Sheldon Brown's Klunker Build

[Danimal]

Short build story...Here is what the bike looked like sometime in the 70's when the great Sheldon Brown owned it. According to his site, it was one of the first bikes he ever owned. Pretty cool:

Then I bought it last summer at the Larz Anderson show from his widow. At some point he made the bike into a 10 speed as can be seen the front and rear gears. This is what it looked like when I was hauling it back to my truck:

After some time, I decided to use as much of his original stuff as I could. The front sprockets were not working so I went back to a Columbia sprocket. Kept a 5 speed though since I REALLY liked the caliper brake he rigged up. Used a rear wheel from a dump find, old front wheel I had lying around (bonus: it is a Columbia wheel), swap meet tires and Brooks seat, and dump find bars and neck. Cobbled up a shifter and a rear brake lever and reinstalled the orginal 70's water bottle holder. I still have the original toe clip pedals but they just don't fit my giant feet so I put them aside for now. Anyway, I took it out last night for it's maiden voyage and Mr Brown's bike rides again:

So there it is. My coolest bike and a piece of bike history!

 

[Hooch]

a big pat on the back to you for making it right

 

[Walker]

Nice work Dan, Very inspiring..

Those are the tires you nabbed from under my nose in Portsmouth last year aren't they!

 

[aka_locojoe]

Very cool in a multitude of ways.

 

[yeshoney]

You should have asked me if I had a set of bars for you????!!!!!

I have about 5 sets of the bars in Sheldons original bike pic>

DOH!

Joe

 

[Danimal]

Thanks guys.

And Joe, since I wasn't going 100% to the picture, I didn't mind these bars. They kinda work for the little modern touch anyway.

 

[SimpleMan]

Dan....that is so cool! I know your a pretty tall guy.......looks like sheldon must have been a really tall guy. Looks like you lowered the seat post down a little :mrgreen:

I love that picture of you carrying it off into the sunset :mrgreen:

 

[Danimal]

Dan....that is so cool! I know your a pretty tall guy.......looks like sheldon must have been a really tall guy. Looks like you lowered the seat post down a little :mrgreen:

I love that picture of you carrying it off into the sunset :mrgreen:

Jeff,

I'm 6'8" but I have no idea how tall Sheldon was. :lol:

The seat post was there and in the SAME position still. I pulled it out and found it pretty bent. I anguished over it, but wound up cutting the bent piece off the post and used what was left. I wouldn't have, but I didn't any others that fit so I had to do it. Glad I picked up a black Brooks to put on it. Perfect seat on that bike!

 

[thatismytruck]

Glad you brought that bike donw with you Dan. It is very cool. I got to ride it!!!! and then Ian trued the wheel!! Very cool bike.

 

[RZ94]

I believe Sheldon is smiling

 

[deorman]

http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_inf ... ts_id=5758

 

[biss-ness]

Cool Story! Great Looking Bike!

 

[yewhi]

Nice!

I enjoyed seeing that. Here's another of Sheldon's that is really cool.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ranger.html

 

[deorman]

Is that a standard add-on derailleur mount? Works on Columbia dropout slot? Pic? :mrgreen:

 

[Hammond Eggz]

Great story, and big kudos for keeping the heritage alive.
I'm betting Sheldon's chuckling right now... 8)

 

[yewhi]

Just out of curiousity. Did I miss something with the fork? Is it backwards?

 

[Danimal]

Is that a standard add-on derailleur mount? Works on Columbia dropout slot? Pic? :mrgreen:

I'll get a pic for you this weekend. I think it is just a standard derailleur...it is the one that was on it so I didn't examine it too much.

 

[Danimal]

Just out of curiousity. Did I miss something with the fork? Is it backwards?

Very good, yes it is backwards! It still works, just looks a little different. I may change it back...

 

[thatismytruck]

I like it that way. It rides well and gives the bike a bit of a longer wheelbase.