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gowjobs

gowjobs

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Joined
Nov 24, 2009
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Location
Ventura, CA
I won't have a chance to start on this until tomorrow afternoon, but I wanted to get a thread started, and give a quick rundown:

The concept: A fairly modern (1996-present) take on a classic Monark. Aluminum tanker-esque frame (1998 Diamond Back Voyager MTB), linkage-style suspension fork with vertical springs (original Lawwill Leader), coaster brake wheels with 12-gauge stainless spokes and downhill hoops (Weinman DH39's), and some color-accent rubber (red ST 26x2.125's donated by Ed Twisted).
leaderfork2.jpg

Some parts may change in the next few weeks, but with a shave and a haircut, and a few hand-fabbed aluminum panels, I think this thing will really harken back the Monark Tankers and late '50s century-series fighter planes that always looked resplendent in their bare metal finishes.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

Couldn't wait - got up early, and got a little work done. First, some more parts pics:
wheels1.jpg

wheels2.jpg

Those black DH39's only cost me around $80, including shipping. The tubes and valve stem caps are from old builds/bikes, and Ed Twisted sent those tires over last week with my lil' brother.

steering1.jpg

Stem came off my wife's bike when I changed the fork. Headset cost me a whole $10

seatpost1.jpg

Clamp and 25.4-27.7mm shim came off last year's build-off bike. That seatpost is the titanium rear axle from one of my gravity kart projects. It's thin-wall - we'll see how it holds up.

leaderfork1-1.jpg

The ControlTech Lawwill Leader fork. This thing was cut down for a short headtube, so I scored it at a bike co-op for $70 when I was in Portland last year. It was because of it's short length that I trimmed about 1/4" from both the top and bottom of the head tube on my Voyager frame:
headtube1.jpg


In a minute, I'm going to get out my Dremel tool and open the inner diameter up a little to accept the 34mm headset deeper than the 3/16" left after I trimmed it.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

I'm waiting to go to a car show this morning with a buddy. He called, and said he'd be a little late, so I went back out to the garage...
frontassembly1.jpg

Height of the shock in relation to the head tube is just about perfect now. As far as selling that fork, I doubt it'll happen, but I'll keep you in mind. I still have some time... going to go try to get the wheels and stuff on...
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

WOOHOO!!! Went together with no headaches...
Before I show the mock-up, I want to show the braze-ons that need to go away in the very near future:
brazeons1.jpg


In the meantime, it's on wheels!
mockup1.jpg
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

udallcustombikes said:
I had to look twice at your wheel set. They are exact replicas of the ones I am running on my '34 Colson Rat, all the way down to the valve caps.
Click to expand...

Great minds think alike, huh? The real selling point of that wheelset for me was the extra-long axles. I needed it in the rear, because this thing is spaced for a 7-speed cluster (130mm, I think). The double-wall extra-wide rims are nice, too.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

I love the look of this bike so far. Great combination of old looks with new parts.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

Looks great, wouldn't have thought that frame was modern if you hadn't said so.

One thing though... slow down and wait for the rest of us!
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

I'm going to go back out to the garage in a bit and blow it back apart. I want to trim those cable fittings off the seat stay and seatpost, then I want to try to strip the rest of the clear off of the frame. When I got it (for free), it had obviously been sitting outside - all the clear was gone off the top of all the tubes, and was yellowing on the underside. I'm hoping it will polish out - I may go for a brushed finish if this stuff won't take a good polish. I have a bunch of stuff to do now that I have the "bones" of the project together. I still have to get a bottom bracket and get the cranks on there, and the rear wheel placement isn't adjustable, so I see a half-link chain and some experimentation with different sprockets in my future to make everything work. Then I have to make a "tank" and some kind of cool seat...

Don't worry - I'm not THAT far ahead.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

When I got home last night, the reciprocating saw's batteries were both dead. They've been charging, and when I get home from work tonight, the alloy chips will fall where they may...
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

Alloy chips are fun but sparks flying are more fun. :wink:

Great interpretation of the Monark. That fork is so wild.
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

Got home from work at 7pm - had it looking like this by 7:30:
brazeons2.jpg

Sawzall, file and an emery board... now it's dark, and Dancing With the Stars is about to come on. :wink:
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

Got home too late to work on it last night, but I had an idea. Now I need to come up on a BMX stem and handlebars from an OCC Stingray...
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

ratina said:
gowjobs said:
Got home too late to work on it last night, but I had an idea. Now I need to come up on a BMX stem and handlebars from an OCC Stingray...
Click to expand...

I have a like new set of drag bars from an occ I'd sell. probably a bmx stem as well
Click to expand...
The ones shaped like a wide letter "A"? I'd be interested. PM me a price, and we can deal! :D
 
Re: Silverback - The new-age Monark tribute

gowjobs said:
ratina said:
gowjobs said:
Got home too late to work on it last night, but I had an idea. Now I need to come up on a BMX stem and handlebars from an OCC Stingray...
Click to expand...

I have a like new set of drag bars from an occ I'd sell. probably a bmx stem as well
Click to expand...
The ones shaped like a wide letter "A"? I'd be interested. PM me a price, and we can deal! :D
Click to expand...

pm sent!
 

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