Racycle Boardtracker

[deven_science]

In a trade, I acquired this Racycle frame from Larzbarz yesterday. viewtopic.php?f=16&t=58859

Here are a few pictures I took of it:

Some research shows me that they had a HUGE skiptooth chainring on them, but it was 1/8" width. In fact, everything about Racycles seems to be unique, so that I doubt I'll be able to restore it. Still, I'm going to be on the lookout for parts, such as hubs, cranks, chainrings, etc. In the meantime, I want to use this wonderful frame from the teens or twenties to make a boardtracker.

Just to see what I'm working with, I used some parts that I've got to mock it up. It's all mismatched. It's a 28" rear three speed S/A, a 700mm front wheel and fork that I got from kuttnhack, an old dogleg crank that I've had for some time, and an Exerciser chainring, to imitate that look of the Racycle chainring.

This will be a slow process, I'm sure, but I thought I'd document it anyway. And hey, if anyone happens to have some Racycle parts, or knows where to get some, let me know!

 

[FatBoy]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

This sounds cool Like a really fast fixie board track style!I like your build style you turn out some nice stuff 8) :mrgreen:

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

This sounds cool Like a really fast fixie board track style!I like your build style you turn out some nice stuff 8) :mrgreen:

Thanks FB, I appreciate it!

 

[jackdaw]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

That's a cool frame. I saw a picture in a book of three very serious bicycle police from the turn of last century on bikes with HUGE chainrings like that. They had to chase down the "scorchers"! :lol:

 

[krautwaggen]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

I like where this is headed, but that chain ring needs more holes in it!!! Big holes, small holes...whatever...just more holes!!!

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

That's a great frame! I've seen a couple of these at shows and they are very unique...and cool! 8)

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

I've made a difficult but important decision for this build.

I'm going to paint it it's original black, rather than just leave the patina.

The plan from the beginning was to leave it alone, but what's on it is the leftovers from a hundred paint jobs, and I don't think it's very attractive. I have a future vision that I will slowly build to that is closer to restoration, rather than rat. Brown leather saddle and grips, 28" skip tooth wheels, creme tires, and the nice satin black frame, with that beautiful brass headbadge polished up to a shine.

Progress will be slow, and I'll put modern parts on it until older ones can replace them, but that's how I see this build now, and so, as difficult as it will be, this frame will get stripped and painted.

Agree? Disagree? I know there's a lot of patina lovers out there, but you can share your thoughts.

 

[Gary Mc]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

Agree with you, finish is too far gone & I look at the layers as something far removed from patina. I would restore this bike as original as possible & budget allows. Racycles are fairly rare. The large sprockets set them apart and I would try to find an original sprocket. Go over to the CABE & take a look at Blue Nelson's Racycles, they are pure works of art. URL is: http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread ... first-post
Hope this helps you and look forward to seeing your progress. Gary Mc

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

Agree with you, finish is too far gone & I look at the layers as something far removed from patina. I would restore this bike as original as possible & budget allows. Racycles are fairly rare. The large sprockets set them apart and I would try to find an original sprocket. Go over to the CABE & take a look at Blue Nelson's Racycles, they are pure works of art. URL is: http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread ... first-post
Hope this helps you and look forward to seeing your progress. Gary Mc

Thanks for the link. I didn't know you could find that many in one location! Those shots give me some great ideas to work towards for mine.

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

I bought some Citrusstrip, and went to work on the frame today. Most of the crap paint came off, and what was left has got to be the original, except...

The majority of Racycles came in black, though late in their production, when this one was made, there were other color options. This one seems to have been a sort of brick red. It's a fabulous color, and it just makes my decision to paint over it that much more difficult. It is worn bare in spots, even before I stripped it, so that I will proceed with the repaint to make it clean...

but I do want to pause for a moment, and appreciate what seems to be the original color.

 

[jackdaw]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

This guy did an awesome job on the original paint on this old Raleigh, http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.ph ... lden+arrow It took work but it came out so good, kept the old color but got rid of the mess. That Raycycle is going to look awesome. I too think redoing it to more it's original style is a great idea. Nice bike.

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

Painted the frame, as well as a triple crown fork that I picked up for $3. I thought the triple crown looked better on this than the more modern styled fork that was on it.

I also had a New Departure skip tooth hub that I got from Georgeedii laced onto a 700c rim to match my 700c in the front. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication with the guy at the shop, a black anodized rim was used, instead of a silver rim, so now they're mismatched. It's annoying, but I'll figure out a way to make them match, eventually. I might have to just paint them both.

Once the frame and fork were painted, I threw on the parts that I have here to get it a little more formed up, and here's where it stands at now:

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

Wow, looks NICE 8) The triple crown fork looks a lot better :wink:

 

[ruddigger]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

I agree, the old tubular fork looked out of place. Glad to see that you're gonna make it like new again. Racycles are simply too elegant to stay ratty.

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker

My one and only big expense for this bike:

I just thought a bike like this needed a nice leather saddle, and I've got the matching leather grips (not Brooks) coming soon. Now, the seat post seemed to be an odd unique size (like many things on this bike), as it seemed to be 11/16", so I just bought some 11/16" solid stock, heated it up and bent it, and then used my bench grinder to slim one end down to the 5/8" needed for a Schwinn style seat post rig.

Also added the chain and some old cool pedals, and here's how the bike sits today:

 

[deven_science]

Start of the Kelly Bars

And now comes the difficult portion of the build. I am going to attempt to make a set of replica Kelly Adjustable Bars. Near the bottom of the first page of this post, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34641 , I highjacked the thread to discuss the possibility, but I will discuss the process here. I have a plan. So, here we go.

It will be adjustable. It will look similar, or at least in the same ball park. It WON'T have the same action as the originals. It'll have one extra step to adjust the bars. I don't mind this, as it's mostly to imitate the look.

I'm going to build them based on a tip by 2spdDawg, using hex stock (I'll be using a 1/2" coupler) and two end wrenches (11/16" fits it). I'll be cutting a set of bars in half, and welding it all together. You'll be able to unbolt the wrenches, and move them into any position you want (for 12 positions, anyway). It may be hard to visualize based on my horrible description, but I have a plan.

First, I had no stems that had the right angle I wanted, so I cut two, and used them together.

Cut this one:

Had this other one already cut up from another project:

Fitted them together, only I flipped the top piece upside down to get the forward angle I wanted (instead of pointing upward).

Welded them:

Next will be to weld in the hex coupler, and get a hold of two identical box wrenches to use.

 

[jackdaw]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker, Starting My Homemade Kelly Handlebars

Sweet, I'm glad you figured a good way to do the bars, those are going to be cool.

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker, Starting My Homemade Kelly Handlebars

Made further progress into my imitation Kelly handlebars. I welded the coupler into a drilled out washer, and then welded the washer to the stem. I also picked up two 11/16" wrenches from the flea market to sacrifice, and tightened them on. All that's left is to pick a pair of bars to give to the cause, and weld them to the wrench heads, followed by some general clean up. It's going very well, I think!

 

[deven_science]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker, Progress on the Kelly Handlebars

This evening, I snuck back out to my garage, and finished up the fabrication on the Kelly bars. I've still got some general cleaning and/or painting to do, but the welding is done.

Positioned them:

Welded them up, put them together, and put them on the bike. Pictures aren't all that great, as it was dark when I finished them.

I think they look great, though they didn't seem like they were that strong. Welding on those wrenches took the heat treatment away from them, so they might want to bend, same as any other solid bar that thin would. Maybe I should have thought of some other way to attach the bars to the wrenches? I'll be trying them out once I get the rest of the bike complete, so I'm not writing them off yet, but I'm now worried. Maybe I should try again, with much beefier wrenches? At least I'm only $2.45 and one set of handlebars into these things, so if it doesn't work out, I'm not out too much. Plus, they would always work for looks.

We'll see when I actually ride the thing.

 

[Kreep]

Re: Racycle Boardtracker, Progress on the Kelly Handlebars

s.