Rat Bikes! Pub Bikes Beaters! Frankenbikes!

it doesn't need to be desirable.

Put it simply, it should be the sort of bicycle you can ride home from the pub drunkly, and not worry about when locking it up for a prolong period of time*

*be it cheap enough to not worry about it and/or look too crap to be worth nicking

i think the difference between a rat and a beater is that a rat can still be your pride and joy where as a beater is normally the bike you simply have a soft spot for as its got you from a to b without fail countless times

i think the difference between a rat and a beater is that a rat can still be your pride and joy where as a beater is normally the bike you simply have a soft spot for as its got you from a to b without fail countless times

This is probs the closest I've ever heard to defining what I think they are. Ie a messengers bike could be scratched and battered but built out of high end parts - rat. The bike you ride to work/the shops on that has bits off your best bike when that was upgraded - beater

Cool, makes sense.
Mine will definitely end up a rat at some point, as I tend to use and abuse bikes (in a good way), as I think the soon to be current incarnation will be my pride and joy for quite a long time. I'm loving it already and I still need to tweek the setup and change a few bits yet.
The frame is second hand and has already got a lot of scratches and scrapes paint wise, which I ain't gonna get repainted, so will probably cover up to stop the steel rusting.

Cover up with what? Tape, stickers etc will trap moisture underneath and cause the rust to get worse.

Linseed oil is really good at stopping rust - it dries to a hard waxy finish that doesn't rub off (although you can scrape it off if you try) and protects the metal underneath really well. The only downside is that it's slightly yellowy - that may or may not bother you.

Actually at some point in this thread I've got a few photos of my linseed-oiled frame so you can judge what it looks like.

jenolite is another good solution.

If it's small areas then the gel is good. Worth buying as its always useful.

Also imo a beater is simply the bike you value the least out of those you ride.

Hmmm, will take that advice into account. Was just gonna wait till it properly dry and there sticker it up to offend the maximum amount of members here with plastic or vinyl stickers as there's no sign of any rust at all yet.
But, in light of recommendations, might try and get hold of some of this stuff - http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

Worthy fillets.

Not completely on topic, but as this thread has lots of exposure, I thought this would be a good place to post.

As we know, with the recent trend of bare metal frames, clear paint, nor clear powdercoat, prevents a frame from rusting - only temporarily. I've seen some other options coming by like linseed oil, which is sticky, wd40, which is greasy etc.

Now, I was going through some hotrod fora and noticed some bare metal bodies. After some searching I found out those guys use a spray called Gibbs to protect their bodies.

Might be of interest to anyone who either owns or would like to have a bare metal frame..
I think it'll work for polished parts/lugs too.

http://www.gibbsbrandeurope.com
http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

Crossposting

Worthy repost.

.

.

Thought there was a good chance of pea.

Couple o' laid back rats...

... and tall bikes for good measure.

BBB thread

Hmmm, will take that advice into account. Was just gonna wait till it properly dry and there sticker it up to offend the maximum amount of members here with plastic or vinyl stickers as there's no sign of any rust at all yet.
But, in light of recommendations, might try and get hold of some of this stuff - http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

Yeah I remember some friends of mine talking about that stuff (I used to be into classic car/hot rod scene). I might try to get some and see how it works - it shouldn't turn everything yellowy like linseed oil does.

Well, there you go:
http://www.oneillvintageford.co.uk/acatalog/Gibbs_Brand_Lubricant.html

Apparently it reverses oxidation. It turns iron oxide back into iron and oxygen... I find that hard to believe. Does that mean I can spray it over the rusty hole on the underside of an old car and it'll be replaced with fresh metal in the morning? Seems much cheaper than welding a patch in.

Well, there you go:
http://www.oneillvintageford.co.uk/acatalog/Gibbs_Brand_Lubricant.html

Apparently it reverses oxidation. It turns iron oxide back into iron and oxygen... I find that hard to believe. Does that mean I can spray it over the rusty hole on the underside of an old car and it'll be replaced with fresh metal in the morning? Seems much cheaper than welding a patch in.

Lol! If you do get hold of some, can you let us know where from and if it works?

Lol! If you do get hold of some, can you let us know where from and if it works?

I've ordered some of ebay, £14.95 + £5 postage. Not cheap but looks like it could be better than the other options.
[code][/code]

I'll give you 50p for a long squirt.

belongs here?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cronobikes/6053943336/sizes/l/in/photostream/

I'll give you 50p for a long squirt.

Oooh err!

repost, and having read what he did to it, anti-rat.

BBB thread

This thread is lacking your beater with home-made front rack

belongs here?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cronobikes/6053943336/sizes/l/in/photostream/

A very imaginative mock-up derived from a sketch generally attributed to Da Vinci. From what I've read, most historians don't consider this to be bike-related. How could it be related to this thread?