Second build: No name yet

[kchurch86]

Started putzing around with this Sears Fleetliner I picked up from member corysmeltzer a long time ago, and the rat trap springer fork I got more recently from member kirkpatrick, too...

The goal is to source all parts from junk I've got laying around, except for wheels, those will have to be outsourced. I already have brand new 26x2.125" white wall Sunlite tires and appropriate tubes.

This is the first mockup with parts from the '55 Schwinn Racer girl's bike I got a few weeks ago. I don't plan on using all of these parts, but I happened to have the Schwinn down from the rafters so I picked it clean. Despite the flat rear tire, this thing yard rides just fine.

The steer tube is about 3/4" too short, but so is the one on the Church Rat, and I haven't had any problems there yet I'm not crazy about the seat, I love it OFF the bike but once it's mounted I think it looks too big. Maybe a laid back seat post will help...

I also really like the chainring on the Raleigh I got with the Schwinn, so I'll likely use that. It's in better shape than this one, anyway.

I plan to use the front generator hub from the Raleigh IF it still generates. Undecided on rear hub at this moment. I have a few other bits and pieces from other bikes that will probably make their way to this one. A nice rear rack, a cool light or two, the tail of a rodent of unusual size...you know, the basics.

I'm thinking red, possibly two-tone on the frame. I want to clean the seat and see what color it really is, then decide if I really want to use it. If I do, I want to match the color to do some accents on the frame, then maybe "fauxtina" the whole thing.

It's all speculation at this point, we'll see what actually happens with it.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Following, you last build was very cool and it looks like you are off to a great start!

Luke.

 

[Wildcat]

Have you ever tired to reverse the brackets on the springer to stretch it forward?

 

[kchurch86]

Following, you last build was very cool and it looks like you are off to a great start!

Luke.

Thank you! I just hope this isn't a 3 year build like my first one...or was it 4!? [emoji50]

Have you ever tired to reverse the brackets on the springer to stretch it forward?

Yes and no. The fork arrived partially disassembled for packaging reasons. When I first started putting it together, I assembled it reversed because it seemed like it just made sense that it would be built that way. But then when I put a wheel in the fork it seemed too wide?

 

[kchurch86]

Small update: I don't think I'll be using the Raleigh chainring afterall...I can't get the crank arm off! The more I look at it though, the more I think it's not right for this frame anyway. Maybe I'll like the Schwinn ring more once I clean it up? I have a few other options, too.

I also tested the headlight, tail light, and generator. They all work! I was very pleasantly surprised. The wires are in rough shape so the lights will have to be rewired, but that's no biggie. I'm mostly excited that the generator front hub works. I didn't want to have to buy another battery and figure out where to store it on this bike.

I played around with rack placement yesterday, and I have an idea for how to use a front rack with the springer fork. Of course, that would mean I would have to lengthen the steer tube on the fork...I wonder how busy the welders are at my shop? I will also have to get creative with the rear rack mounting, but I don't see why my idea for that wouldn't work.

I pulled the Schwinn wheels off it and cut the hubs free. The hoops (S6's) are in ok shape, surface rust on the outside that cleans up pretty well but a little bit heavier rust on the inside. The spokes were shot, the hubs are in pretty good shape, I don't plan on using any of it so there may be a small For Sale thread popping up.

That's where it stands for now, I'll try to get some more pictures of the mockup and some of the other parts I'm considering for the build. Stay tuned!

Sent from my VK410 using Tapatalk

 

[kchurch86]

Here's how I received the frame. It had been painted over at least twice, the black top coat seemed to be house paint. I was able to scrape and flake most of it off, the silver underneath put up more of a fight. Once I got through the silver I found that the original red had been heavily sanded. Bit of a bummer, but no huge deal.

It was a very nice color though, seen here in the steer tube:

More mockup shots with Schwinn parts and the springer from kirkpatrick:

The more I look at it, the more I love these massive bars.

The wingtips could use some straightening, shouldn't take much:

I like this seat a lot but it still seems too wide or too tall. It's in pretty good shape, though the nose of the cover is torn/cut off.

Schwinn crank and pedal options. The pedals are all very worn, I may try my hand at a rebuild or 2.

Headlight and taillight. They both work! Too bad the lens is busted on the taillight, I'm sure I'll use it anyway.

Now for racks! Rear rack fits great. Front rack poses a challenge since the fork steer tube is short. I may be having that lengthened.

Cool reflectors:

Alternative bars, stem, and grips if I change my mind:

The first kickstand I think I've ever actually liked. Not sure if I'll actually use it.

 

[Scribble]

Love those Rattrap springers forks .

 

[kchurch86]

It doesn't seem as though I'll have time to work on this build much this summer, maybe I'll have fewer distractions in the fall...

However, I threw some grease at the bearings, couple drops of oil on an old chain, and I've just been riding this thing as-is. So I guess the build is done for now? Haha

 

[kchurch86]

So I found a thing on the side of the road today

Then I tipped it over and it started to look like something

So I went into the garage and got the seat from a riding lawnmower I scrapped a while ago

Are you picking up what I'm laying down?

So after making some careful cuts, drilling some holes and tapping another, I've got this

I still need to actually attach the seat (easy), build and attach a floor (easy), rework the rear attachment point (a little complicated), and figure out/build a front attachment point (more complicated).

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I like it!
Kind of wish you had left the top piece on as a sunvisor/roof!

 

[kchurch86]

I like it!
Kind of wish you had left the top piece on as a sunvisor/roof!

I wanted to do just that, but it was actually pretty low, even for my son. This won't be big enough for an adult to fit in, but it would be perfect for my son, he's 5. It would also be perfect for a couple cases of beer! Hah

 

[kchurch86]

Got an update on this build!

Shortly after realizing the sidecar wasn't going to work, I kinda lost interest and replaced this project with others. Somewhere around the same time (I think, going on memory only here) I got moved to 3rd shift at work, which can really disrupt every aspect of life, lol.

This bike has been hanging from the rafters in the garage ever since. Every now and then I'd pull it down, air up the tires, and ride it up and down the street until they were flat again or until the burgers on the grill needed to be flipped - whichever came first. Then I kinda lost interest in the forum, which removed all sources of inspiration.

Now that I'm interested again, I'd like to revive this thread and the bike. I've got no definitive design in mind yet, but I've got lots of ideas going. My most recent plan was to build it into a fully electric (i.e. no chain, no pedals) motorbike for commuting duty, with dual batteries and hub motors front and rear. Then the kits I was going to use increased in price by about $250 (times 2) and, well, I'm not interested in spending that much; so it's back to the drawing board.

First steps are to pull the bike down from the rafters and strip it completely. I'm not interested in the springer fork anymore, nor the rat trap rack. That's about as many "decisions" as I've made so far, I've got a lot of murky ideas to sift through before I land on anything.

It'll for sure be a while, projects that aren't of "immediate need" tend to fall pretty low on the totem. But my interest is back and it's been bugging me that all this bike does is hang from the rafters, so it's jumped up a few spots.

Here's the most recent pic (April 2018) that shows the current state, minus the chain. At some point I had replaced the chain with a new one, then I broke the OG chain on the Church Rat and figured the bike I actually ride should have the new one, so I swapped it over.