Current Projects chat and miscellany

My first project, it's basically finished and was supposed to be a "budget" commuter bike which I suppose it is but rides really nicely.

How do you define a rat bike?

wiki says;

pretty much what wiki says,
a bike that has been ridden hard/used for years until bits get broken/fall off or replaced.

^ rather than a bare metal njs frame artfully rusted I guess ;)

well done with the falcon - always supprising how much a service, free-rolling wheels and half decent tyres can make.

anyhow, going to take it down for a proper test ride down WImbledon Common.

Any chance of filming the test ride please Ed with running commentary?

@chrobin - are you seriously going to attempt a best human effort hour record? wow, pretty cool

Will be embarking on my first ever wheel build in the next few months. Got the first components - Planet-X track hubs. Half price in their sale at the min:

Oh, and some cheap bar tape. Thinking of DIY'ing some bull horns, but haven't decided yet :)

Much more reading to be done on wheel building. Is it difficult to do without a wheel building/truing stand?

My new rack arrived yesterday so I spent an hour putting it on and moving lights/guard mounts and the like. The LHT is now ready for it's London life carrying shit about, and taking me on holiday to the country at the weekends. Perfec

http://img.skitch.com/20100826-c7bqsuwdgefnmu8md4ts5s3q.jpg

Is that a dura ace track hub on the front?

Ha ha, you got called a clunker fakenger.

You can't just call it a clunker simply because it's a slightly old MTB put together with random bits, or in your case Ed, a brand new bike.
Clunkers were made from post war beach cruisers and news boy bikes with slack angles.They stripped off all the fairings, used motorbike brake levers and bars, welded bits on, bodged bits, etc and they weighed a hell of a lot more.
You bought your whole bike ready built online...hardly qualifies as a 'clunker'.

It's like when you were calling any bike with a bit of rust and some skate stickers on it a 'Rat bike'.

Is that a dura ace track hub on the front?

ha! no, it's the beautiful Shimano N80 dynohub

Thats a useful looking peice of kit Jammy. Green I am.

Will be embarking on my first ever wheel build in the next few months. ... Is it difficult to do without a wheel building/truing stand?

No. A truing stand is just much nicer/easier. Some ppl use cable ties on their forks/rear stays - I used blue tac and a small ruler.

Its easier if its a stripped frame - ie no chainring/cranks.

You should also remember that a wheel needs to be trued up and down (for roundness) as well as left to right - does that make any sence? So you'll prob want 8 cableties.

Re Bullhorns - general concensus is making your own isn't great bc of the way they curve. Also remember that you might need a short stem bc you reach out further. Profile air wings are a popular choice. Esp as allot of bullhorns seem to be TT aero style ones.

You can't just call it a clunker simply because it's a slightly old MTB put together with random bits, or in your case Ed, a brand new bike.
Clunkers were made from post war beach cruisers and news boy bikes with slack angles.They stripped off all the fairings, used motorbike brake levers and bars, welded bits on, bodged bits, etc and they weighed a hell of a lot more.
You bought your whole bike ready built online...hardly qualifies as a 'clunker'.

It's like when you were calling any bike with a bit of rust and some skate stickers on it a 'Rat bike'.

That's the first I heard of the definition of clunkers being referred to as a 'DIY' project rather than a different type of bike before the design evolved into MTB.

That's the first I heard of the definition of clunkers being referred to as a 'DIY' project rather than a different type of bike before the design evolved into MTB.

Have you not watched Klunkerz?

Of course they were DIY...they were using bikes that were made for kids and grown ups to cruise around town on, covered with fairings, mudguards, lights, tassles etc.

The term clunker/klunker described the bikes that were left after they stripped and modified them to suit what they were doing on them.
They were still 'DIY' as they progressed too as they were inventing a whole new type of bike...they weren't buying them ready built for several years.

I can't watch Klunkerz Scott, as much as I like to, the only few sources are usually online and that tv programme where that bloke go all over the country getting bits for his 'dream' bike.

I'm aware that Clunkers were old beach cruiser being modified quick downhill fun, just wasn't aware that 'clunkers' does not just mean the type of bike (like XC, downhilling, dual slalom etc.)

you do now :)

I can't watch Klunkerz Scott, as much as I like to, the only few sources are usually online and that tv programme where that bloke go all over the country getting bits for his 'dream' bike.

I'm aware that Clunkers were old beach cruiser being modified quick downhill fun, just wasn't aware that 'clunkers' does not just mean the type of bike (like XC, downhilling, dual slalom etc.)

You're forgetting something important here though Ed.
When Clunkers were named there were no other sub categories of similar bikes like there are now.
Obviously they described a type of bike, but that type of bike was specific to the very small number of modified beach cruisers these guys n gals were riding.
They weren't buying a brand new bike from the shop and calling it a clunker as there were no bikes that were anything like them.

Clunker covered such a specific type of bike compared to XC, or DH, or DS....of which there are thousands and thousands of variations.

The point being that your bike is more of an ATB than anything else, but i'd say it's a far stretch to label it a clunker. Everything on it was designed for the purpose you're using it for.

Maybe just call it a cunter - sounds almost the same?

In that case a clunker-style ATB then!

not really, no.
it is made up of new parts for the job

Scoblunker

See the point i'm making?
Hardly anything on the first bike was designed for the purpose they were using them for...

Now look at yours...It's an ATB...it looks more like my old Raleigh Mustang than a Clunker.

I'm only posting this one cos it's a great picture! :]
http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckrepack76.jpg

Scoblunker

schplonker