Schwinn Typhoon Flat Bar Build 50th Anniversary Edition!

[RM Special]

Love the bike Ozzie. Great build and cool color combo! My original intention was to build a klunker with the exact same style frame but I found it difficult to find one. I am planning on using one of the Shimano Radiax rear brakes which has a 5 speed freewheel chainring setup that you can't really see in the ad photo. It keeps it in the late 70's early 80's era which is my intention for the build. I have a Atom rear brake off of a tandem that is a 5 speed but chose to go with the Radiax as the weight between the two are very similar.

I found this online from the 1978 Shimano catalogue. The parts and pieces are welded to the frame and painted already but failed to take pics... Once the paint dries it will be sanded down to bare metal in places and sprayed with a salt/vinegar solution to make it match the rest of the paint and rust that cover the rest of the frame.

Hopefully I will be able to post more updates soon.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Hopefully you meant to say weld in the steel chainstay bridge where the kickstand used to be. Aluminum and steel don't fuse together so well.
The gussets do look good though.
What caused the bend on this back tube?? Usually it takes getting hit by a car to tweak these things.
If you're looking to break out the welder and beef up the stay because you're afraid of the Radiax brake bending it, I'd recommend something to tie the upper and lower stays together. Something like this.

Or maybe some flat steel with a sweet design in it.

80 degree angle, $3.99 on eBay.

 

[RM Special]

Thanks for the reply and suggestions. I have no idea how the frame could bend in that area where that coaster brake bracket attaches. I do not have equipment to accurately measure the frame to locate other bends. However, it does not appear to have any other damage and the rear dropouts seem to be in alignment, not shifted to the left or right? Odd for sure...

I created the gussets to replicate the early BMX style as it will hopefully have that vibe to it when the build is completed.

I did NOT attempt to weld that aluminum reinforcement to the frame ! The aluminum reinforcement is intended to be held in place with the brake bracket that attaches to the frame. Hopefully it will distribute the force created during braking over a larger section of the frame.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Thanks for the reply and suggestions. I have no idea how the frame could bend in that area where that coaster brake bracket attaches. I do not have equipment to accurately measure the frame to locate other bends. However, it does not appear to have any other damage and the rear dropouts seem to be in alignment, not shifted to the left or right? Odd for sure...

I created the gussets to replicate the early BMX style as it will hopefully have that vibe to it when the build is completed.

I did NOT attempt to weld that aluminum reinforcement to the frame ! The aluminum reinforcement is intended to be held in place with the brake bracket that attaches to the frame. Hopefully it will distribute the force created during braking over a larger section of the frame.

Sorry, hard to tell from here if the gussets are steel or aluminum. Dig the idea of adding gussets for sure. Maybe something with lightening holes?
Just not sure about aluminum reinforcement, unless maybe it's thick and heat treated...?

 

[GTs58]

I’m wondering if that bike was motorized at one point. That bent chain stay would indicate that.

 

[RM Special]

Thanks for the replies to this post!

A few updates on the build. This frame has some of the original paint left but it does not appear to have been motorized in the past as there does not appear to have imperfections (or clean paint where it would have been protected) from motor mounts holding an engine to the frame.

The intended aluminum reinforcement for the bent chain stay appears to be a durable piece. It is from a wheelchair footrest that had been cut in half. I cannot verify the treating process but it is quite thick and does not appear to bend easily.

The gussets have been welded in and are rusting nicely to match the rest of the frame with the salt and vinegar mixture. I pained the areas the had to be ground down to bare metal along with the welds with semi gloss black and used scotch brite to expose sections to bare metal again prior to spraying it with the mixture.

I also got the rear rim back from the bike shop which was re-laced with the Shimano Radiax brake hub to the well used Araya hoops. The new spokes look nice but are much to shiny for the rest of the bike....

Also, I had to stretch the rear dropouts to accept a wider hub, as the Shimano was 3/4" wider than the original dropout width. I utilized a piece of all-thread that fit in the dropouts and expanded the room between them to get the required clearance. I can post a pic of what I used if anyone is interested but it worked great.

Since I was adding gussets, and had modified the frame beyond originality I decided to add some reinforcements to other areas with the welder. I added it here and where the flat bar tubes cross at the seat post. All welds were done from the bottom side and are not visible unless the bike is upside down.

I am having a difficult time finding a older style front drum brake for this build. I am aware that you can purchase newer style aluminum drum brakes but want to keep to the Klunker era front brakes that would have been used on a similar build back then. If anyone has anything available please let me know.
Thanks.

 

[phantom]

No , not a year old the day you were born. Anniversaries mark the first year and every year after . It’s not a birthday.

Whether it's 60 or 61 what is the anniversary of ?

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Thanks for the replies to this post!

A few updates on the build. This frame has some of the original paint left but it does not appear to have been motorized in the past as there does not appear to have imperfections (or clean paint where it would have been protected) from motor mounts holding an engine to the frame.

The intended aluminum reinforcement for the bent chain stay appears to be a durable piece. It is from a wheelchair footrest that had been cut in half. I cannot verify the treating process but it is quite thick and does not appear to bend easily.

View attachment 1770418

The gussets have been welded in and are rusting nicely to match the rest of the frame with the salt and vinegar mixture. I pained the areas the had to be ground down to bare metal along with the welds with semi gloss black and used scotch brite to expose sections to bare metal again prior to spraying it with the mixture.

View attachment 1770419

I also got the rear rim back from the bike shop which was re-laced with the Shimano Radiax brake hub to the well used Araya hoops. The new spokes look nice but are much to shiny for the rest of the bike....

View attachment 1770440

Also, I had to stretch the rear dropouts to accept a wider hub, as the Shimano was 3/4" wider than the original dropout width. I utilized a piece of all-thread that fit in the dropouts and expanded the room between them to get the required clearance. I can post a pic of what I used if anyone is interested but it worked great.

Since I was adding gussets, and had modified the frame beyond originality I decided to add some reinforcements to other areas with the welder. I added it here and where the flat bar tubes cross at the seat post. All welds were done from the bottom side and are not visible unless the bike is upside down.

View attachment 1770448

I am having a difficult time finding a older style front drum brake for this build. I am aware that you can purchase newer style aluminum drum brakes but want to keep to the Klunker era front brakes that would have been used on a similar build back then. If anyone has anything available please let me know.
Thanks.

Steel drum brake on eBay.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

I just bought one of these Sturmey knock offs from eBay, I think they're a steel shell too. Shipping from China has been slow as molasses, even while it's been in the US.

 

[RM Special]

Thanks for the replies.

The 50th anniversary is mentioned on the first page of the post. It is in celebrating a local bike shop that built Klunker bikes back in the late 70's and early 80's. Their branding back then was "The home of the FAT tire".

Thanks for the link to the eBay auction for the front brake hub. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with the quality of the Super British hubs listed in the auction?

I have been watching this one as well.

Vintage Sachs Orbit Front Hub 36H w/ Drum Brake NOS (348) | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Sachs Orbit Front Hub 36H w/ Drum Brake NOS (348) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Sorry I do not know how to make that a hyperlink.

I will post some pics of the handlebars that I am trying to straighten and some of the cycle pro forks that I plan on using a bit later.