Author Topic: Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes  (Read 2884 times)

Si

Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes
« on: 08 April, 2008, 11:09:22 am »
Here’s a thread for you to show off your scrap-head flyer!  Anything accepted as long as it was built the bodging way, nothing turned away on the grounds of ugliness, repulsiveness or plain old shoddiness!
 

Si

Re: Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes
« Reply #1 on: 08 April, 2008, 11:10:24 am »
I guess that I’d better start then.

Here’s the first fixer that I ever built. 
Notable features:
The frame was free as it had been an insurance write-off (frame totally undamaged but the insurer chose to replace whole bike rather than replace wheel and bars).  It’s a Fred Williams Columbus SL.  A smidge too big for me but useable.  Chain set is a BMX jobbie from the LBS bargain bin.  Handle bars, seat pin, saddle, etc out of the parts bin.  Rear wheel based on an Atom hub: £10er from Spa I think.  Tyres donated free from someone who hated them.  Brakes and levers just sort of turned up – no idea how they got in my shed but there they were.  Bar tape: someone’s off cuts.  Front wheel – result of an upgrade to a ‘proper’ wheel.

She was a tad heavy but rode fine.  Bit of flex in the rear end on steep hills but not enough to cause problems.  Now sadly departed…details of new fixie will no doubt hit this thread soon.



Si

Re: Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes
« Reply #2 on: 08 April, 2008, 11:10:49 am »
Here’s the first SS that I ever built.
Notable features:
Frameset was a Diamond Back Ascent – lovely frame, acquires after a dubious upgrade to suspension.  Cranks: STX – solidly welded to BB which was in turn solidly welded to the frame…ah the joys of not greasing your bike properly!  Wheels and front tyre were someone’s cast offs.  I think the chain tensioner was a broken Surley that a mate chucked away halfway through a race.  Pedals £5er from the jumble sale.  The sprocket was a bit special – great bit of blagging: when Forge were thinking of bringing out a 17t I pestered them about how I kept breaking bit of my bike so they sent me some post production freebies to test.  Guess what?  Broke the first one in under a day J they then redesigned and the new one was great.
The bike weighed in at around 22lb – good for a steel MTB, and rode very well.  Seemed to out perform some quite exotic stuff at the inaugural More Ears Than Gears ride.


Si

Re: Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes
« Reply #3 on: 08 April, 2008, 11:11:20 am »
This is the new  fixie.

Notable points:
Most of the bike was donated by someone not too far away (thank you S) – he couldn’t use it and was going to chuck it in a skip otherwise.
Initially converted from 10spd to SS: same crankset just removed outer.  Wheels got at a cycle jumble to convert it to 700c.  Rear is a shimano cassette hub spaced with old cassette spacers.  Then found an old wheel in the shed that took a block rather than a cassette - removed block, added BB lock ring a chain line spacer and fixed sprocket.
Chucked some of those old Wiennman deep drops on to reach the rims: people hate these brakes, I don’t know why, which means you can often get them free.  They are mated to shimano 600 aero levers (replacing the crappy old GT ones) and work very well.  Mudguards: bluemels - £3 in a closing down sale.  Tyres – two pairs given to me free as the owner had gotten five or six punctures in them so decided they’d had it!  Pedals: old single sided SPDs, I think were a £5er at a jumble sale.
This is a great bike to ride, handles wheel, climbs well and is very low maintenance – what more could you wish for from a virtually free bike? 


Si

Re: Reader's scrapheap flyers and bodge-bikes
« Reply #4 on: 08 April, 2008, 11:11:50 am »
The commuter.
Notable points:
Frame is an old steel Marin.  Friend was taking it down the skip as it had been in his shed for about 15 years, so I offered to take off his hands J Wheels off another skip bike – front has a bolt on hub so very handy as I don’t been to put the lock through it. 
The frame came with some canti brake flat bar levers which I sold and so ended up with a new bike and a profit.  The bike looks a mess – this is at least partly intentional as it often gets locked up and left in public places.  Always lock it near a nice flash looking full suspension Halfords special – which one do you think they are going to pinch first!