ORBO Racer MX
- Thread starter twojs.bike
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Ooh, that's a tough call. Option A has a pretty cool look, almost BMX in vibe, but option B looks fast! Keep throwing parts at it and see what sticks!
I look at it the same way. Why not both?
Tough call. The BMX bars look great and the others look comfortable 
Plenty of time to figure out the handlebars.
My BMX stem did not work for dimpling the seat stays. The tubes were too narrow. I just brute forced it with vice grips. Used a spanner on the outside to spread the force.
Certainly not elegant, but it worked.
It took all the strength I had to squeeze the vice grips. If I build a custom tool, I will base it on the BMX stem or maybe a C-clamp. My vice grips are 8 inches. A larger pair would probably help.
The dimples caused the spacing between the dropouts to squeeze in about 20mm. I respaced the dropouts.
Still need to straighten the frame and cut the fork.
I will probably also wipe the frame and chain guard with BLO.
Luckily the kickstand is the perfect length for these wheels and tires. I was worried it would be too long.
The 2 speed kickback appears to be working great when I spin the cog by hand. Easily shifts between a direct drive and an under drive. I cannot wait to actually ride this thing.
My BMX stem did not work for dimpling the seat stays. The tubes were too narrow. I just brute forced it with vice grips. Used a spanner on the outside to spread the force.
Certainly not elegant, but it worked.
It took all the strength I had to squeeze the vice grips. If I build a custom tool, I will base it on the BMX stem or maybe a C-clamp. My vice grips are 8 inches. A larger pair would probably help.
The dimples caused the spacing between the dropouts to squeeze in about 20mm. I respaced the dropouts.
Still need to straighten the frame and cut the fork.
I will probably also wipe the frame and chain guard with BLO.
Luckily the kickstand is the perfect length for these wheels and tires. I was worried it would be too long.
The 2 speed kickback appears to be working great when I spin the cog by hand. Easily shifts between a direct drive and an under drive. I cannot wait to actually ride this thing.
I tried BLO on my Schwinn Racer (similar era to yours) for my '50 Skinny and Single' SWBO build the first year. Just on one chainstay. It never got 'unsticky' to the touch. I ended up just wiping it lightly with WD40 and that worked well for me.
I later learned that if you 'cut' the BLO to a 50/50 blend with mineral spirits or paint thinner, it goes on better and dries faster. FWIW
I later learned that if you 'cut' the BLO to a 50/50 blend with mineral spirits or paint thinner, it goes on better and dries faster. FWIW
I have been using BLO on my Raleighs. I don’t measure, but I cut it roughly 1/3 BLO and 2/3 low odor mineral spirits. Seems to dry in a few days.
My concern is the Schwinn chain guard. I am worried about a 2/3 mineral spirits solution rubbing off the “Racer” letters. That is a big part of the look I want.
Maybe I should just use car wax.
My concern is the Schwinn chain guard. I am worried about a 2/3 mineral spirits solution rubbing off the “Racer” letters. That is a big part of the look I want.
Maybe I should just use car wax.
I've never messed with BLO, but I find that Turtle Wax rubbing compound (red, not white) and SC Johnson paste wax work wonders. It shouldn't take much to shine up your bike, but here's how it turned out on a couple of my bikes. Best part is that you don't have to wait for it to dry. You just wipe it down with a sock or microfiber cloth and it's done; no stickiness whatsoever.
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Wow! Great results BFTD! I had forgotten what the process was that you use on those beauties.
Thanks OddJob! With the Schwinn I just used a bunch of old semi-course socks and rubbing compound and rubbed aggressively until the original luster came back, then went over everything with a quick round of paste wax. The key is you want to have a spare clean sock or rag to wipe down after each pass for both steps, otherwise it'll leave a film. For the Western Flyer, I had to use some #0000 steel wool with the rubbing compound to really clean up some spots, as the rust was far worse on that bike. You just need to be careful and take your time with it, but those 2 bikes required the most work to get to that point. If the bike's not too dull or rusty, it really doesn't need as much work.
I had to use a half-link to get the chain tensioned. I bought this a few years ago. Somehow I knew I would need it in the future. The future is now!
First test ride complete. Just farting around in the street in front of my house.
A few pictures and then some thoughts.
The Bendix kickback is shifting beautifully. It is extremely quiet. Almost silent. Unlike the modern SA kickback which has a very unpleasant sound.
The gear ratio seems perfect. Which is great as the rear cog is not replaceable.
However there is a lot of rolling resistance. Not sure if my grease was too thick, if the bearings need adjusting, or if that’s just how these hubs are?
Not sure about the handlebars yet. I may go back to the originals.
E
The seat is ugly, but sure is comfortable on my butt. A plastic BMX seat would look better in pictures, but my comfort will probably win this battle.
I will likely add a front brake.
The “Racer” chain guard will go back on. The lettering has faded and I would really like to fix that. I wonder how hard it would be to find a stencil? Something I could tape on and then hit with spray paint.
In my mind the tires and the chain guard should be the focal point. That was my initial vision.
I do have one more surprise coming. Nothing major, but a nice final aesthetic touch.
First test ride complete. Just farting around in the street in front of my house.
A few pictures and then some thoughts.
The Bendix kickback is shifting beautifully. It is extremely quiet. Almost silent. Unlike the modern SA kickback which has a very unpleasant sound.
The gear ratio seems perfect. Which is great as the rear cog is not replaceable.
However there is a lot of rolling resistance. Not sure if my grease was too thick, if the bearings need adjusting, or if that’s just how these hubs are?
Not sure about the handlebars yet. I may go back to the originals.
E
The seat is ugly, but sure is comfortable on my butt. A plastic BMX seat would look better in pictures, but my comfort will probably win this battle.
I will likely add a front brake.
The “Racer” chain guard will go back on. The lettering has faded and I would really like to fix that. I wonder how hard it would be to find a stencil? Something I could tape on and then hit with spray paint.
In my mind the tires and the chain guard should be the focal point. That was my initial vision.
I do have one more surprise coming. Nothing major, but a nice final aesthetic touch.
Beautiful build, that red really pops. The handlebars look cool too, but I know there could be comfort issues. For the chainguard maybe a decal could work?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3636822920...ycNqL83mjWc3lmflMruLUxkBg=|tkp:Bk9SR67Av6ihZQ
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3636822920...ycNqL83mjWc3lmflMruLUxkBg=|tkp:Bk9SR67Av6ihZQ
I have been applying BLO thinned down with mineral spirits to the frame and chain guard. I had a feeling that was a bad idea on the chain guard. Wish I hadn’t. It’s not awful, but it was definitely removing the white lettering. Before and after below.
Yeah, I see what you mean. A stencil and air brush would fix that right up.
I don't remember exactly what the originals look like, but I've never been a fan of the high rise bmx style bar on a 'big boy' (26") bike. They are awesome on a 20" and even a 24" cruiser, but sit up way too high on a big bike.
Any one of these would look cool, and still give a comfortable riding position.
And a mountain bike style saddle, with some comfort factor, would blend nicely with different bars. Doesn't have to be hard plastic or super skinny.
So, haha! My very primitive Paint program cut n' paste isn't perfect. But here is an example of what a cool vintage moto-x style bar, and a comfortable and stylish mtb saddle would look like. Sort of.
The bars I just came across on a search, and now I've added them to my list of cool options! Here is the website:
Great width, enough rise, and pullback or 'sweep' to give a comfortable riding position.
The saddle is a WTB Lazar V Pro, which I have owned in the past and is very forgiving for a lower profile saddle. They don't make that exact model anymore, but you can find them on ebay in usually good to great condition. People try saddles all the time, and if for some reason they don't latch on, they sell them, often for half the price. This is just an example of a type of mtb saddle that might work for you.
Thanks OJ!
That is exactly the handlebar profile I had in mind originally. When I received the current ones I immediately knew it wasn’t what I was going for. Also, I am thinking black handlebars might look better?
Here are the original bars.
One thought is to wrap them with something like this. But I might save this idea for a future build.
That is exactly the handlebar profile I had in mind originally. When I received the current ones I immediately knew it wasn’t what I was going for. Also, I am thinking black handlebars might look better?
Here are the original bars.
One thought is to wrap them with something like this. But I might save this idea for a future build.
Any opinions on using a quick release axle in this fork? My front hub is QR. I’m thinking a bolt on axle would be more appropriate. Or am I overthinking this?
A nutted axle might fit the build slightly better but I would probably just run the QR. It's already on there and is more practical in use.
I am looking back at this build thread. I can see that the lettering on the chain guard faded BEFORE I used BLO. The only other thing I did was spray it with soapy water and wipe it down. I guess that was it.
I keep a spray bottle full of dish detergent (Palmolive) and water. Very handy for all kinds of things
I keep a spray bottle full of dish detergent (Palmolive) and water. Very handy for all kinds of things
