razinhellcustomz
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Yeah, just be on the look out for cracks or fractures while doing this. You might have to use the flame wrench while bending the chain stays. Good luck.
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24 inch Free Spirit BMX Cruiser (Still figuring out a name for it)
- Thread starter Bike from the Dead
- Start date
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Miq
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Silhouette mock up pics are a great idea and your design looks really cool.
You could cold set the rear stays if it’s a steel frame. People will want to argue but there is good info about it on Sheldon Browns site. If you want the curve to start after a certain spot, you could block that spot at the spacing you want with some wood while you cold set the frame. You need to spend some time, after you reduce the spacing, on getting the dropouts to be lined up correctly. Make sure they don’t put a lot of stress on the hub axle when the nuts get tightened. When you reduce the spacing, the angles of the dropouts usually changes and they don’t line up right any more.
You could cold set the rear stays if it’s a steel frame. People will want to argue but there is good info about it on Sheldon Browns site. If you want the curve to start after a certain spot, you could block that spot at the spacing you want with some wood while you cold set the frame. You need to spend some time, after you reduce the spacing, on getting the dropouts to be lined up correctly. Make sure they don’t put a lot of stress on the hub axle when the nuts get tightened. When you reduce the spacing, the angles of the dropouts usually changes and they don’t line up right any more.
Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
Thank you!
It's a hefty steel frame, so cold setting shouldn't be an issue. I've already had a few guys mention Sheldon's site, as well as blocking parts of the frame I don't want bent. Straightening the dropouts will most likely be the trickiest part to this, as well as keeping the frame even. Thanks for the advice!
Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
I have a little bit of progress to report from this week.
First, I picked up a couple of white grips, along with a few other parts, at the Springfield, Missouri Bicycle Swap Meet this Sunday. I don't know if I'll use them, but I'm willing to give them a shot.
Next, I tried mocking up a couple other chainrings earlier this week to see if I could make do with what I already have. First I tried this Murray chainring with the extra holes for mounting one of those plastic covers some of the Spaceliners had. The chrome's good on it, and it's got potential, but I still don't like it as much as the previous chainring I had on it.
Next, I tried this 5 spoke chainring off a later model Huffy bike. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of it either.
Today, I cut out a block of wood to help keep the seat stays wide enough where the rear tire is at its thickest while I narrow the rear triangle.
Lastly, I did some scouting for paint options.
I found this engine paint that, based on the cap, would make a great anodized gold color for all the parts I wish to paint that way.
I also found some lime green, bright green, and teal spray paint that matches the digital mockup of the bike I made earlier.
But I also came up with this other color palette I really like too, with lime green, bright blue, navy blue, and black. I feel like I need to explore a few more color options before I decide on paint.
While I was at Home Depot, I also picked up some 3/8" threaded rod and some nuts and washers to squeeze that rear triangle down to the width I want.
Progress has been a little slow this month, but I'm ready to kick things into high gear and start ordering parts soon.
First, I picked up a couple of white grips, along with a few other parts, at the Springfield, Missouri Bicycle Swap Meet this Sunday. I don't know if I'll use them, but I'm willing to give them a shot.
Next, I tried mocking up a couple other chainrings earlier this week to see if I could make do with what I already have. First I tried this Murray chainring with the extra holes for mounting one of those plastic covers some of the Spaceliners had. The chrome's good on it, and it's got potential, but I still don't like it as much as the previous chainring I had on it.
Next, I tried this 5 spoke chainring off a later model Huffy bike. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of it either.
Today, I cut out a block of wood to help keep the seat stays wide enough where the rear tire is at its thickest while I narrow the rear triangle.
Lastly, I did some scouting for paint options.
I found this engine paint that, based on the cap, would make a great anodized gold color for all the parts I wish to paint that way.
I also found some lime green, bright green, and teal spray paint that matches the digital mockup of the bike I made earlier.
But I also came up with this other color palette I really like too, with lime green, bright blue, navy blue, and black. I feel like I need to explore a few more color options before I decide on paint.
While I was at Home Depot, I also picked up some 3/8" threaded rod and some nuts and washers to squeeze that rear triangle down to the width I want.
Progress has been a little slow this month, but I'm ready to kick things into high gear and start ordering parts soon.
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Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
Well, I was afraid it would come to this, but I need to pull the plug on this build, at least for now. Unfortunately, I just can't afford to build this bike the way I want to right now. I need to save my money for more critical things at this time, and I need to spend more time working on the things that will help me get into a more financially stable position.
That said, I'll still be tinkering with this bike during the Build Off and making whatever progress on it I can. Maybe I'll even slap it together just enough to get it riding. Who knows. I'll still be working on my Class 1 build, as I have most everything I need to get that bike done, but this bike's going to have to sit on the backburner for now.
That said, I'll still be tinkering with this bike during the Build Off and making whatever progress on it I can. Maybe I'll even slap it together just enough to get it riding. Who knows. I'll still be working on my Class 1 build, as I have most everything I need to get that bike done, but this bike's going to have to sit on the backburner for now.
Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
This builthread is active again, and the bike's taking on a whole new look!
Back on October 6th, 2023, I just picked up a few bike parts at a nearby swap meet for less than $30, including a pair of 24 inch wheels and the junior version of my childhood dream bike: the OCC Schwinn Sting Ray.
Obviously, I'm too big to fit on the Sting Ray as it is, but I got the bike for the triple tree fork with the 1 inch threaded steerer tube, not necessarily the bike itself. I wasn't sure what bike I'd throw it on, but I knew they'd be good for something. I pulled the fork off, hoping to mock it up on something soon, or at least show it to my friend Bill when I met up with him at the 2nd Annual Tulsa BMX Vintage Nationals Race, Show and Swap the next day.
While I was at the Tulsa BMX Vintage Nationals, I was on the hunt for some fresh inspiration for my stalled BMX build. I brought the Free Spirit frame and the loose triple tree fork to show Bill and see if he could give me some ideas for my bike. Up to that point, I was still thinking of making a 1980s-style BMX bike, but I felt I'd need to modify the dropouts to match the later BMX bikes, and spend a larger sum of money on parts, paint, and other materials to make it happen. Bill, who's way more familiar with BMX bikes, had another idea. He pointed out a number of BMX bikes at the show and inside the Museum that my frame and fork reminded him of, and that could be used as inspiration for my bike. Instead of shooting for a 1980s-inspired build, he suggested going for a much earlier 1970s-style build.
One of the first bikes Bill showed me was this 1975 Rink Raider, a bike that would soon evolve into the Torker. The 2 main reasons Bill pointed out this bike to me was for the way gussets were added to a twin-tube frame, and more importantly, the fact that the dropouts were the earlier, more traditional hook-style dropouts, as opposed to the later rear-slotted versions that's common on BMX bikes today. Bill suggested that I leave the dropouts on my frame as they are, as early '70s MX and BMX bikes had dropouts just like mine.
The next bikes Bill highlighted for me were these Yamaha, Kawasaki, and other early BMX bikes that used triple tree forks. Some of them, like the 1975 Kawasaki pictured below, even used rigid triple tree forks with no built-in shock absorbers. Also worth noting is how a lot of these early BMX bikes still used banana or loaf seats.
Even this little Mattel Vrroom Stallion had a triple tree fork!
I don't know what bike this one below is, but the front gussets (and especially that fork setup) caught my eye!
Even out in the swap meet and show, there were a few bikes that carried this new flavor I was craving for my bike. I've seen a number of 1970s bikes similar to this AMF MX bike that more closely match the dirt bikes of the day than the BMX bikes we know now, sporting a chain guard, fenders, a banana seat and sissy bar, and even a tank! These pre-BMX bikes had a lot more bulk to them than the BMX bikes that came later.
Even this modified Sting Ray still carries most of its Muscle Bike roots while sporting a set of pegs and some mag wheels.
After Bill's tour and my own browsing of the Vintage Nationals, I was charged up and ready to take this bike in a whole new direction!
Immediately after returning home, I slapped that triple tree fork on the frame, and fortunately, it actually fit the frame! The steerer tube would have been too short to fit most of my other bikes, but it fit this one just right. Still, I wasn't too sure about it, so I needed to mock up some more parts.
Back on October 6th, 2023, I just picked up a few bike parts at a nearby swap meet for less than $30, including a pair of 24 inch wheels and the junior version of my childhood dream bike: the OCC Schwinn Sting Ray.
Obviously, I'm too big to fit on the Sting Ray as it is, but I got the bike for the triple tree fork with the 1 inch threaded steerer tube, not necessarily the bike itself. I wasn't sure what bike I'd throw it on, but I knew they'd be good for something. I pulled the fork off, hoping to mock it up on something soon, or at least show it to my friend Bill when I met up with him at the 2nd Annual Tulsa BMX Vintage Nationals Race, Show and Swap the next day.
While I was at the Tulsa BMX Vintage Nationals, I was on the hunt for some fresh inspiration for my stalled BMX build. I brought the Free Spirit frame and the loose triple tree fork to show Bill and see if he could give me some ideas for my bike. Up to that point, I was still thinking of making a 1980s-style BMX bike, but I felt I'd need to modify the dropouts to match the later BMX bikes, and spend a larger sum of money on parts, paint, and other materials to make it happen. Bill, who's way more familiar with BMX bikes, had another idea. He pointed out a number of BMX bikes at the show and inside the Museum that my frame and fork reminded him of, and that could be used as inspiration for my bike. Instead of shooting for a 1980s-inspired build, he suggested going for a much earlier 1970s-style build.
One of the first bikes Bill showed me was this 1975 Rink Raider, a bike that would soon evolve into the Torker. The 2 main reasons Bill pointed out this bike to me was for the way gussets were added to a twin-tube frame, and more importantly, the fact that the dropouts were the earlier, more traditional hook-style dropouts, as opposed to the later rear-slotted versions that's common on BMX bikes today. Bill suggested that I leave the dropouts on my frame as they are, as early '70s MX and BMX bikes had dropouts just like mine.
The next bikes Bill highlighted for me were these Yamaha, Kawasaki, and other early BMX bikes that used triple tree forks. Some of them, like the 1975 Kawasaki pictured below, even used rigid triple tree forks with no built-in shock absorbers. Also worth noting is how a lot of these early BMX bikes still used banana or loaf seats.
Even this little Mattel Vrroom Stallion had a triple tree fork!
I don't know what bike this one below is, but the front gussets (and especially that fork setup) caught my eye!
Even out in the swap meet and show, there were a few bikes that carried this new flavor I was craving for my bike. I've seen a number of 1970s bikes similar to this AMF MX bike that more closely match the dirt bikes of the day than the BMX bikes we know now, sporting a chain guard, fenders, a banana seat and sissy bar, and even a tank! These pre-BMX bikes had a lot more bulk to them than the BMX bikes that came later.
Even this modified Sting Ray still carries most of its Muscle Bike roots while sporting a set of pegs and some mag wheels.
After Bill's tour and my own browsing of the Vintage Nationals, I was charged up and ready to take this bike in a whole new direction!
Immediately after returning home, I slapped that triple tree fork on the frame, and fortunately, it actually fit the frame! The steerer tube would have been too short to fit most of my other bikes, but it fit this one just right. Still, I wasn't too sure about it, so I needed to mock up some more parts.
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Bike from the Dead
I live for the CABE
On a later day, I mocked up a few more parts. First, I swapped out the previous seat for a banana seat and sissy bar, partly for the look, but mostly for a better seating position.
Next, I found a chain guard from an AMF bike that could fit the frame with a little modification.
Then I found a pair of ape hangers that just barely fit inside the 2 fork-mounted handlebar clamps. They might not stay, but I still feel they fit well enough. I also make a rough cardboard gusset for the front of the frame.
The last part I mocked up was a front fender I could modify to fit the rear. And just like that, I found the look I was aiming for! This feels like those early BMX bikes that seemed more like an evolution of the muscle bikes that came before. Kind of fitting too, since I wanted to make this into a muscle bike before I chose to go the BMX route. In fact, I might pull triple duty with this bike; it's got a pair of slicks that would be great for the skate park, but I also have a fresh pair of 24" knobbies I could use for off-road rides, and if that's not enough, I even have a 1.75"-wide tire I could mount up front for a more muscular appearance! It's a triple threat!
I did my usual digital mockup in Photoshop to see what the final look might be, and after weeks of tinkering with colors and graphics, I ultimately decided on this:
Ideally, I'd like to run a black banana seat, but if that's not in the cards, I have a perfectly good black-and-white banana seat I could use instead.
I plan to have Dad powder coat the bike in this super cool "Sparkle Granny Smith" color he has, with satin black and chrome accents to help break it up. Felt like a good color for a bike that's meant to be a transition between muscle bike and BMX.
But why call a 24 inch Free Spirit 10-speed turned 1970s-era BMX cruiser "MUTT?" Well, there's 2 reasons for that.
1. This bike's a hodgepodge of different years, makes, and manufacturers of parts, and I don't quite know what even the main frame's supposed to be, just like how a "mutt" is made up of different dog breeds, including some that may be hard to identify. It's not one of the more "purist-type" bikes I'm used to seeing at the vintage BMX shows. This thing's cobbled together out of dirt-cheap parts I had on hand. In fact, the most expensive parts I have on this bike have got to be the 2 slick tires I currently have mocked up. Everything else I either got for free or close to it. So it's not a true period-correct build, but it is period-inspired.
2. "Mutt" is the name of a "character" from one of my favorite short-lived cartoons: Motorcity. "Mutt" is an amalgamation of 1970s muscle cars with a built-in escape chopper from the distant future that sports a flashy green paint job with black stripes. And like my plan for this bike, Motorcity's "Mutt" may look like a muscle car, but it has no problem forging its own path. I'd been itching to build a couple bikes as an homage to the show, and this would be a great one to start with!
So far, this is where I'm at: a loose mockup and a dream. Good news is I should be able to make some serious progress on this bike soon. Unless something comes up, I'll be meeting up with my friend Allan sometime this weekend, who's going to teach me how to weld so I can weld the gussets to the frame myself.
Next, I found a chain guard from an AMF bike that could fit the frame with a little modification.
Then I found a pair of ape hangers that just barely fit inside the 2 fork-mounted handlebar clamps. They might not stay, but I still feel they fit well enough. I also make a rough cardboard gusset for the front of the frame.
The last part I mocked up was a front fender I could modify to fit the rear. And just like that, I found the look I was aiming for! This feels like those early BMX bikes that seemed more like an evolution of the muscle bikes that came before. Kind of fitting too, since I wanted to make this into a muscle bike before I chose to go the BMX route. In fact, I might pull triple duty with this bike; it's got a pair of slicks that would be great for the skate park, but I also have a fresh pair of 24" knobbies I could use for off-road rides, and if that's not enough, I even have a 1.75"-wide tire I could mount up front for a more muscular appearance! It's a triple threat!
I did my usual digital mockup in Photoshop to see what the final look might be, and after weeks of tinkering with colors and graphics, I ultimately decided on this:
Ideally, I'd like to run a black banana seat, but if that's not in the cards, I have a perfectly good black-and-white banana seat I could use instead.
I plan to have Dad powder coat the bike in this super cool "Sparkle Granny Smith" color he has, with satin black and chrome accents to help break it up. Felt like a good color for a bike that's meant to be a transition between muscle bike and BMX.
But why call a 24 inch Free Spirit 10-speed turned 1970s-era BMX cruiser "MUTT?" Well, there's 2 reasons for that.
1. This bike's a hodgepodge of different years, makes, and manufacturers of parts, and I don't quite know what even the main frame's supposed to be, just like how a "mutt" is made up of different dog breeds, including some that may be hard to identify. It's not one of the more "purist-type" bikes I'm used to seeing at the vintage BMX shows. This thing's cobbled together out of dirt-cheap parts I had on hand. In fact, the most expensive parts I have on this bike have got to be the 2 slick tires I currently have mocked up. Everything else I either got for free or close to it. So it's not a true period-correct build, but it is period-inspired.
2. "Mutt" is the name of a "character" from one of my favorite short-lived cartoons: Motorcity. "Mutt" is an amalgamation of 1970s muscle cars with a built-in escape chopper from the distant future that sports a flashy green paint job with black stripes. And like my plan for this bike, Motorcity's "Mutt" may look like a muscle car, but it has no problem forging its own path. I'd been itching to build a couple bikes as an homage to the show, and this would be a great one to start with!
So far, this is where I'm at: a loose mockup and a dream. Good news is I should be able to make some serious progress on this bike soon. Unless something comes up, I'll be meeting up with my friend Allan sometime this weekend, who's going to teach me how to weld so I can weld the gussets to the frame myself.
razinhellcustomz
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
This is looking pretty cool. Good luck with your welding. Mark.
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