Devistar9 ROCKET

[oxyjansen]

Now that there are over 100 entries I figured it was about time I threw my hat in the ring for this build off. I'm turning a 1998 Electra Rocket 24 into a retro racer. The bike was originally build as a cheap MTB with a big price tag (about $800), as seen in the first pic!

This is the original abomination in MTB form: 24 speed, Rock Shox fork, MTB caliper brakes, 26" wheels, and one sweet aluminum frame!

This is my original mock up to see if a 700c wheel would fit. I was contemplating big 26" slicks, but really wanted a road worthy machine for longer rides:

Here are today's mock up (5/15/2011). I will not be using the parts in this pic, except for the frame, but you get the idea.

Here's a list o0f what I am planning to use:

Velocity 700c wheels mounted to an Alfine 8-speed IGH hub (rear), and an Alfine dyno hub (front)
Orange Fyxation Session 700c x 28 urban tires
Motobecane vintage 3 piece crank with a 52t chainring
Winwood Muddy carbon fork
Avid BB7 disc brakes front and rear
Orange Fyxation grips and bar ends
Ritchey bars
Gyes leather saddle and saddle bag
Stem (to be determined dependent on geometry)
Custom paint (yes with Rustoleum rattle cans) with custom design, home made stencils, etc.

For all you hardcore rat rodders think board tracker on steroids! LOL

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

Sounds like a hotrod to me!
8)
That's one heck of a start...

Good luck and have fun!

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

Thanx very much! Figured I'd throw in something a little different.

Was considering doing one of my Spaceliners, but I need a new bike to ride, so i can tear the current ride down (21yo Cannondale hybrid). Personally I can't wait to get to the custom paint, but I have to remove the rear brake bosses first. Not looking forward to cutting on an aluminum frame, but I'll take my time!

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

...but I have to remove the rear brake bosses first. Not looking forward to cutting on an aluminum frame, but I'll take my time!

Why not? Sounds pretty easy. But if you choose not to in the end, you can always try to be a bit creative and find another destination for those bosses.

I like those deep V dished wheels you've got in your mock-up. It helps stopping a narrow racingwheel from looking flimsy.

The mock-up pics remind me of those salt flats racers... 8)

BTW, You may find it interesting that I too have put 28" wheels on a 26" frame. Well, I can officially call the rear a 29er :mrgreen:
I didn't use a cool cruiser type frame though...:
<<< SINGLESPEED HOTROD >>>

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

Where'd the Rock Shox go? I need one.

Welcome to the build.

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

...but I have to remove the rear brake bosses first. Not looking forward to cutting on an aluminum frame, but I'll take my time!

Why not? Sounds pretty easy. But if you choose not to in the end, you can always try to be a bit creative and find another destination for those bosses.

I like those deep V dished wheels you've got in your mock-up. It helps stopping a narrow racingwheel from looking flimsy.

The mock-up pics remind me of those salt flats racers... 8)

BTW, You may find it interesting that I too have put 28" wheels on a 26" frame. Well, I can officially call the rear a 29er :mrgreen:
I didn't use a cool cruiser type frame though...:
<<< SINGLESPEED HOTROD >>>

I'm sure taking the bossess off won't be horrible, I just need to be in the mood to settle in for a while to make it right. I'm going to cut a piece of flashing to wrap over the seat stays with a little window for the brake boss itself. That way if I slip with whatever saw I use I don't get a disaster! Maybe a bit over cautious, but these bikes tend to be very hard to find, and I'd prefer to avoid bondo if possible. I had considered making some little rockets to put on the bosses, but then I found some billet LED bullet lights for a motorcycle, and decided to put them out back. I'll fab a clean bracket and attach them to the caliper brake mount hole.

I agree, the deep-V wheels provide an opportunity to get a somewhat beefy look where there really isn't much rim, or tire. They are supposedly very strong as well. I'm looking forward to the finished product, as this frame has been sitting close to a year. The bike sat brand new in my neighbors bike shop for 12 years!

Salt flat racer sounds about right! I'll have to take a look at some more, as not many have come up in my searches.

Any pics of the 29er? Did you use MTB tires?

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: ROCKET (Electra Rocket that is!)

Where'd the Rock Shox go? I need one.

Welcome to the build.

The Rock Shox went back to my neighbors shop, and I'm not sure if he sold them, as its been almost a year. I can ask him when I see him. There are some offered on Ebay here and there, and some newer versions as well that seem more readily available. Look into the RSA's on Ebay, as there were a ton of them last week, and many are pretty much the same thing. Prices weren't bad either, and you should be able to get one new!

 

[oxyjansen]

Devistar9 ROCKET (Name upgrade and update))

OK, so there's alot of rockets on this buildoff, so I figured I needed a little enhancement to the name of the bike so things don't get too convoluted!

After fighting with our computer, photo software, and trying to finish another project bike I now have some pics of what I've been up to for this build.

I was trying to come up with a way to install cable guides on the frame without drilling, and found a box of springs I got at Home Depot a while back. Turns out I have some that fit brake cable perfectly, and they stay put just fine with a little JB Weld type epoxy. I'll add some once I get the frame prepped and cable routes figured out.

Next up I have a vintage Motobecane crank that I picked up for $10 from a swap last year! I love wintage parts, so I pick up whatever I can at swaps, and hold onto things till a need arises. I figured with a retro looking bike a retro crank was only appropriate. Its been completely hand polished (alot of work), and the black in the recessed area has been repainted. I learned a trick where you tape off what you can, paint the area, and then wipe off excess and overspray with a little lacquer thinner! Made the whole process quick and simple! All you need is a steady hand, and a little time, and this technique can be transferred to a number of other painting processes for bare metal.

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

I have absolutely no idea what you mean with your cable-thingy but I love those crancks! Nice detail. 8)
Oh, and don't downgrade them by using the word 'retro'. Those are vintage!! :wink:

 

[whoinphx]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name upgrade and update))

I like the parts and concept you have so far. Looking forward to the spring trick. Want to see how that'll look.

I have the same Motobecane cranks. I, believe it or not, bent the solid aluminum crank arm attached to the chain ring.....I hit a curb pedaling Really hard, didn't wreck but got catapulted up a bit. I'll figure a way to straighten it someday. Good painting and polishing on yours....

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

I have absolutely no idea what you mean with your cable-thingy but I love those crancks! Nice detail. 8)
Oh, and don't downgrade them by using the word 'retro'. Those are vintage!! :wink:

The spring will simply be epoxied to the frame to guide the cable under the down tube for the 8 speed Alfine hub. The only guides on this bike are under the top tube, and along the right rear seat stay (those will be removed).

I guess proper distinction would be that the frame is retro, but the cranks are vintage! I'm glad you like them! Their one of my favorites of all the ones I've collected.

I couldn't believe the guy sold the cranks to me for $10, but as I've found out from hitting many swaps there are tons of deals to be had. If someone is into antiques, and not vintage bikes for instance, the vintage parts become almost a throw away to them. There's nothing like a little filth on a part to get you a good deal! LOL

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name upgrade and update))

I like the parts and concept you have so far. Looking forward to the spring trick. Want to see how that'll look.

I have the same Motobecane cranks. I, believe it or not, bent the solid aluminum crank arm attached to the chain ring.....I hit a curb pedaling Really hard, didn't wreck but got catapulted up a bit. I'll figure a way to straighten it someday. Good painting and polishing on yours....

Thank you! I think the spring will be interesting. You can get stick on guides, but everyone has told me they won't last. I thought about maybe drilling the stick ons to put in a tiny screw, but the epoxy trick might be alot better. I yanked on the spring yesterday to make sure it will hold up, and was able to stretch the spring with no give in the epoxy whatsoever. The biggest issue is to figure out how to get a consistent dab of epoxy every time.

Too bad you bent the crank. The big issue with fixing them will be doing it without doing surface damage. You may be able to try pressing them between 2 pieces of wood, or hammering the bend out in the same fashion. I'd tape them up as best as possible before attempting any work, as it takes alot of time to get out scratches, etc without messing up the lettering. You'll have to let us know how you make out if you get to it. Their awesome cranks!

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Need opinions)

OK, so I broke out the wheel/tire set I bought for this build. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this, so I wanted to put it out there for opinion. Please keep in mind that the head tube will be black with a vine like design coming into the frame, and the same design with come up from the read dropout section as well. So, the back and front of the bike will be black bleeding out from the wheels, and the whole center of the frame will be a bit darker painted in industrial stainless steel. Grips, tires, cables will all be bright orange, and the design may have some orange in it as well to offset the black.

 

[slow rider]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

so far dont change a thing looks grate!

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

so far dont change a thing looks grate!

Thank you! I know it may be a little hard to envision the final product, but the design will be unique, and I just hope it comes out right! This will literally be the 2nd bike I'm painting. Here's a couple of pics of the one that's presently holding me up!


This is after cleaning in its original state:

This is the new paint (3 step process):

 

[KickBackCycles]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

What color is that green, that's what I need for my Jag. With maybe a little less sparkle.

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

What color is that green, that's what I need for my Jag. With maybe a little less sparkle.

Its Duplicolor Metalcast annodized green: http://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-MC203 ... B00099BJV6

The paint is made to go over bare shiny metal, chrome, or in my case I painted it over silver hammered paint. It must go over something light and metallic. Mine is so sparkly because I went over it with Dupli-Color Clear Effex: http://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-EFX10 ... 802&sr=1-1

You can use the Metalcast as a light film, or do multiple layers to darken the effect. If you wanted areas darker, and some lighter its very easy to blend. I did the entire coat of paint in one sitting just waiting for it to get slightly tacky in the sun, and spraying the next coat on with the one before still wet. I did the entire paint job the same way, and it worked well. At first it'll seem like your not getting coverage, but if you wait the paint blends together to show full coverage. Its interesting and easy to work with.

 

[oxyjansen]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Disc Brakes)

OK, I'm still in the race, but had a few technical difficulties. Computer went down, a minor surgery, and too many other projects in the way, but I'm getting there. I've been working on the bike for weeks now, but have not been able to post pics.

This bike, and you can see in my first post was built originally as an MTB with typical 2 piece caliper brakes. The Alfine 8 speed hub I'm using comes equipped to accept a disc, so I just had to have disc brakes front and rear. It took about 3 days of design and labor to get the system right, but I think it'll be worth it in the long run! .


These pics are showing the mods to the weld to accept the caliper bracket. Getting the brackets to sit flush on the seat stay made the system very stable.

Here's the beginning of the bracket that the caliper rests on, and it installed in its final resting place. Its simply 3 pieces of aluminum angle beveled with a file, and laminated together with JB Weld. The caliper brackets sit flush on the bracket to accept the forward forces from braking. You can see the double caliper bracket ground out for a nice fit and proper height in the 1st pic. .

Here is the before and after for the stainless attachment bracket. Because the dropout is on an angle and does not align perfectly with the face of the caliper bracket there are a couple of washers behind it that are necessary for alignment. The caliper sits perfectly over the disc, which was a major concern with this mod.

Brackets necessary to attach the caliper.

In the process of doing this project I discovered McKittricks hardware and industrial supply! This place it a wonderland of hardware and tools like I've never seen. The entire downstairs in hardware for everything under the sun. You need a bolt, they will most likely have it. Tools and supplies seem almost limitless, and I know I'll be making this a second home for future projects!

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

WOW! That is some awesome fabrication there my friend. If you told me you bought them, I would have believed you.

Keep up the great work!

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[pick]

Re: Devistar9 ROCKET (Name enhancement, and update, finally!!!)

WOW! That is some awesome fabrication there my friend. If you told me you bought them, I would have believed you.

Keep up the great work!

Cheers,
Dr. T

+1 8) I'm with Doc on this one! 8)