Frankenbike Appreciation Thread

[JunkYardBike]

We've seen the wall art, now let's see all the budget-built-frankenbike-riders out there.

My entry is built as a mixed terrain/winter/foul weather rider. I've tried to do this in the past, but either ended up with something I didn't want to get wet and grimy (and spent far too much money to build) or something that was so beat it really lacked in the performance category. This is a good compromise between the two. Built mostly with spare parts that fit together, it turned out far more attractive than I had anticipated. My only issue now is that the frame, a '78 Trek TX500, doesn't deserve winter salt. Not the quickest ride or the best climber, but a nice ride nonetheless. It excels on rough pavement and unpaved roads.

Build specs:

Frame: '78 Trek TX500, full Ishiwata 022
Headset: Tange Levin headset
Cranks: Truvativ with Biopace outer rings 52/42 and no name alloy inner 30
FD: Suntour Mountech
RD: 1st Gen Suntour Cyclone GT
Shifters: Suntour Power Rachet
Freewheel: Suntour 6 speed, 14/28
Rear wheel: Mavic Open Sport laced to Campy Gran Sport hub
Front wheel: Mavic MA3 laced to Shimano 105 hub
Brake levers: Tektro R200a
Brake calipers: Tektro R556 dual pivots modified with traditional nutted posts
Stem: Nitto Technomic
Bars: Nitto B115
Seatpost: SR Laprade
Saddle: Avocet Touring I
Pedals: MKS Touring with Powergrip straps
Fenders: SKS P45
Tires: Pasela 32s

Before: ebay find with keyless U-Lock attached. Car jack took care of that.



After:



Mongrel drivetrain:



Got the chance to use some cork. Ziptie is there because the frame, despite fender eyelets and 44cm chainstays, lacked even a hole in the chainstay bridge, let alone a threaded boss:

[John E]

Your Trek looks great to me, but I love Frankenbikes. My Peugeot UO-8 cyclocross/commuter is a fine example, with its 165mm Sugino aero crankset, Shimano Titlist front derailleur, short cage SunTour Cyclone II rear derailleur, SunTour barcons, Mafac Racer front brake, Peugeot-labeled Weinmann 999 rear brake, Normandy Luxe Competition hubs, 13-26 SunTour ultra-6 freewheel, etc. Add the Pletscher mousetrap rack and the retro Bellwether cylindrical handlebar bag, and you have one of the most versatile and practical bikes I have ever owned.

[afilado]

A couple.....

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=468999

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=549859

J

[JJPistols]

great looking trek




all of my bikes are Frankenbikes





if I lived in Minnesota, I'd have an Al Frankenbike











sorry

[JunkYardBike]

A couple.....

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=468999

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=549859

J

Yours are always tastefully built. I'm a fan of mixing and matching but still achieving an overall pleasing aesthetic. I expected the Trek might turn out a bit more disheveled looking, but it looks fairly together.

[JunkYardBike]

all of my bikes are Frankenbikes

if I lived in Minnesota, I'd have an Al Frankenbike

Post some of your pics here. I dig your builds, and you're pretty good with the camera too. Nice Varsity assault vehicle in your newly posted thread, btw!

[-holiday76]

this is what i think of when i think frankenbike:



it was the result of a long cold boring winter weekend when I thought I'd start commuting in snow. And wars.

As it turned out it wasnt too bomb proof because I took it down a dirt trail, sank into the mud, bent the derailleur hanger , ruined the mech, then threw it on some hooks in my garage where it still hangs to this day.

[divineAndbright]

all of my bikes are Frankenbikes

same, same.. nothing I really go out of my way to do, but things could always be improved with "whats laying around".

[JunkYardBike]

it was the result of a long cold boring winter weekend when I thought I'd start commuting in snow. And wars.

As it turned out it wasnt too bomb proof because I took it down a dirt trail, sank into the mud, bent the derailleur hanger , ruined the mech, then threw it on some hooks in my garage where it still hangs to this day.

Ha! That definitely qualifies. But, dude, bend the hanger back and replace the RD. Someone in Philly must need that...to scare young children maybe?

[afilado]

Cool bike; my size, too. Very clever idea on the fender mount. Artful biking altogether.

We've seen the wall art, now let's see all the budget-built-frankenbike-riders out there.

My entry is built as a mixed terrain/winter/foul weather rider. I've tried to do this in the past, but either ended up with something I didn't want to get wet and grimy (and spent far too much money to build) or something that was so beat it really lacked in the performance category. This is a good compromise between the two. Built mostly with spare parts that fit together, it turned out far more attractive than I had anticipated. My only issue now is that the frame, a '78 Trek TX500, doesn't deserve winter salt. Not the quickest ride or the best climber, but a nice ride nonetheless. It excels on rough pavement and unpaved roads.

Build specs:

Frame: '78 Trek TX500, full Ishiwata 022
Headset: Tange Levin headset
Cranks: Truvativ with Biopace outer rings 52/42 and no name alloy inner 30
FD: Suntour Mountech
RD: 1st Gen Suntour Cyclone GT
Shifters: Suntour Power Rachet
Freewheel: Suntour 6 speed, 14/28
Rear wheel: Mavic Open Sport laced to Campy Gran Sport hub
Front wheel: Mavic MA3 laced to Shimano 105 hub
Brake levers: Tektro R200a
Brake calipers: Tektro R556 dual pivots modified with traditional nutted posts
Stem: Nitto Technomic
Bars: Nitto B115
Seatpost: SR Laprade
Saddle: Avocet Touring I
Pedals: MKS Touring with Powergrip straps
Fenders: SKS P45
Tires: Pasela 32s

Before: ebay find with keyless U-Lock attached. Car jack took care of that.



After:



Mongrel drivetrain:



Got the chance to use some cork. Ziptie is there because the frame, despite fender eyelets and 44cm chainstays, lacked even a hole in the chainstay bridge, let alone a threaded boss:

[afilado]

Fun!!

J

this is what i think of when i think frankenbike:



it was the result of a long cold boring winter weekend when i thought i'd start commuting in snow. And wars.

As it turned out it wasnt too bomb proof because i took it down a dirt trail, sank into the mud, bent the derailleur hanger , ruined the mech, then threw it on some hooks in my garage where it still hangs to this day.

[politicalgeek]

This count?



So far I've added the new trekking bars, a taller stem (not pictured) and working on getting some cheap thumb shifters installed.

Now that I have it just right for ride comfort, I feel good about continuing on. So the next month or so will be scrounging the bike co-op and online sales for some new stuff: triple crank for the front and a new bottom bracket; I might see about reusing my current rear hub for a new wheel build (by all guesses it's a Schwinn Approved Shimano) and replace the RD with something that can handle the triple and wider rear freewheel.

ETA

In the spirt of the Frankenbike, I should I am trying to figure out where to put the 3rd bottle cage on the trekking bars AND the air horn.

[JunkYardBike]

In the spirt of the Frankenbike, I should I am trying to figure out where to put the 3rd bottle cage on the trekking bars AND the air horn.

You've definitely got the Frankenbike sensibility! Do you have studded tires waiting in the wings for the central Ohio winters? You'll need fenders too!

[politicalgeek]

Fenders are a definite. And I think I am going to drop it down to 700c for the studs.

[Panthers007]

Old Meets New -

Thomson stem and seatpost, 1983 Modolo Speedy brakes with SwissStop ceramic pads, Mavic Open Pro ceramic rims, 1999 Campy Centaur hubs. Miche 8-spd. cassette 12 - 25, 1982 Campy Record pedals, Campy SR 1982 crankset...You get the idea. If you see Igor, tell him he's forgiven for the mix-up with the brain-thing.

[jgedwa]

Not sure what the level of tinkering is for a proper Frankenbike. But here are some that should qualify:

Trek 620 with flatbars and Nexus hub
GT Outback. Fixed with fenders and studs. Best snow bike evar.
Rockhopper. Powdercoated black and fixed. Fenders and big slicks. Yes, it has been Drewed.
Surly Karate Monkey. Not C&V. But the 24" rear/29er front has to count.
Stumpjumper. Modern 1x9 drivetrain. Biggest Big Apples money can buy. This thing is a sweet little tank.

jim

[JunkYardBike]

Threadless stem on an AD Puch is a qualifier! Looks like a great rider, but why even bother with brakes if you're using Speedy's? I know, it's the red anodized finish, isn't it? Seriously, though, do they brake well with the Swiss Stops?

[JunkYardBike]

Not sure what the level of tinkering is for a proper Frankenbike. But here are some that should qualify:

Trek 620 with flatbars and Nexus hub
GT Outback. Fixed with fenders and studs. Best snow bike evar.
Rockhopper. Powdercoated black and fixed. Fenders and big slicks. Yes, it has been Drewed.
Surly Karate Monkey. Not C&V. But the 24" rear/29er front has to count.
Stumpjumper. Modern 1x9 drivetrain. Biggest Big Apples money can buy. This thing is a sweet little tank.

jim

Great collection there. I love the photo of the Rockhopper, with the bars barely visible. That's one clean looking fixed MTB. Where do you ride usually?

And on that Karate Monkey, I know Cannondale (and I'm sure others) sold a few MTB's with the same wheel configuration...but why? Ironically, today I saw an extreme example of this pass by me on the roof of a car. It looked like a 26" front and possible a 12" rear! Was it some kind of trick bike?

[jgedwa]

Great collection there. I love the photo of the Rockhopper, with the bars barely visible. That's one clean looking fixed MTB. Where do you ride usually?

And on that Karate Monkey, I know Cannondale (and I'm sure others) sold a few MTB's with the same wheel configuration...but why? Ironically, today I saw an extreme example of this pass by me on the roof of a car. It looked like a 26" front and possible a 12" rear! Was it some kind of trick bike?

I do a lot of my utility riding on the Rockhopper. But, it is geared just high enough that taking it out on longer stints are not unpleasant.

I promise you have never seen a 49er before. There used to be a few companies that ran 26/24 a long time ago. And it is not unheard of to see a 69er (26/29) today. But the 49er is my own creation. That lousy picture of it does not do it justice, it is very strange looking. Actually, I mostly run that bike as a straight 29/29 bike. But just for kicks I picked up an orphaned 24" disc rear to play with. I did have to look around to find a good tire for it that fit, and I did have to put on cheap 155mm cranks to get enough clearance to make it work. I mostly just did it to amuse myself. It was fun in the snow this winter. But it is normal now, and will likely stay that way unless I get bored with it again.

jim

[Panthers007]

Threadless stem on an AD Puch is a qualifier! Looks like a great rider, but why even bother with brakes if you're using Speedy's? I know, it's the red anodized finish, isn't it? Seriously, though, do they brake well with the Swiss Stops?

Actually the Modolo Speedy's were excellent brakes - right up there with Campy's. But they got a bad reputation due to the brake-pads they came with - and Modolo kept singing out how great they were. These were the infamous "sintered brake-pads." If you tried to stop your bike with them, just wave bye-bye. You kept going and going and.....

I got my first set of Modolo Speedy from a friend who worked at Harris Cyclery back in 1983. These were the gold and engraved promotional set that weren't supposed to be sold to the public. Threw 'em $50. They told me about the brake-pads. So I picked-up a set of Mathauser pads. I still have both the 'goldies' and the Mathauser's. The current red one's I found in Norway - also promo's not to be sold...

Modolo Speedy brakes are excellent - just throw out the pads. Yes - the SwissStop pads do an excellent - and quiet - job of stopping the ceramic-rims.

[nlerner]

I'm also in the camp of just about everything in my herd is a variation on the Frankenbike, but some of the less successful experiments include:

A CyclePro MTB on which I put drop bars, bar-end shifters, riser stem, and Tektro R200 aero brakes, but it really rode like crap, so I sold it off on CL:


A Dawes Galaxy converted to a 3-speed w/ chainguard, B66 saddle, and front basket:


A 1959 Phillips Manhattan fixie with mismatched rims:


Neal

[fender1]

JYB, very nice job on that Trek. Here is a 1985 Schwinn Passage where someone cut off the downtube shifter bosses and brazed-on cable guides. I filed down the stumps and rattle canned the offended spots the closest blue paint I had.

It sports studded Nokian 35mm tires a Sturmey Archer AW 3pd hub in a 700c wheel along with other parts from various other bikes that have passed through my basement.

[IMG][/IMG]

[rhm]

Hey, I got a Frankenbike this weekend! I'm still researching it, and I guess it'll have it's own thread soon, but when I saw this one I knew I had to contribute. Oh, don't worry, (a) the price was right, and (b) the dog is not dead, only sleeping (c) I think the bike isn't (quite) dead either!

[bbattle]

Another opportunity to post the Paramount!


LINK

I call it a Frankenbike because it has a mish-mash of components on it that happened to be available and worked together.

[JunkYardBike]

I call it a Frankenbike because it has a mish-mash of components on it that happened to be available and worked together.

Well, I suppose there are at least three orders of frankenbikes: those that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye (like yours), those that are not, and those that are somewhere in between. Initially, when creating this thread, I was thinking of the first, but I should have anticipated that the most widely held definition of frankenbike is the second.

rhm, where's your Trek 720? That's the type of frankenbike I truly admire - purchased new and expertly evolved over time based on utility. I also often think of nlerner's collection when I think of well executed frankenbikes. This is a compliment, not an insult. In fact, all of my bikes are frankenbikes.

At any rate, this thread is big enough for frankenbikes of all stripes. So keep posting!