reassembly.

After that's out of the way, I'll add a few of my own custom touches. First, I'll make a custom wood tank, like I did with my Hawthorne earlier this year, to convert this frame into a boys'-style frame. Next, I'll want to add something to sit over the trike frame/brace. Normally, a wire basket would go there, but I have other ideas. I'm thinking either a wood box like what used to be on there when this setup was attached to The Trashliner Trike, or in keeping with the Snow White homages, a wicker picnic basket, like what the evil queen carried the poison apple in. I've got a few other small ideas to go with that, but I got to get the rest sorted out first.

I ran out of daylight and relatively warm weather to mock everything up today, but I'm going to try to finish mocking stuff up and figuring it all out. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with some concept illustrations by this weekend.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Ok, it seems like everything that can derail this Build Off for me is happening all at once right when I'm within range of the finish line. I'm now at a point where I don't know if I'm going to try and make a "good enough" trike out of this Schwinn Fair Lady, or a decent but relatively stock bike out of this. Either way, it feels like I'm going to spend a sizable chunk of my funds just to settle for less than stellar results.

I almost feel like I should just shelve this project for either the next Rat Rod Bikes Build Off or Muscle Bike Build Off when I might have all the funds I need for it, and spend my remaining budget finishing all of the other bikes in my collection that I've put off over the past 2 years.

I've been meaning to finish the bike that got me into this hobby for some time now, so I could justify spending the remaining time and money I have setting it up as a muscle bike. The greatest expenses there would be installing an old Simano 3-speed coaster brake hub into another wheel, and sandblasting the frame to get rid of the rust. The rest would be fairly easy, as I'd just be mostly assembling the bike with whatever parts I've already got and maybe making a custom wood tank.

I've also got 3 bikes I'm in various stages of restoring, 2 for me and 1 for a family member. I've been meaning to finish those for some time now.

Actually, you know what? I think that's what I'll do. I hate to stop working on a project after spending so much time and money on it, but I think it'd be best if I switch gears and finish working on the small collection of bikes I've already got using the funds I've accrued from all the stuff I've sold lately. I can save Poison Apple for a later date. If I could enter it in next year's Rat Rod Bikes Build Off or something similar, that would be cool too. But for now, I'm going to try to put together all the bikes I've put off for quite some time.

I'll try to get everything together to start a build thread for my 1950/1951 Schwinn DX bike. I'm sure I could get that all put together for the MBBO before January 15th.

 

[hamqqea]

We got you. You're not alone. It aint easy to build a great bike in under a handful of months!

Select one of the bikes you like a lot that you can finishing in a month.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

We got you. You're not alone. It aint easy to build a great bike in under a handful of months!

Select one of the bikes you like a lot that you can finishing in a month.

Thanks. Yeah, it's nice to have a deadline, but when you're flying by the seat of your pants and trying to do as much custom modifications as I had intended to do, three months can go by fast!

 

[CRASH]

Hello, I'm stepping in as the interim-Admin for this build-off since Captain Awesome is indisposed. There is discussion of changing the completion deadline to accommodate more builders. We'd like your opinion. Please vote here: https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index...out-extending-the-mbbo-bmxbo-deadline.112979/

Thank you, and KEEP BUILDING!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Minor update, but I wanted to share anyways. I got 2 more 26" x 4" fat bike wheels and tires, though only 1 tube late last night for a dirt cheap $15. I'll need to swap out the hubs and spokes, as they're not the single-speed cruiser type hubs I want, but the rims are in decent shape despite some peeling spray paint. The tires are in decent shape too, and the one tube still holds air.

What's nice about this is that I can still have a fat tire bike to goof off on, and have a fat tire trike too.

 

[CRASH]

Votes have been cast, and an extension of the MBBO/BMXBO deadline has been decided. The new deadline is:

March 1st at 9pm CT

GET TO BUILDIN'!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Well, after running into even more complications with my Project Quick Change/Schwinn Dixie muscle bike build, I decided to revisit my Poison Apple trike. As much as I'd rather save this project for when I can afford to do it the way I really want, I want to at least finish something for my first Muscle Bike Build Off. So, I decided to mock up parts I had on hand and see what looked good enough. I also made a new cardboard template for the tank, which I'll make out of wood like last time, except this time I based my design off a tank design @The Renaissance Man came up with. (Did he ever make those? I can't say I've seen a finished version of those tanks, just this render.)

To avoid having to modify or fabricate anything metal, I'm just going to use the original 24" version of the trike rear. I also decided to use a regular seat instead of a banana seat, for reasons I'll explain in a bit. The big question mark for what makes this trike look "good enough" for me, is the fork and front wheel combo. I started with the stock 20" fork and a 20" wheel and tire. I thought it looked okay, but I had more options to experiment with.

I don't have any 24" forks since I sold the ones I had already, so I just stuck another 24" wheel and tire on the 26" springer fork with the extensions. Can't say I was crazy about the proportions.

Another idea I had: I have this set of 26" deep dish... I want to say they're Shelby fenders that got ruined by a guy I took some bike stuff to during the 2020 RRBBO. I still want to use them on my Spitfire, but I'm thinking these could look good sitting over the trike frame, with a little modification. There are a few problems with that though. First, these fenders are in pretty rough shape, and I'd want to take them to someone who actually knows how to fix old metal before I try to use them. Second, between the required bodywork and further modifications needed to make the fenders fit over the trike frame, I'd imagine I'd be out the rest of my bike-building budget. Finally, this isn't going to be the final version of this trike, so I probably don't need to mess with these fenders right now.

Next wheel option: the 700c wheel and tire that came from the same bike as the springer fork and trike conversion assembly. I instantly said "no" as soon as I saw it on the Fair Lady. It was just too big, especially with those smaller 24" rubbers in the rear.

After going big, I went small with the 20" wheel again. The stance is... okay, but I wasn't as crazy about it as I was before. The dimensions still looked wrong.

I tried taking the fork extensions off, just to see how that'd look. After seeing how the 20" looked with the fork like that, I felt the wheel was facing backwards. I still wasn't happy, but I wasn't done yet.

I put the 24" back up front one more time. Once I did that, I felt I found the stance I was looking for. Yeah, the front tire is too wide, the seat's too small, and the frame looks a little funny angled up like that, but I think this looks good enough. It doesn't look like a chopper like I originally wanted; instead, it looks like a bobber, which is still pretty cool.

Just for a lark, and to prove a point I had already figured out back when all these trike parts were on The Trashliner Trike, I mocked up my Rally banana seat and a sissy bar. I have to admit, the banana seat and sissy bar don't look as bad as I thought they would on this trike, but there's one major problem that I just don't like. Look where the sissy bar is.

The sissy bar cuts right through the area where a basket, crate, or other container could go over the rear axle. I want to use that area to put something there, and the sissy bar cuts right through it. That's not good. Plus, it'd be kind of pointless to have the banana seat and sissy bar on this set up, since there's no real way to wheelie this trike. The rear wheels are too far behind the seat for me to lean this puppy back enough to get the front wheel off the ground, and I'd honestly be too scared to even try.

So yeah, I'm back to working on Poison Apple. I still need to buy a few things to get this trike to "good enough," mainly one more 24" front wheel to match the blue one I have mocked up (it's part of a set that I'd much rather use than the two spray-bombed wheels on the rear currently,) 3 new tires and tubes, some new bearings for the trike axle, and a seat, if I can't find one in my stash that'll work. I might even look at some layback seat posts so I move the seat lower without sacrificing ride comfort. I think if I play my cards right, I can keep to a $100 budget on top of what I've already spent, and still have a decent-looking muscle trike in the end.

I'll be doing some more mockups tomorrow, but until then, that's all for now!