After those first couple test rides around the cul-de-sac, I grabbed a pair of matching handlebar grips, washed them off as quickly as I could, and threw those on the handlebars for a much longer test run. Well, they matched when they were dirty, but apparently they must have come off 2 different bikes! One must have come off a garage-kept, gently-used bike, and the other must have been one of the only surviving pieces of the bike it came off, 'cause that bike got abused! Still, I think they both look alright on the Schwinn.
I rode it out to one of the main roads near the neighborhood. Between the clouds getting darker and the afternoon traffic, I couldn't get the best photos, but I shot what I could. As I rode to and from this spot, I was surprised how little I noticed those knobbier tires despite riding on asphalt the whole time. I thought they'd feel all bumpy and uncomfortable, but nope! They acted just like any other street tire. That just makes me feel all the more confident that this old Schwinn really can be a good all-terrain bike.
Just to show how much this bike has changed so far, here's a couple comparison shots.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
It's kind of funny to me just how this bike build has turned out so far. When I decided to build this bike, I was just going to try and slap it together using what parts I had laying around so I could ride it while I saved up the money and materials to strip it down and build it the way I wanted to later. I had no plans to save the original paint, much less fall in love with it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: red and white are my 2 least-favorite colors, and I don't want or need more bikes in those colors. That said, after spending so much time and elbow grease shining up the paint with rubbing compound, I can't imagine getting rid of that original Schwinn-applied paint! It's survived 70 years up to this point, and hopefully it'll survive another 70 years after this point.
I also didn't expect to build this Schwinn as an off-road/all-terrain bike either! This was just going to be a simple "street bomber" build, with a used set of cream-colored tires wrapped around the wheels. I'm not really into mountain bikes or going off-road in anything smaller than a go-kart, but the moment I mocked up those knobby off-road tires, there was no point looking at the other street tires I planned to test out on this old Schwinn. Besides, sometimes it's good to step a little outside my comfort zone and try something new. There are quite a few bike trails around Tulsa meant for off-roading, and it'd be fun to check them out and get a change of scenery from the neighborhood and all the local parks I usually stick to when I want to go for a bike ride. Plus, it's just cool to have a bike that carries that same attitude those early klunkers have. Who knows, maybe down the road I'll do what those guys did and upgrade this bike to a 10-or-more-speed bike with better brakes and more serious off-road parts!
So what's next for the
Kasual Klunker? Well, despite how it looks, I'm not actually done building this bike yet. I still want to paint the wheels to match the rest of the bike, so I may be taking the wheels apart to do that. Might even learn how to lace and true my own wheels while I'm at it. I also want to add a few other small touches to the bike to really make it my own, as I still feel like I've seen this exact bike somewhere else before. I don't plan on doing anything crazy, but I may want to add a number plate to the handlebars and frame, and maybe a bell to let others know I need a little room to pass them. ...Some folks just use up the whole path while they walk.
In the meantime, I'm going to try and keep myself warm by buzzing this Hornet around the neighborhood and whatever trails I find!
