Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.GinSonic
06-28-07, 11:36 PM
Hello all;
I just joined up in BF. Here's the URL to my introduction with pics of my current bikes;
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=4753081&posted=1#post4753081
I felt compelled to share a little build I'm in the process of. It's an old school full suspension mountain bike as is mentioned in the title. I've dubbed it project RATROD, though it will have little to do with the Electra Ratrod cruiser.
It was already a frankenbike when I bought it, in that it was still a MB, though it had different components. Here it is as it looked when acquiring it with a kitty cat option;
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000590.jpg
Joking about the cat, of course!
I got any and all drivetrain components overhauled or replaced. I stuck on a flatbar with dept store barends, 8spd Gripshifters, Selle Royale Shark Gel saddle and that took care of the riding comfort and reliabilty issues.
I'm going for a custom look of sorts, leaning towards Brit bikes of old as opposed to a long low Harley style. The rear is a 24" with a 2.5" Hookworm, {I wanted 3" Fatty-O-Tires, but they'd rub on the rear strut stays.**, and the front, a normal 26" with 1.25" Specialized Fatboy slick.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000656.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000655.jpg
The brake bosses on the rear swingarm are positioned for a 26" wheel, so going to a 24" meant going without rear brakes. I compensated for its absence by going to a dual front brake system consisting of a V-Brake and a Magura Gustav with a 190mm rotor. Can you say stoppie?
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000698.jpg
My next endeavour was to jerry rig a set of chrome ducktail cruiserbike fenders, {Thanks Ebay!**, to a dual suspension MB.
The rear wasn't that difficult as there was rack eyelets, {???!??!??!??!?**, to attach the support arms. A bit of trimming was required so it would fit between the swingarm by the main pivots. Then it was anchored in that area by bolting it to the brake bracket that was already in place.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000696.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000693.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000704.jpg
The front took a little bit of brainstorming, but the method to which it was done seems to be working fine. Since a MB sus fork doesn't have any eyelets of any sort for anchoring the support arms, I chose to use basic Home Depot 1 1/2" hose clamps. I measured and then cut the support arms to length, then cut slots on the ends. The front arms attach to the front dropouts and the rears are attached to the hose clamp set screw. Since the support arms are anchored at two different points as opposed to a shared point, {like on a rigid fork with rack eyelets**, It stays pretty stable so an anchor wasn't required at the top underneath the shock crown.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000700.jpg
The rear suspension elastomers are pretty well sacked. There's some give, but the old elastomers are collapsed and have hardened up. However, because of that the rear end is lower and contributes to its lower stance appearance. Just what one wants for a cruiserbike, right?:D
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000709.jpg
I'm looking to lower it a tad more, but not much otherwise the swingarm by the main pivots will hit the frame. Perhaps I'll remove one of those elastomers and see. I've got some ideas for the rear sus fix, but that'll be another time.
For now all it needs is the black paint job and a few small details here and there to give it some bling. That's happening soon.
Well all. Let me know what you think about my project RATROD. Good, bad, brilliant, obtuse, inspiring, moronic.......lemme know. I'd like to hear from you!
Cheers.
G.
I just joined up in BF. Here's the URL to my introduction with pics of my current bikes;
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=4753081&posted=1#post4753081
I felt compelled to share a little build I'm in the process of. It's an old school full suspension mountain bike as is mentioned in the title. I've dubbed it project RATROD, though it will have little to do with the Electra Ratrod cruiser.
It was already a frankenbike when I bought it, in that it was still a MB, though it had different components. Here it is as it looked when acquiring it with a kitty cat option;
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000590.jpg
Joking about the cat, of course!
I got any and all drivetrain components overhauled or replaced. I stuck on a flatbar with dept store barends, 8spd Gripshifters, Selle Royale Shark Gel saddle and that took care of the riding comfort and reliabilty issues.
I'm going for a custom look of sorts, leaning towards Brit bikes of old as opposed to a long low Harley style. The rear is a 24" with a 2.5" Hookworm, {I wanted 3" Fatty-O-Tires, but they'd rub on the rear strut stays.**, and the front, a normal 26" with 1.25" Specialized Fatboy slick.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000656.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000655.jpg
The brake bosses on the rear swingarm are positioned for a 26" wheel, so going to a 24" meant going without rear brakes. I compensated for its absence by going to a dual front brake system consisting of a V-Brake and a Magura Gustav with a 190mm rotor. Can you say stoppie?
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000698.jpg
My next endeavour was to jerry rig a set of chrome ducktail cruiserbike fenders, {Thanks Ebay!**, to a dual suspension MB.
The rear wasn't that difficult as there was rack eyelets, {???!??!??!??!?**, to attach the support arms. A bit of trimming was required so it would fit between the swingarm by the main pivots. Then it was anchored in that area by bolting it to the brake bracket that was already in place.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000696.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000693.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000704.jpg
The front took a little bit of brainstorming, but the method to which it was done seems to be working fine. Since a MB sus fork doesn't have any eyelets of any sort for anchoring the support arms, I chose to use basic Home Depot 1 1/2" hose clamps. I measured and then cut the support arms to length, then cut slots on the ends. The front arms attach to the front dropouts and the rears are attached to the hose clamp set screw. Since the support arms are anchored at two different points as opposed to a shared point, {like on a rigid fork with rack eyelets**, It stays pretty stable so an anchor wasn't required at the top underneath the shock crown.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000700.jpg
The rear suspension elastomers are pretty well sacked. There's some give, but the old elastomers are collapsed and have hardened up. However, because of that the rear end is lower and contributes to its lower stance appearance. Just what one wants for a cruiserbike, right?:D
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/SolXtc1/P1000709.jpg
I'm looking to lower it a tad more, but not much otherwise the swingarm by the main pivots will hit the frame. Perhaps I'll remove one of those elastomers and see. I've got some ideas for the rear sus fix, but that'll be another time.
For now all it needs is the black paint job and a few small details here and there to give it some bling. That's happening soon.
Well all. Let me know what you think about my project RATROD. Good, bad, brilliant, obtuse, inspiring, moronic.......lemme know. I'd like to hear from you!
Cheers.
G.