Hawthorne Klunker Build...check it out!

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supergoob

supergoob

Joined
Apr 9, 2013
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Cadiz, KY
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I wish I had started a build thread then I got this bike, but that's neither here nor there. I snagged this CWC built Hawthorne on Craigslist out of Nashville for super cheap.





Bike was pretty complete, minus a skiptooth chain. Recently repainted this blue, which I had originally intended on changing.















Tore it all apart (so if anyone wants any of the stock parts, let me know!) and threw it together with parts out of the basement.

Bars: 15 year old NOS Moose motocross bars. I bought these for an ATV when I was a teenager and never used them.
Stem: off of a department store bike; bought at a yard sale for mockup purposes a couple years ago.
Grips: ODI Vans...had them sitting around
Pedals: Wellgo
Chainring: 110BCD Spider off of an old Diamondback Viper BMX thats been hanging on the wall for 16 years. Chainring is a 110BCD road bike chainring that I had in my collection.
Tires: something I found at my LBS a few years ago.

I put the bike together like this just to see how it was going to shape up. Rode it a few times in this configuration:



After riding it like this, I realized that the seat wasn't practical for klunking, the seatpost wasn't long enough, and I'd need some offroad tread.

For my seatpost, I went to my local Tractor Supply and bought a piece of 5/8 round steel and a Hillman 5/8x7/8 steel spacer like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hill...Seamless-Steel-Spacer-5-Pack-880422/204724814

I cut the post to length, hammered the round steel into the spacer and welded it up, and this allowed me to use a seatpost clamp like you'd find on an old school BMX bike. From there I tossed a more reasonable saddle on for the time being, which happens to be a saddle off of a Surly Pug Ops fat bike. I also dug through my dad's shop and found some old red Michelin tires I had when I raced XC as a kid. They are smoked, but I taped them up and installed them just to see what the final product would look like. I couldn't be happier.





Immediate plans:
New set of red tires of some sort, more than likely will just do a Comp III style tire.
New rear wheel, something with a powerful coaster brake and relatively lightweight. Any ideas?
Brooks saddle.

Future plans: Maybe internal gearing and brazed on disc brake tabs, but I'd really hate to add a bunch of cables. Will definitely have to add some sort of front brake, I'm afraid. I'll know after my first real trail ride.

Any feedback is appreciated!! Thanks guys
 
If you do a front disc, you could run the cable right down the truss probably, too. Nice and neat.
 
Looks awesome I really dig the red tires, would you sell the seat it had originally I have 58 Hornet that needs a seat.
 
LukeTheJoker said:
Looks good!
If you will be running a front brake you will have cables anyway, so I say go all the way and disc it!
:rockout:

Luke.
Click to expand...

Yeah but popping a front brake off real quick wouldn't be an issue for times when it matters to be a little more stylish. This is also my around-towner.

Bicycle808 said:
Bike looks great so far. I vote: Front disc, ss coaster rear, real mtb knobbies b/c Comp 3s will survibe off road, but they won't thrive. If you're an old-school XC guy, you might appreciate some Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires; they still make'm in black/red. https://www.amazon.com/Panaracer-Fire-Wire-MTB-Tire/dp/B0010W1KJW
Click to expand...

My main reason for wanting to go with a Comp 3 is because they still have that 80s vibe and because they'll serve a good dual purpose as around-town tires as well, which is where this bike sees half of its miles or more. The only times I really plan to go off road with it is when I am riding with my 9 year old; I don't get a good workout when I ride my enduro bike at 9 year old speeds, so a funky SS should negate that.

Duchess said:
If you do a front disc, you could run the cable right down the truss probably, too. Nice and neat.
Click to expand...

Thought about this too, or my stem is actually designed to have the front brake cable go right through the stem, like a BMX bike with a gyro was run.
Scribble said:
Looks awesome I really dig the red tires, would you sell the seat it had originally I have 58 Hornet that needs a seat.
Click to expand...

Red tires really were the icing on the cake. Originally I had planned to change the color scheme, but everything just happened this way and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. I sent you a PM about the seat.

pholTmonx said:
Wicked truss, that custom or Hawthorne
Click to expand...

I have no idea, I'm no purist. They were just what was on here when I got the bike. Thought about losing them, but the truss rods coupled with the modifications made to the fork crown at some point over the years just speak to me.





Thanks for the kind words guys!
 
IMG_0644.JPG
Definitely stock, my Hawthorne has the same rods. Your bike looks awesome man.
 
OK, I wasn't sure if that was threadless or not. With a flexible noodle and an improvised bracket (in this case, from an old headlight mount with a piece of metal on top), you can run a front V-brake. Probably other ways to do this, too, but here's one that works pretty well.

upload_2016-11-16_15-35-42.png
 
Sweet! Turned out nice :thumbsup:

For coaster brakes; I've got a bike with a Bendix red band and another with Sachs Komet Super, Both modulate well and have a lot of stopping power.

What's the gear ratio and how is that working for you?
 
I had a CWC Klunker for several years but traded the frame for a 1940 Snyder. I found the CWC bottom bracket too low and the curved chain stay rubbed on the chain until I increased the chain wheel size. I also had 3 hot rolled 5/8 hardware store rods I tried for seat posts and all of them bent while klunking. I finally went with cold rolled and that didn't bend. I have also used 5/8 2024 aluminum and that didn't bend either. I finally used 5.5 inch cranks from a kids bike so I wouldn't bang pedals. I have a standard 6.5 on the Snyder and don't bang pedals. I could not fit 2.1 inch knobbies on the CWC so I used 2.125 street tires. I had a lot of fun with the CWC but the Snyder is a better frame. You can always look for another frame (you will eventually come across one) if you find you don't care for the CWC and a parts swap is fast and easy. Looks much better than my rat klunker did.
IMG_0399.JPG
 
supergoob said:
I wish I had started a build thread then I got this bike, but that's neither here nor there. I snagged this CWC built Hawthorne on Craigslist out of Nashville for super cheap.





Bike was pretty complete, minus a skiptooth chain. Recently repainted this blue, which I had originally intended on changing.















Tore it all apart (so if anyone wants any of the stock parts, let me know!) and threw it together with parts out of the basement.

Bars: 15 year old NOS Moose motocross bars. I bought these for an ATV when I was a teenager and never used them.
Stem: off of a department store bike; bought at a yard sale for mockup purposes a couple years ago.
Grips: ODI Vans...had them sitting around
Pedals: Wellgo
Chainring: 110BCD Spider off of an old Diamondback Viper BMX thats been hanging on the wall for 16 years. Chainring is a 110BCD road bike chainring that I had in my collection.
Tires: something I found at my LBS a few years ago.

I put the bike together like this just to see how it was going to shape up. Rode it a few times in this configuration:



After riding it like this, I realized that the seat wasn't practical for klunking, the seatpost wasn't long enough, and I'd need some offroad tread.

For my seatpost, I went to my local Tractor Supply and bought a piece of 5/8 round steel and a Hillman 5/8x7/8 steel spacer like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hill...Seamless-Steel-Spacer-5-Pack-880422/204724814

I cut the post to length, hammered the round steel into the spacer and welded it up, and this allowed me to use a seatpost clamp like you'd find on an old school BMX bike. From there I tossed a more reasonable saddle on for the time being, which happens to be a saddle off of a Surly Pug Ops fat bike. I also dug through my dad's shop and found some old red Michelin tires I had when I raced XC as a kid. They are smoked, but I taped them up and installed them just to see what the final product would look like. I couldn't be happier.





Immediate plans:
New set of red tires of some sort, more than likely will just do a Comp III style tire.
New rear wheel, something with a powerful coaster brake and relatively lightweight. Any ideas?
Brooks saddle.

Future plans: Maybe internal gearing and brazed on disc brake tabs, but I'd really hate to add a bunch of cables. Will definitely have to add some sort of front brake, I'm afraid. I'll know after my first real trail ride.

Any feedback is appreciated!! Thanks guys
Click to expand...

I use a front drum brake. They are not real powerful and make it hard to remove the front wheel but they do make a klunker much more ridable. Also no worries about loosing it on a big downhill when the chain breaks and all you had was the coaster. You get used to riding with the weaker front brake but it will scrub off enough to let you go through a corner that you entered a little too fast. Works great. I also have MAFAC canti brakes and they work well, but you would have to change or modify your fork. Schwinn made a set of clamp on canti brakes and they come up on eBay once in a while but they are expensive. They would mount up on your fork. Philco also made a set of center pull brakes in the 40s and 50s that clamp on to a fork, but they are for round fork legs. I think you could flatten the clamps to fit your forged fork. They look period for a klunker. I put the Philco's pictured below on an old road bike.
IMG_1262.JPG
 

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