Car Bait 2, the Chopper bicycle

I'm permitting myself to blow my own horn this week. I've taken the time over the last week to paint this last bicycle chopper project of mine,. Sanded, sprayed with a coat of primer black and finally sprayed it semi-gloss black. Touch ups are a breeze. I also added the stick shifter from Jenna Saykwa that graciously donated it for this project. The shifter rest on a tank plate that I cut from the backing plate of an old 1950's fridge. I kept the original finish on the plate. The bike now carries the name "Car Bait 2" in honor of a previous perfect ride that snapped a frame tube after being ridden too hard for over 5 500 km.

I also took the time to redo the face plate of the speedometer. A simple scan of the original that was used as a basis for the new one that I made using Gimp. I took the time to convert it to metric as well since everything is "faster" in metric.  :) I printed the new one on card stock and glued it behind the original plate before screwing it back into place. I like how it came out.

I added some cargo capacity by bolting on a pair of lunch boxes on the sides. I have my tools and spare parts in one box and the other is empty to carry different items.

The last dilemma that I had was the fenders. I need fenders because i just can't stand riding with my back sprayed wet. But, on this bike, they would have looked ugly. So I took an inspiration from British sports car builder Vanwall who went around the same problem by making fenders out of old tires, thus "camouflaging" their existence. I did the same thing using old rusted fenders and brackets that I cut down to shape using tin snips. I then put the scissors to a pair of old tires I had lying around, a large one in back and a skinny one up front. The tires are simply bolted on the supporting old fenders using the existing attachment points for the frame and brackets. I really like how it came out, a good compromise.

This bike is now my main ride. I've put over 110 km on it in the last week and I have had no problems to report. This bike is just a dream to ride. There will be more things happening to it in the future and I will keep you all posted on the results.

Don't forget to check out the how-to articles post

and download my free bike maintenance book if you haven't already.

Until next time, ride safe and free.

Gerry :)

1962 Columbia Firebolt

 This week's bike feature is about an old bike that was found in a closet of an old factory, a 1962 Columbia Firebolt. A young 13 year old gentleman found it and brought it home. His Dad really liked it and asked the young man if he could fix it up for him.

SCHWINNRAY69, a member of ratrodbikes.com, took to the task and brought the old stead back to its former glory, and then some, with good old elbow grease.

The bike remains original for the exception of new pedals and tires. Those tires being a bit larger than the original, it prevented the installation of the front fender. Our young ratrodder mentionned that it gave the bike more of a "Hot Rod" look anyway. I agree. The most impressive element of that bike for me is the integrated rear rack, practical yet looks awesome cool. Too bad nobody does that these days.

All and all this bike came out great and I hope it brings inspiration to other teens out there of what is possible. Go get your hands dirty! Here's a link to the build thread: 
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=34440

Don't forget to check out the how-to articles post

and download my free bike maintenance book if you haven't already.

Until next time, ride safe and free.

Gerry :)