Biggest straight-bar frame

[Justin Sane]

Just finished building up my King Size American and I'm ready to move on to the next project-- a board track build.

After riding my King Size frame for a while now, I don't think I'll want to downsize. I'm 5.9' and find the KS to be a pretty comfortable fit. I'm wondering a couple things before I start trying to find parts:

Most board trackers are to be ridden/mounted at a more horizonal stance than traditionally verticle/sitting up straight posture. Most of them have extended road bike goose necks and have the seat mounted further back. Will the size of the frame be a huge factor with the difference in position on a board track setup?

If so, what is the biggest size straight bar frame that I'm likely to find?

Thanks!

P.S. the faster I find the right frame, the faster my King Size frame enters the market! :mrgreen:

 

[CCR]

Well if you like big frames the older prewar stuff is probably going to be the biggest an pretty much correct for a boardtracker at the same time as the older bicycle makers usually were involved in motorcycles and boardtrackers too. or if you want really big look for a 28" tired bike :wink:

 

[Justin Sane]

Thanks for the reply! I should've been slightly more specific in my question though.

What is the name of a frame that I should hunt down for such a project? I've seen the Schwinn Hornet, Tornado, some Typhoons ect.. just wondering if anyone knows which model produces the best size and lines.

 

[B607]

Prewar Schwinns mostly had numbers instead of names. Most prewar boys frames came in 3 sizes...16", 18", and 20". The 20" prewar frame should be the same size as your KingSize American, though slightly different geometry. The 20" frames are hard to find, but they are out there. These prewar bikes have 20" frames. Gary

 

[Justin Sane]

^^ My god.. they're beautiful!

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Wildcat]

Agreed, nice bikes. Most every cantilever frame made by most of the usual companies were about 18 inch, too small for most of us. Too bad that's where the most style is found. I'm 5' 9" also and have to raise the seat stem pretty high to ride right. A few friends have bent their stems because of the height and their weight, so we reinforced them with a bar slid down the inside of them. There's also the laid back stem which gets you further away from the pedals, my favorite configuration, crank forward.

 

[MORTUNDEAD]

I have a 1948 Columbia Newsboy. I'm 5'11" and it fits quite well. This is because, on Columbias, there is no upward sweep to the rear chain stays.