front fork welded to stem
10-15-10 | 08:20 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Full Member
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Portland, OR
Bikes: 1986 Bridgestone 450
front fork welded to stem
Picked up an old "General Free Spirit" 10 speed at my town dump yesterday with the intention of turning it into a SS commuter. While stripping the components I discovered the stem is welded to the front fork. This will make it challenging to grease and clean the caged bearings in the headset. Was this a common practice on lower end bikes in the early to mid 70's? Just wondering since I've never run into this before. Or is this something the previous owner decided to do on his own?
10-15-10 | 08:28 AM
#2
multimodal commuter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
Likes: 597
From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
This is something the previous owner did, presumably thinking it a good idea at the time.
We have a thread somewhere, what bonehead moves have you seen... and this would qualify.
We have a thread somewhere, what bonehead moves have you seen... and this would qualify.
10-15-10 | 10:01 AM
#4
Thrifty Bill
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Mans of NC & SW UT Desert
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Yep, donate this one off and find a better candidate. Really stupid prior owner. Take pics and post to the bonehead thread, I think we have a new winner.
10-15-10 | 10:08 AM
#5
The space coyote lied.
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: dusk 'til dawn.
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Wow! You could saw off the stem, remove and replace fork if you can find one with similar steerer length.
Seems like a lot of work for a Free Spirit, unless you have a basement full of old forks, however.
Seems like a lot of work for a Free Spirit, unless you have a basement full of old forks, however.
10-15-10 | 10:15 AM
#6
www.theheadbadge.com
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From: Southern Florida
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This is the way to do it, if it's a flip bike. Tear that fork off, swap with spare fork, call it a day.
Restorable post-war frames are cheap:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Schwinn-early-po...item1e5ee07f11
-Kurt
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Last edited by cudak888; 10-15-10 at 10:19 AM.
10-15-10 | 07:44 PM
#9
The space coyote lied.
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From: dusk 'til dawn.
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Hmm, come to think of it, welding aluminum to steel (assuming an Al expander wedge) ain't exactly child's play, and then getting your welding bits into the steerer tube from below seems like a lot of work. Unless they welded it to the top nut of the headset, then, wow!!!!
I'm guessing it's gotta be a stuck stem. Happens all the time.
I'm guessing it's gotta be a stuck stem. Happens all the time.
10-15-10 | 08:05 PM
#10
I've got an old tandem, with the high-rise handlebars, and they have been welded to the stem. What happens is for one reason or another, things keep coming lose and somebody says "By golly, it ain't comin loose this time!" It would be stupid to do it to a good bike, but as finding it at the town dump demonstrates, they did this to a disposable bike, so it's not especially stupid.
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"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
10-15-10 | 10:56 PM
#11
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: other Vancouver
Hmm, come to think of it, welding aluminum to steel (assuming an Al expander wedge) ain't exactly child's play, and then getting your welding bits into the steerer tube from below seems like a lot of work. Unless they welded it to the top nut of the headset, then, wow!!!!
I'm guessing it's gotta be a stuck stem. Happens all the time.
I'm guessing it's gotta be a stuck stem. Happens all the time.
FWIW: Free Spirit bikes were crappy bikes when new. One recovered from a dump would make interesting garden art at best.
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Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills
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10-16-10 | 05:01 AM
#12
12345
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,240
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From: south france
I've got an old tandem, with the high-rise handlebars, and they have been welded to the stem. What happens is for one reason or another, things keep coming lose and somebody says "By golly, it ain't comin loose this time!" It would be stupid to do it to a good bike, but as finding it at the town dump demonstrates, they did this to a disposable bike, so it's not especially stupid.
