Unofficial March Shootout II

[handyandy1100]

I like the T-bird.
So I realigned the rear triangle to get the seat stays to line up better with the top tube. Imagined the seatpost, I'll fab it tomorrow, got a chain to work and I put on some different bars for a look n' see.

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Looks a whole lot different than when you started. A whole lot more awesome-er!

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[us56456712]

I like the T-bird.
So I realigned the rear triangle to get the seat stays to line up better with the top tube. Imagined the seatpost, I'll fab it tomorrow, got a chain to work and I put on some different bars for a look n' see.

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Crazy, man harkens back to Easy Rider.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Today I took it out for a spin. Stuck in third til I fab up a shifter, but it felt good there. I'd lower the seat some but my old knees like it where it's at. The seat is a place keeper, threw it on just to ride. Paint, shifter, seat, that's a punch list I can handle. 6 days left.

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[handyandy1100]

I need to get a welder someday...

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[us56456712]

Frankengravel is finished. It rides great, I’m very impressed. It rides a lot like an early mountain bike. The chainrings are 48 x 38 x 28, which is higher than they were in the day. All my early mountain bikes have 46 x 36 x 24 with a cassette that has 6 or 7 speeds with 12 to 28 teeth. I used 7 speeds with 11 to 34 so it has a more road like gearing but gets down to the old mountain bike range. I used mostly old technology, quill stem, cantilever brakes, square taper crank, non sealed bearings and thread on freewheel. The more modern updates include 29 inch Weinmann double walled mountain bike hoops that are rim brake compatible. They are laced to old school bolt on hubs. I used Panaracer Gravel King 38 mm wide tires. The brakes have secondary cyclocross cross top levers and the main brake levers contain the shifters. To me this is the ideal combination of old and new. The cross top levers work better than the old style and brake lever shifters are better for gravel on drop bars than the old bar end shifters. The old technology and frame geometry on this rig is all I’ll ever need for gravel, a new bike would be overkill for my gravel riding ability. I could make the wheels tubeless, but I really don’t need that for what I do.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@us56456712 that is nice. Really nice! With the whole "isolation" thing, I've been eyeballing the farm roads around the area, and Frankengravel looks almost perfect. Any idea what the stem is?

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Great close up pics @us56456712
I think I'll shoot a few of my laced up rats.

Carl.

 

[us56456712]

@us56456712 that is nice. Really nice! With the whole "isolation" thing, I've been eyeballing the farm roads around the area, and Frankengravel looks almost perfect. Any idea what the stem is?

The stem is from an early 90s mountain bike. I have several. I have one that is gold anodized on a bike I built years ago that I ride on ice in winter. This bike is going to be dismantled and scrapped soon as rust has taken its toll. The studded tires will be put on an old full suspension bike for use next winter. You can have this stem, I have too much of this stuff. The bars are track bars, which made it difficult to mount the brake levers, but they were the only ones I had that were small enough in diameter so that the brakes would slide on. Most of my drop bars are so old or weird English or Australian that they fit nothing in I have including stems.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I'll take all the decent quill stems I can get! Everything quill in the lbs is junk, looks like it came from Wally world. The rise and reach on your stem look perfect for drop bars on a hybrid or retro MTB as you know. I hate those damned adjustable stems.

 

[schwinn boy]

I'd say it's 90% done. over the next few days I'm going to change the pedals, shorten the fender brace extenders and maybe add a rack.

 

[SoulGarageOH]

Had to narrow the fender a tad to fit between the chainstays. Then cleaned up all the shiny bits.


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[SoulGarageOH]

Forgot to attach pic of shiny bits

So shiny now, in fact, that if you look close, you can see my reflection in the fender


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[us56456712]

I'll take all the decent quill stems I can get! Everything quill in the lbs is junk, looks like it came from Wally world. The rise and reach on your stem look perfect for drop bars on a hybrid or retro MTB as you know. I hate those ...... adjustable stems.

I need to get a welder someday...

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No problem welding. Look up battery welding on the internet. Use two car batteries, or car and and or deep cycle, whatever you have or can borrow. Use Romex house electrical wire for leads, vice grips to secure the Romex to the batteries, vice grip for the for the ground and a vice grip to hold the welding rod. Use thin 6011 electrodes as they flow well, eat through impurities and are easy to use. Go to a reputable welding shop and get a good welding helmet, not a big box or internet one. This will cost about $100 but you can’t learn to weld if you can’t see the puddle. I built a bike frame for one of the build offs a few years ago using battery welding. This is the least expensive way to self learn. I still use battery welding where there is no access to plug in juice. I put everything in a wheel barrow. When you buy a real welder you will not have to buy another helmet to use it. Keep your auto darkening helmet in the dark, away from light, when not in use.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Man, you know how to party!

 

[SoulGarageOH]

Interesting seat tube. I’ve never seen this...

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[handyandy1100]

Interesting seat tube. I’ve never seen this...

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Laid back version...

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[SoulGarageOH]

Well, I think this is it. The only thing left for me to do is some detailed cleaning. It performed well in the test drive. I may want to do some balancing to the front wheel, but other than that. I think it’s a wrap.

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[us56456712]

I took Frankengravel 15 miles today. 44 F with rotton dangerous Lake Superior ice. There were a lot of guys social distancing out on the dangerous ice. The fish weren't bitting but they were risking their lives to get away from the wife and kids. I have never been to Munising Falls in the spring so I pushed my bike back there because I didn't have a lock. I also checked out the historic life saving station.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Yikes that's some thin ice! I wouldn't be out there! Waterfall pic is pretty nice

 

[handyandy1100]

Been living in NC for 20 years now. Seems hard to believe people still have snow at the end of March. It's 76 degrees outside right now.

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