everything you ever wanted in a motorized bike, except a motor...

bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
just finished this bike up today.

the frame started out as an early 80's Takara BMX cruiser that i cut out and welded new drop-outs on, new brake and fender bracket, and a coaster brake bracket.

the girder forks are from the Rixe tandem i scored a while back.

the rims are also from the tandem. they're 26" alloy drop center rims, which i relaced with 11g spokes and a Fichtel-Sachs Komet coaster in the rear and a worksman drum up front.

the drum's not hooked up because i need a lever.

it's got an old school bmx stem on it with NOS Tufneck alloy mini-bars.

for added old school flavor there's NOS Sugino Cro-Mo cranks, NOS Sugino spider and NOS Sugino 40t Sprocket, hooked up to KKT rat trap pedals.

cut and welded layback seat post with my old Frankenstien Brooks saddle.

it rides pretty awesome. it looks like it should be a sluggish, heavy monster, but it sails along nice and smooth. the forks are stiffer than i expected, which is good, 'cause i hate mushy springers that flex and dive everytime you hit a little bump.

right now i've got no plans to put a motor on it. it's my new favorite cruiser.

i'm thinking i might keep on cruising it and train for the next coaster brake challenge in january http://www.atomiccycles.com/coaster.html
 

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the frame's been stripped and clear coated, and i'll probably take the fork apart and get it sand blasted. it's pressed steel and there's tons of tiny areas i can't get into to strip, so it's primered for now.

if you know your mountain biking roots, this is what you'd call a "clunker."

and yeah, it needs new tires, but i couldn't resist blowing up my old Carlisle Aggressors... :)
 

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bairdco said:
the frame's been stripped and clear coated, and i'll probably take the fork apart and get it sand blasted. it's pressed steel and there's tons of tiny areas i can't get into to strip, so it's primered for now.

if you know your mountain biking roots, this is what you'd call a "clunker."

and yeah, it needs new tires, but i couldn't resist blowing up my old Carlisle Aggressors... :)
Click to expand...

Yes.....that's a clunker alright, as long as you keep the front brake non working and do a few runs down Mt.Tam up in Marin :D

Otherwise........
 
i've got santiago and seirra peak up here. but i ain't in that good of shape yet. but i have seen clunkers with front drums. probably toast that 50year old sachs hub without it...
 
didn't cut it up, just took the parts off it. i still have the rest of the bike if i ever wanna put it back together.
 
thanks. :)

while the rixe tandem is an awesome design of tandem overkill, it's just not something i can ride around, especially without a girlfriend... :)

i picked it up locally for really cheap. the rear wheel looked like someone ran into a curb, then went back and dropped the sidewalk on top of it.

had to bang out two spots where the side of the rim was bulged out, and manhandle a foot long flat spot till it was round again. it seriously looked like someone dropped the bike off a roof onto the back wheel.

after i got it mostly round, i had to tighten and loosen the spokes at least ten times to true it back into shape. now, you can't even tell. not even the slightest hop.

the fork is a real piece of work, too.

the 4 link arms are threaded, with one side being left hand thread. it all has to be built as a unit and took a lot of head scratching to figure it out.

by adjusting the tightness of the links, you can vary the spring rate, either making a loose bouncy ride that hops all over and absorbs all your pedaling strength, to a nice stiff ride that only compresses on big bumps.

if i could find a russian motor or anything small besides a cheap chinese kit, i'd motorize it. but for now it's a bar hopper.
 
bairdco said:
thanks. :)

while the rixe tandem is an awesome design of tandem overkill, it's just not something i can ride around, especially without a girlfriend... :)

i picked it up locally for really cheap. the rear wheel looked like someone ran into a curb, then went back and dropped the sidewalk on top of it.

had to bang out two spots where the side of the rim was bulged out, and manhandle a foot long flat spot till it was round again. it seriously looked like someone dropped the bike off a roof onto the back wheel.

after i got it mostly round, i had to tighten and loosen the spokes at least ten times to true it back into shape. now, you can't even tell. not even the slightest hop.

the fork is a real piece of work, too.

the 4 link arms are threaded, with one side being left hand thread. it all has to be built as a unit and took a lot of head scratching to figure it out.

by adjusting the tightness of the links, you can vary the spring rate, either making a loose bouncy ride that hops all over and absorbs all your pedaling strength, to a nice stiff ride that only compresses on big bumps.

if i could find a russian motor or anything small besides a cheap chinese kit, i'd motorize it. but for now it's a bar hopper.
Click to expand...

While I always wanted a vintage tandem to add to my old bike collection I have the same problem as you, - nobody to ride it with. Great save on that rear wheel rim by the way, - compared with most modern rims that seem to rust the moment it's damp outside vintage rims seem to last forever and I do my best to preserve them too.
The way those link arms are setup with right and left hand threads sounds to be typical quality German engineering. That's a great fork you have there, it's a pity they don't make them like that anymore.

Sorry about my initial reaction to your newly built bike, - I've been a bicycle nut for years and my daily rider is a 60+ year old English Hercules.

One of those Russian engines would be perfect for your bike, the only problem will be finding one.
 
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