Spare Parts - FINISHED

[SpikeFC]

Got this piece of junk from a customer a week ago. She bought a brand new Author Unica, and came with this one with her. When I told here that in this condition it's kinda worth next-to-nothing she just gave it to me

The story that I found on the web (and it was kinda tough to find anything about the brand "3 Trip") is that they where sold in the Biedronka supermarket back in '15(something simmilar to Wall-Mart, except smaller, and the only thing that isn't marked by the name "Biedronka" is Coke in stupid 1.5l bottles, and Monster energy drink). They were priced at 120$ when new.

The condition of it is so bad (Only 3 gears out of 7 work, the brakes literally don't exist, every screw and nut corroded very badly), and it is made with the cheapest possible parts, that I have absolutely no regret doing anything to it.

Yesterday I dug out some parts that were laying around in my garage & workshop:

This piece of an old chair:

These sweet pre-WWII wing nuts for the front wheel:

Also a set of red Sapim nipples for the wheels:

And two Kenda Kommuter 26x2.0 tires:

The plan is to go to my friends workshop today and do some cutting & welding

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Looking forward to seeing this happen!

 

[toro1978]

Just be careful with those ancient wing nuts - I wanted to use a wheelset with those and a part of one just broke off while tightening them per hand. It is still usable of course, but I wish I had a replacement.

 

[OddJob]

Looks like you've got a good flow going early on, and some unique parts piled!

RaT oN~!

 

[SpikeFC]

Just be careful with those ancient wing nuts - I wanted to use a wheelset with those and a part of one just broke off while tightening them per hand. It is still usable of course, but I wish I had a replacement.

Thank's for the advice! I actually used them once on a rear wheel in one of my folding bikes, and the worst thing about them was that they had a really bad habit of unscrewing when used on the rear wheel. But I didn't have any problem with tightening them, even with a 10" metal pipe.

Looks like you've got a good flow going early on, and some unique parts piled!

RaT oN~!

I can give you a little spoiler - I haven't taken pictures of nearly the half of the parts that are waiting for this bike in my workshop And still need to pick some parts up from my garage.

 

[SpikeFC]

Actually I was positively supprised - most of the parts - even though badly corroded, came out pretty easy.

Also another good info - I just won an internet auction for my new seat for this one, the bad news - it will be shipped probably after the long holidays.

Found these fenders today:

A little hammering and they'll be good as new.

Also found this sticker on the bottom of the frame. I think I'll keep it.

So, this is the first modification of this frame:

My friend Michel is setting up the welder, and already saying "Spike... really?!"

Second modification - I wanted to get rid of that "girly look" and also keep those curves going, like on the rest of the frame - that's where the old chair part came in.

Also a leftover from an old straight steering bar...

...and guess where it goes. This will be the mount for the shifter.

And this is how it works after todays welding:

I welded for the first time in my life today, so I can state with a lot of confidence that those are the C$#%%*@$T welds in this year's Build-Off...

Tommorow the hardware stores will be open, so I definitetly need to buy something to cover them up, so the world won't see them...

Oh no... It's already too late for that, oh well...

Also here's a shot with the raw front fork next to the frame:

 

[metalchewy]

Wow, one quick change and it's a totally different looking bike. Cool!

 

[Starnger]

Welcome to the Build-off!
If you would be looking for some specific parts, let me know, i might have some in my garage in Poznan

 

[SpikeFC]

Welcome to the Build-off!
If you would be looking for some specific parts, let me know, i might have some in my garage in Poznan

Nice to know that I'm not the only one from Poland in this Build-Off

 

[Starnger]

Nice to know that I'm not the only one from Poland in this Build-Off

I did not sign in this year yet, since i am not sure which project should i work on. I am probably not building full custom ground-up, since my last year experience showed me i probably won't manage to finish it in time, with all the painting work and little details. I am going to CSI cruise in Amsterdam every year (and this year also to Bike-a-licious), and i like to ride there by bike from here, so it means i only have time till the beginning of July. But this year a friend of mine wants to go with me, so probably i am taking part in build-off with building a bike for her, a bit of a less ambitious project. But still have to decide on a frame for her.

 

[SpikeFC]

So after I helped my boss and moved some stuff for him (and went to the shop for some parts for the other build) I went to my garage and picked some parts for this baby.

Rear light from an old Polish truck, I just love how it deteriorated trough the years. Didn't have any plan on what to do with it, until today.

Still can't decide on witch front light I like better. The first one I got from my friend yesterday. It's an old headlight from his Mazda:

Or maybe this Chechoslovakian headlight from a tractor-ish thing:

Anyway, I think the headlight mount will be made from this leftover from an old springer fork.

And some of these old cranks will be used as a reinforcement for the fork.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

The frame modifications have made it so cool!

I vote the tractor light, matches better with the tail light you have.

 

[SpikeFC]

The frame modifications have made it so cool!

I vote the tractor light, matches better with the tail light you have.

Thanks a lot! I did a little mock-up today and the tractor light looks far better, but first things first...

Did some hammering to the fenders today, and it didn't help much, but they're kinda-usable right now. Rear is far better, but it was in better condition to begin with.

And next - the fork. At first I wanted it to be short, then cut it down, and add a piece of straight pipe, and reinforce the whole thing with old cranc sprockets.

Buuuuuuut... when I looked at it sitting as high as it is right now, I realised, that it wouldn't look that goofy with a really long, straight fork, so, the fabrication has begone!

Couldn't do a lot of pictures, cause my camera welcomed me with a message "Replace main battery" (ofcourse i left the charger in my shop...) And to continue my bad luck today (that started with the weather getting worse by the hour) my almost 8 year phone has dropped dead while making a photo at 68% of battery

Basically I just shortened the pipes, hammered them flat at the bottom, and cut holes to match the wheel at the end. Nothing too fancy, but I hope it will work. The headset appears to be in very good condition, only need to find a longer nut for the top, and shorten the headset tube.

With the leftover parts of the pipe I made the bar for the front brake (yup, no v-brakes on the front, just and old-school caliper brake)

This bar will also hold the headlight mount (i think, the mount that I wanted to use before, was too wide), and the fender.

And here is a mock up off how it looks right now.

Still waiting for the new seat to arrive, but in the meantime I'll work on everything else. strip the paint from it, make the mounts for the chainguard, work with the wheels, and everything else. Still a lot of work needs to be done.

Oh, and my friend who helped me with the welding told me today - "Spike, you created a monster..."

 

[OddJob]

You are wasting no time! That's my kind of builder!

The bike overall looks REALLY tall. Is it as tall as it looks?

I like the flow of the frame / fork. RaT oN~!

 

[SpikeFC]

You are wasting no time! That's my kind of builder!

I like the flow of the frame / fork. RaT oN~!

Thanks! Working with the wheels right now

The bike overall looks REALLY tall. Is it as tall as it looks?

Well it is kinda tall. The crank in it's lowest position is really high from the ground. Also the stem is in the highest position since I had to grind it a little bit to make it fit in the new, thicker head tube. I'm considering changing it after the holidays, cause most of bicycle parts - you guessed it - are in the shop.

 

[Starnger]

Thanks! Working with the wheels right now



Well it is kinda tall. The crank in it's lowest position is really high from the ground. Also the stem is in the highest position since I had to grind it a little bit to make it fit in the new, thicker head tube. I'm considering changing it after the holidays, cause most of bicycle parts - you guessed it - are in the shop.

Are you considering to switch to threadless headset for the cleaner look? I think it would fit that fork. Or at least a shorter stem.

 

[SpikeFC]

Are you considering to switch to threadless headset for the cleaner look? I think it would fit that fork. Or at least a shorter stem.

Sadly I can't put a threadless headset on it. The parts to make this fork came out of a 18 year old Logan brand springer fork, and the headtube kinda looks like a normal one, but we tried to put a threadless tube from a regular springer fork it just wouldn't sit tightly in place.

I'm actually considering a shorter stem since this one puts the steering bar way too much in the front, and I also do remember that I have a short stem, but again - in my workshop, that is closed till monday

 

[SpikeFC]

Got the wheels mostly done.

Changed the nipples on both of them from silver to red, and they look totally different.

Also fitted one of the new tires.

The rest of the work with them needs to wait till monday, but in the meantime I'll try to strip the paint from the frame, fenders, and some other small elements.

 

[SpikeFC]

Spike vs. Paint Stripper - 0:1

Don't know what I'm doing wrong, or what kind of goofy paint was used on the frame...

The fenders gave up pretty nice, but the frame is another story. The paintstripper that I bought just couldn't chew into the paint, so it's waiting till monday so I can get my whire wheel and take off what's left of the paint. Also need to dig up my chain guard, mock it up so I can weld the mounts, and cut it a little bit so it will look simmilar to this one:

I'm also still considering if I really need a chain guard, since I kinda like the bare look that the bike originaly had (As you may guess,, I'm not a big fan of chain guards )

 

[Chad T]

Wow lots of progress already. Looking good! What's the long holidays over there?