My name is Tommy, I'm German but live in North Wales, UK.
I study marine biology and also build and ride longboards.
I got into bikes via my love for Custom Cars, Hot Rods and everything that is old, modified and kinda out of the norm.
A holiday in California made it clear for me - I need a beachcruiser style bike. So I scanned ebay for a some time and then one day - BOOM I won my first auction! A Columbia bike from 1957, baby! It wasn't a bargain but not a rip-off either, little Tommy was happy!
After a few days the bike arrived, it looked kinda sorry for itself, wore a disgusting matt green coat of paint that looked like it was destined to go on a garden fence, it had rusty wheels, trashed pedals and some spokes missing, but hey. Doesn't matter, assembled! Rode alright-ish, then took it apart and greased everything up, rode better, yeehaw!
Now here is where the bad luck starts:
Tubes were loosing air and the tires started to split big time. So I went to the bike shop, got some new tubes and tires - wouldn't fit!?! What's going on? Took the wheels there - oh, it's not 26", it's 26" and a bit. Must be some strange old size, hmm.
So I ordered some new fancy pants wheels with 64 radial spokes, Fat Electra white band tires and new Airstream handlebars as the original ones are rusted through in the bend.
At the same time I took the frame and forks to get blasted and powdercoated, I had a nice subtle metallic turquoise/light blue paint job in mind as the original paint under that green wasn't savable. In the meantime I bobbed the rear fender and re-upholstered the seat.
Three weeks later I picked up my frame and my retinas nearly burned out. The colour that looked so nice and innocent in the colourguide actually looked like a late 80's Streetrod green, I nearly puked
. Anyway, nothing I could do about it as I actually chose the colour. Maybe repaint it one day but not now, my new wheels are here.
The packet had arrived, I put the wheels together - tires too fat for the frame :? ! So i took my dremel and trimmed the tires down, :lol: !
After I finally fitted everything I took it out for a ride, yeah that was okay, although not great. I thought at that point it was just due to the weight of the bike. Anyway, it's rolling! For a while!
Then the coaster brake started to screech awful whenever I tried to brake and black oil/grease started to run out of the rear hub. That's not right, the wheels were actually trash; shouldn't have gone so much for looks, stupid aftermarket parts! You'll live and learn.
There is a bike shop in the town where I moved in North Wales, lotsa expensive road and mountainbikes and a big workshop. Great, I thought; I giv'em the bike and they can choose some fine running components for me that make it a really nice riding bike! After months of doing nothing at all on my bike :shock: they told me that they can't get stuff for a bike like that; excuse me? All I wanted was a simple good working single speed combo!!!
So I took it back home and thought hard about what I want from the bike, I don't mind spending money on the bike as long a stuff works. So I made the decision to get a nexus 7 or 8 speed hub for the bike plus some nice chromed steel rims.
Back to the bike shop - I want a Shimano nexus with coaster brake; okay we'll order that for you from our Shimano guy that comes in in two weeks. I come back after the given time; no sorry, we can only get you the hub with cable/lever activated brakes, dammit! I don't want any cables levers or anything else on my handlebars!
My friend recommended me a good bikeshop in Hamburg, Germany. I ordered the hub from them without any problems and picked it up whilst I was on holiday. But then again - I ordered some other chromed steel rims (westrick style) in 26". Got them eventually spoked up with the hub. Try to put my Electra tires on - NOOOOOOOOOO, the westrick rims were too big again (only by a fraction but too big). Stupid subtle size difference that i don't understand!
This is the actual stand.
Plan for the future is:
Lay back the seatpost
Repaint
Find some wheels that actually fit and work
Mount the nexus shifter "jockeyshift style"
Hopefully one day ride the sxxt out of it!
Guess i bored you guys enough with my uberlong intro, but this is how the name for the bike derives, Bad Luck!
I will send pictures once my own laptop is (hopefully) back from the dead
Tommy
I study marine biology and also build and ride longboards.
I got into bikes via my love for Custom Cars, Hot Rods and everything that is old, modified and kinda out of the norm.
A holiday in California made it clear for me - I need a beachcruiser style bike. So I scanned ebay for a some time and then one day - BOOM I won my first auction! A Columbia bike from 1957, baby! It wasn't a bargain but not a rip-off either, little Tommy was happy!
After a few days the bike arrived, it looked kinda sorry for itself, wore a disgusting matt green coat of paint that looked like it was destined to go on a garden fence, it had rusty wheels, trashed pedals and some spokes missing, but hey. Doesn't matter, assembled! Rode alright-ish, then took it apart and greased everything up, rode better, yeehaw!
Now here is where the bad luck starts:
Tubes were loosing air and the tires started to split big time. So I went to the bike shop, got some new tubes and tires - wouldn't fit!?! What's going on? Took the wheels there - oh, it's not 26", it's 26" and a bit. Must be some strange old size, hmm.
So I ordered some new fancy pants wheels with 64 radial spokes, Fat Electra white band tires and new Airstream handlebars as the original ones are rusted through in the bend.
At the same time I took the frame and forks to get blasted and powdercoated, I had a nice subtle metallic turquoise/light blue paint job in mind as the original paint under that green wasn't savable. In the meantime I bobbed the rear fender and re-upholstered the seat.
Three weeks later I picked up my frame and my retinas nearly burned out. The colour that looked so nice and innocent in the colourguide actually looked like a late 80's Streetrod green, I nearly puked
. Anyway, nothing I could do about it as I actually chose the colour. Maybe repaint it one day but not now, my new wheels are here. The packet had arrived, I put the wheels together - tires too fat for the frame :? ! So i took my dremel and trimmed the tires down, :lol: !
After I finally fitted everything I took it out for a ride, yeah that was okay, although not great. I thought at that point it was just due to the weight of the bike. Anyway, it's rolling! For a while!
Then the coaster brake started to screech awful whenever I tried to brake and black oil/grease started to run out of the rear hub. That's not right, the wheels were actually trash; shouldn't have gone so much for looks, stupid aftermarket parts! You'll live and learn.
There is a bike shop in the town where I moved in North Wales, lotsa expensive road and mountainbikes and a big workshop. Great, I thought; I giv'em the bike and they can choose some fine running components for me that make it a really nice riding bike! After months of doing nothing at all on my bike :shock: they told me that they can't get stuff for a bike like that; excuse me? All I wanted was a simple good working single speed combo!!!
So I took it back home and thought hard about what I want from the bike, I don't mind spending money on the bike as long a stuff works. So I made the decision to get a nexus 7 or 8 speed hub for the bike plus some nice chromed steel rims.
Back to the bike shop - I want a Shimano nexus with coaster brake; okay we'll order that for you from our Shimano guy that comes in in two weeks. I come back after the given time; no sorry, we can only get you the hub with cable/lever activated brakes, dammit! I don't want any cables levers or anything else on my handlebars!
My friend recommended me a good bikeshop in Hamburg, Germany. I ordered the hub from them without any problems and picked it up whilst I was on holiday. But then again - I ordered some other chromed steel rims (westrick style) in 26". Got them eventually spoked up with the hub. Try to put my Electra tires on - NOOOOOOOOOO, the westrick rims were too big again (only by a fraction but too big). Stupid subtle size difference that i don't understand!
This is the actual stand.
Plan for the future is:
Lay back the seatpost
Repaint
Find some wheels that actually fit and work
Mount the nexus shifter "jockeyshift style"
Hopefully one day ride the sxxt out of it!
Guess i bored you guys enough with my uberlong intro, but this is how the name for the bike derives, Bad Luck!
I will send pictures once my own laptop is (hopefully) back from the dead
Tommy
