*The 76er*

[yoothgeye]

It's hard to believe its finished. I really stretched out this build, first one to post a build post and a few times this week I thought I wouldn't be able to post this one in time. The build-off has been a blast, not just building mine, but watching the other build, I think I'm just as in love with some of your bikes as I am with mine. I just got back from riding it a few miles on and off road trying to get some photos (with my old point and shoot cameras), so now I have to dig through all of them and figure out what to post. Hope you all enjoy.

Oh, here was the before photo:

Riding impressions: It rides great now! I need to tighten up the top triple tree mount, it's setttled a bit fromt riding making the steerer a bit loose. The little "skiptooth" (17 teeth, so about 34 tooth) is a great cruising gear, up hills is easy, down hills my feet can't keep up. Riding position is real comfortable, very relaxed.

Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=39623

All build and final photos: http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n530/yoothgeye/

Specs:Frame: 1976 Murray Skybolt
Fork: triple tree mounts from Mongoose mountain bike, fork legs made by me
Wheels: stock
Handlebars: home brewed
Tires: Bell Streamliner
Rack: home brew
Tank: old Roadmaster kid's convertible bike, modified
Chainguard: old Sears 3 speed, modified
Chainring: 1986 Murray 16" BMX, stock
Seatpost: stock, cut and welded
Headlight: Warn off-road light, LED conversion
Taillight: stainless steel thermos, LED
License plate: modified restroom sign
Pedals: exercise bike
Seat: old Troxel, modified
Battery tube: doorbell chime resonator
Coaster brake strap: bottle opener

 

[Jake Sensi]

LOVE IT!! TRUE RAT BABY!! I LOVE THAT PEDAL IDEA (YEAH I'M STEALING IT) :mrgreen: GET TA CHILLIN'!! PEACE

 

[KOTA]

NICE..NICE..NICE! There so many cool details on this thing. The look is PERFECT! Don't ever change it.. Don't ever sell it. This is the kind of bike you keep forever .GREAT JOB!

 

[Elmer]

Great looking rat. Love all the little details, from fender, finish, brake bracket to rack & stripes. A great job in the new classsic tradition. 12ga ? And it's nice to know you like how she rides. Great photo choices, too.

 

[MplsCoaster]

Hey Youthgeye,

Great Rat Rod Bike!
Sounds like your liking the ride too, awesome
Great details!

I dig your low railroad pic a lot!!!
And the action shots :lol:

Congrats. Nice Job!

 

[socratesjpt]

awesome attention to detail on this build, people should go through the pictures twice, because there is so much you can miss. nice bike!!!

 

[yoothgeye]

NICE..NICE..NICE! There so many cool details on this thing. The look is PERFECT! Don't ever change it.. Don't ever sell it. This is the kind of bike you keep forever .GREAT JOB!

I have no reason to sell this one, I guess I did put alot of work into it, and really have no changes that I can think of. Thanks.

Great looking rat. Love all the little details, from fender, finish, brake bracket to rack & stripes. A great job in the new classsic tradition. 12ga ? And it's nice to know you like how she rides. Great photo choices, too.

Thanks, yes, 12ga, if you go to my build page you can see how I unloaded them in the shop since I only had live shells. Popping the primer was a bit scary. Glad you like the photos, I ended up with 66 photos from my ride this morning, I took my old 4mp Canon (yes 4 magapixel) that I took all the rest of the build photos with and my wife's 12mp Kodak. I pretty much concentrated on dead industrial areas, just like the place this bike came from.

Great Rat Rod Bike!
Sounds like your liking the ride too, awesome
Great details!

I dig your low railroad pic a lot!!!
And the action shots :lol:

Congrats. Nice Job!

Thanks, yeah, it's a rider, Cody came over and we went riding since my last post, went all over town, got lots of looks, though mostly his burrito cathes all the attention. Here's another riding impression, the louvered rear fender should be called the shredder, when the tires pick up a little leaf, twig, or pebble the louvers make a horrid sound as it sheds it under the fender. The tolerances are, to say the least, tight.

Getting ready for another shakedown ride, I had to tighten my seatpost while Cody aired up his tires:

awesome attention to detail on this build, people should go through the pictures twice, because there is so much you can miss. nice bike!!!

Yes, please, don't miss a detail. :mrgreen: Thanks man.

 

[scott brownsey]

awsum bike a lot of deatail n cool things to look at job well done good luck :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Great job! Looks really cool, PURE rat 8)

 

[weekend-fun]

Great job! Like the forks!

 

[rrednek]

The bike and pictures turned out great. I, like the others, really appreciate the attention to detail you put in the bike and your build write-up. In my opinion, your write-up and details wins hands down. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

I also enjoyed following your ride around town in pictures. You chose some great back drops.

On a final note, with my apologies to Cody, I want to declare you the RRBBO official winner for 2011! Congratulations on winning the Roanoke Rapids Bike Build Off. :lol:

Jeff

 

[yoothgeye]

Thanks for all the kind words guys, I'm just glad to be able to finish amongst so many other cool bikes.

When I showed my wife the bike (she never went upstairs in the shop) she asked "Is it supposed to look... old?" haha I had alot of explaining to do.

 

[yoothgeye]

The bike and pictures turned out great. I, like the others, really appreciate the attention to detail you put in the bike and your build write-up. In my opinion, your write-up and details wins hands down. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

I also enjoyed following your ride around town in pictures. You chose some great back drops.

On a final note, with my apologies to Cody, I want to declare you the RRBBO official winner for 2011! Congratulations on winning the Roanoke Rapids Bike Build Off. :lol:

Jeff

Thanks for all this Jeff, I hope you saw all 66 finished bike photos in the photobucket link, I know you could name all the places, and if you can read the light in the photos you could probably tell me what order I went to those location, and you can see why I didn't post some of them, sun just got too high in the sky, I was glad to get some good morning light.

Man the before and after is awesome. Old bike to rat rod bike. The rack looks good open. :wink:

Thanks, you know I looked and looked at that rack, and layed things on it, and thought and I decided there was nothing I could do for that rack except leave it along. It's still super functional and mega heavy duty. I like it just like it is.

 

[Whitfield]

Very nice- i love thebuild. Your design skils and unbridaled imagination have always amazed me.


Youve come a long ways from the zuwharrie build days - tow bar, pannic bunk, abs spacers, snorkel,



Awesome

 

[yoothgeye]

Very nice- i love thebuild. Your design skils and unbridaled imagination have always amazed me.

Youve come a long ways from the zuwharrie build days - tow bar, pannic bunk, abs spacers, snorkel,

Awesome

Thanks Mike, that really means alot.

I've always attacked building things without fear, obviously until panic bunk. haha No, but really I've just had to go at this entire build with the approach of "I've got nothing to lose." I did end up throwing away some stuff, but I don't miss it, no regrets.

As for having nothing to lose, I've been thinking about my cost of parts that I actually bought specifically for this build. The bike was free. I paid $14 for the steel to build the forks, had some left to do the handlebar mount and still have some left. I had 2 sets of those tires, one set I paid $15 each for, the other about $9 each, so I'll just go on the higher end and say the tires cost me $30. Though I had all the paint already in my collection I'll just add $10 for that (which is way too high). I paid .99 cents for the copper rivets I used on the seat and I paid $3 for the copper straps that I used on my tank and battery tube. Everything else was stuff I got for free. So I can round up and say I build this bike for $60. To me that's pretty cool.

 

[erichitscar]

Awesome! It came out Awesome, Just Awesome! Awesome.

 

[yoothgeye]

Awesome! It came out Awesome, Just Awesome! Awesome.

Thanks man, I hate to feel like I'm bragging on myself, but I feel the same way, I love this bike.

 

[jerrykr]

WOW, just WOW. I think you have the best '76. Lots of great details. I need to take another spin back thru the pictures.

Great job all around!

 

[longshort]

cool , ok thanks for the info dont really use photoshop or whatever it is so dont really no what i did or how to fix . bike looks good good luck.

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

LOVE....THIS....BIKE!

Cheers,
Dr. T