yoothgeye
I build stuff.
Took a little break from my build off bike tonight to start the staging of a bike I want built by a labor day trip to the beach.
When I was pre-teen to early teen we use to take our bikes to Virginia Beach on vacation. Dad and I would cruise the boardwalk, in the evenings when the beaches weren't as crowded we would carry our bikes over the soft stuff and ride on the packed wet sand at the surf line. I always tried to ride the bike through the soft sand back to the boardwalk... it never worked. :wink:
At some point in a Popular Mechanics magazine or something I saw a big wheeled mountain bike for the beach, using those big pnuematic sand tires used for catamaran or jet ski beach landing trailers. It was a cool idea, just real expensive.
Within the last couple years I was checking out photos online of a guy riding the soft sand on a North Carolina beach on a Surly Pugsley... once again, cool idea, awesome bike... real expensive.
So I plan to build a bike capable of riding in some sand better than my mountain bike, but do it cheap. The idea finally came to fruition when I picked up a Schwinn OCC Chopper Stingray bike for $20.
It can be seen here: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=41380
I don't like these things and didn't really have any ideas of what I would do with it... maybe just flip it? Part it? As I looked at it more I started thinking that the wide rear tire at the right pressure on the right bike might do ok in the... sand?
So tonight, I started the process:
Removed the fork and gave it to a friend (pictures to follow) then took off some other parts, then did this:
Ohh, this is fun... next:
I will be putting the big wheels on a 20" BMX style frame. First I will cut off the rear chain/seat stays off the 20" frame and weld the rear stays from the chopper bike onto it. Then I will have to fabricate a simple fork to run another rear tire (which I don't have, currently looking) up front with the freewheel removed.
Next I will have to worry about drivetrain. The chopper bike runs a wide 3 piece crank, which I cut off. Once the back wheel is attached to the new frame I will slide the removed BB through the 20" frame american bottom bracket, line up my chain, and weld it in place.
Now, I wanted to gear it a little lower, so I looked around the shop. A neighbor was giving me some bikes and handed me this odd-ball part he found (on the left):
A Specialized mountain bike right side crank with removable chainrings. Glad he didn't find just a left side. The cool thing is, even though this is aluminum and the OCC side will be steel, the crank arm design is pretty similar. I removed the big a and little wheels and got this:
I went from a 44 tooth to a 32 tooth. That should help turn that fat tire in the sand:
So if you're keeping up, I'm currently $20 into this project, and hoping to stay close to that. Why the 20" frame? I'm 5' 10" and I still fit a 20" frame ok, plus I thought the little frame would make the fat tires look fatter, and allow my kids to ride it too.
I'll keep you updated!
Oh yeah, my friend Cody, I gave him the fork and he started this tonight:
I bet he won't be able to keep up with me in the sand.
When I was pre-teen to early teen we use to take our bikes to Virginia Beach on vacation. Dad and I would cruise the boardwalk, in the evenings when the beaches weren't as crowded we would carry our bikes over the soft stuff and ride on the packed wet sand at the surf line. I always tried to ride the bike through the soft sand back to the boardwalk... it never worked. :wink:
At some point in a Popular Mechanics magazine or something I saw a big wheeled mountain bike for the beach, using those big pnuematic sand tires used for catamaran or jet ski beach landing trailers. It was a cool idea, just real expensive.
Within the last couple years I was checking out photos online of a guy riding the soft sand on a North Carolina beach on a Surly Pugsley... once again, cool idea, awesome bike... real expensive.
So I plan to build a bike capable of riding in some sand better than my mountain bike, but do it cheap. The idea finally came to fruition when I picked up a Schwinn OCC Chopper Stingray bike for $20.
It can be seen here: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=41380
I don't like these things and didn't really have any ideas of what I would do with it... maybe just flip it? Part it? As I looked at it more I started thinking that the wide rear tire at the right pressure on the right bike might do ok in the... sand?
So tonight, I started the process:
Removed the fork and gave it to a friend (pictures to follow) then took off some other parts, then did this:
Ohh, this is fun... next:
I will be putting the big wheels on a 20" BMX style frame. First I will cut off the rear chain/seat stays off the 20" frame and weld the rear stays from the chopper bike onto it. Then I will have to fabricate a simple fork to run another rear tire (which I don't have, currently looking) up front with the freewheel removed.
Next I will have to worry about drivetrain. The chopper bike runs a wide 3 piece crank, which I cut off. Once the back wheel is attached to the new frame I will slide the removed BB through the 20" frame american bottom bracket, line up my chain, and weld it in place.
Now, I wanted to gear it a little lower, so I looked around the shop. A neighbor was giving me some bikes and handed me this odd-ball part he found (on the left):
A Specialized mountain bike right side crank with removable chainrings. Glad he didn't find just a left side. The cool thing is, even though this is aluminum and the OCC side will be steel, the crank arm design is pretty similar. I removed the big a and little wheels and got this:
I went from a 44 tooth to a 32 tooth. That should help turn that fat tire in the sand:
So if you're keeping up, I'm currently $20 into this project, and hoping to stay close to that. Why the 20" frame? I'm 5' 10" and I still fit a 20" frame ok, plus I thought the little frame would make the fat tires look fatter, and allow my kids to ride it too.
I'll keep you updated!
Oh yeah, my friend Cody, I gave him the fork and he started this tonight:
I bet he won't be able to keep up with me in the sand.