I'm Dan, from Fort Collins, Colorado (a very bike friendly town) and I've always been a car guy. I started biking paved trails and really loved to start exploring town on two wheels. Bought a road bike for faster speed and more of a long haul, but have been wanting to replace my daily rider/first bike with something more "me". I've modified both cars I've owned to my liking, and I had been looking for the proper frame for some time. Cruisers are very popular in town, so I wanted something just a bit different, and well- faster.
My goal is a 50's fat tire road bike. Drop down handlebars, high speed gearing, white-wall brick style tires, with a springer fork in front, and an "aero" disc wheel cover in back, all in a black or gun metal gray trim. So I found my bike on craigslist after many many months of waiting for the deal to arrive, and it did. It's a 56cm hybrid commuter bike with 27" wheels. 21 speed, but a curvy frame like most cruisers have. $100 and this perfectly working bike that needed a new intertube for the rear tire and a new seat, was mine.
Now the issues- This is my first bike build, and I'm learning very quickly how dimensioning varies so incredibly much between parts. I bought a new seat, and can't find a seat tube that is small enough to fit my new seat and flares wide enough to fit the tube on my bike. 26" wheels means I have to strip my current brakes off, and it looks like I will be going with a side pull brake on just the rear.
My biggest problem so far is with the springer fork. It is the run of the mill knock-off springer (http://www.bicycledesigner.com/defaulth ... r%3D513002) My steer tube is 1 1/8" by 8.5" long (bottom of bearing race to top of threads). I had measured 7.5" not thinking about the nuts holding everything together, so when I measured the springer fork at the LBS as 7.5" I bought it. Now I'm an inch short and out of luck. I can return it, but have been futzing about trying to figure out how to get this to work, because I love the look of a springer.
I have lathe and machining experience, and thought about trying to make something, but I don't know the proper threading for the steer tube nut, and more-so, I don't know how that extra length will affect the spring mount. Any help from anyone whose been in a similar situation of needing a longer steer tube would be much appreciated, and in the mean time, I'll keep searching this great site. Bolded the question, so you don't have to read my entire essay. Thanks so much!
Oh, and my two babies right now- no pics of the bike in progress as my camera's light sensor took a dive.
My goal is a 50's fat tire road bike. Drop down handlebars, high speed gearing, white-wall brick style tires, with a springer fork in front, and an "aero" disc wheel cover in back, all in a black or gun metal gray trim. So I found my bike on craigslist after many many months of waiting for the deal to arrive, and it did. It's a 56cm hybrid commuter bike with 27" wheels. 21 speed, but a curvy frame like most cruisers have. $100 and this perfectly working bike that needed a new intertube for the rear tire and a new seat, was mine.
Now the issues- This is my first bike build, and I'm learning very quickly how dimensioning varies so incredibly much between parts. I bought a new seat, and can't find a seat tube that is small enough to fit my new seat and flares wide enough to fit the tube on my bike. 26" wheels means I have to strip my current brakes off, and it looks like I will be going with a side pull brake on just the rear.
My biggest problem so far is with the springer fork. It is the run of the mill knock-off springer (http://www.bicycledesigner.com/defaulth ... r%3D513002) My steer tube is 1 1/8" by 8.5" long (bottom of bearing race to top of threads). I had measured 7.5" not thinking about the nuts holding everything together, so when I measured the springer fork at the LBS as 7.5" I bought it. Now I'm an inch short and out of luck. I can return it, but have been futzing about trying to figure out how to get this to work, because I love the look of a springer.
I have lathe and machining experience, and thought about trying to make something, but I don't know the proper threading for the steer tube nut, and more-so, I don't know how that extra length will affect the spring mount. Any help from anyone whose been in a similar situation of needing a longer steer tube would be much appreciated, and in the mean time, I'll keep searching this great site. Bolded the question, so you don't have to read my entire essay. Thanks so much!
Oh, and my two babies right now- no pics of the bike in progress as my camera's light sensor took a dive.
