Crazy dough and gee whiz

[Balloonoob]

I visited with a local caber here in longtucky and talked bicycles for 3 hours the other day. It was way cool and i learned a lot. Amazing assortment of many vintage styles and brands. What I took away from it was that my new hobby is not as affordable as I thought it might be. I have built two non vintage beach cruisers and both turned out pretty cool with probably less than 100 bucks in both combined. To buy an old straight bar unrestored bike that would need some love to get riding was around 400 for just a straight bar fame that was body prepped bit had no original paint left and crank and sprocket was 150. After digging around a bit online these really do not seem like a bad deal. That's just what they often run for. The gee whiz is all the little things. You buy a frame with a skiptooth sprocket and you need a skiptooth chain and rear wheel sprocket and things just start adding up so in the end most of the time it makes sense to buy something complete and restore it vs building a frankenbike with old and new found parts. I guess this is a blessing in disguise and tends to keep the good desirable bikes from being parted out. I can appreciate that. I was just hoping that since i am not picky about condition or brand or even style to an extent that there was enough parts laying around that i could piece together enough old and new stuff to equal a cool close enough looking ride for 100 to 200 dollars. Seems like you have to get lucky to find a killer deal. That's the fun of the hunt I guess. I got lucky finding a great saddle now i just need to keep looking to find a killer deal on the rest of my nonexistent vintage bike. Luckily 98 percent of the world have no idea what grandpa's bike means to the 2 percent. Thoughts?

 

[vincev]

Project bikes require deep pockets usually if you want them back with correct parts.Use the word "restore" correctly. A bike is restored when it is back to the way it left the showroom floor. If you take a rough original and spray paint and add parts the value is gone. Not all old bikes are collectable. You want quality not quantity. 1 nice bike is better to have than a truck load of old non collectable bikes. Usually a bike becomes a project bike is because some flipper took all the money parts off the bike.

 

[Balloonoob]

I was also surprised of the things that have not changed in bicycle design. For example the bearings size for beach cruiser wheels and crank have remained the same for the most part. An old skiptooth sprocket could be replaced with a newer sprocket although i would keep the part original skiptooth. The gooseneck size is the same i think. The wheels size is usually the same. Even the wheel design is very similar enough to be interchangeable so builing a rider with newer parts made to look convincing isn't outside the realm of possibilities..... Although this may piss off the purists. Other than the skiptooth and seatpost size the basic design really has not changed. If it works why change it hence the coleman / j c Higgins camping stove.

 

[Balloonoob]

Deep pockets is right. I get it. Original is where it's at. Same thing with old cars. Id be happy with a rough bike that has been stripped of its dignity but has a cool vintage look cause i am just starting off. Maybe I will become a purist myself someday. For now i have enough appreciation for originality not to do something stupid like strip original paint to make it shiny or strip a complete nice wanted bike of its desirable parts to build something that only i can appreciate. Given my shallow pockets I guess I need a less collectable old bike that i can violate in all the wrong ways to start with and allow the 98 percent to say wow that's cool. Then make my way to eventually owning an original correct elgin bluebird which is actually one of the coolest things on earth in my opinion. U r right regarding the word restore. This means original. Stripping priming painting and clear coating is more often raping when it comes to vintage bikes. Of course beginners have a lot to learn. Mostly not letting our new hobby destroy something beautiful. Baby steps with experienced supervision is highly recommended.

 

[Balloonoob]

Is there such a thing as a non collectable straight bar frame? Probably a stupid question.

 

[Balloonoob]

I rode a 40s or 50s bike yesterday and it was so cool. Couldn't help but smile when I was on it. It was very original and collectable and I loved it. I loved the feeling. I just can't afford it...... Yet.

 

[vincev]

Deep pockets is right. I get it. Original is where it's at. Same thing with old cars. i.d. be happy with a rough bike that has been stripped of its dignity but has a cool vintage look cause i am just starting off. Maybe I will become a purist myself someday. For now i have enough appreciation for originality not to do something stupid like strip original paint to make it shiny or strip a complete nice wanted bike of its desirable parts to build something that only i can appreciate. Given my shallow pockets I guess I need a less collectable old bike that i can violate in all the wrong ways to start with and allow the 98 percent to say wow that's cool. Then make my way to eventually owning an original correct elgin bluebird which is actually one of the coolest things on earth in my opinion. U r right regarding the word restore. This means original. Stripping priming painting and clear coating is more often raping when it comes to vintage bikes. Of course beginners have a lot to learn. Mostly not letting our new hobby destroy something beautiful. Baby steps with experienced supervision is highly recommended.

Dont feel bad about not being able to keep up with the big boys.they also had to wobble down the driveway when they started .

 

[hoofhearted]

@Balloonoob

Doood ..... why not go to the forum list of the types
of bicycles many members relate to ?

EVERYTHING is represented --- from contemporary ...
all the way back to ''what the heck were they thinkin' ?''

Look for frame designs that appeal to you.

Don't worry about the sprocket .. the fork .. the saddle ...
just concern yourself with frame shapes from as many
eras as you care to peep.

Don't know if you have google. If you do .. google ...
contemporary American bicycles ... contemporary
foreign bicycles ... lightweight bicycles ... middleweight
bicycles ... balloon tire bicycles ... muscle bikes ... custom
bicycles ... military bicycles ... rat bikes ... racing bicycles ...
bicycles made before 1933 .... bicycles made before 1900
... and so on.

If Any Reader Believes Her / His Personal Category Has Been Intentionally Left Out ------ DIAL 1-800-CRY-BABY .

As was typed .. the CABE Forum lists almost every cate-
gory of bicycle built.

Go have a close encounter of the bicycle kind.

Ah Gar-Un-Tee you will find a frame type that gives you
a visceral response ... that is .. butterflies in your stomach ..
or ... a little jolt of adrenaline ... EXCITEMENT.

If you are gazing at numerous frame designs -- and fail to
have a visceral response -- you may not enjoy the types of
machines that have been presented to you,

However, if you know in your heart of hearts that you really
do have a serious fondness for the bicycle -- you may have to
design the frame that makes you wanna shave your head and
yodel.

May you have Good Fortune in Your Quest, Balloonoob !!

..... patric

 

[Balloonoob]

@Balloonoob

Doood ..... why not go to the forum list of the types
of bicycles many members relate to ?

EVERYTHING is represented --- from contemporary ...
all the way back to ''what the heck were they thinkin' ?''

Look for frame designs that appeal to you.

Don't worry about the sprocket .. the fork .. the saddle ...
just concern yourself with frame shapes from as many
eras as you care to peep.

Don't know if you have google. If you do .. google ...
contemporary American bicycles ... contemporary
foreign bicycles ... lightweight bicycles ... middleweight
bicycles ... balloon tire bicycles ... muscle bikes ... custom
bicycles ... military bicycles ... rat bikes ... racing bicycles ...
bicycles made before 1933 .... bicycles made before 1900
... and so on.

If Any Reader Believes Her / His Personal Category Has Been Intentionally Left Out ------ DIAL 1-800-CRY-BABY .

As was typed .. the CABE Forum lists almost every cate-
gory of bicycle built.

Go have a close encounter of the bicycle kind.

Ah Gar-Un-Tee you will find a frame type that gives you
a visceral response ... that is .. butterflies in your stomach ..
or ... a little jolt of adrenaline ... EXCITEMENT.

If you are gazing at numerous frame designs -- and fail to
have a visceral response -- you may not enjoy the types of
machines that have been presented to you,

However, if you know in your heart of hearts that you really
do have a serious fondness for the bicycle -- you may have to
design the frame that makes you wanna shave your head and
yodel.

May you have Good Fortune in Your Quest, Balloonoob !!

..... patric

Love the fine print too

 

[Balloonoob]

@Balloonoob

Doood ..... why not go to the forum list of the types
of bicycles many members relate to ?

EVERYTHING is represented --- from contemporary ...
all the way back to ''what the heck were they thinkin' ?''

Look for frame designs that appeal to you.

Don't worry about the sprocket .. the fork .. the saddle ...
just concern yourself with frame shapes from as many
eras as you care to peep.

Don't know if you have google. If you do .. google ...
contemporary American bicycles ... contemporary
foreign bicycles ... lightweight bicycles ... middleweight
bicycles ... balloon tire bicycles ... muscle bikes ... custom
bicycles ... military bicycles ... rat bikes ... racing bicycles ...
bicycles made before 1933 .... bicycles made before 1900
... and so on.

If Any Reader Believes Her / His Personal Category Has Been Intentionally Left Out ------ DIAL 1-800-CRY-BABY .

As was typed .. the CABE Forum lists almost every cate-
gory of bicycle built.

Go have a close encounter of the bicycle kind.

Ah Gar-Un-Tee you will find a frame type that gives you
a visceral response ... that is .. butterflies in your stomach ..
or ... a little jolt of adrenaline ... EXCITEMENT.

If you are gazing at numerous frame designs -- and fail to
have a visceral response -- you may not enjoy the types of
machines that have been presented to you,

However, if you know in your heart of hearts that you really
do have a serious fondness for the bicycle -- you may have to
design the frame that makes you wanna shave your head and
yodel.

May you have Good Fortune in Your Quest, Balloonoob !!

..... patric

Well hoof i tookyour advice and utilized Google. This. Confirmed my suspicion. I have a serious case of balloon tireitis. There is no cure and it could only get worse. I had recently built 2 cheapo custom bikes and had been drooling over custom stretched beach cruiser bikes. Finding a vintage persons saddle brought me here and now I got a fever and the only prescription is more tire. Gotta go vintage on my next build or resto. I'd love to have a straight bar bike with a tank or something like this with a unique frame design but would go for anything old thick and bulky...... Wow i set myself up there. I saw this a few months ago and liked how the builder transformed an old girls bike into something really special. http://www.ratrodbikes.com/build_off_13_winner. Happy riding and building to all.