rainy day build

[Rob Hollett]

Spent some time this morning drooling over a bunch of cool RRB pics in the gallery thread and got motivated to go build a bike with all the spare parts I had laying about. This is what I ended up with, half Murray half Free spirit ten speed wiht s few odd's and ens thrown in.



Mounted the headlight with skateboard bushings.


Didn't have grips so I made some with an old garden hose and bottle caps. This was way harder then it should have been btw.


What have any of you guys made grips out of?

 

[Bicycle808]

I'm digging the build.... would love to get a better look at the crank!

I've never gotten too creative with grips.... Aside from actual grips, I tend to use cotton road bike bar tape, cut to length for whatever size "grips" I want....sometimes, I run it double-layered for extra thickness, but usually I just do it single-layered. Shellac afterwards, and it lasts forever.. Or, I'll just use an old inner tube and electric tape for a plush rubber grip. These last well, too, but the rubber will dry rot and crack in time...

 

[Rob Hollett]

This was a ten speed crank from a free spirit bike, I took my grinder and ground off the rivets holding it together and used the smaller sprocket and bolted the chain ring back on.

 

[Rob Hollett]

better view of headlight/fork

 

[Bigcam59]

Neat!

 

[Nagant]

Very interesting build. Is that a 26x1 3/8 from the free spirit for the front wheel combo and fork? I do the like the skinny tire front and balloon rear.

 

[Rob Hollett]

yep that is what it is.

 

[Nagant]

How does it ride? I never thought about running a 26x1 3/8" ISO590 for the front of a 26" ISO559 bike. I have a set of vintage 26 1 3/8" rims that I have debated what to use them for and your build has given me some new ideas.

 

[Bicycle808]

A point to ponder: a 26x2.125" tire on a 559 rim is only 3mm larger in overall diameter than a regular 26x1 3/8 tire on a 590 rim. Thats <1/8". So, typically, the ATC of the fork is similar between balloon bikes and 26" lightweights.... so, the geo won't change much, but the visual impact of the fat/skinny combo looks pretty good.

 

[Rob Hollett]

@Nagant, yes the bike rides great, I can't really notice that the tires are different sizes. The only problem I have is, I need to replace the stem because it is slightly stripped.