MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
I'd guess that the knobbies are a contributing factor, they add a bunch of rolling resistance. It'd be interesting to see how they feel if you were to switch the wheels on the 2 bikes and see how things feel
ORBO Step-Thru Klunker
- Thread starter Bike from the Dead
- Start date
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I might actually try that! In fact, I need to replace the rear tube on Shoestring again anyway, so maybe I could just swap out the tire while the wheel's off and throw that knobby tire on for a test. If I have the same issue with that tire on a bike that rides just fine, then I know for sure it's the tire. If not, then I either need to swap gears, or worse, examine the hub itself.
Funny thing, I had this exact same issue with the first klunker I built back in 2022. I even used the same tires at first! I tried switching to some standard cruiser tires afterwards, but the problem never went away. Though In the case of that bike, I didn't rebuild the coaster brake, so that may have been part of it.
Length of the crank arms? IDK
Came in late to this one! Appreciate the support for dissed girls/step-thru Schwinn frames; I’ve got 2. Also appreciate the the trials and tribulations of resurrecting an abandoned steed.
This one started as a more or less intact Meteor; obvious klunkification of cockpit & switch to skip tooth. I’ve put lots of miles on it but mostly 13 mph 20 mile rides on dirt canal roads and pavement. Which leads me to: how big an issue is frame integrity on these frames? I weigh 210 but as mentioned my days of 20 mph 70 mile rides are long gone!
This one started as a more or less intact Meteor; obvious klunkification of cockpit & switch to skip tooth. I’ve put lots of miles on it but mostly 13 mph 20 mile rides on dirt canal roads and pavement. Which leads me to: how big an issue is frame integrity on these frames? I weigh 210 but as mentioned my days of 20 mph 70 mile rides are long gone!
On those old Schwinns, frame integrity is good. The step through frames that failed are those made later, in the late 60's and 70s where they were made more cheaply. The seat tube would bend and change the geometry of the frame.
Thank you! I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Schwinn step-thru frames, but if you build them up right, they can turn out pretty sweet! Yeah, it's a ton of fun resurrecting bikes that have been thrown by the wayside.
Awesome! That's a good-looking Schwinn right there! Love that you get it out and ride it as much as you do. As for frame integrity, I say that as long as you're not jumping it or riding over curb-sized rocks, you should be fine.
Hi, @Wylly , I am similar to @Bike from the Dead , I am not a huge fan of step-thru bikes but fun is fun whether its the building aspect, the riding aspect or both. I am still working on GIGI which is in the Build section and it is being built as inspiration from a cool step-thru bike by @One-eyed Sailor during last years RRBO: and there are several others also. A cool component of Rat Rod Bikes is you get to see a little bit of EVERYTHING and participate too.......
I’ve pretty much been indulging my bike obsession in relative isolation down here in the desert. Finding this forum was big fun and opened my eyes and mind to a bike world I barely knew existed! So far I’ve just been randomly wandering around the site but I stumble onto all kinds of wild and crazy stuff every time…
This is one of my favorite step thru klunkers. I think I had wanted to post these pics before but couldn't find them. It's a moped fork I believe.
Ooooh, I like that!
Excellent. I’d love to experiment with some forks like that. Lepper saddle?
Here’s another step thru I’m in the process of banging together from random pieces laying around
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With the ape hangers, that looks more accurate to photos of a step-thru klunker I saw in a documentary about Pearl Pass in the '70s. Looks good!
That’s so funky (in the best possible connotation)
Funky = random, little or no plan, throw it on the frame and see what sticks (with a dash of psychedelia)
Re pearl pass: I first stepped into this stuff when I was stationed in Denver in the early 80’s and bought an old Schwinn at a goodwill. Took everything off, put on apes and newsboy baskets and used a piece of plumbing pipe for a high seatpost. I rode it all over Denver for 3 years…
Finished i guess
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Nope now it’s done maybe
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I saw similar use in my 20's. Having lived in Amsterdam for 6 months and Sint Maartensdijk for an additional 12, these were just genderless bicycles.Here in Poland, especially in the countryside, bikes were just bikes, and those frames considered girls' or womens' bikes elsewhere were very practical once you got them loaded up with a tool with a long handle or just baskets front and rear full of things to take to or bring back from the market.
Both these bikes were owned and ridden into the ground by men in my village:
It is like having a male or female horse - they both get to pull the wagon or the plough.
So yeah, build those step-thru frames into different things, because they are step-thru rather than women's bikes.
Looks like a darn pool party! 
Who’s build thread is this??
