Bicycles of our childhood

[EDM620]

I learned a few years ago that a great uncle had a bicycle manufacturing company in the 1890's that was eventually bought out by CCM. I have tried to find an original bike but the closest I've found is this headtube crest

 

I intend to somehow link this to my build... sorta shop thruck thing?

[datsunfreak]

2 hours ago, EDM620 said:

What??? No fork extensions? Gotta have the full chopper look dude.

 

It will have different forks when its done. Waiting until the paint work is done before installing that. 

[Chopper Jim]

Remember to reverse the spring on the fork. Adds just a little more rake to the fork.

 

Chopper Jim

[datsunfreak]

23 minutes ago, Chopper Jim said:

Remember to reverse the spring on the fork. Adds just a little more rake to the fork.

 

Need more info on this please. 😁

[dimlight65]

1 hour ago, Chopper Jim said:

Remember to reverse the spring on the fork. Adds just a little more rake to the fork.

 

Chopper Jim

 

I've been grokking my photo of the fork...

 

 

Do you mean move the spring to the rear of the head tube?  That would increase the rake considerably!

 

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by dimlight65
Epiphany!

[Chopper Jim]

Yes. We used to do that when I was a kid in the dark ages. 

 

 

Chopper Jim

[paradime]

Wife, daughter, and I Just got back last night from a visit with our son who's at OSU Corvallis. I'll admit, I was looking forward to seeing what happened to the Purple Ray while I was out, and Dim did not disappoint. Those ape hanger handle bars are (in the parlance of the era) Totally Bitchin! I got that you have handle grips coming but are you going full OEM with tassels? Or is that a bit too original.... 😅

 

My first BMX bike was a 50s Schwinn frame with a 10 speed seat and motocross handle bars with a 4 bolt gooseneck. All well and good until I busted the crank housing out of it jumping off driveway curb ramps. I asked an elderly neighbor if he could weld it back up and he told me Schwinn frames had a lifetime warranty. Sure as shit, I took it in and they gave me a new one. That frame lasted about a month before it broke so I took that one back. The guy at the counter said "This is the last frame you get. Break this one and you're on your own." My neighbor welded about 4 lbs. of bracing on it, and as far as I know it's still floating around the neighborhood to this day. By 14 yrs old, I'd saved up enough paper rout money to buy a chromoly Diamondback from a rich stoner kid named Jeff Atwood just like this one below. He got it for Xmass and I paid him $80 for it. 

 

 

[datsunfreak]

3 hours ago, Chopper Jim said:

Yes. We used to do that when I was a kid in the dark ages. 

 

 

Chopper Jim

 

So are you saying you just took the spring out and installed it backwards? 

[datzenmike]

On 11/14/2022 at 3:15 PM, dimlight65 said:

 

I've been grokking my photo of the fork...

 

 

 

grokking....... I love it!

[dimlight65]

19 hours ago, paradime said:

I got that you have handle grips coming but are you going full OEM with tassels? Or is that a bit too original.... 😅

 

Tassels are one step too far for me.  Not that I didn't consider it, but I just couldn't go through with that.

[paradime]

Good call. Trimming the tassels was always the first mod of any self-respecting biker kid. Second was the card clamped to the forks for the full engine effect.

[Chopper Jim]

20 hours ago, datsunfreak said:

 

So are you saying you just took the spring out and installed it backwards? 

Yes sir. Just doesn't have the spring effect, but it was sure cool.

 

Chopper Jim

[Duncan]

55 minutes ago, Chopper Jim said:

Yes sir. Just doesn't have the spring effect, but it was sure cool.

 

Chopper Jim

 

Sound just like putting 3" lowering blocks on a Datsun wagon.  Rides like a logging truck, but looks good doing it! 🙂

 

 

[dimlight65]

Discovered a problem the other day.  The purple pedals are 9/16" male whereas the crank set is 1/2" female.

 

 

Because the Cranbrook's pedals are 1/2" male...

 

 

Well, that's just not going to do!  So I bought a set of 1/2" to 9/16" pedal adapter thingies...

 

 

And screwed them on...

 

 

And now my bitchin' purple pedals fir my cranks!

 

 

We then fired up the space heater to warm the frame...

 

 

 

To apply several coats of clear on top of the purple...

 

 

Saturday we assemble!  Of course the purple chain won't arrive until Monday, so... next week we ride!

[Ooph!]

1 hour ago, dimlight65 said:

Discovered a problem the other day.  The purple pedals are 9/16" male whereas the crank set is 1/2" female.

 

 

Because the Cranbrook's pedals are 1/2" male...

 

 

Well, that's just not going to do!  So I bought a set of 1/2" to 9/16" pedal adapter thingies...

 

 

And screwed them on...

 

 

And now my bitchin' purple pedals fir my cranks!

 

 

 

If that were my bike I'd never ever stand on those pedals because someday... oh snap!

[datsunfreak]

9 hours ago, Ooph! said:

 

If that were my bike I'd never ever stand on those pedals because someday... oh snap!

 

They are plastic, but they have a 1/2" steel rod running through them. 😉

[dimlight65]

7 hours ago, datsunfreak said:

 

They are plastic, but they have a 1/2" steel rod running through them. 😉

The pedals are aluminum actually.  But I think he might have been referring to the adapters (which I'm 99.426573% certain are steel) and it is a concern I had as well.

Edited November 17, 2022 by dimlight65

[dimlight65]

We made assembling today!

 

First I assembled the springer fork and we wrestled it into the frame.

 

 

Then, after we determined the correct angle for the handlebars, I tacked them to the stem and John hit them with some paint.

 

 

While I was welding, John also installed the crankset and pedals.

 

 

 

We installed the handlebars and rolled it out for a photo op

 

 

 

John photobomb!

 

Then we installed and tested the bike rack on the Dajiban!

 

 

The chain should be here Monday.  So we'll install that and the grips Wednesday (waiting for the handlebar's paint to get good and dry).

 

 

Then... WE RIDE!

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by dimlight65
paint, not pain

[dimlight65]

4 hours ago, dimlight65 said:

Then... WE RIDE!

 

I'm not sure if I will subject y'all to the shorts though!

 

[KELMO]

The bike looks sofaking cool, the shorts not so much.

[datzenmike]

Geez Daisy Dukes.

[paradime]

18 hours ago, dimlight65 said:

 

I'm not sure if I will subject y'all to the shorts though!

 

 

What, no shorts?  Jip! 

 

The bike is money for sure, but I'm thinking it might need a headrest and lumbar pad on the sissy bar. Kind of a recliner recumbent seating position. That and the shorts, dude you'll have to fight the girls off. 

[datzenmike]

 

31 minutes ago, paradime said:

 

 

 

The bike is money for sure, but I'm thinking it might need a headrest and lumbar pad on the sissy bar. Kind of a recliner recumbent seating position. 

 

For looks, but the sissy bar will fold at the bolts through the banana seat. Have my doubts if the bottom half will support 3+ X the weight of 10 year old.

 

Even Captain America's seat holds the tube frame in place rather than the tube frame holding the seat.

 

 

 

[datsunfreak]

19 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 Have my doubts if the bottom half will support 3+ X the weight of 10 year old.

 

1. Tim does not weigh three times what a 10-year-old boy does.

 

2. The stock seat post is still doing a lot of the heavy lifting. 

 

3. We won't be taking it off any sweet jumps, just cruising. 

 

4. If it bends, we'll build it back stronger. 😁

Edited November 21, 2022 by datsunfreak

[datzenmike]

Should have guessed that from the size of the shorts. Don't sit back.