Klunker! by mattface, on Flickr


I went down to the bike coop to replace a broken spoke, and was truing the wheel when a guy walked in and donated this old Schwin cruiser frame that had been converted to a 10 speed. Overall it was a very nifty bike with a rear drum brake front and rear derailers, and a granny ring cobbled onto the ashtabula crank, but the cob job they had done to accommodate a front brake was so bad as to ruin an otherwise very cool conversion. THe brake was bolted to a mild steel strap bolted to the bottom of the fork and was wobbly as hell. I wouldn't ride it like that let alone sell it, but it was so close I couldn't leave it alone, it was 80% of the way to being a 70s style California klunker mountain bike. I miraculously found a fork that would fit, so I just had to finish it, and it turned out to be a great home for those ridiculous yellow anodized bars that have been kicking around the coop. I don't know if anyone will buy this thing, but I think it's very cool.



Klunker! by mattface, on Flickr

This is something I like!

Now I have do do something similar. I've had it in the back of my mind for a while anyway......

It kinda weighs a ton (compared to an 80s MTB) but it rides real nice! I rode it to work today. I like to ride my creations around a bit to make sure I have all the bugs worked out, and to have a chance to enjoy them before they are sold.

Hey Mattface, that is cool, good job.
My daughter & son-in-law live just down the road in Berlin. That bike would be great fun bombing down their mountain, but make sure the brakes are flawless!

Looks like an 80's schwinn cruiser 5 with a rear Atom drum brake, I've seen the rear drum models bring a decent Pennie on fleabay.....

Thanks David! The front brake was useless before, but it's good now, a new old stock Diacompe Side pull straight from the box. The rear drum is a monster of a thing with big heavy spokes. It's mainly the wheels and the frame that make it such a heavy bike, but it's very solid and has plenty of brake now.

The rear wheel might have come from an 80s schwinn, but I'm pretty sure this is an older Schwinn frame that's been converted to take that drum brake. THere are no provisions on the frame for cable routing, cables are zip tied and derailer and shifters have shims to mount them on the thin tubing. The front fork was the old flimsy style with no provision for a front brake.

Neat bike,wish I was closer.Easily worth $100.

The cables for the positron shifter were all held on with clamps, no braze-ons. Check your serial number here... https://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday...innCodes1.html

I've wanted to build a Klunker for years. I'm just waiting for the right frame to come along. I live right across the bridge from where it all started in Marin.

I might have one for you if interested.

What's this I'm reading about brakes on a Klunker? That's what your boots are for

Curbtender,what do you have?

I,m building up a similar bike , will post pix when I get it finished !

I might be. Bring it over. If it's a Schwinn Excelsior I want it for sure!

58' Schwinn American. A recent garbage save.

Here it is. Curbtender let me have it. It's actually rideable, with good Carlisle tires. I wanted to build a Klunker, but it has a certain charm just the way it is.

The rack has to go, of course.

Beautiful. I'd recommend a smaller chainring or a bigger cog than Schwinn put on it. I wonder why they geared them so high.

I found it in an online catalog. It's an F24C. It weighed 45 1/2 pounds when it was new and complete. The chainguard has surface rust, but it's straight. Don't these have an odd size stem?

https://www.schwinnbike.com/aut/eng/f...7&d=1230399750

This one had a regular 22.2 stem, but it has an odd size stem NOW. I guess the fork I found must have been a 26' BMX fork. as luck would have it I also had a BMX stem that matched the crazy bars.

I rode it to work the day after I built it and my friend Zoe fell in love with it at first sight, so it's hers now.

You know I've got a mountain bike fork that would fit one of these things but it has canti bosses on it. I'm never gonna gt around to it. Anyone want it?

It would have to be from a very large mountain bike. The head tubes on these are long.

I've decided to donate mine to the custodians at the local school after I rehab it. The campus is large, so they use a bicycle to get around. The trouble is that there are two custodians and only one bike. I plan to put on a large front basket for cleaning supplies.

The bike is ridiculously heavy. I have a sore back today from lifting it onto the stand.

Put this one together over the weekend, with a 1940's skiptooth frame and a bunch of "BMX" parts I had laying around. Rides very nice........ . I want your gold bars!!

Were those the parts from the Schwinn BMX "Cruiser"?

Awesome! We've got a second pair of identical gold bars at the coop I'd be happy to send them to you for a reasonable donation to the coop.