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Archived discussions: July 17, 1997 through September 20, 1998
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So, you've got all these extra parts laying around, and you know you could make a really cool custom bike. What are you going to build? What features do YOU think are ultra-kool?
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Jim W. & Bike Tuna et. al.:
I may be the victim of some big bike show coming up. Seems as if everyone is working hard getting ready for it. I called Shimano again today and they used that as an excuse. Still no status on my warranty situation.
I am a privateer working on my own bikes so I will relace my wheel and call it fun. I like to build wheels but not the same one more than once. Also, I have 3 other wheels to build and am ready to paint the frame and forks for a 6 speed I am building.
I don't have a photographic record of my project sad to say. I usually have the subject bike all apart before I think of it. To anxious to get on with it I suppose. I do take pictures of the final result though. I should add that these bikes I am building were thrown out and in bad shape for the most part. I have many bikes that I will leave shabby rather than destroy the original decals etc.
On another subject-I was digging through a box of componentts I had stripped from discarded bikes and found a nice old Shimano push-pull derallier operated by a simple twist grip shifter. Now I'm trying to think of a trick application for it. I have another item similar to it but it is an early index system. Can't remember what make and the bike has no identification on it. I don't know why that type of shifter is not used more often. I am not impressed with having to work against a spring to shift gears.
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I've been wondering about the same thing,
lately. I'm gearing up to do a radical
makeover on a 15-speed MTB with an incomplet
thumblever shifter for one of the derailleurs.
I was wondering about going to a twist-grip shifter
for the rear. Does anybody know if this
would work in this application. This would
make for a nice piece for BikeRod&Kustom.
Pictures would be nice, too. (Big Hint).
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I have a chopper that I custom made. It has 32" front forks and an extreme rake to the frame. Its pretty killer. I might be intrested in selling it, but only to the right person. Anybody else out there with a similar bike?
Message:
I have a chopper that I custom made. It has 32" front forks and an extreme rake to the frame. Its pretty killer. I might be intrested in selling it, but only to the right person. Anybody else out there with a similar bike?
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I made a chopper a few years ago and I live in Hawaii. The fad of lowrider bikes kinda went out for now so my bike is just sitting. Its been in a few shows and has placed only once. The color is berry red metallic with gold, red, and blue pearl, and gold flake. The front forks are 32 inches long with the Harley style gooseneck and also it has an extreme rake to the frame, which was extended 6 inches. It has ape hanger handlebars and bajitas tires with cool rims. I found the rims at the rubbish dump, and I don't know what kind they are, but, they are aluminum alloys with six spokes(kinda looks like star rims)and they are chrome plated to shine. It also has a custom made purple/magenta satin and velvet banana seat cover with 5 buttons. Its name is Violet Sunrise. I'd like to hear from someone who may be intrested in looking to buy it ...or atleast someone who may have another nice custom chopper. You can reach me at p.o.box 627 Volcano, HI 96785. Aloha!
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Jim w. et.al.,
I don't have much experience with twist grip shifters but I would think that any shifter with friction mode would work. I have gone to thumb shifters on several of my 10-12 speed road bikes and like them much better than stem or down tube shifters. I recently installed Shimano bar end shifters on my Fuji road bike and like them best of all. They are set in friction mode. The drawback is that they cost about $60. I have been told that there are other bar end shifters available but have no information on them. Anyone know of a source?
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J&B Importers has a pretty wide variety of
them. Prices vary from $15 to over a hundred.
Only drawback to J&B is you have to do a
pretty good imitation of a retailer to order
from them.
Off-Topic: Since most of us still have decent
weather going, this would be a good time
to take good photos of your cool rides.
BikeRod and Kustom is going to be launched on
the web pretty soon. I'm working on the
virtual trophy which will be awarded to
the builders whose bikes make it into the
gallery. It should be a really nice showplace.
I've also been working on the FAQ for the
site. I'm adding it to this post, for
possible input by members of this list.
All suggestions are welcome. Jim
BikeRod&Kustom FAQ
What is a BikeRod; what is a KustomBike
A BikeRod is a bicycle which as been mechanically modified by its owner, to more fully perform
a desired function. This function may not be necessarily related to higher performance. Some
people are fascinated by machinery, to the extent that they want to play with it, and modify it to suit
their own machine esthetic. This mechanical personalization is the core of the BikeRod.
Another aspect of the BikeRod esthetic is a desire for perfection in construction and finish.
A KustomBike is more conceptual, in a way. The Kustom builder is making an artistic statement,
with sculptural and/or graphic media, grafted on to the machine esthetic. Mechanically, the bike is functional; but the true emphasis is heavily weighted toward the visual impact of the concept. A
Kustom is more of a fun thing to the builder. Part of the fun, though, is in achieving the perfection
of construction and finish equally prized by the BikeRodder. An absolutely flawless, interesting paint
job requires serious dedication to achieve. Functionally, the powder-coat finish on a modern, out-
of the box bike is far superior to mere paint. When you see a modern bike with a Kustom paint
job, you are looking at serious art.
How do Lowrider Bikes fit into this thing?
We consider Lowrider Bikes to be an art form, albeit a type of beautifully-executed folk sculpture.
At the extreme level of the show circuit, they are virtually non-functional pieces, built around
the theme of the bicycle. They're fun to look at, and the builders are to be congratulated on
their attention to detail and conception of theme. However there are many sites out there dedicated
to this type of bike art, so there will not be much of a Lowrider presence in the pictorial choices
of this one. That isn't chiselled in stone, however, but is merely an editorial direction. A killer
ride is a killer ride, to a true bikehead. Send pictures. If it's really great, it will be shown, no
matter what category it falls into.
How do I get into this thing?
Easy; you just get your hands on a bicycle. Then you take it apart and put it back together again.
Once you have it apart, you may wish to replace a few worn or unsightly parts. As long as you
have it apart, you might as well paint the thing. It's almost impossible to give a bike a nice
paint job while it's all together, so the disassembly is half of the process of beautification. During
the reassembly, you may decide that it would look cooler or work better if you change some of
the bits and pieces. When you finish, you will be the proud owner of a BikeRod or Kustom. It's
about that simple. The best way to learn bicycle mechanics is to hang around with people who
work on bikes. These people are usually found in bike shops, or in bike clubs. Cultivate that
friendly, helpful bike-shop guy, or club sprockethead. To learn about painting, find a local body
shop which will let you hang around and watch, perhaps in exchange for making yourself useful.
You will be more likely to gain entrée if you have your own organic-vapor respirator mask. The type
of paints used on cars and bikes give off toxic fumes, which will kill you if you
breathe enough of it.
I've got a cool bike, how do I get its picture on BikeRod&Kustom?
E-mail it here; if it's cool enough, it'll be shown here. It helps to have a good photograph. I find
that a 4X6 color print from a decent 35mm camera, when scanned, will make for a good image
on a web page. Various views are useful, and may help insure that one photo makes the cut.
I'm about to start building a bike; should I take pictures while I'm doing it?
Sure thing, especially if part of the process would be of interest to the kind of people interested
In this type of thing. Anyone is invited to submit an article to BR&K. You won't be paid for its
use on the web page, but you will retain copyright of the material for all other applications.
If unsure about the potential of the subject, submit an E-mail here describing the subject. You
will be given a Go/No Go answer. Here are some things that would be interesting: tools and
methods you use, reviews of specific parts and parts suppliers, just about anything of interest
to the non-stock bike fancier.
Will I get answers, if I send in questions?
Yes. Q&A will be continuously updated. If your editor can't answer a given question,
it will be referred to someone who can. There may well be many answers to one question, very
much like life itself. In the words of H.BikeRod Bitchin', "Sometimes, it takes a village to
build a bike". You are invited to add your answers, as well.
I would like to buy or sell a BikeRod or KustomBike, will BR&K run my ad?
Yes, but only for complete, one-off bikes. Other sites and newsgroups are set up for buyers
and sellers of stock bikes and bike parts; use them for that purpose. For-sale ads must be
accompanied by a photograph of the bike and an E-mail address for the seller. Want-to-buy listings
must have an E-mail address for the potential buyer. This site is not a brokerage, and will not be
part of any transactions.
I'm an auto painter looking for moonlighting work on bikes, can I be listed? And what
about my brother-in-law, the welder?
Skilled craftsmen looking for bicycle work are encouraged to be on our posted list. This site
will make no assurances about anyone's work, and will not be part of any transaction. Our
correspondents are encouraged to make recommendations, but this does not constitute an
endorsement by BR&K itself. Caveat Emptor! Vendors of reproduction decals and the like are
invited to be listed with restoration-oriented sites. We don't do stock here.
There's a show circuit for Lowrider Bikes; is there anything like that for BikeRods
And Kustoms?
If there is, we don't know of it. Lowrider Bikes are sort of the youth auxiliary of Lowrider
Car clubs. There is a show circuit for the cars, and the bikes are included. There is a Hot
Rod and Kustom car circuit, but there doesn't seem to ber a bike auxiliary to that sort of car
club. There probably should be, though. Most people who build their own cars are old enough
to have offspring. Building one's own bike is a worthy endeavor for youth, and should be
encouraged. If you know of a show that has a bicycle category, please inform BR&K, it
will be listed. Starting your own club is one way of having a show to display your bike.
Many cities have bike-related events, often in conjunction with parks departments. A Kustom
bike show would be a good adjunct to any bike-fair sort of event. Ask around local bike
clubs for a good idea of what's out there. Perhaps a local bike shop would be interested in
sponsoring your club. BikeRodders certainly buy a lot of parts, so it's a natural connection.
Many shops and suppliers offer club discounts; RBR (hiwheel.com) certainly does. So, the
answer to the question is "not at the moment," but there will be if enough people want
it to be.
Is building your own bike very expensive?
It depends on how much of the work you are willing or able to put into the project. It is possible
to spend a great deal of money in building a bike. Or, you can do it cheaply and still end up
with a cool ride. Painting and parts are the big expense, assuming you start out with a used
bike. Anyone with patience and fortitude can develop painting and sanding skills; I have it on good authority that Harvard U. does not offer a degree in spray painting. Just get your hands on a bike and
practice. Although bike parts can be expensive, you don't have to buy them all at once. Bikes
are extremely modular. You can replace a less-than-perfect part later, allowing you to spread-
out the overall expenditure. And you can ride it in the meantime. Compared to cars, though
building your own bike is muy cheap; and the tools are a lot cheaper.
How do I get my hands on the bike you've been telling me to get my hands on?
Ideally, someone gives it to you, or you find it in the trash. If not, yard sales and thrift stores
are next cheapest. Flea markets and swap meets are more expensive, as is the used bike area
at a bike shop. Newspaper classifieds can be a good source of bargains. Winter is the best
time to buy, so it pays to plan ahead. For this type of bike-building, almost any bike frame
can be the basis for a project. In the stock-bike field, girl's bikes are less-desirable, and go
for less money. For a KustomBike project, the wildly differing design solutions found on
step-through frames can make the finished project much more interesting.
The Bi in Bicycle means two wheels; is that a requirement of BikeRod&Kustom?
No. Any number of wheels are fine, so long as the subject is still based on bicycle technology.
If you combine a bicycle and some floatation to build a WaterBikeRod, it will be welcomed,
so long as it's beautifully-made. Which would seem to let Kustom BikePlanes in, as well. We'd
love to see some KustomWheelchairs, also. Motorized bikes, if one-off designs, would be
interesting, also. Sidecar bicycles have a lot of interest around here, too; Granny'd better start
locking up her three-wheeler.
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I found a way to make an easy pair of wheelie bars for a schwinn Three wheeler back end all you have to do is get a set of training wheels for a 20"24"16" wheel depending on what size wheels you have on your three wheeler now all you have to do is flip them around and put them on the inside of the rear end and there you go
Message:
I am looking for a picture of a shaft driven bike. A replacement to a chain drive.
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At last I can complete the report on the upgrade of my custom ballooner with a 7 speed hub. The project was not much of a challenge technically or mechanically and has turned out to my satisfaction. In an earlier note I mentioned that a long threaded rod with 4 nuts and washers was used to spread the frame. I used the well known string trick to determine if the stays were spread equally. I had to fiddle a little but this too was fairl;y straightforward. At this writing I have onl;y ridden it around the driveway a little but all the gears work. I will take it out for a long test ride soon. As easy as the task was, obtaining the hub and ancillary parts was a bad dream. It took me 5 weeks to get all the parts. I made at least 10 calls. wrote 2 letters, sent 3 FAXs. The first problem was that they had no record of me sending back the faulty hub so I sent them the UPS delivery record off the internet. When the parts still didn't come I made 3 unanswered calls. Finally I tried a different rep. and he sent me an incomplete set of parts. 3 additional calls resulted in getting the missing parts. Now here's the bizaaro part. They sent me a lot of extra, very expensive parts. I now have about 2.8 hubs. I've simplified this sad story but anyone wanting to know more just let me know. I know I didn't catch them on an off day, they had a whole 5 weeks of bad days.
Anyway it looks like all is well, I hope, I hope.
Next project. I just completed painting the frame and forks of a custom 2 x3 = 6 speed. The color is dayglo orange with darker shading around the head tube and rear dropouts. In addition, I blew on a little metalflade that reflects the light spectrum in sunlight. It makes normal orange look like mud. The bike will have graphics on the down tube and seat tube exclaiming that its name is "JUICE". You see, I have a winter home in an orange grove in FL. I started with a much better than average Murray lite 10 speed with all alloy components, braze on, slotted cable stops, etc. I have replaced the freewheel with a spanking new S-A AW 3 speed hub. Along with the two cog crank gives 6 speeds. A fixed position derallier provides chain take up. Its not very radical but I have taken great pains to refurbish all original components to new condition and replacement items are all new. To complete the fruit theme, the graphics will be lemon yellow and lime green. Graphics will be created on a PC and then laser cut from .002 adhesive backed vinyl. All lettering will be cut out to appear as orange.
A fairly simple and inexpensive alternative to decals. For a future project I would love to take a light weight frame and put balloon tires on it. My ballooners are much too heav;y. The fork I can handle but haven't figured out how to make the chainstays wider for the larger tires.
since it took 5 weeks and all those contacts.
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To see some pics of my Peerles/Nexus go to:
http://members.tripod.com/~JBurtner/index-8.html
more detail shots coming soon!
Message:
http://members.tripod.com/~JBurtner/index-8.html
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Anyone have experience or knowledge of bicycle sidecar fabrication/attachment?
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We have an article in the first issue of
BikeRod&Kustom (launching this weekend),
to do with trikes and sidecars. It doesn't
really cover the actual mounting process,
however, in my research on the subject, I
found a site which gives details of the
mounting of sidecars to motorcycles. The
site is http://www.motorvation.com. The
simplest approach to a sidecar bike is to
base it on an outrigger trike (Granny Trike).
The rear outrigger axle serves as the
main mounting point, leaving only a front
mount to be added to the basic bike. To
fabricate the sidecar body, the logical
basis would be carved foam covered in fiberglass
or spandex/glass.
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Thanks Jim for sidecar info. BikeRod and Kustom sounds right up my alley. I'll be checking it out.
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We are completing the coding of the last
couple of pages of issue#1 of BR&K. We should be uploading the whole thing Sunday, Oct. 18, 1998. Please check it out at: http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom
The first issue has features and photos of cool bikes by John Burtner, Fred Hajny, Dov Jelen, Mike Silva and Chris Spollen. Our Tech Page has a how-to article showing how to make streamlined,
clampless, brazeless, and strapless mountings for bike hardware. Our Design
Lab has an article on the various configurations of 3-wheelers and a piece
on the amazing lovelylowrider trike- conversion kit. Issue #2 will be starting as soon as #1 goes up. Its cover subject is Sheldon Brown's cutest
fixed-gear hot rod. We have lots of room
in the permanent Gallery; so start photographing your rides now. We want to
see them. Jim Wilson, Editor
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No comments from this group on Jim's new magazine? Where is everybody? The last message is Jim's announcing the mag on the 17th. I think we all owe thanks to Jim for undertaking this venture which has got to be a lot of work. I'm not only gratified to have my bikes shown but am anxious to see some of the other bikes out there e.g., John Burtner's great cruiser. Another topic; I receive a bunch of mail order catalogs for bikes and components. All of them feature high dollar components for high end road bikes and mountain bikes. Where are the catalogs for low end bikes. I need classic handlebars, brake components, wheels, cranks, fenders etc. Are there any catalogs like that out there other than Loose Screws which is great by the way?
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It is excellent. There's my 2 cents. Ya'll should
have a look.
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Thanks Fred and Kath, it's nice that you
like BR&K. I want to make it even better. I'm working on issue #2. In addition to Sheldon Brown's Hot Rod Raleigh, we're also featuring Specialized's Robert Egger's Speed Queen, which is one of the most gorgeous
things on two wheels. Look for #2 to go
up Nov. 20.
Regarding your search for a catalog which has parts for ordinary bikes, Fred, the "Yikes, Trikes" article has a
link to J&B Importers' Web site. (It's under the photo of the Granny Trike. They have all that stuff; and it's cheap. The website has a catalog request form, so sign up. Hint: sign up
as Fred's Bike Repair, or something like that.
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So whats all of your winter projects I dont have one im gonna be stuck with school
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Hey Schwinn-Man, you need to get your values straight. School is important, as it affects the rest of your life; but
messing around with bikes is good for your soul. It's best to strike a balance: do the school thing, but take some time to do the bike thing, as well.
My winter project list will probably take several winters to accomplish, since I'm putting so much time into BikeRod&Kustom. #1 on my list is "Killer
Swan", a 24" girl's Monark Rocket. I'll be giving it the spandex streamline treatment, and taking photos. #2 is my
kustom MTB project. I'm kind of hot to get into that one, because it's going to
be my main personal ride. I'm thinking of going with a moto-cop look to it, to go with a mounted-police helmet I have.
Who knows? #3 is a Hawthorne 24", which I plan to do the spandex thing on, and
do a matching sidecar for. That one's probably next winter's project, unless a
lot of other people contribute articles to BR&K, giving me more spare time.
Speaking of BR&K: yesterday, we were notified that we've been awarded the "Golden Hubcap" by Geocities' Motor City zone, where BR&K resides. It's a
serious award, only given to sites which
have excellent content and flawless coding. Dave and I are thrilled to get such quick recognition of our work.
If you haven't been to BR&K yet, you can
find us at http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom
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Schwinn man; Good question. My winter project is a little different than my summer projects. I am the de facto bike Dr. in the mobile home community where I spend my winters. There are many many bikes in the park, most of them 3 speeds with a good sprinkling of 10 speeds and Ugh! a few cheap mountain bikes. Most of them never touched with maintenance in mind. I true up wheels, replace broken spokes, mount new tires, adjust a host of 3 speed shifters and 10 speed derailers, replace pedals, fix brakes etc. I don't charge for my effort only for the parts. When people press money on me, I decline by telling them that it would be work if I were paid and I am happily retired. In addition I hunt-you know what. Anything interesting on two wheels. This more than keeps me in project bikes and once in a while I run onto something fine. I do miss building bikes but I don't have the equipment to do what I like to do and keeping those old bikes and folks rolling is very satisfying.
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Hobby customs and classics:http://members.tripod.com/~JKTbike/index.html
new site, growing, cool customs and misc. bicycle
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Newbie on board....Glad we found you-all...but WHERE is Jims page ?
info greatly appreciated !
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WE FOUND Jim W's site.......Man, spread this address around......we certainly will. This is an outstanding job !!!!! We not only bookmarked, but wrote the
URL down in case we lost it !For anyone new looking go see....
http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom
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Flattery will get you anywhere. Seriously, though, it's not just my site. I put it up so that everyone can
show off their work and share their knowledge. It's our site, I'm only the
guy who pays Geocities the $5 a month.
(An incredible bargain for 25 megabytes
of space.) We're only up to 2.5 megabytes at this point; so there's lots of room left in the gallery.
Message:
I forgot to mention that we'll be uploading the second issue very soon. I'd intended it to be up a few days ago,
but a catastrophic crash of Dave's computer put a serious crimp in our production schedule. We still have a
gap in our Tech section, also; should anyone wish to contribute some hints or
tricks. We do have two of the coolest bikes you've ever seen, more links and
weird stuff.
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Is it just my imagination, or is the list getting especially dormant lately?
I've been extremely busy, producing issue#2 of BikeRod&Kustom and
building a pedal-Bugatti which absotively, posilutely has to be in Australia by Christmas. I still grab a
little time to check in here every day, though. It's muy depressivmo to come here and find that the last message is mine, from a week ago. As a writer manque, I love the sight of my own work,
however, I find other people's words more interesting, after a while.
After all, it's not like issue#2 of BR&K
is up yet, to absorb everybody's interest, or anything. At this point, I must apologise for the lateness of its appearance. Poor Dave came down with some sort of virus that's sweeping through Louisiana, and he's temporarily out of action. So even though I've put it all together and sent it to him, it'll have to wait until his recovery allows him to get back into the saddle. I've added a new icon to the cover page, which links directly here to the custom discussion list. That way, you can put your reactions to the various aspects directly out here for us all to see, and comment upon.
I've also added a bookstore to the 'zine. I went through Amazon's entire list and picked out titles I think would
be of interest to our readers. You'll be
able to click on any of my selections, and be able to buy it directly from Amazon.com. BR&K will get 15% of the action. Hey, geocities only charges us $5 a month, but it would be nice if the site were self-supporting. Bad enough that I have to write the entire bloody thing, so far; it would be nice if I didn't also have to pay the rent on it.
I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the Jungets, Jim&KT, to the list, and to BR&K. They are a wonderful
addition. If you haven't checked out their tripod site (see above) please do
so. They kick ass, and they definitely do Kustom. If Flash Gordon rode a bike, it would definitely look very much like their "Magenta" seen in Issue#2. My original reference would have been Buck
Rogers, but they have a ride in the works which is called that, and rightly so. It's a symphony (or maybe a cathedral), on wheels, in folded sheet metal.
While I was waiting for someone else to contribute a Tech piece(Damn glad I wasn't holding my breath!) I wrote the first installment of my magnum opus on Spandex Composites for bikes. The first part deals with the application of foamcore board, which provides the armature for the process, in radical applications.
It may be next weekend before issue#2 goes up. Dave has a day job, which is pretty much like Homer Simpson's at a nuke plant; except Dave isn't an idiot. (However, he does work for a corporation which is very much like Mr. Burns'). Don't worry, it's in Louisiana.
Message:
sorry jim not much to talk about but i did find an old schwinn frame that was an ice cream bike it needs alot of work to make it nice but that will come when i know what to do with it
Message:
Jim et. al;
I suspect that the deafening silence in this forum may be due partly to the demands of the holiday season. Until it is past there is not a lot of discretionary time available for some folks. Personally, I am not able to do any major work at my winter home and in addition am limited in PC capability having left the power PC at home. I just have to turn to other bike activities e.g., new aquisitions. Speaking of which, I just bought a mint Schwinn World Traveler (Chicago) here in Florida. The seller swears that his wife rode it at most 200 miles. Nothing custom about this gem but it is a turn-on never-the-less. Wish I could send you the material for my 7 speed cruiser custom but it will have to wait until next summer. In the meantime we must "Endeavor to Persevere".
Fred
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I plan on making a three wheeled chopper out of a schwinn back end and a ???? Frame with ????? wheels so write in any sugestions even if you think there stupid ones any will work Thank You!
Message:
God bless America for making the Aussie Bike restorer feel a little less lonesome. When BMX Hit Australia in 1981, Virtually all our classic cycles were ditched for the new stuff and anything old was avoided like the plauge.
Message:
In the 60s we had our own musclecars (69 Falcon GT Forever) and Musclebikes, our own malvern star "DragStars". Lots of Raliegh and UK imports (Choppers were cool, but long wheelbase was always the ducks guts), But no- one over here has heard of Schwinn until they introduced thier new 97 models. The thought of a kid even owning a dragster was unhip until about 1995,when some other kids around Melbourne came out of the closet and started tearing down ancient Malvern Stars. Compared to what i've seen over there, it's a desert over here. We have no N.O.S. parts, everything bike shop purged itself out years ago (although miracles do, and continue to occur). Plenty of 70s aftermarket bits, But no Malvern Star or Raliegh! Common practice is to customise!!! When Friends and newcomers want in on our scene, it's out with the oxy and off to the powdercoaters. No concours restorations here. That may seem sacrelige to you "box stock" dudes but please, we have no choice!
Message:
In the 60s we had our own musclecars (69 Falcon GT Forever) and Musclebikes, our own malvern star "DragStars". Lots of Raliegh and UK imports (Choppers were cool, but long wheelbase was always the ducks guts), But no- one over here has heard of Schwinn until they introduced thier new 97 models. The thought of a kid even owning a dragster was unhip until about 1995,when some other kids around Melbourne came out of the closet and started tearing down ancient Malvern Stars. Compared to what i've seen over there, it's a desert over here. We have no N.O.S. parts, everything bike shop purged itself out years ago (although miracles do, and continue to occur). Plenty of 70s aftermarket bits, But no Malvern Star or Raliegh! Common practice is to customise!!! When Friends and newcomers want in on our scene, it's out with the oxy and off to the powdercoaters. No concours restorations here. That may seem sacrelige to you "box stock" dudes but please, we have no choice!
Message:
In the 60s we had our own musclecars (69 Falcon GT Forever) and Musclebikes, our own malvern star "DragStars". Lots of Raliegh and UK imports (Choppers were cool, but long wheelbase was always the ducks guts), But no- one over here has heard of Schwinn until they introduced thier new 97 models. The thought of a kid even owning a dragster was unhip until about 1995,when some other kids around Melbourne came out of the closet and started tearing down ancient Malvern Stars. Compared to what i've seen over there, it's a desert over here. We have no N.O.S. parts, everything bike shop purged itself out years ago (although miracles do, and continue to occur). Plenty of 70s aftermarket bits, But no Malvern Star or Raliegh! Common practice is to customise!!! When Friends and newcomers want in on our scene, it's out with the oxy and off to the powdercoaters. No concours restorations here. That may seem sacrelige to you "box stock" dudes but please, we have no choice!
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In the 60s we had our own musclecars (69 Falcon GT Forever) and Musclebikes, our own malvern star "DragStars". Lots of Raliegh and UK imports (Choppers were cool, but long wheelbase was always the ducks guts), But no- one over here has heard of Schwinn until they introduced thier new 97 models. The thought of a kid even owning a dragster was unhip until about 1995,when some other kids around Melbourne came out of the closet and started tearing down ancient Malvern Stars. Compared to what i've seen over there, it's a desert over here. We have no N.O.S. parts, everything bike shop purged itself out years ago (although miracles do, and continue to occur). Plenty of 70s aftermarket bits, But no Malvern Star or Raliegh! Common practice is to customise!!!
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In the 60s we had our own musclecars (69 Falcon GT Forever) and Musclebikes, our own malvern star "DragStars". Lots of Raliegh and UK imports (Choppers were cool, but long wheelbase was always the ducks guts), But no- one over here has heard of Schwinn until they introduced thier new 97 models. The thought of a kid even owning a dragster was unhip until about 1995,when some other kids around Melbourne came out of the closet and started tearing down ancient Malvern Stars. Compared to what i've seen over there, it's a desert over here. We have no N.O.S. parts, everything bike shop purged itself out years ago (although miracles do, and continue to occur). Plenty of 70s aftermarket bits, But no Malvern Star or Raliegh! Common practice is to customise!!!
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We had our own Malvern Star- Brand "Dragstars", long wheelbase always. There's a few still around, and when a couple of us "retroers" in Melbourne started cruising down the beach road on them, most people thought we were nuts.
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We had our own Malvern Star- Brand "Dragstars", long wheelbase always. There's a few still around, and when a couple of us "retroers" in Melbourne started cruising down the beach road on them, most people thought we were nuts.
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We had our own Malvern Star- Brand "Dragstars", long wheelbase always. There's a few still around, and when a couple of us "retroers" in Melbourne started cruising down the beach road on them, most people thought we were nuts.
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Does this thing work, or what?
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Does this damn thing work or not?
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Does this damn thing work or not?
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Yes, Steve, it works very well. Every time you click on the "Enter your message" bar, it sends the message.
Interesting to hear about the Ozzie bike
scene, though.
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In my 12/14 note I said my latest acquisition was a Chicago Schwinn World Sports. Dale Brown tells me that it was probably manufactured by National of Japan who also made Panasonics. Thats how much I know about the confusing history of Schwinn.
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It's with great joy that I announce that
BR&K#2 is pretty much up. Dave and I are still tweaking it to perfection, but, it's out there. Among its other attributes are a link direct to this discussion group. People have suggested
that it have its own discussion group, but why bother? BR&K is the graphic adjunct to this list; we support it all the way. We hope to increase traffic in this list, and encourage everyone to use
this forum to discuss issues raised in BR&K. As far as I've noticed, we've never had a flame war here. What's up with that? Are kustomizers that damn nice, or what? I'd like to see a contrarian voice as a columnist in BR&K,
someone who would go against our grain, big time. What about it; anyone interested in being "Mr. Cranky"?
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I recently purchaced a bicycle at an auction, and would like to know something about it. The name on the bike is Alta. It has kind of an old look, and has a heavy construction, The neat thing is that you can fold it in half. I know that it is Italian made, but that's really all I know. Can anyone help me on this.
Thanks
Shari
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I've been trying to piece together an old tandem. I'm tayloring the bike to my own needs. I started
with a bare frame, and I mean BARE! I'm down to needing a shifter cable and tires. I contacted
Tandems East n New Jesey via e-mail with a few questions because I know little about tandems.
When Mel of Tandems East found out that I wasn't putting together what he thought was a cool
bike, I received an insulting e-mail, dubbing my bike "The eighth wonder of the world" and ignored
my request for the correct parts. I had bought parts from him before and now I'm sorry that I did. I
didn't realize that asking a few questions would be such a pain for him. I will never buy from
Tandems East again. I found what I needed at a local bike shop, and was well received.
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I'm a newbie here and just checked out Jim's web pages! WOW! Great site! I had no idea that there were so many other people that had the same interest for "Not Your Average Joe" kind of bikes. I can hardly wait to finish my tandem and see if it makes it into the gallery!
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Now that I've cooled down from my bout with the Tandem Snob, I figured I would tell you guys about my tandem project.
I dragged the frame out of the trash dumpster of an Ohio State Frat House. It's an unusual "his & hers," make unknown. The rear handle bars don't mount to a stem that mounts to the front seat post, like most tandems. They have their own part of the frame which takes a standard 1" stem. The forks, head set and head tube were shot and the rest of the frame was completely bare. Over the last few (too many) years, I've gathered parts and welded a new head tube on. The head tube was fabricated from a piece of galvanized fence post. The forks are for a mountain bike, 1 1/4" smoked chrome with cantilever brakes. The rear hub is a Dreigang Torpedo, 3 speed, coaster brake, shifted by a Dreigang ratchet thumb shifter. I haven't decided on tires yet. I think I would like to find some wide white walls that will take more than 50 psi.
Until I had the bout with the Tandem Snob and found you guys, I was kind of stuck for some finishing touches. I had a couple of good e-mail exchanges with Jim and found some great solutions on his Web Site. The glue on pulley bracket cover gave me some ideas for cable sleek routing. "The Juice" has inspired me to trash the ugly drop bars on my 71 Schwinn Continental, for a cleaner look.
The name of the project, "Wonder Number 8" and paint concept I owe to the Tandem Snob (detect a little bitterness?), dubbing it the Eighth Wonder Of The World. As Kustomizers, we must find the good, even in an insult (GRIN). During my seething, "Eight Ball" popped into my head. I have an old eight ball in a box of "stuff", so I took a look at it and decided on the paint job, which is also my favorite beer (Yuengling's Black & Tan). So, black and tan it is (well, it will be). Somewhere on Jims pages, he made a mention of "part serial killer." Is this the sort of mental rambling he was refering to?
Any suggestions that anyone may have are welcome. Thanks to Jim and those who's ideas are here and on Jim's pages.
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Hey Dave,
Maybe you should consider a top-tube-mounted stick shifter, using your 8-ball
as the knob. That would be pretty cool.
I love working old stuff I already have on hand into projects. Just about everything I build has some kind of ancient artifact embedded into it. The drawback is that I save all kinds of weird stuff, just in case I might want to use it that way, someday. Sounds like
you're starting to have fun with your project; congratulations.
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Allrightythen! I don't have the heart to drill and tap my antique 8 ball, but "stuff" is my main gig. I have a stand at a farmers market where I sell "stuff". Most of the "stuff" comes from auctions, so I'm sure I'll come across another 8 ball in better shape. If I don't get one by the time I get a shifter, I'll just have to go and get a brand new one. I'll also keep my eyes peeled for a cool shifter. In the mean time, I'll keep going as planned and make the refinements as I go. Winter won't be around for long and this bike needs to hit the pavement. It's been dorment way to long. Ummmmm........ are we the only ones here???
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I happened across an exploded diagram of the above refenced hub. I've scanned it and uploaded it
to my web file space in case anyone needs it. I thought it would be good reference material.
http://members.aol.com/flipndave/bike/hub.bmp
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Oh, a real antique. Yeah, you wouldn't want to drill and tap something serious.
I just had a thought and checked it out.
An 8-ball knob sounds like something you'd run into in the J.C. Whitney catalog. Turns out they have an 8-ball
steering wheel spinner knob. Probably do the job, except it's 12 bucks. Kinda
pricey.
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One vintage Hurst 8 Ball shifter aquired from eBay!
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Ok, I've determined the make of this ol' gal, now I need the age. Is anyone familiar with old Western Flyer bikes?
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I need to get some simple plans of aproxamately where on the frame to cut and weld, i have access to any metalworking tools and want to cut a chopper down about 4 inches would someone please e mail me if you know?
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IF YOUR SERIOUS, WE CAN MAKE YOUR BIKES ON ONE OF OUR BADDEST BIKES CREATED POWERHOUSE LIST.
IF YOUR INTERESTED IN 24K PLATING CALL (909) 603-5534. ITS YOUR CHIOCE, MAKE YOURSELF FAMOUS AND BE PART OF A WINNING TEAM
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Are 26 inch, 40 hole, silver MTB rims available? If so, where? I've just aquired a 1952, Sturmey Archer, 9 speed hub (3 internal w/3 cog gearset) that needs to ride again.
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Nevermind, I found that my local Schwinn Shop can order them. Ummmmmm.......... where is everyone? I feel like I'm posting to myself. Anyone have any cool projects going on?
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I'm here. I'm knee deep in 3 ballooner projects.
2 men's and one woman's with a cool skirt guard.
All will be running 4 or 5 speed rear ends.
Currently I'm working on sanding, filling and paint prep.
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I thought I frightened everyone away! I love those old ballooners! I'm looking around for a basket case frame myself. I've just aquired a 1952 Sturmey Archer 9 speed hub that needs to be on a bike again.
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Dave,
Gordon, the guy in the HotBook section of BR&K is a terrific source for old bikes. Pretty tough to beat the price, too. And he's a really nice guy, also.
He'll send you photos of bikes to choose
from. The next issue, in the works, will
have some gorgeous kustom ballooners (Phatties).
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Jim, once again, thanks! I'll check him out right after I finish paying for my hub's tuneup and lacing. Gotta rebuild my "mad bike" money stash again!
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Now that I'm completely consumed in this Kustom Bike thing, I've managed to throw together a Web Page so other Kustomizers can see what I've been rambling on about. On the page is a photo of a tandem exactly like mine. If any of you that visit my page know about what year my old tandem was made, please let me know. I've been going nutz trying to find out. Also, if any of you have your own little page about your projects, feel free to e-mail me a link, because I would love to see what other people hve been doing. I've enjoyed Jim's Webzine and all the links more than I can describe. By the way Jim, where's the pics of your projects? Here's the address to my page: http://members.aol.com/flipndave/bike/index.htm
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FlipnDave's Bikes
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Your tandem's frame, forward of the steerer's saddle, looks very much like
a Western Auto middleweight I had, from
about 1960. This is a very nice tandem frame design. In the discussion list to
do with bike dating, there's a guy who
goes by "oldbikes". I'd recommend that you e-mail the pic to him for more specific dating.
I've been away from my bike projects since October; a combination of BikeRod&Kustom and the pedal-car project
I just finished being responsible for the gap. I'll have a photo of the
car on the EditorPage of BR&K. I'm going to go to the next stage of my "Killer Swan" 24" girl's Monark project
next week. This stage involves stretching a spandex membrane over the entire frame. This will be photographed
for part2 of the Spandex series in our
TechStuff page. Some older bike projects may be seen on my home page, "Uncle Jim's Workshop" at http://pw1.netcom.com/~wilsnetc
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It sure makes it alot easier to sand
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"Rock Miracle" paint stripper and steel wool is a lot gentler on the metal, though. Welcome back, SM. How's school going?
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I am searching for information, hopefully with picture, of a bike called something like 'ingo' or 'engo' (I thought it sounded like 'Engle". My in-laws were telling about this bike that rode low to the ground with a rather small front wheel and larger back wheel. The back wheel, if I remember correctly, had the axle off center with spokes on one side maybe 30" and the other 18". To make it go (and they said it really did!), you would bounce up and down on the seat. (Sounds like a neat exercise!) A grandson likes to make up his own bikes and my in-laws would LOVE to have him make one of these.
Pictures and/or links to web sites would be wonderful!
Thanks!
Connie
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That would be the Ingo bike. The rear
axle was off-center. I think there's a
picture of one in one of the Evolution of the Bicycle books.
(maybe both volumes?)
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Glad you've been lurking. We've missed you! Now that you feel openly creative; how 'bout doing something for BR&K?
URLoved! JimW.
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Now i don't feel so lonely here!
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I am currently buiding a chopper out of a Stingray frame.I have added 5 feet to the forks, which came out really nice....,,but am not exactly sure how to alter the frame for both good looks and riding comfort...hints or links to pictures would be appreciated
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Checkout Jim's Webzine, Bike Rod & Kustom. There's some cool choppers in the gallery with links to their creators pages.
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Issue#3 is gearing up. This is a good time to make suggestions for sources, links and tech tips. Still time to send pix of your ride. We've got a huge pile of new stuff for the gallery, but there's always room for more. We've got a big feature slated on Reecycles, who do lovely and amazing stretch-framed Kustoms and MotoKustoms. When you see their stuff, you'll run right out and buy a torch. Truly Awesome Work!
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As promised in BR&K#1, I've started the process for organizing a KustomBike show
here in the big apple. I'm in contact with Electrokinetics Gallery in SoHo. I'm aiming toward having it this fall. The kickoff event would be a KustomBike parade down the Broadway bike lane, ending at the gallery. Exhibit bikes will be chosen from the BR&K Gallery. So, keep the pictures coming.
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What a KEWL idea! What are the proposed festivities for this event? Swap Meet? Vendors? Bike & Bikini Contest perhaps???!!!
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Actually, I was thinking more of a Gallery show. Maybe if it goes over well, we can have the traditional sort
of show next year. Doing anything in NYC
is a real pain; bigger is definitely a lot more work than I've got time for. I like the Bike 'N' Bikini idea, though. I think I'd look pretty good in one 8-).
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In my younger days bikes were all I thought
about .Now its old cars but I just bought a
26in bike and looking for bars,gears,seats,forks
all in the sting ray chopper muscle bike style.
I'm also looking for all kinds of parts so I
can do all those thing I thought of back then
like trikes choppers ect. There are all kinds
of non-bikes applacations that bike parts can
be used for . If anyone out there can give me
E-mail addresses or info of any kind please
e-mail me at hotrodnut@hotmail.com looking
for parts in Houston . clint
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HI, i a, looking for lowrider parts for a bike if you are selling any parts for a lowrider bikes just e mail me at danemurphy@hotmail.com with the info
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The Zip Disc which contained most of the new pictures for the BR&K Gallery,
and the sender's E-mail messages has become corrupted, therefore totally unreadable. Andrea Burchell, a guy named
Brown from Minnesota, and who knows what else: your E-addresses have been lost with the disc contents. Please resend the data. Obviously, this is a good time for anyone else to submit.
On a happier note: everything else is pretty much finished and ready to go. You won't believe the fantastic stretch
cruisers from the Russells of ReeCycles. This will be the best issue ever.
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I have a lowrider bike that I built and I
wouild like to sell it but I can't find anyone to buy it can you help
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Jim, sorry to hear about the ZIP crash, man! Now I could kick myself for not getting my butt in gear in finishing my tandem! Oh, well . I'm still pretty much giggling on the edge of my seat waiting for the next issue of BR&K! I'm interested in the continuation of the spandex tech & other stuff. Catch ya later ~
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Thanks for the condolences, Dave, I think we'll go ahead and put it up, then, as the lost gallery stuff comes in, we'll add it without waiting for issue 4. Even without it, we have quite a lot of new stuff. Two bikes from Jim Roslof, and a whole bunch of ReeCycles stretches. I'm waiting for a stretch frame from ReeCycles to arrive, before doing the next spandex piece. If it gets
here in time, I'll do it for #3. Jim&KT
Junget are contributing a tech piece on
lacing two rims to a single hub, which is pretty cool. I've got the pictures and the basic procedure on hand; just waiting for a little more info from them. The Jungets have built a bike designed for use on snow and ice, which uses the trick for more traction. It would be great, also, for a drag-racing
setup, with a pair of slicks on the rear. Dave has all the completed pages in hand now. No. 3 should be mostly up within a week. I think it'll be worth the wait.
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Hello, does anyone know of where I can get the motorcycle style forks on GT Bikes Motoglide? I've got an old ccm that would look cool with those, and I don't want to use the ones from my Sears musclebike that I'm still SLOWLY building.
Bike R&K: cool site!!!
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Thanks Speedy,
Rott Heavy Industries makes forks like that. Check out: http://www.rottbikes.com
Their triple-tree fork is pretty nice.
Most of their stuff is for 26" frames,
but they could easily do a shorter one for you.
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Thanks Jim! I'm on my way to check out their site. The ccm has 28" tires, but I plan on downsizing them to 26 or 27. I hope the forks aren't too expensive, though, for I live in Canada, and the duty can be a killer!
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Speedy; I saw your note and am curious about your CCM. I have a 3 speed (Shimano) mixte framed bike that I restored a couple of years ago. It is very English looking and rides as solid as an old Raleigh.
Fred
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Sorry I took so long, Fred. (I work two jobs). It's an early 70's CCM single-speed cruiser, 28" wheels, heavy frame,with the two top bars of the rear triangle bolted in place (I can't figure out why they built it that way). Style-wise, very dated, but like your bike, it's very comfortable.
Does anybody know of any good sites with pics of bikes? The search engines don't have very many.
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Speedy, if you downsize your wheel size,
I have a friend in Norway who's got a need for a pair of 28" wheels for a bike restoration project. Let me know if you're interested in parting with them.
Bad BikeRod&Kustom news: my brother Dave, who is in charge of HTML and FTP for BR&K, is in the hospital. A week ago, he was bitten on the face by a brown recluse spider. It took a week for the doctors to figure out what was going on. By that time he was in pretty bad shape. He plans to use his recuperation time to get the issue up, but it will probably not be finished until the middle of next week.
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Sorry, but my best friend wants them. He's got some idea for a custom recumbent for his kid. I just can't figure out how though, the kid is only three. He's no taller than the wheels themselves.
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http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom issue#3 is finally up. Dave was bit on the face by a poisonous brown recluse spider a few weeks ago. His face was so swollen that he couldn't see for quite a while. We hope you'll feel that #3 is worth the wait. Regards, Editor Jim
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To all;
Once again Jim and Dave Wilson have come up with a great issue of their Webzine. We are lucky to have them.
Lets all support them as much as we can to keep this thing going
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You're making us blush! I gotta admit, I like #3 also. Do you know why? Because I didn't have to write every word in the issue. Jim&KT Junget, and John Riley added a lot to the mix; Believe you me, I'm thrilled by the more diverse composition. I encourage everyone to contribute their own unique take on the concept. We're especially fond of additions to our gallery. I have two new gallery bikes in hand: they'll be added within a day or so.
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Oh, and I forgot to mention Fred has a contribution in there too. 8-)
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Once again, an outstanding issue of BR&K! Great job Jim & Dave! I enjoyed every bit of #3 and the only improvement that I can think of is having MORE! Dave, I hope you're heeling up quickly. I've been bitten by brown spiders and once by a tarantula and know full well what it feels like. I was surprised to see how fast that BR&K was up and very happy to see it too! Thanks again!
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I just built a neat three wheeled chopper with 27in. forks it has a schwinn three wheeler back end a schwinn 26in. males frame and a bar stool seat with a back and schwinn ape hangers really nice
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And you haven't sent us a photo for BR&K? Tsk,Tsk! Sounds great, though.
The bar stool seat is a clever idea.
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Well i would send a picture but there are a few more "bugs" to work out
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Bugs, shmugs! Take a few pics of that bad boy chopper, post it on your Web space and lets see it! I lust love seeing what other people are creating!
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In the last post, "lust" was supposed to be "just," although I do have a certain lust for Kustom bikes.
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... that I had to tell someone. Last night, I finished laying down the final coats of paint on my tandem and I spent the day starting the reassembly. I'm only waiting for the V brake to arrive and it'll be ready for photos!
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I can hardly wait to see it! DaveWizard and I will be adding a couple more bikes to the gallery in a week or so, a sort of issue#3.1. I'm still waiting for Andrea Burchell to send replacement text for her Kustom Silver King. Maybe we can add yours at the same time? I just added a new link on the Editor page. It goes to another page with more pix of the Bugatti pedal car. The other new gallery bike is by Thomas Tullar: a Schwinn Wasp-based kustom MTB. It rocks!
Turns out Dave accidentally left out the text for Jim Roslof's killer Hiawatha. We're putting that back in, also. Slightly off topic, but it should be of interest to all: I've just put up two sites on http://www.homestead.com. They offer absolutely free website space to anyone-12MB worth; with no popups or banners, and no restrictions on commercial content. They have their own killer web-building software you can use. It's actually better and easier to use than Net Objects Fusion, which is what I use for BR&K. It's an unbeatable deal. I built two large and complex sites in way less than a week! And keep in mind that it's DaveWizard who knows the html code in the Wilson family. I know zilch about it. This is especially relevant, as we're kicking around the idea of a kustom bike webring. Check out Homestead.
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I'll try my best to get pics of the tandem ASAP! Thanks for the tip on Homestead.com. I've secured my little piece of their rock for some up and coming projects of mine. I'm in negotiation with an Amish craftsman for my own version of a utility bicycle (my welding looks like bird droppings). I also hope to be finishing up my quest for those cornfield hopping, tricycles. I could dig having one of those parked along side of that arctic bike! But, ya can't have everything. Where would ya put it?
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Iis there man and women bikes?or is there no difference
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Yes, there are bikes for men & bikes for the ladies. There are also unisex bikes and in the case of my tandem, there were even a few his & hers bikes. The front of my tandem is a mens & the stoker position is the ladies portion of the frame.
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I have an old portable bicycle circa 50's/60's with a folding frame and telescoping seat and handlebars. The decals on both sides of the frame read: "HiLo", and the wheels are 12in. in diameter. The coaster brake and rear hub are stamped with the name: "Kome1 Super". Any hints of the manufacturer, or the worth of this bike? All equipment is original, it's a little rusty and pitted though.
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Tim,
I recommend that you Kustomize the hell out of it, using Sheldon Brown's attitude in BikeRod&Kustom#2. It ain't some priceless collectible, especially if it's got a lot of corrosion, just make it really Kool. Life is too damn short to waste time looking for N.O.S.
decals, and matching period paints. Turn the thing into art; is my attitude.
Of course, by coming to this list, you should have been prepared for that response, anyway.
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"Fantastic Fred" Hajny has finally put up a website. It's still being tweaked,
but well worth seeing before the grand opening. Go To:
http://members.tripod.com/~fredhaj/home.html
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My people! I stumbled across BR&K while on Sheldon Brown's mega-site. Thanks for having an excellent magazine style site. I have a problem. I see a bike in the trash or on the side of the road and I must put it in my car. Then I make it rideable. Then I hang it on a hook in my basement. Then I get the shakes and black out for a while. My wife thinks it's "funny." I have a couple of "custom" bikes you could say. They sure as hell don't look like they did when they were born. Jim: Are you the head cheese at BR&K? I was thinking about mailing some pics of my bikes with a little story for each. Also, who made those chopper-bikes with the little engines on them in issue #2? I think it was #2. Maybe it was issue #1. Anyway, I need one. I got the shakes again when I saw those pictures. Little flame-job on the tanks...(voice of Homer Simpson: "Oooooo...flame-job) You see, I used to ride big-boy motorcycles until I couldn't afford to risk cracking my head open. That little scooter I saw would be a nice compromise. I know you said on your site that you're not a broker, but I would much appreciate it if you could forward me the maker's e-mail address either in this forum or right to my address. This is a good little forum, but postings seem pretty sparse. I guess custom bikes don't exactly have the nation drooling, but this forum and the BR&K site are a nice oasis in a desert of conformity. Talk to you all later! P.S. My sister wants to sell me her old Schwinn Varsity 10-speed cheap! Any custom ideas? Maybe some 20-inch rims? Maybe some drag bars? A lobotomy?
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Yes, Ted, I'm le grande fromage at BR&K.
We'd love to get your pics and text. That's what we're here for. The stretch motos in issue#3 are by the Russell family in Washington state. Their E-address is reecycles@kalama.com. They would be glad to build one for you. While we're on the subject of BR&K, I'd like to mention that we're building up momentum to set up a KustomBike webring.
This would be a good time for bike kustomizers to set up their own web sites. I recommend http://www.homestead.com. It's totally free, with 12MB of bandwidth. No Popups, no banners, no restrictions on commercial content. Plus, they have free JAVA-based page building software that lets you do incredible pages with absolutely no html knowledge required. It's the best deal I've ever run into.
BR&K will probably be staying on geocities, but I've started up two new Homestead sites (neither to do with bikes). One of them: http://www.homestead.com/jimwizardportfolio is over 50 pages, so far, and I only started it a couple of weeks ago.
Homestead rules!
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I've just added a BikeRod&Kustom HOTLINE page, for items that can't wait for the next issue. The URL is: http://www.homestead.com/jimwizardportfolio/hotline.html
The current item shown is an inflatable pedal boat for $229, from a catalog which showed up here recently. We've bought stuff from the catalog before, but that's our only connection to the company, Sportsman's Guide. Check it out.
Message:
hello everyone.
I hope some one can help me in finding info on this thing I have. It looks like a thing that they would bring you around in a Oriental country. Like a rickshaw only smaller and it is made to attach to the under side of any bike. It has two wheels and a black plastic seat that faces the back of the bike . My two kids sit in it and I riged up a seat belt for them. I like to find out who made it and if any other seat congigurations there may be.It's called a "BUGGER". I'd say maybe early 70's onstuction? The thing seems very well made and sturdy.
any help would be more then helpful.
We have riden it in two 4th of July paradies, and my two girls love it!!!
thanks
John b
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where can i find a seat post to fit a middle weight schwinn typhoon. The seat tube diameter seems to be .801" I.D.? I wish to use a modern seat with rails and I would like a longer 400mm one with a little setback (long leggs). Am I asking too much? Is there anything BMX to fit the bill?
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Hi all -- I just found this list through the excellent bike r&k site. It gave me some great ideas! I have been doing cars and Vespas for a while, but I just moved up to Berkeley for school and don't have a garage. I want to build a killer "Theif-proof" street machine with a one-speed hub from this Peugot frame I bought at a garage sale for $3.00. Where can I get a set of Kool upright alloy handlebars?
I was thinking about using one of those disk brakes for the front, but that might be too high-dollar. I've built wheels before but I don't know where to find a cheap track-style hub. Any suggestions? Does anyone on the list have a hook up from a wholesale shop?
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Luxury Lowrider has NOS Shimano Disc brake hubs for about $40, laced to a rim for about $100. J&B Importers has all sorts of handlebars in a wide variety of price levels. J&B are in the Bikerod&Kustom Links, along with another site which sells different alloy bars. .
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Thanks for the response. How do I go about getting J&B parts? They seem to be very picky about who they sell to.
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I have a new project and don't have a clue where to get parts. The bike is my wife's 1949 Dayton. I need a complete crankset and pedals, handlebars and stem, New Departure coaster hub or equivalent, front fender mounted light. I would settle for close. Can anyone steer me to sources for such items? Thanks in advance.
Fred
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I believe the Bugger was a kid trailer made by the Cannondale bike company in about 1974.
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Does anyone know where I can get a trailer hitch or something that can be modified to be able to pull a small trailer with a bicycle?
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Dave,
A company called Farrington Chariots makes that sort of thing. Go to:http://www.fchariot.com/photo.html
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As usual, thanks Jim!
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Willster, head to your local small machine shop and have them turn down a piece of mild steel solid rod 7/8 inch down to 800 thou' and they will probably have a bar bender for the desired layback. Bye for now, Mike
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Hi, My name is Craig Kelchen, and I am a graphic Design student at the University of Northern Iowa. For one of my classes, I have been assigned to design a 'zine. 'Zines being defined as low-budget, special interest, limited quantity magazines. I am interested in doing a zine about old bikes, which I am very interested in. I have 2 Schwinn middleweights and an AMF middleweight from the mid '60's.
I am asking for your help in this endeavor. I would like to request any stories, essays, anecdotes, etc. that you folks would be willing to submit about old bikes. Any old bikes - musclebikes, ballooners, middleweights, etc. Any good material will be included in the final print. Tell us what you ride, and why. Stories about your first bikes. What you love (or hate) about old bikes. Anything that would be interesting. I will also consider putting in a few photos of bikes, provided you can e-mail me a high-resolution photo of your bike.
The format for this project will probably be about 20 5.5 x 8.5 pages, so I don't have a whole lot of space for exceedingly long stories. The ideal length would be between 1-4 paragraphs for stories. I would also love to have a few 1 or 2-liners for some filler or margin material, so send any good quotes or observations.
If I get enough good material, and if I enjoy doing the first, I may do a second issue, and possibly keep going beyond that. It just depends on how much good stuff I can come up with and I can get from other collectors.
I would appreciate any help you can provide. Please send only stuff that you have written personally, instead of other people's stuff you have copied from forums such as this. This way I can credit the material to you, which by the way, I plan to do. So if you do send material, please include your name and city. If I use your material, I will send a copy of the 'zine to you, so also include your mailing address.
If you are interested in contributing material to this 'zine, which as of now I have settled on the name "headbadge" (if you have any better ideas, please let me know), please e-mail me at:
headbadge@yahoo.com
Also if you have any questions direct them to the same address. Thank you very much for any help you can give me.
Craig Kelchen
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We've got a lot of great new stuff in this issue. Hope you all like it.
http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom
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Since I have been working in the bicycle industry for the last year. I have become some what burned out on my bicycle hobbie. After working all day on other peoples wheels it has become more of a chore to get my own stuff accomplished. I always wondered why the guys at the bike shop never had cool stuff (out of the ordinary) now I know why. Maybe some inspiration will hit me like a brick, I think I need it.
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Jimmy James,
I recommend immersion in BikeRod&Kustom (http://www.geocities.com/~bikerodnkustom)for a few evenings.
Then browse through the boneyard at your
place of work. Then take advantage of the tools and
facility, while staying late a couple of
evenings a week. Pretty soon, you may have a whole
new attitude. This will probably improve your
job performance, also. You will win career
advancement and more money. Babes will admire
your Kool Ride. (Does the boss have a daughter?)
Have fun, Jim W.
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