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Sen

Sen

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So, I just posted a topic in the intro board, but I'm going to try and write a build topic along with my project.
As described in the intro board, for our school project (I'm studying product design at the arts academy) I had to buy something for no more than 10€ and now I've got to make it into a product I can sell for charity at an auction. I bought (well bought, I already had) an old ladies gazelle, which I'm going to convert in a lowrider esque (I'm not familiar with different models and types) bike within now and 8 weeks.

This is the bike I started with:
Get_Attachment_aspx.jpg


I took it apart completely, and so far all I've done is bend the fork some more, invert and turn around the steer and invert thwe whole frame, which gives it a look I like a lot already:
Get_Attachment_1_aspx.jpg


The bike came with a great front sprocket, but I'll take a photo soon.
 
It would never occurred to me to turn the frame upside down. That looks awesome. Ladies' framed bikes often look awkward to me, and I have played with some ways to change them, but this is truly unique.
 
It wasn't exactly my first choice when I started the project, but I think the lines are pretty nice this way. I am going to need a new crankset and stuff from a newer bike because this mechanism is too old, and I'm going to place it in front of the (upside down) seat-tube.

This is the front sprocket, but since I'm using a new crank system this one will be welded into the frame, or maybe kept for a new project.
Get_Attachment_aspx.jpg
 
Newbie as I am, I didn't know it had been done before (couldn't imagine it hadn't been done) I am going to make mine a tad more extreme though. If my picture were any bigger, you could've seen that already a bit better.

edit, bigger pic
20130305_153814.jpg
 
Sen said:
Newbie as I am, I didn't know it had been done before (couldn't imagine it hadn't been done)
Click to expand...
The more time you spend looking at this website, the more you may realise there are very few new ideas left, that being said though, there are always new ways of accomplishing those ideas and new ways to combine ideas.
Loving the look so far, that is a bike I would buy...
Love the original chainring too!

Keep it up, and keep us posted, looking forward to seeing it happen! :wink:

Luke.
 
First a picture I took before starting today, which shows the bike and lines better than the pic with me sitting on it.
20130306_130416.jpg


I want the steer to be lower, but I'm afraid I will weaken it too much if I try chopping it and, because I'm 'not allowed' to buy new parts or whatever, I'm just going to leave it this way, or hope I find something on the junkyard. I took the front wheel apart, and sandblasted the hub and rim. I want to paint the hub and spokes black, and the rim army/olive green, and make whitewalls on the tires with tire marker or something (?)
 
that is awesome. i also have a frame and fork very similar to that, part of a donor bike that i cannibalised just for the magwheels. it's been sitting on my trunk and literally i don't know what to do with it until i saw your project. very inspiring indeed and i like the way how it looked. i don't know if i'm qualified to give you an advise, but you can cut the handle post stem to lower it down, if you maxed it out.
 
Thats what I was thinking about yeah, however the inside of the tube is slightly tapered, and I'm not comfortable with shortening the bolt that goes through the steer. I'd have to shorten that because the thread would be too short after I cut the steer.

I tried to take the rear wheel apart a few minutes ago, but the spokes won't come out. I broke one when trying to loosen it too. And because I can't buy anything, this means I'd have to find another rear wheel, or get someone to donate me new spokes and stuff :)
 
I'm going to try and find a pair of new wheels. This isn't going to work. And the new wheels I'll just try to paint without taking them apart..
 
Finally some progress again!

I got myself a bike for the parts needed and of course the crankset
20130318_211440.jpg

I like the handlebars, hopefully I can get em looking as (good as) new again.

Of which I already took the rearwheel
And the seat
20130318_211418.jpg


I found a new front wheel, but it still needs a tire
 
Got a lot done today. A few setbacks too though. I couldn't use the crank of the donor bike, the handles were damaged, and the seat is broken. I did however find another bike from which I took the crankset. This had to be cut and also rounded to match the frame. And since we don't have fancy framebuilding tools at school, I got myself a bigass vile, and started.
20130319_151856.jpg


From the 2 seats I had, I was able to build one complete set. Anyone have an idea on how to make a seatcover, with which you're still able to see all the springs and stuff? Bear in mind I cannot buy anything... :?

Tomorrow I'm going to weld the new crankset to the bikeframe, build the whole bike once, to see whether everything works, and than I'll be almost ready for painting I guess. Still have to find a way to attach the seat, and I need to work on a rear fender.
 
Im working on my bike again. The new crank has been welded to the frame
20130320_140845.jpg


However as I was testfitting the whole shebang I noticed 2 small problems, and reasons for a chain tensioner. The first, big problem, is: The chain hits the frame. The upright rod wasn't designed for being fit in horizontally, so yeah.
20130320_140948.jpg


the other reason is this, the bike first had a track fork end, but by flipping the frame it got turned into a sort of semi-vertical dropout...
 

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