1960's STOKVIS 'Stick Fish' (Dutch)
- Thread starter BarelyAWake
- Start date
They are indeed 26x1-3/8" (37-590) and sadly checked - but if they're the "oddball" ones, I've no idea lol After a quick check of my bikeshop buddies' website they seem to be readily available - even the same Kendas that are on it now: 26x1-3/8...
BUT - even if they're the odd ones, it may not matter as there's a small ding in the front rim and a flat spot on the back. The ding makes no difference as it's on the top near the spokes (looks as if a bb gun was involved lol) but between that, the minor rust spots, the flat spot & my plan to motorize - odds are a new set of rims are in it's future. The rims are french BTW, 'Rigida Super Chromix' w/a Renak single speed coaster hub. The interesting bit is the rear wheel appears to have 12g spokes
True - and I'm gonna need to find a pump for it ofc *sigh*
No derailleur - it's a single speed lol... seriously tho - no worries man, actually thanks for talkin' about alternatives! Tho I like your idea, the ol' Stick Fish is gettin' a Bike Bug strapped to it, mostly because a HT won't fit w/o swapping out that groovy ol' 3pc crankset (which I obv don't wanna do) - but also because it's something different to play with and it's about the same year as the bike.
I agree completely heh, in fact if I hadn't noticed the "made in Rotterdam" on it - I prolly wouldn't have given it a close enough look to see it's a lil different than most road bikes lol It is defo solid and remarkably easy to pedal - tho yer going nowhere in a hurry
The more I think on it - the more I think it'll prolly do something like that, tho it'd be a (dark) veneer to keep it thin & light. I could ofc make clear sheet plastic coat guards & a "leather" chain guard cover... but I'm not so fond if either idea despite the fact it's what it had originally.
I don't think I'm gonna repaint it, the paint is a lil rough but not bad (gotta love the old school toxic stuff lol), it's got the "vintage look" an I'm gonna leave it alone - it won't be a pretty bike no matter what I do, so I'll roll w/the groovy instead heh
The "stickers" are... not in great shape. The top bar ones are wasted and completely illegible, I can't even tell what they usta look like - so I'm going to try and gently remove their remains while leaving the paint as intact as it is. The seat post tube and down tube ones are rough but mostly legible - those I'll leave be.
I may hit the frame with a semi-gloss clear to help protect it *shrug* baridco's the one who is the expert in preserving vintage "patina" - and I don't remember exactly what he prefers... I'm gonna hafta wade through the epic saga of the Rustoration Build Off to steal his ideas
Already did that to clean it lol (& now I know where I got the ider), and I hada go out and get some of that bdanged WD40 as there's none of it in this shop, nor the marina's shops, not even the hardware store where I work (not even for sale
) or it's shop had any as it seems to be useless except to clean the nasty ofn ol' bikes heh - we're all PB Blaster junkies here Which I'll admit wouldn't clean a bike at all... it'd be a greasy mess lolHowever - the "stickers" laughed off the weasel piss... while the headbadge is a sticker - the rest are transfers and a bit more rugged.
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BUGGED STICK FISH! aka "Back to Basics fer BAW"
Well, my... *cough* "new" motor showed up and I told myself that I'd not have any time to tinker till the weekend... & I really don't - but on the other hand not only was that a completely foolish thing to try and tell myself (I ain't fallin' for it neither), truth is I only needed a few moments to throw the ol' Bug on the front of the 'Fish ta see what I'm getting myself into, heck - I didn't even need chop or remove the front fender like I thought I was gonna hafta heh
Nufin is tightened or even cleaned, I jus' kinda set everythin' in place to get a feel for it... and it's a freaky lil thang to be sure lol, I'm diggin it!
Coupla upgrades include a (new aftermarket) dropstand as the engine weight on the front makes it a lil troublesome to park, fabbin' up a thumb throttle (Bug came w/a twist, don't wanna scrap the orig 'Fish grips tho), and ofc one of Silverbear's leather covered cylinder tanks (temp ziptied in place) to complete the look w/some posh
I may get a longer tank frm Silverbear to fill that space... I may make a tool case for behind this 'un - I'm not quite sure yet... & I'm keepin' an eye out for a tire pump that'll fit the mounts on the Dtube. I do know I'm gonna scrap the wood paneling idea and just make replacements for the coat guards & chain guard panels w/some 20g sheet steel painted black (leeping the orig trim bits ofc) - rollin' w/the stark "utilitarian" look w/this one I figure, it seems to be what it "wants" if ya know what I mean
Well, my... *cough* "new" motor showed up and I told myself that I'd not have any time to tinker till the weekend... & I really don't - but on the other hand not only was that a completely foolish thing to try and tell myself (I ain't fallin' for it neither), truth is I only needed a few moments to throw the ol' Bug on the front of the 'Fish ta see what I'm getting myself into, heck - I didn't even need chop or remove the front fender like I thought I was gonna hafta heh
Nufin is tightened or even cleaned, I jus' kinda set everythin' in place to get a feel for it... and it's a freaky lil thang to be sure lol, I'm diggin it!
Coupla upgrades include a (new aftermarket) dropstand as the engine weight on the front makes it a lil troublesome to park, fabbin' up a thumb throttle (Bug came w/a twist, don't wanna scrap the orig 'Fish grips tho), and ofc one of Silverbear's leather covered cylinder tanks (temp ziptied in place) to complete the look w/some posh
I may get a longer tank frm Silverbear to fill that space... I may make a tool case for behind this 'un - I'm not quite sure yet... & I'm keepin' an eye out for a tire pump that'll fit the mounts on the Dtube. I do know I'm gonna scrap the wood paneling idea and just make replacements for the coat guards & chain guard panels w/some 20g sheet steel painted black (leeping the orig trim bits ofc) - rollin' w/the stark "utilitarian" look w/this one I figure, it seems to be what it "wants" if ya know what I mean
Twist throttle?!? All the ones I have seen have the Farmall type lever throttle that you "set and forget". That was one thing I liked about it, it was "cruise control" of sorts.
Indeed
Tho what with their reputation for quality, one would think they'd be more common stateside... mebbe they are and I just never noticed lol *shrug*
BTW, yer Basman rules!
Tho what with their reputation for quality, one would think they'd be more common stateside... mebbe they are and I just never noticed lol *shrug*
BTW, yer Basman rules!
A friend saw the Stokvis thread and the rambling therein & PMed me with an offer... so it was pretty much sheer coincidence I ended up w/a Bug - I was gonna try an' slap a HT up in there, but I'm glad I didn't as I'd hafta change out the groovy ol' 3pc crankset and I learned w/the Rollfast a coupla things: I dearly love gears, I'll not have another HT w/o a shiftkit (more modding the 'Fish) & that it's desperately difficult to get a HT to look vintage at all...
More Bug babble here BTW: http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=26727]
More Bug babble here BTW: http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=26727]
hmm... I've been messin' w/an ol' ten speed shifter lever but it's been givin' me a headache TBH, we've some dead weedeaters where I work so I'll check into that - thanks fer the tip man
if you do swap out the bike bug and want to let it go, im here all the time exept in my *cough* school hours
sam
Sorry Sam, the more I tinker the more I'm seeing why you'd want another one & the less I think a HT would be appropriate fer the ol' Stick Fish... some bikes jus' seem to beg for certain engine styles ya know? ...mebbe it's jus' them pesky voices again
Still, I'll keep an ear out for ya - once I'm rollin' with the Bugged 'Fish I might run into another one lookin' for a home *shrug* It's unlikely up here in the frozen northlands but ya never know as they were quite popular in their day.
Progress report... yea, well as simple as a Bug may be there are jus' some things I can't fabricate - it's itty-bitty tiny lil fuel lines being one of 'em lol, oddly - the tumb throttle being another *sigh* All bolted together and ready to go, those are about the only things left (that I'm aware of anyway heh) that's between me and vroomi... erm... putting about. While there's a buncha "prettying up" I could do such as the coat & chain guards, at this stage I jus' wanna get it runnin' and see wassup...
So it's back to me diggin' around where I work to scavenge bits... I suppose I could jus' wander o'er to a hardware store that actually sells such things - but where's the fun in that?
Still, I'll keep an ear out for ya - once I'm rollin' with the Bugged 'Fish I might run into another one lookin' for a home *shrug* It's unlikely up here in the frozen northlands but ya never know as they were quite popular in their day.
Progress report... yea, well as simple as a Bug may be there are jus' some things I can't fabricate - it's itty-bitty tiny lil fuel lines being one of 'em lol, oddly - the tumb throttle being another *sigh* All bolted together and ready to go, those are about the only things left (that I'm aware of anyway heh) that's between me and vroomi... erm... putting about. While there's a buncha "prettying up" I could do such as the coat & chain guards, at this stage I jus' wanna get it runnin' and see wassup...
So it's back to me diggin' around where I work to scavenge bits... I suppose I could jus' wander o'er to a hardware store that actually sells such things - but where's the fun in that?
Yep - but thanks for the tip
I'm jus' a cheap bastid whom also has a bit of a masochistic tendency to want to find/fabricate as much as possible lol... it'll also get here "faster" if I can find some useful junk at work
bikebug.net will be really handy tho for any of the more complex bits...
I'm jus' a cheap bastid whom also has a bit of a masochistic tendency to want to find/fabricate as much as possible lol... it'll also get here "faster" if I can find some useful junk at work
bikebug.net will be really handy tho for any of the more complex bits...
Yep I know how that is but I am retired now so don't have the sorse BoHo anymoreYep - but thanks for the tip
I'm jus' a cheap bastid whom also has a bit of a masochistic tendency to want to find/fabricate as much as possible lol... it'll also get here "faster" if I can find some useful junk at work
bikebug.net will be really handy tho for any of the more complex bits...
Hey Barely,
Any luck getting your bug motor to fire up yet? When you do, be careful with the sudden surge in power and by all means were a helmet! You be flyin'! (Flyin' fish.)
Was at the dump (transfer station, technically) looking for dead bikes at the metal pile last week and noticed something with a familiar shape... yep, bikebug gas tank... looked more closely and the whole motor was there, including muffler, mounting hardware, original throttle. That's a first. The engine has compression so I'm guessing that either the broken gas cap or the worn out drive wheel is what shut it down... then it sat on the bike or on a shelf for a decade or two and now it sits on my shelf. This one is marked Sears, so it was sold as a "Free Spirit", same motor with different marketing.
Anyway, how goes the project?
SB
Any luck getting your bug motor to fire up yet? When you do, be careful with the sudden surge in power and by all means were a helmet! You be flyin'! (Flyin' fish.)
Was at the dump (transfer station, technically) looking for dead bikes at the metal pile last week and noticed something with a familiar shape... yep, bikebug gas tank... looked more closely and the whole motor was there, including muffler, mounting hardware, original throttle. That's a first. The engine has compression so I'm guessing that either the broken gas cap or the worn out drive wheel is what shut it down... then it sat on the bike or on a shelf for a decade or two and now it sits on my shelf. This one is marked Sears, so it was sold as a "Free Spirit", same motor with different marketing.
Anyway, how goes the project?
SB