My Chopper

[llllllll]

This is my Kona hotrod, sadly it gets very little use, but I couldn't resist it. It's had a new larger front wheel and brake disc, but is otherwise standard.

 

[Joe24]

I've rode one of these i think, i didnt like it too much, looks pretty kool though

 

[mickle]

Nice Hellbent post. We have one of them in the fleet, great looking bike but a shame they didn't think for a second about front end geometry before they built it. I chopped two feet off the top of the forks on ours which improved the 'wheel flop' issue a whole bunch.

Have you been here?> www.ratrodbikes.com

 

[llllllll]

Nice website. Yeah, forgot about the seat post, a vain attempt to make the damn thing fit me. I know the handling's awful and dispite the massive saddle it's uncomfortable for anything more than a couple of minutes, but it's all about the look

Since I bought it we've moved away from the sea front where I used to take it and the distance to anywhere where I might pose is too far to cycle (or it is on the Kona), so I thought about buying one of those Felt cruisers. Unfortunately I couldn't afford one at the time (actually I still can't now) so I started buildng my own.

It's supposed to look like an old motor bike, hence the petrol tank (couple of old floor boards and a bit of fibre glass) and clip on bars. the frame is an old Raleigh mountain bike I pulled out a skip. The forks are modified cheap Ebay jobs and most of the rest is bits I had lying around, cost about £50 so far, but it's still a work in progess. I'm having trouble getting the chain tension right (single speed/vertical dropouts). Future plans include a head light on and a fake exhaust. Matching tyres would also be nice.

 

[kyuss]

Thats bloody lovely that is. Good job llllllll

The front end looks fantastic. Is that a 24 inch front wheel? Would look even better with a matching rear wheel and tyre.

 

[Globalti]

I once built a chopper from the frame of an old delivery bike my pal and I fished out of a river. We got a hole in the frame brazed over, sawed off the massive steel basket and fitted a rear wheel with a Sturmey-Archer hub, pinched a small wheel off my brother's bike and fitted a big chrome headlight running off a tyre dynamo. Oh and a pair of ape-hanger bars as well. It looked great but got stolen from our cellar soon after we moved to newcastle.

 

[llllllll]

Thats bloody lovely that is. Good job llllllll

The front end looks fantastic. Is that a 24 inch front wheel? Would look even better with a matching rear wheel and tyre.

Thanks, you're making me blush

Yeah, it's a 24in wheel on the front. You're right, the rear doesn't quite look right, I've been umming and arring over what to do with it. I'm trying to do it on the cheap and I had the 26 rear already, but a 24 might look better.

 

[kyuss]

Have you got any further with your cruiser project llllllll? I came across this site that reminded me how gorgeous your bike was looking.

I'll need to get myself on a welding course and build something special. This for instance is just beautiful. I don't care that it's totally impractical, look at it! (Not the girl, I don't think anybody has the welding skills to make one of those).

 

[bagpuss]

No toe clip overlap issues there!I have seen a couple of Stingray? Choppers at work .I think Shwinn make them.
http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B1952.html
Whilist on holiday in New England in October of this year.I found a retro bike shop in a town called North Conway.Here is a link to the chaps flickr site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabotageninja/sets/72157607860170460/

 

[llllllll]

Have you got any further with your cruiser project llllllll? I came across this site that reminded me how gorgeous your bike was looking.

Hi, thanks for asking.
I've done a bit, mostly getting the drive train sorted out, chain tension has been a real PitA. I've also got a matching rear tyre. I thought about changing the wheel, but that would have altered the head tube/fork angles and I kind of liked the front end.
I've put a fake oil tank under the seat (old bit of drain pipe), not sure whether I like it or not, but it's not attached permaently.

Took it for it's first ride a couple of weeks back, handling is, well it's interesting. The stems are mounted on the triple clamp fork legs and they hit the 'petrol' tank when you turn the bars too much, so it's got the turning circle of a bus. It's also very heavy and the brakes need bedding in so it doesn't stop in a hurry either, should be ok for cruising the beach front, but not much else.

Here's a couple of recent photos:

 

[llllllll]

No toe clip overlap issues there!I have seen a couple of Stingray? Choppers at work .I think Shwinn make them.

They used to do two version one for kids and an 'adult' one, I almost bought one but found the Kona and couldn't resist.
A mate of mine has a Lowrider, it's his pride and joy, spends a fortune on buying 'twisted' parts for it. They've got dodgy handling as well, but the attention he gets when taking it out is amazing, even old ladies stop him to chat about it.

 

[kyuss]

That's looking great man. Looks so much better with the matching rear hookworm. Like the license plate too, and those bars look fantastic.

Have you tried a half link to sort your chain tension out, or even a full half link chain (which comes with the added benefit of looking damn good)?

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

If you are going for the cafe racer clip-on look, shouldn't the end of the bars be pointing downwards rather than towards you?

 

[llllllll]

Have you tried a half link to sort your chain tension out

Yeah, I've got one on there, ta. I think I just got odd length chain stays. With a 44 chain ring and a 16 freewheel the chain was so tight it couldn't move. Add half a link and the chain's so slack it's falling off every few minutes. I've put a 17 tooth freewheel on and that with the half link seems to work, though it would be nice to have it a little tighter.

If you are going for the cafe racer clip-on look, shouldn't the end of the bars be pointing downwards rather than towards you?

Probably, I think the stems are a little long as well and while we're at it, the petrol tank's too small. I have tried moving the bars around and a coupe of different stems and this is the best combination of looks and comfort - I do actually want to ride it. Personally while they're not exactly 'correct' I think they give the right 'feel', which is all you're ever going to get when trying to turn a mountain bike into a cafe racer.

 

[llllllll]

Haven't got much (or anything actually) done on my cruiser, been distracted by building a single speed.

It's an old gas pipe special, made by Pheonix (????) out of Reynolds 500. I removed the derailler hanger, cable guides, down tube bosses and the seat clamp. I've glued and riveted the seat post in to give a kind of home made integrated seat post - yeah I know, I'm a tart - and run the brake cable through the post and out the back of the top tube.
When I had it powder coated I had visions of a Merckx style orange, but this is what I got - it is actually as bright as it looks. I was going to build it up with standard polished bits but then I found an orange chain on the 'net and thought 'what the heck'.
Might have to get the cranks powder coated at some point and some orange bar tape would be nice (or perhaps nice isn't the right word ).

I've not ridden it yet, but the frames a little big for me and the bars are way too narrow, so I doubt it'll be anything to write home about.