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60ish Flightliner

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I was advised to grind the front axle instead of the front dropouts in order to fit. It was great advice. The dropouts in that rat trap fork are really tough. Like battleship armor.
 
Banana seat arrived so I did more work on the Flightliner. The 24" spyders were purple, so I got a purple seat and grips. Packed the headset and crank bearings.
-Installed a universal rear brake kit. I didn't trim the cable since I don't have the ape hanger bars yet. Flightliners were single speed or a few came with a 2 speed kick back.
-I planned to finish the drive train but I didn't have a bmx chain. I was sure that I had one. I guess I mis-remembered.
spyder a 0127.jpg
 
Spaceliners and Flightliners are pretty popular projects around here right now, means the Murray-built Higgins fans are moving from the 40s and 50s squarely into the 60s now. I've got one of my own coming. Not as ornate but a ton of fun just the same.
 
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I found some ape hangers I liked so I clamped them on and slid the grips on. I made a little mount for the shifter and hung it on the seat tube for now. Still working on the drive train.
 
The mountain bike drive train shifts well now. The shifter located under the seat works well but I need to dress it up.
The Flightliner chain guard is attached with zip ties.
-Still need to trim cable housings and other minutia. I need to rub in more chrome polish, thanks to the salt air.
spyder chain guard 030319.jpg


spyder 2 chain guard 030319.jpg
 
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Found out that the torsion fork can compress so far that the tire can jam against the fork crown, locking the front tire (as I sailed over the handle bars). I will have to shade-tree-engineer some way of limiting the fork travel so that the front wheel will not lock again when I hit a big pothole or get run off the road by a cager. I could also switch the front wheel for a 20“ to help the problem. Surprisingly, the fork still works quietly, with no rattles or squeaks.
--I added a third bracket to the chain guard and it is steady now. Doesn’t rub on the cranks or chain. I hate chain guards that rub.
--I stuck a wine cork (Mondavi 2018) in the grip shifter since I haven’t come up with a good mod for it yet. I wish I had something for it that matched my purple jeweled valve caps.

--I still need more leg room, even though it’s a 24” bike. Thighs start to burn before the mile mark, even in low gear and I want to be able to enjoy an hour long ride. I’ll try a lay-back seat post before resorting to a longer seat and sissy bar.
 
I installed a lay back seat post that provides more leg room.
-The bike still looked like a cruiser with the 24" front wheel, so I swapped it for a 20" wheel. Its a 24/20 now. 24 20 gator.jpg

-The stick shifter that I ordered arrived at the PO today, but I will not get my hands on it until tomorrow.
24 20 bridge.jpg
 
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