Recumbent - My "first" chopper

I got an OLD and I mean like 50 year old bike from some nice guy on my friend's paper route. I'm 6 foot tall and it was a 20 inch bike, a tad too small. the bike had sat in his garage for 20 years. So I ride it "as is" for a day then look at my pile of wrecked bikes. Frames, forks, etc. I had a great idea. The handlebars of the bike were already how I wanted them. (Monkey bar style... ) all I would have to do is change the front fork so that I could put a 26inch tire on the front and keep the 20 inch tire on the back. I finished, the bearings are out of the fork, and the handlebars are crooked, but the bike runs and EVERYONE wants to buy it. (This is a chopper community, what can I say!) So, the bike is still a pain to drive. Lean back too far and the bike tries to flip over. And there are other imperfections. It's a one speed so it doesn't accelerate too fast, nor does it go very fast at all. I bought a $30 mountain bike from my friend today and I broke it down into individual parts and am currently in the process of cleaning it all up. (It was all greasy and muddy) Once I have lubed it all, and adjusted all the parts I'm going to put the 20 inch tire from my current chopper on this long stretched out frame on the back of this one and then keep the 26 inch tire on the front. (So it has the same lift in a sense, but since the frame is bigger it will have even more lift.) Then I'm going to put the handlebars on, etc. This bike isn't even a year old (the frame and some of the parts..) so the paint is relatively good and shiny.

Here's the exact frame, but this is a different brand. The frame I have is a Mongoose DXR.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2233451&cat=0&type=5&dept=4171&path=0%3A4171%3A61903%3A61904%3A4182%3A110922%3A5302&xsell=1647016

Questions? Comments? I'll try and get a picture of it someday..

I call this project: The Mongoose DXR Chopper

Shadowrider, I'm a little confused here. Is this a home made recumbent you are talking about? If it isn't you may have accidently posted this in the wrong forum room. And may want to ask the mods. to move it for you. Please don't take this the wrong way, no insult intended. Just wondering & confused as to what kind of bike you are speaking of.

Basically, it's a custom bicycle, so yea it's a homemade recumbent. (Sorry, everyone around here calls them choppers)

A recumbent isn't the same as a chopper. From the picture you posted for the frame, you are converting a standard wedgie into what you are calling a chopper (I had always thought that the defining features of choppers were an elongated front fork and taller handlebars, not a bigger front tire.) Anyway, a recumbent has a completely different seat configuration with a more "chair-like" seat and the pedals out in front of the seat instead of underneath it.

Here is one with underseat stearing to show what I mean:
http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/sm/gt/index_e.html

While some recumbents have the longer handlebars, that is not the defining feature. They do have the laid-out riding posture though.

Basically a chopper is any custom bike. Usually the front end is longer and by putting a different fork on the front end that gives you length. But really the relaxed position is what's so great.

Another bent "Chopper" Rotator Pursuit www.rotatorrecumbent.com
Steve

pfft it didn't work (chain was too short) so I'm stuck with the smaller bike. I'm calling it a recumbent now since it's all bent and.. stuff

pfft it didn't work (chain was too short) so I'm stuck with the smaller bike.

A chain can always be made longer. And if you find someone who has built choppers before, they may be able to help you jerry-rig something.

What part of Illinois are you from? In Chicago and the inner ring burbs, there's some pretty enthusiastic chopper builders.

I sold the frame of my chopper for $20. :-P I'll be building another chopper tomarrow out of a 'NEXT Whomp'

A chain can always be made longer. And if you find someone who has built choppers before, they may be able to help you jerry-rig something.

What part of Illinois are you from? In Chicago and the inner ring burbs, there's some pretty enthusiastic chopper builders.
I'll try to email you photos of a real bent chopper