# 1890"s Napoleon "It Lives!"



## rustyspoke66 (May 4, 2013)

Just finished overhauling My Napoleon and it's the first fixed gear bike I have ever ridden. I will have to say the fixed gear takes some getting used to.
Before




After


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## fat tire trader (May 4, 2013)

Nice! It will be a lot easier to ride if you put on toe clips and straps.


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## rustyspoke66 (May 4, 2013)

I'll have to do that. Who was it that was making those on here? Another note on the bike is that I changed the chain from the block chain to a roller chain just for riding.


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## fat tire trader (May 4, 2013)

Larmo63  http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?39297-Any-interest-in-these


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## willswares1220 (May 4, 2013)

*Nice Machine!*

Cool looking bike!

Did you clear coat over the bare steel?
It looks like there are some traces of paint left with mostly bare steel that gives it an interesting appearance.


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## Wcben (May 4, 2013)

Cool looking bike.  So it's your first fixie....how do you like it?


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## chitown (May 4, 2013)

Nice job on getting it in riding shape! Looks great.

Here is a clip from an 1896 Jenkins catalog:

View attachment 94989


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## Iverider (May 4, 2013)

That's a healthy chainring for a fixie. 

I tried one for a bit and it was kinda cool, but took a lot of getting used to. 

Ended up selling the wheelset.

I like yo bike!


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## filmonger (May 5, 2013)

*RE: Cool Bike*

Man-o-Man....that is a very cool ride. You did a great job making it rideable. Like the trailer behind it as well - is it a streamline?


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## dfa242 (May 5, 2013)

Now that's some before-and-after right there - beautiful job.


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## rustyspoke66 (May 5, 2013)

Thanks guys. The entire bike is nickle plated then painted originally, this fact alone made it very difficult to not restore it to it's original beauty. The fact that it would be allot of nickle plating to have done made it easier. I basically gently cleaned it up then used a clean rag and some clear satin danish oil to seal it up. This is my first fixed gear bike and the jury is still out on how I like it, I'll be taking it for about a 7 mile ride today then hanging it back on the wall with the original block chain reinstalled. Thanks for the catalog page, it kinda looks like mine might be closer to 1898. The wheelmen sight states that these were built by Jenkins from 95 to 98. Holy cow! 125.00 in 1896? that's one expensive bike! The gearing is fairly high and it sure does get going in a hurry when going down hill. The trailer in the back ground is my 1963 Silverstreak.


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## thehugheseum (May 5, 2013)

nice!!!!! i ride both early and modern fixi both are even pretty different from one another............when i ride the 90s bikes i ride light like im a feather but charge it hard on the modern rig.


   my only complaint on your build is those rims and the way way too modern tread pattern on those amsterdams.........we gotta figure out a way to machine the tread off,i do like the width but man that tread pattern screams.......

awesome bike! safety bikes are the grandaddy big guns of our modern bicycle,fairly unchanged from the 1890s to now


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## rustyspoke66 (May 5, 2013)

Just got home from the big ride and I will have to say that the bike performed Excellent. It was a little strange getting used to slowing it down on the down hills but I got the hang of it. I think I'm hooked. I was also amazed how well it performed as far as frame rigidity, acceleration and all that. As specially considering I am over 200lbs. I agree about the tires, let me know how it goes taking the tread off. I would love to have a set of tires with no tread.


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## pelletman (May 5, 2013)

Very nice!  Good job looks great!


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## dougfisk (May 5, 2013)

rustyspoke66 said:


> ...I agree about the tires, let me know how it goes taking the tread off. I would love to have a set of tires with no tread.




I believe I saw a thread on RRB where someone used a belt sander to remove the tread pattern!  :eek:

Here it is:  http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=64914&p=624090&hilit=belt+sander+tires#p624090


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## thehugheseum (May 5, 2013)

cool!!!!!!  me and the fam just got back from a modern ride.........momma can never figure out how her $2k track bike cant hang with my fixi......i think if more folks gave the fixed gear rides a ride that we would see a much more enthusiastic safety bike following

    my idea on the treads was to mount on the rims and machine them off via a lathe..........its an idea i promise to bring to fruition soon........but i also have a couple other formulas im meaning to explore as well

   i want to see the link if possible on the ground treads please!

  i truly believe we are on the cusp of a safety bike explosion.........my buddies who arent even that bike savvy are seriously considering diving in

you did a great job on the bike,its fricken awesome

  my personal experience on riding the real early fixed is the era rat traps do a real good job of keeping you glued to your cranksetup,especially with the modern gum sole sneakers we all rock these days............on my modern bike i do like the clips but im really hammering on it where on my old grampa bikes i ride like a feather......hard to explain but if you own one you probably know what i mean

cant say it enough.........awesome bike,i for one am jealous


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## dougfisk (May 5, 2013)

thehugheseum said:


> i want to see the link if possible on the ground treads please!




http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=64914&p=624090&hilit=belt+sander+tires#p624090


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## thehugheseum (May 5, 2013)

rad!!!! my buddy had described a similar formula but i had my doubts......looks like we have a reliable formula right there though........thank you,i will be trying that first........i also have a different idea scrapping the amsterdams altogether but this is for a correct boardtrack racing motorcycle tire.......can you believe it nobody makes the correct tire for boardtrack racing motorcycles? they make a bigger version but not the correct one........with bicycles and motorcycles my feeling is no detail is too small


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## filmonger (May 6, 2013)

*RE: Wood rims*

Why not go whole hog and put some Stutzman wood rims with metal inserts on your new ride - it would look very very cool with sanded Amsterdams..... ( just for that period correct look )! Throw it on he back of your silver streak when you travel - everyone will drooooool with envy! The great thing about the metal insert is you can use higher tire pressures as well as a higher spoke tension. Just a suggestion - as I quite like the look of your existing design


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## rustyspoke66 (May 8, 2013)

So after reading threads on all these great bikes on the cabe, would it be safe to assume this Napoleon is a race model? I also weighed it and it comes in at 22lbs which seems light.


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## thehugheseum (May 8, 2013)

im no expert but from what i have seen,yes it looks like a race model or even a special one off racer...........if only i could fix my time machine


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## rustyspoke66 (May 8, 2013)

If you do get around to fixing your time machine you might want to make it a two seater. Maybe you could get a history channel show and they would have to cancel the pickers.


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## thehugheseum (May 9, 2013)

it was a 4 seater but i needed room for my flux capacitor so now its just a 2 seater...........i wouldnt want to step on the pickers glory.......in all seriousness i have bought from those guys and i got incredible deals,they are good to buy from


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## bike (May 9, 2013)

*Cool bike- but non fixie fan*

I can hardly ride a bike- in highschool a friend let me ride his fixiie with a front brake- he said IT DOES NOT STOP PEDALING--I hauled ass down a path and then some old ladies stepped out. I grabbed the brake and was catapulted by the pedals- and landed on my palms- all the skin was bloody- I had to hold the beer bottle with the back of my hands, does not  impress the laides.


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## bricycle (May 9, 2013)

bike said:


> I can hardly ride a bike- in highschool a friend let me ride his fixiie with a front brake- he said IT DOES NOT STOP PEDALING--I hauled ass down a path and then some old ladies stepped out. I grabbed the brake and was catapulted by the pedals- and landed on my palms- all the skin was bloody- I had to hold the beer bottle with the back of my hands, does not  impress the laides.




...ow!.......


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## rustyspoke66 (May 9, 2013)

Maybe I should practice holding a beer bottle with the back of my hands just in case.


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## rickyd (May 9, 2013)

*danish*

Talk about decision to use danish oil and opine as to long term protection if used on a daily rider. Thanks rick ps very nice!


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## rustyspoke66 (May 13, 2013)

Would anyone have a lead on a Josephine ladies bike to go with my lonely Napoleon?


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## kawp222 (May 24, 2013)

Wow that's a nice build dude its really amazing for me that first tire of the cycle is broken and after that you make the new cycle..Is you change the rim of of the tire or not?


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## rustyspoke66 (May 24, 2013)

Rims tires and spokes are new. I also replaced the chain with a roller chain just for riding. I still have the block chain but it has a lot of wear and does not ride very smooth.


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## Sped Man (May 28, 2013)

Dam that loooks good!


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