Pope Roger bike build

[Frankie plekhand]

Cool bike man! Love how it looks, i bet it's a fun ride!
About your front brake, does it squeel? I noticed your disc is mounted reversed, that could cause the sound. And cleaning it with rubbing alcohol and properly breaking it in is also recommended.

 

[Duchess]

That wood looks like birch plywood to me, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Cool bike man! Love how it looks, i bet it's a fun ride!
About your front brake, does it squeel? I noticed your disc is mounted reversed, that could cause the sound. And cleaning it with rubbing alcohol and properly breaking it in is also recommended.

Thanks Frankie, after reading your reply, I instantly changed it and searched for the reason on google


This weekend the bike is completely finished.
The gearing is changed now, after cycling to work multiple times, 39 front - 24 rear was a bit too heavy on long straights in 2nd gear.

Now it has: 28 front - 20 rear. It is perfect now! I have one climbing/acceleration gear and a fast cruising gear.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

POPE ROGER is officially done... being a ratrodbiker, there will always be alterations for the future, but this is a point where the bike is completely perfect for use!

The goal was to build a multi-purpose - fits many parts - simple (no special tools required or finger to the bicycle industry) - tough - old / modern tech blend - bicycle.

Specifications and geometry list:

• FRAME: CrMo straight gauge rollcage tubing. 1.5mm thick. MIG/MAG welded. Dropouts and rear fork plating made from lasercut S355 steel. The rear rack bracket is made from lasercut S235 steel. Much plating is made to fit by oldschool filing.
• FRAME TYPE: A Dutch "pastoorsfiets/kruisframe/abdij frame" (pastors bicycle/crossframe/abbey frame). But with FAT tires, USA BB and a more sporty seat tube angle. Surly Krampus front fork. Horizontal dropouts. I can split the frame if I ever want a belt drive. The frame is fully conserved/greased internal with "Fluid film asr1" grease.
• FRAME GEOMETRY: A bit like the Surly Krampus.
• Top tube length: 700mm. Chainstay: 550mm. Frame height: A bit more than 610mm.
• Colour: RAL3011 brownred.
• PARTS:
• 29 inch "Dartmoor Cruiser" 32 hole rims.
• Novatec 15x110 "through axle" disc brake front hub.
• Sturmey Archer S2C duomatic/kick shift rear hub with coaster brake.
• Schwalbe "Johnny Watts" 29x2.6 tires.
• 13g (2.3mm) stainless steel spokes. Stainless steel nipples.
• FSA "the pig" 1 1/8 headset.
• Salt rookie BMX crankset.
• Bright Machine pedals.
• Rear carrier: 90's mountainbike with a altered wooden seat deck.
• Mission Nexus BMX 28 teeth front sprocket.
• 20 teeth rear cog.
• Half link chain from "Classic Cycle" in Germany.
• Moped matte black front handlebar. (Klunker/MotoX style). Very wide!
• BMX 50mm stem: 1 1/8 fork / 22mm clamping diameter.
• Lock on grips.
• Basil retro bell.
• Brooks B17 saddle / seat.
• Bontrager seat post with Hope 31,5mm clamp.
• SKS Bluemels 75u fenders.
• Tektro mechanical disc brake caliper.
• NAME: "Pope Roger" is inspired by multiple things: -Pope board tracker bikes- -The pastors abbey crossframe design- and -Jolly Roger, the pirate flag / this bike being a ship-
• WEIGHT: Oh boy, she's a big lady: The complete bike weighs 22kg.
• RIDING EXPERIENCE: The rig is big, but does not feel heavy. The length makes doing wheelies very hard. It is not very agile, but agile enough to be a bicycle. It feels a bit like a narrow frame motocross bike with pedals. A bit of a bicycle SUV. I like the view of the wide bars with the big knobby tires, makes me confident riding over everything that I see: curbs, weeds, hills, cars, granny's and dogs. The 28x20 gearing is perfect now: one gear for hills, the second gear for fast cycling and cruising. I can manage an average of 25km/hr from and to work. I do need a shower afterwards.
• PICTURES:

Pope Roger!

Thank you all for following and helping with this build! Much appreciated! It was quite a learning experience.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

It's beautiful. Such a unique look. I love it. 50 lbs is impressive, that's a lot of steel

 

[toro1978]

Now that's a really nice bike!

 

[Captain Awesome]

I love it. Great build!

 

[BartRidesEternal]

It's beautiful. Such a unique look. I love it. 50 lbs is impressive, that's a lot of steel

Thanks Matti, always appreciate your comments!

Now that's a really nice bike!

Thanks toro! You are welcome to visit if willing to take it for a spin

I love it. Great build!

Much appreciated Captain!

Soon there's a trip planned. Maybe this sunday to a "Oldtimer bike exchange" to look through some parts for other projects... heck, a lamp can be a spark to start a project

I am having ideas and plans to build another bike from scratch... I'll post some ideas the next few months.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Hi guys,

No big updates, but some changes:
The salt bmx crankset bearings were toast, they would not spin anymore, completely stuck. I think it has to do with the extremely wet winter this year. I have ridden this bike for I guess 3000 kilometres now.

I switched from US/Bmx BB to a European with the Truvativ adapter. Now I have a Shimano JIS sealed bb cartridge.
And new chain plus sprockets.
The hub is still running perfect! Every now and then a slight crunchy noise from a piece of sand between the dustcaps. Cleaned them and ready for more kilometres!

Working on a chaincover!

White grease that dries up a bit and keeps moist out! It remains soft, no cracks. Hard to see here. It is in a spray can. Perfect for little gaps.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

I can't help but think where works of art and engineering like this will be in 50-100 years. What will people say? I hope it's inherited and stays in the family.

 

[toro1978]

This frame would look really outlandish with a regulator style fork.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

I can't help but think where works of art and engineering like this will be in 50-100 years. What will people say? I hope it's inherited and stays in the family.

Thanks man, appreciate your kind words.
I will definitely never sell this bike. I hope my daughters will grow tall enough for this one

This frame would look really outlandish with a regulator style fork.

Yeah been thinking about that. Mainly an more oldschool style bicycle with an regulator/boardtracker style fork.

For now I'll leave the bike as it is. Just add an chaincover.

I was looking for some creme or whitewall 29+ tires (no skin wall). These 29x2.5 to 29x3.0 do not seem to exist.
Then I found:
"GT Smoothie 29x2.5" tires. Dont know if that would look cool on this bike...

With more and more 'wheelie' bikes with 29 inch tire options are growing. The 29+ bikepacking tires are expensive and not common.

Ghisallo wooden rims would be a dream as well. Or rigida ryde V38 classic rims.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I hope my daughters will grow tall enough for this one

Tall Dutch women on a bike? Seems possible, I guess...

 

[GeePig]

Well that was a pleasure to follow, and it is always interesting when so many little parts begin to get changed as you get to ride it more.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Yay or Nay? I'm not convinced, yet I like the design!

 

[ingola]

Yay or Nay? I'm not convinced, yet I like the design!

View attachment 257440
View attachment 257442

Nope

 

[GeePig]

I would like to see it with the whole bike in view, but as it is I would have liked to hide the change in the chain stay as there is a lot going on down there.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Nope

I would like to see it with the whole bike in view, but as it is I would have liked to hide the change in the chain stay as there is a lot going on down there.

Thanks guys.

I looked at it for a while and decided to save the chainguard for another build. It did not look right.

 

[BartRidesEternal]

It definitely looks classy Did you make it with your own hands? What kind of material? It looks like aluminum, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!
I did not fabricate this myself. I found it second hand, probably from an old bicycle. It is made from aluminum.