# 41 DX Bomber to Hybrid



## sportscarpat (Jun 27, 2018)

Hi Guys,
Somewhat new around here but not new to building bikes.  Thought I would share a few pictures of a bike I have been building.  I started with a 41 Schwinn DX frame and Tange TX1200 fork I picked up at a local swap meet.  Initial plan was to just throw together a bomber with parts I had around the shop, so a single speed coaster brake bike, and just ride and enjoy.  Well, after putting it together as a bomber I started looking around for the necessary parts to slowly change the bike into a shifter bike with gearing, effectively turning it into a hybrid as defined on Alan Bond's wonderful Clunkers web site.

Here is the first version of the bike built up as a coaster brake bomber.  I used Worksman wheels as I had a set, then just some Wald cruiser bars, an Ashtabula crank and Schwinn stamped Ashtabula stem, and a Brooks B67 Saddle I had.  Fun bike but limited with it's fixed single speed gearing.




Mt Tam Bomber by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

From there I decided to locate all the "correct" parts as defined on Alan Bond's Clunker web site and change the bike into a true hybrid clunker.  Some of the parts were hard to locate and some just kind of turned up at the perfect time.  The wheels were converted to Atom hub Araya 7x beauties I stumbled into that were in really nice shape.  The rear sprocket is a six speed Suntour.  Both derailleurs are Suntour Cyclone.  I then located a 175mm arm TA Specialities triple chain ring pedal crank.   Derailleurs are operated with Suntour Mighty thumb shifters.  Migura type brake levers to actuate the Atom drums.  I messed with handlebars endlessly till I settled on a rare set of 24" Schwinn Scrambler bars that I widened from 26" to 32" and then added Hunt Wilde grips.  Seatpost is solid bar stock aluminum that carries a proper vintage Brooks B72 with chrome rails.  Finished the build off with some Schwinn style knobbie tires.  Here is how it looks now.



41 DX Clunker by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

Changing from a Bomber to a Hybrid really changed the whole personality of the bike.  It is now a very usable machine.  Sure, it's heavy compared to a modern mountain bike, but it can climb anything and just haul on the flat straights.  I have been putting in the miles to learn this bike well, can shift any gear without looking and really am just enjoying my new hybrid clunker.

Thanks,
Pat


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## bikecrazy (Jun 27, 2018)

Great bike. What B.B. adapters did you use and where can I get them? Thanks


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## sportscarpat (Jun 27, 2018)

It's a YST adapter.  Worked out perfectly.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-YST-BM...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


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## bairdco (Jun 28, 2018)

Cool bike Pat!


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## bikecrazy (Jun 28, 2018)

Thanks


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## Kato (Jun 28, 2018)

Super nice build..........If that was a car I think it would be called a Resto-Mod DX


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## Cooper S. (Jun 29, 2018)

Damn I guess that means I’ve got to finish mine now


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## irideiam (Jun 30, 2018)

Nice Job


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## Talon (Nov 3, 2018)

WOW, great job! Let me ask you this. What did you use to hold your cables in place? Safety wire?


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## anders1 (Nov 4, 2018)

Nice!


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## Mr.RED (Nov 4, 2018)

AWESOME BIKE


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## Speed King (Nov 9, 2018)

R




Really sweet. And they are such great riding bikes. Here's my 40:


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## sportscarpat (Nov 13, 2018)

Talon said:


> WOW, great job! Let me ask you this. What did you use to hold your cables in place? Safety wire?




Hi Talon,
Really like the build you did awhile back.  Yeah, I have been using safety wire to hold cables on bikes for a long time.  It's subtle and vintage.  Plastic tie wraps look so out of place to me on a vintage build.


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## sportscarpat (Nov 13, 2018)

Speed King said:


> RView attachment 898214
> 
> Really sweet. And they are such great riding bikes. Here's my 40:




Nicely done, Speed King.  Yes they are great riding bikes.  To all you guys sitting on the fence about building a klunker, the sooner you get started the better as the parts are getting harder to find.  Once done you will quickly find you have a new favorite bike.  Plenty of old school cool in a bicycle that can really be ridden hard.


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## Talon (Nov 13, 2018)

sportscarpat said:


> Hi Talon,
> Really like the build you did awhile back.  Yeah, I have been using safety wire to hold cables on bikes for a long time.  It's subtle and vintage.  Plastic tie wraps look so out of place to me on a vintage build.



I had used black string  tie wrap on my build. But, I replaced it with leather strips with a pull over button.  I agree with you, Zips seem out of place,


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## Speed King (Nov 15, 2018)

http://www.clunkers.net/


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## sportscarpat (Sep 18, 2019)

Thought I would post a couple pics from a recent visit to the Marin Bicycle Museum.  They had a weekend swap meet that was pretty cool so me and a buddy took my 41 DX and my 81 Champion bikes up.  Ran into Don Koski that used to own The Cove Bicycle Shop in Tiburon, California.  Way cool guy.  His shop was the main parts supply for the early MTB pioneers.  He invited us and our bikes into the museum and asked if we could leave the bikes inside for the day, which we did.  Also met Joe Breeze who was one of the main guys on the Mt. Tam crew.  Lots of cool early MTB history in the Museum and some way cool people.  Hope you guys find this interesting.
Pat

Joe Breeze with my two bikes inside the museum.



Marin Bicycle Museum by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

My Champion and DX



Marin Bicycle Museum by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

Lawill Pro Cruiser on display.  These bikes are closely related to the 26" Champions.  



Marin Bicycle Museum by Pat Dolan, on Flickr


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## Big Moe (Sep 18, 2019)

Very cool.


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## Dutch (Oct 16, 2019)

Very cool pics with mr Breeze himself!
Your build looks a lot like mine, I'm finally building my 41 DX, see topic: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/klunker-build.82439/post-1083131
What tires are you riding?


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## sportscarpat (Nov 1, 2019)

Hi Dutch,
Sorry for the late response.  I will have to look at tires to get the brand name and do some digging to recall where I bought them.  Seems it was just standard issue ballon tire stuff.
Pat


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## sportscarpat (Nov 1, 2019)

It's called a studded ballon tire.








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## Pondo (Sep 6, 2020)

Awesome build, Pat!  I'm going to build something similar in the near future and your ride is great inspiration!


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