Green boomer

[toro1978]

Hi, guys. I was away for a couple of months. Family matters took me abroad and I was away from bikes for a while. I really miss riding my bikes, especially the last I got. I saw a video with Keanu Reeves lately and he complained that he goes through withdrawal if he doesn't ride (motor)bikes for a while.
So just a few days before I left I had bought this frame from a guy in my village:

On this photo the bike is with a Felt wheel I mocked up, originally had a normal thin casette wheel. It had stood in the rain, the guy honestly said. It has some rust. Fork is ok, seat in very good condition, but brakes, gearing, chain were pitch black and crusty. Poor guy complained that he tried to wash the chain and then it got even worse. Handlebars are awesome and cost alone the price I paid for the bike - 50$. I had parts I had taken off my Felt when I eletrified it and slapped the cranks on the frame - I indeed ended replacing everything except for the cups. The original cranks were in the same condition as the gearing and brakes. On this pic with the new cranks (175mm I think I usually ride 170) and old fork still. I have another green fork for this bike, but even though it has a dynamo holder, the gray one has more agressive blades:

It turned out the chain must be really tight not to rub on the tire - it clears hardly (2mm) and only with the Thick brick tire, but not with the Berm Master I had in mind when I decided to buy the bike to rob it of its frame. (See, originally this wheel had a SA hub with an offset sprocket so chainline was never an issue. With the Shimano hub now residing in that rim an offset sprocket is not easy to fit.

But then I saw that I can fit these 28-630 wheels (27x1,25) in it. As soon as I got back I started playing with it. I tried some fenders, but none seemed right. I have the whole set of those fenders, but I really think it looks better with no fenders.

The hub is 3 sp Torpedo Sachs, I took off the whole wheelset off a green lady bike, the hub brushes included. The rims have some engravings in them, I should take closer photos:

The stem came with the wheels:

I am testing seats and handlebars for now. It is geared 46x22. It could go to 23, the chain is still just a bit loose.

It will actually be with this seat, (the one it came with) for now, it will most probably have cruiser handlebars, these are a little too far for my taste, we'll see. This rear light was a good idea but it didn't fit under the seat with tne new seat post:

I also have this pretty bell, off another very old Krystall bike (plus brake, headlamp and dynamo):

Those grips are temporary. Everything is more or less in some way vintage on this bike. Well not everything but the brake lever and gear lever too:

The brake and the headlamp:

The dynamo, the holder says made in France, don't know if the holder only or the dynamo too.:

I would like to get a vintage rear light, I like the one I have but it is a bit too modern for this bike now.
This is actually a german built bike, with a german built frame. I do not much like the writings, but they don't really bother me.

 

[toro1978]

For now it seems the cruiser handlebars are the most comfortable. I tried similar bars in black, but I like them more in chrome. I had to use a shim though - the black ones were 1", but the chromes are 22mm (7/8?).

 

[Wildcat]

If the chain line ever becomes a problem again, you can use a concave chain wheel to get that extra space, either closer to the tire or flip it to get farther away from the tire. Use the same number of teeth and that's all you'll need.

 

[toro1978]

I had to return the long layback post back to the bike I had taken it from because I got it rolling despite some issues.

Only a rolling mock up sort of for now.

Unfortunately the chrome handlebars turned out so nice I removed them from the green bike and put them on my Felt:

I think they fit that fork much better than the black ones.
And by the way check out the gearing ring of my OLD Shimano Inter 7 :

There is a screw where the yellow dot is on the picture - the cable runs through a housing underneath and you just have to screw it in with an allen key and you're done, 1000 times better than the new versions. I intend to replace the new one I have on the Felt with this one, This makes the dis/connecting incredibly fast and easy provided you don't put a cap on the cable end.

So where did this leave me with the green boomer?
Well, I rode it like this:

While very comfortable I rode high like on one of those Holland bikes, which I am not accoustomed to. Dis/mounting seems to me very weird because of the coaster brake.
I finally got the right seat for it:

Obviously the black handlebars don't seem to match the rest, I have some options still though. I am hesitating about a pair of white pedals and grips. I actually have a pair of white pedals, but first they are pretty much dead, and second they have the wrong thread and don't fit these cranks.
The bike has quite old tech:

WEINMANN it says on the brake lever...

BERKO on the headlight and Made in Germany instead of a badge... The lights are wired to the dynamo so are now functioning.

My baroque bell of course.

On the wheels it says: SCHÜRMANN Made in Germany typ 1.1.2 steel. These are 630 rims otherwise I would have put a pair of green Schwalbe Century on them.

And this how you set the gears on this Torpedo Sachs hub - you just move the black shell over the ribbed rod until it works and you're done. Very simple.

 

[toro1978]

Ok, while that white seat was comfy enough it was still too close to the bb and had me somewhat crouched.
I installed the longer seat post with the Lepper seat. Needless to say it is as soft as it goes and while I sit a bit too high it gives me great leg extension so it will stay like this. It works with the long handlebars too. I will think of ways to strip the paint off the handlebars and the seat post though. Steel wool and long hours of cursing may be?

 

[toro1978]

The boomer is being more or less redone. It got the wheelset, the fenders and the handlebars from the dutch bike.

I wired the dynamo and the lights so they work now in case I have to go out at night to fight crime or whatever.
It is one speed only so the gearing has to be moved a bit. I found the original crankset and was happy to count 44 teeth on it vs. 46 on the Felt chainring that is currently mounted.
This one will require some beautifying procedures obiously:

I will probably replace the rear cog with a bigger one as well. I don't need this bike to be fast, but comfy and pleasant to ride.
I like these dutch handlebars. As you see stem and handlebars are one whole part.
I will have to work a little on the seat position, I have another bent post with a sharper bend. I might keep the seat which only downside is that it is ugly. It is however very wide and rather comfy and also weatherproof.
I thought maybe leave the chain ring like that:

Somewhat later it is satisfactory:

I was able to use the bent post with the seat as low as possible. I was pleasantly reminded how simple it is to replace ashtabula cranksets, here with the smaller chainring. I rather enjoy that "star", more that those four holes on the previous chainring:

It looks better outdoor.
Yesterday went to a bike shop in the village nearby and got a new seat clamp:

And was able to dig out a working for me kickstand:

 

[toro1978]

I really like this bike and just couldn't let go that the seat is so cumbersome and generally doesn't match the style of this thing.
I have another seat, virtually identical to this one and it is torn. So I removed the foam to see how does it look underneath, particulary I was pretty sure the nose would be thinner.
And I was right then suddenly:

Oops, bolts, didn't see this one coming. I sat on it for a while and I didn't feel the bolts at all. I assume it will not be a problem, since the seat cushions mainly because of the springs and not so much because of that foam.
I like it better than the foam version:

The question that I keep asking myself is - should I rip apart this sofa cushion/pillow to try to fabricate a cover (no foam, just the "leather") for the seat plate? To clarify, it is not a part of my green sofa and armchairs.

By the way, no luck at the flea market today, no vintage/used parts except for some derailers... I only got a tristar allen key, another set of green hub brushes and some tire levers. I was hoping to score some stems and bars maybe, some cool seat... Once there was a guy with at least 10 cool sets of wheels.
By the way the rear cog is 21t, but I have ordered a 23t when I was at the shop.

 

[toro1978]

I got an offset chainring so I can do something with this build. Replacing the chainring was easy.

I put a 16t cogwheel on the rear wheel, thanks to the offset chainring the chain won't be rubbing on the tire now. I only lack this bolt:

I will check with a LBS if they have it, if not I will order it online, costs 4 bucks.
I have the following parts:

The rear end is the easy part, the concept is clear, I even have an almost ready fender with a rear light mounted on. A central stand this time. It will have double headlamps, simply because I found a second Berko lamp.
As far as the front end goes all three forks have some issues - the springer is hard with the suspension virtually useless, the double crown fork is a dirt-cheap piece of garbage (the suspension actually works, it is probably around 30-40 mm, but the fork is quite flexy combined with the disk brake) and the gray one has the threads crossed. I could probably redo them, but it won't fit the front wheel, so I will have to use another one.
Oh, I will need a disk brake caliper too.

 

[toro1978]

Well, that central stand unfortunately wouldn't work, it is for 26"-28" wheels bike, so it is just way too low to the ground:

I ordered the bolt for the roller brake cable, also ordered a "threaded to ahead" adapter. The bikes is slowly taking shape:

I won't be using this stem and bars, they are there just for convenience while working on it and I will replace them as soon as the adapter arrives. I will use moto bars - the original bars from my Felt, I always loved their shape. I will strip the paint, the stem goes very easy with just steel wool (no sandpaper on hand), but last time I did it on handlebars it was a tedious and boring work. I hope it is easier with these handlebars:

I had luck and didn't need to look long for my silver brake levers:

After spending a few hours looking for alternative shifters for the Nexus3 I noticed that my twist shifter (revo-shifter, in Shimano parlance) is not unnecessary massive as the 7sp shifter, so I will reuse it:

I also think I won't use the disk brake. The disk will remain for looks... Hm, ot maybe I should remove it? Anyway, I think I will use this rear Weinmann brake which I rather like the looks of:

It is missing the cable pinch bolt (of course) but I don't think it will be a problem to get a replacement at the LBS, since they also sell brake pads for those.
I also am hesitating on using this rear fender, no paint of course:

Don't mind the ugly bolts, they will be replaced.

 

[toro1978]

I was hoping for the stem adapter to arrive today (the bolt for the roller brake adjustment did arrive yesterday), but no luck. I got most of the work on the stem and the bars done though:

There are some black spots, but it doesn't need to perfect.

 

[toro1978]

The stem adapter arrived so here is a mock up:

I might sand the brake levers, not sure.
The seat clamp is not holding, if I keep on tightening the bolt I probably will tear it in two (been there...) or ruin the threads (... done that). I am open for ideas, but in the end I might just use this Felt seat:

Unfortunately that ancient bell doesn't look right at all on this bike, even less so with the Shimano levers and shifter.

 

[toro1978]

I think I solved my seat problem:

This is the steer clamp part of a adjustable stem - the 1" clamp fits perfectly the top tube. Now I need to fabricate a plate to connect the clamp to the seat undercarriage. Quite happy because I hated that Felt seat the first time I layd my behind on it.
I also have these tires with matching profile:

Those are 24x3.0 and 26x2.125. I had them on these wheels but I remember not being able to mount them straight - the wheels need some truing, it is true. If I get it right they might be a better match for the bike and the moto theme (I have a nice rectangular rear light to go with the double headlamps and the moto bars). There was a guy asking how to get his tires straight on the rims and after reading on the advices he received I thought I could try again.
The weekend will be fun.

 

[toro1978]

Put the street tires on:

Contemplating on using the disk brake...

 

[toro1978]

I solved the seat problem. I used an Ahead stem shim to attach an old stem to the seat post. Now the rear side of the seat undercarriage rests on it. It also doubles as a rear light holder:

I can't believe it was that obvious, it has been literally right before my eyes for days - the stem was on the floor and the shim was on the coffee table...

 

[toro1978]

So here I am, drinking coffee in my underpants, on a saturday morning and there is a ringing at the door. And there is only one person who'd bother me at 09:30 on a saturday morning. And that's the postman.
So I jump into my shorts, no time to put shoes on, and run down three stories barefoot to get it before he rings the neighbours. They are all elderly folks and while it is ok for them to receive packages for me when I am not home I prefer they don't get bothered when I am home. And he hands me this:

This sure looks very nice with these pins and I have never had a package like that, padded envelopes or normal cardboxes only.
This is what it contained:

This Weinmann brake levers are massive, I put a Shimano lever there for comparison. Why is that allen key in the picture?

They use an allen bolt instead of a slot drive bolt to tighten the bar clamp.
Now I am not really sure if I should keep the twist shifter because it doesn't look quite right:

Unfortunately another type of three sp Shimano shifter is hard to find, they are discontinued. According to my research it was one or two models only. Nothing used on the internet either...
This is what these brake levers cost me:

I just noticed "Weinmann" been misspelled as "Weimann", so probably that's why I was the only one interested. I didn't search for them specifically, was just browsing for cool levers.

 

[toro1978]

Goodies:

I got this cool speedo, but it is just for looks because the rotating part from the cable that attaches to the wheel is missing.
I connected the gears and put on a rear fender :

Also installed the brakes:

That bell is actuated with the trigger finger - the brake lever made it either to close or too far so this is the position it works best.
I used another stem to solve the seat clamp problem :

I installed that front wheel with a Sachs drum brake, unfortunately it is 28" and while it clears the fork (by 3mm) it looks out of place, just huge. I also always wanted to use both fat rims on this bike, with the moto theme and all, so I will have to finally learn how to lace wheels. I will lace the hub in that moped rim, but I am mostly worried about calculating the spoke length.

I gave up on the idea of using that triple tree suspension fork because it is simply garbage, it doesn't feel stable at all, the stanchions flex in the crowns, matter of fact they are welded at the bottom crown and the top crown just sits there like a spacer, it doesn't even have tightening bolts. So I don't know now, this black fork is ok, pretty solid, but not very appealing.
The rear end is done, drivetrain, seat, handlebars - all done (ok, I forgot to put the grips on), the front wheel and fork left to do.

 

[toro1978]

Goodies:

These are according to the seller "additional lights for a Ford Granada", made by Hella (at least the lenses). They were just dusty, cleaned up pretty quickly and pretty nice:

I removed the fender, I hoped it would make the rear wheel look bigger and the front wouldn't look so weird, but no. I got a 26" front wheel and got rid of the fender.
Cleaned the headlight and mounted it. Not so sure about the speedo, I like it a lot, but it is bigger than I expected. The clamp is just a little loose, but it is not such a big deal.

Then I discovered this:

Yes, that is the wire. I don't know what happened there. I replaced it with a quick brick I have.

So the question is speedo or no speedo? I like how the green scale goes with the green frame (as bad as the paint is, but hey it is a rat).

There is a bulb in the headlight, (also in the other one) but I have yet to see if it is working.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I'd try shifting the speedo over a bit to the left. To me, it should be in the middle, next to the stem.

 

[toro1978]

Yep, closer and I don't know why, but I feel it is better on the left.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

There was more space on the left side without the cables. Plus, it balances out the grip shift