MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
If that means the black stem with the droopeyest bars, I agree. I like the second last picture. Black bars and stem go well with the fork. Chrome seems too bright, it's the only thing that tone on the bike
Somet Hingo Rother
- Thread starter GeePig
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The shiny hubs are lovely, and the nuts are so important too! Here those are typically called “acorn” nuts.
But I too am suffering from rear nuts with exposed axle shaft!
I got some front acorn nuts off of a used bicycle and it was an Elektra or Electra.
It didn’t have acorn nuts on the rear though.
I know a place where I might be able to get some chrome ones, but they will not be 26 TPI and I will have to re-thread them. Also they will be about five dollars apiece now. Too much!
Soooo…..I’m still looking for junky bikes with acorns.
But I too am suffering from rear nuts with exposed axle shaft!
I got some front acorn nuts off of a used bicycle and it was an Elektra or Electra.
It didn’t have acorn nuts on the rear though.
I know a place where I might be able to get some chrome ones, but they will not be 26 TPI and I will have to re-thread them. Also they will be about five dollars apiece now. Too much!
Soooo…..I’m still looking for junky bikes with acorns.
In my opinion these look the best.
That is my thinking, and while I do not mind painting black or rusty bars, the nice chrome should stay nice chrome. It was good to get those bars back on the bike, though!
Yes, but for the moment I am kind of keeping those in reserve, first I need to get out the paint and smarten up the bigger handlebars. It is about time that I showed them some love.
I really need to get the saddle in place and see what it feels like to ride.
I have not got much done, as I have been in Lublin for the past couple of days, and no I have not checked my Turing for wheel nuts yet.
I have put together a set of items to keep the fork and the front brake cable in place. I do have the original set for the bike, but I just sorted out some bits from my general stock. I think some of the bits were from Pig Dog.
Yes, this says Kowalek WLKP., which means Kowalek in Wielkopolskie, a rural village near the railway line in the Wielkopolskie region that used to be home to the Romet number 4 factory, who essentially made all the folding and similar bikes for Romet. The factory has long gone, but I have no idea why they put the name of the factory location on the bike instead of 'Romet'.
I have put together a set of items to keep the fork and the front brake cable in place. I do have the original set for the bike, but I just sorted out some bits from my general stock. I think some of the bits were from Pig Dog.
Yes, this says Kowalek WLKP., which means Kowalek in Wielkopolskie, a rural village near the railway line in the Wielkopolskie region that used to be home to the Romet number 4 factory, who essentially made all the folding and similar bikes for Romet. The factory has long gone, but I have no idea why they put the name of the factory location on the bike instead of 'Romet'.
Well, the time has come to use that kids frame I found and stripped down in Lublin. I found a total of three bikes dumped at the rubbish area outside our block last year - this, a 20" wheel Romet Wigry and a German 27" wheel city bike, and the parts from this and the German bike have proved very useful while the Wigry gets ridden all the time I am in Lublin.
Now I have cut the frame, I can see myself using other bits off it in various projects.
The idea was to make a new seat stem, one that allows me to put the seat further back on the frame. Of course, this bit fits neither the saddle nor the frame, so I cut a length off one of my straight handlebars to fit the saddle and another off an old fire-damaged bicycle pump that I found lying around in one of our barns here to fit the frame. The decision to chop the handlebars was easy, as I have a pair of them and never put them on any bike as I find them uncomfortable.
The part from the handlebars was a nice, snug fit and will only require something like a nut and bolt to hold it firmly in place. Until the day I buy some kind of welding equipment, the changes that I can make are a bit limited.
The part off the pump needed some filing down to allow it to fit in the frame, which seemed to take a long time but was probably only half an hour's worth of work. I did it as evenly as possible, by continually filing and turning it around and around and around until I was there.
Eventually it fitted the frame and the saddle clamp. Hurrah!
It still needs some work in the area of the clamp for the saddle, and I was messing around with the bits from a couple of saddles until I got it like this. It still needs the metal side plates reversed so that the 90 degree bend in them is up inside the saddle, and I might change the saddle to one with some padding on it. This saddle is just the inner frame used for a whole range of saddles on Romets, and without the moulded on padding there is no awkward fiddling around to fit and remove the parts during the setting up of the brackets.
The next stage is painting, and after that I can make the final choice which steering parts to use. Once that is done, and the bike is comfortable to ride, I can get onto designing the tank.
Now I have cut the frame, I can see myself using other bits off it in various projects.
The idea was to make a new seat stem, one that allows me to put the seat further back on the frame. Of course, this bit fits neither the saddle nor the frame, so I cut a length off one of my straight handlebars to fit the saddle and another off an old fire-damaged bicycle pump that I found lying around in one of our barns here to fit the frame. The decision to chop the handlebars was easy, as I have a pair of them and never put them on any bike as I find them uncomfortable.
The part from the handlebars was a nice, snug fit and will only require something like a nut and bolt to hold it firmly in place. Until the day I buy some kind of welding equipment, the changes that I can make are a bit limited.
The part off the pump needed some filing down to allow it to fit in the frame, which seemed to take a long time but was probably only half an hour's worth of work. I did it as evenly as possible, by continually filing and turning it around and around and around until I was there.
Eventually it fitted the frame and the saddle clamp. Hurrah!
It still needs some work in the area of the clamp for the saddle, and I was messing around with the bits from a couple of saddles until I got it like this. It still needs the metal side plates reversed so that the 90 degree bend in them is up inside the saddle, and I might change the saddle to one with some padding on it. This saddle is just the inner frame used for a whole range of saddles on Romets, and without the moulded on padding there is no awkward fiddling around to fit and remove the parts during the setting up of the brackets.
The next stage is painting, and after that I can make the final choice which steering parts to use. Once that is done, and the bike is comfortable to ride, I can get onto designing the tank.
Now this is starting to say "frankenbike" for certain.
Who knows what concoctions might be produced if only there was more lightning.
Who knows what concoctions might be produced if only there was more lightning.
I seem to spend most of my time painting things black.
The next set of bits to be painted were the things to support the saddle and the handlebar. I really hope that the saddle bits look good, once I have finished working on them.
And here we are hitting it with black, hoping that nothing sticks or drips. I am currently working on fixings for the mudguards, and yes, that will mean even more things to paint.
Aside from painting, I have had this rear Ukraine wheel hanging around for a couple of months now, after I found it in the attic space of one of barns. It has pretty much the same hub as the Velosteel ones on the cheaper Romets, and I would guess this was also made in the Czech republic, but it is much older than my Romets as the sprocket is presumably threaded on rather than held by a fat sprung ring. That sprocket does not want to shift, and the recommended way to remove it is with a hacksaw. If so, then it is a bit like an old derailleur gear, which can be a real bugger to remove.
Anyway, I am working on the mudguards again, and I rather wish I had test fitted them before painting as I forgot that I need to drill some holes in them.
The next set of bits to be painted were the things to support the saddle and the handlebar. I really hope that the saddle bits look good, once I have finished working on them.
And here we are hitting it with black, hoping that nothing sticks or drips. I am currently working on fixings for the mudguards, and yes, that will mean even more things to paint.
Aside from painting, I have had this rear Ukraine wheel hanging around for a couple of months now, after I found it in the attic space of one of barns. It has pretty much the same hub as the Velosteel ones on the cheaper Romets, and I would guess this was also made in the Czech republic, but it is much older than my Romets as the sprocket is presumably threaded on rather than held by a fat sprung ring. That sprocket does not want to shift, and the recommended way to remove it is with a hacksaw. If so, then it is a bit like an old derailleur gear, which can be a real bugger to remove.
Anyway, I am working on the mudguards again, and I rather wish I had test fitted them before painting as I forgot that I need to drill some holes in them.
Hopefully they didn’t stake this assembly at the factory.
If you’re in a hurry I guess you could resort to the hacksaw.
Before you go to the hacksaw, you might bake that. Let it cool off and do it again.
The sprocket will heat up faster and expand faster than the hub. As it heats and cools it will crawl in the threads slightly.
I would normally do this at least twice, but twice is usually enough.
If you’re in a hurry I guess you could resort to the hacksaw.
Before you go to the hacksaw, you might bake that. Let it cool off and do it again.
The sprocket will heat up faster and expand faster than the hub. As it heats and cools it will crawl in the threads slightly.
I would normally do this at least twice, but twice is usually enough.
After what seems like a month I managed to get the mudguards on, because they have come so far since I took the rusty one off my Turing last year. I am quite pleased with the whole process, as a rusty old mudguard from such a cheap old bike usually means no one wants them here. Actually it is also a good feeling to make something interesting from a part of a bike that was aimed at almost solely getting people mobile.
At least at the back you get two points where you can bolt it on, while for the front you just have one. This was the first attempt to mount it, where I managed, ha ha, to get the mount and bolt on backwards...
Still, I am pleased that the size looks OK, and that the front still retains that little styling choice. Well, it was from the back end of the rear mudguard, but now it is in pride of place.
After switching from M5 to M6 bolts and reversing the bracket and bolt, we are getting somewhere close. I just need to find a better washer and chop the two thru-mudguard bolts to length, and we will be done.
The strange thing about the mudguards off the Turing is that they were chrome steel, and yet those on the Jubilat and Wigry were aluminium. Maybe they were built in different factories, or maybe the Turing is just an older design or used parts designed for an older bike, one from the 1950s and 60s before the company was renamed 'Romet'.
Of course, I still have to put the front wheel on.
At least at the back you get two points where you can bolt it on, while for the front you just have one. This was the first attempt to mount it, where I managed, ha ha, to get the mount and bolt on backwards...
Still, I am pleased that the size looks OK, and that the front still retains that little styling choice. Well, it was from the back end of the rear mudguard, but now it is in pride of place.
After switching from M5 to M6 bolts and reversing the bracket and bolt, we are getting somewhere close. I just need to find a better washer and chop the two thru-mudguard bolts to length, and we will be done.
The strange thing about the mudguards off the Turing is that they were chrome steel, and yet those on the Jubilat and Wigry were aluminium. Maybe they were built in different factories, or maybe the Turing is just an older design or used parts designed for an older bike, one from the 1950s and 60s before the company was renamed 'Romet'.
Of course, I still have to put the front wheel on.
Great idea and work on the laidback seatpost. Fenders are looking good too.
It would be more secure with a U-shaped bracket to hold the front fender instead of just an L
Yes, that is a good idea, but because it would be visible at the front I would have to create some kind of elegant design. I wish I could think of something to do that, but knowing my luck that won't happen until mid-October.
Anyway, the thickness of the strap is way more than the thickness of the mudguard, and much more than the usual thickness of such straps. Way back in the late 70s I had a pair of short mudguards on single, thin sheet metal brackets, and they lasted years of getting full of mud as I rode offroad.
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I like your way of working GeePig, the paint looks really clean for (I assume) spray cans.
Did you attend a technical school of some sorts? (not implying that you need a technical school do deliver great technical work)
And baffled by your English language skills! I have been to Poland a couple of times, absolutely enjoyed it. People tend to speak more German than English, but that was my experience.
A thing in my mind about your creative (compliments!) seatpost build: I wonder if gussets are required eventually, to add that extra bit of strength.
Did you attend a technical school of some sorts? (not implying that you need a technical school do deliver great technical work)
And baffled by your English language skills! I have been to Poland a couple of times, absolutely enjoyed it. People tend to speak more German than English, but that was my experience.
A thing in my mind about your creative (compliments!) seatpost build: I wonder if gussets are required eventually, to add that extra bit of strength.
After fitting the front wheel and the rear derailleur, it was time to make some essential adjustments to how the mudguards are mounted. Removing the rear wheel meant removing the lower mount for the mudguard, while adding the front wheel meant I had to file the mounting hole to raise the mudguard.
Anyway, while the rear wheel was off, I installed the 6-speed derailleur. This is like doubling the number of gear available on this bike, and I might actually have both a decent top speed and the ability to climb the rare steep slopes found around here. As you can see, the hub is made in China and threaded onto the hub like it was still 1965...
As I am switching from a 3-speed derailleur to a 6-speed one, I need a derailleur arm that will reach all the way. Thus came off pigdog, the cheap scrap bike I took in exchange the other year for one of my Jubilats. I really should have had this on the bike before I started fitting themudguard, ha ha, as it pushes the wheel forward in the mounts. But such is the fun of building a bike.
At the front of the bike we have the handlebar painted at last, the last item in the current set of things awaiting paint. It will also be nice to get my steps back, so I can sort out the other parts I will need.
I still need to drill my frame for the derailleur cable, because having both the rear brake and derailleur cables strapped on the side of the bike may have satisfied most owners, but not me. I should have drilled them before I painted the frame - but oh well.
Anyway, while the rear wheel was off, I installed the 6-speed derailleur. This is like doubling the number of gear available on this bike, and I might actually have both a decent top speed and the ability to climb the rare steep slopes found around here. As you can see, the hub is made in China and threaded onto the hub like it was still 1965...
As I am switching from a 3-speed derailleur to a 6-speed one, I need a derailleur arm that will reach all the way. Thus came off pigdog, the cheap scrap bike I took in exchange the other year for one of my Jubilats. I really should have had this on the bike before I started fitting themudguard, ha ha, as it pushes the wheel forward in the mounts. But such is the fun of building a bike.
At the front of the bike we have the handlebar painted at last, the last item in the current set of things awaiting paint. It will also be nice to get my steps back, so I can sort out the other parts I will need.
I still need to drill my frame for the derailleur cable, because having both the rear brake and derailleur cables strapped on the side of the bike may have satisfied most owners, but not me. I should have drilled them before I painted the frame - but oh well.
I am glad that you enjoy reading about my cycling tales, and yes everything painted here comes out of a spray can.
I am also English, and learned to be a mechanic, and then gave it up to got to university to become an engineer, for the last year that the university offered machining and welding as part of any engineering course. I spent a few years working for engineering companies, then I married my Polish girlfriend and moved to eastern Poland, where people tend to use English or Russian as a second language - wifie is excellent at both, but then she has spent her whole life teaching English and Polish to Ukrainian/Russian/other eastern language speakers, from as far away as Mongolia...
As for the seat post I am partly gambling on the major parts being from a bike frame welded rather than brazed together, and anyway it will be temporary because while I build bikes here, they all either get partially or fully stripped down. This one is my local hack bike, so many of the upgrades, such as the gears, are essential, but many of the other things will be removed later. This will allow me to reuse the parts or even the whole bike in a future build - and also I don't end up with a pile of virtually unridden bikes. It is the engineer in me, always building, breaking things down and rebuilding
