Rat Bikes! Pub Bikes Beaters! Frankenbikes!

Here is same Benotto last summer, much better with new setup. Small toeoverlap with 37c but smooth ride.

^^^^ Smashing work - Good to see the Blackburn rack back in action too!
Squirrel ride comes from relatively steep headtube and bags of fork rake.

^^^Ed. the bike was broken down mainly because it was one of 3 vintage rat frames in my shed and the least desirable but easiest to fix of the 3!
Remaining parts are in boxes ready to be built onto a 1930's Claud Butler singlespeed with integrated headset and a 1970's Chas Roberts TT bike...
(when I get round to it)

I think a longer stem will counteract the ride a little. As your stem gets longer, you create less and less turning force when you lean on the bars, with a single hand say. I think. Will try it anyway, as soon as a cheap stem pops up in my Ebay search.

I haven't had a beater recently - in the modern era. My daily ride was a really lovely 29er, which is fine, as I generally don't worry about stuff getting nicked*, but a beater like this takes me back to the bikes I used to build up when I was in my teens. In those days you could go down the local tip and rescue bikes and parts from the top of the pile**, so they were all beaters.

The rack has already been used to cart my eight year old around the locale. He thinks it's ace - especially as he thinks we will go to jail if we get caught.

• Don't care - well y'know, do care, but don't let it dictate what bike I ride where.
  
  

** Also, you could get old prams and stuff for making proper go karts. Really proper ones with string steering. Sometimes it was like the Bash Street Kids round our way.

I think a longer stem will counteract the ride a little. As your stem gets longer, you create less and less turning force when you lean on the bars, with a single hand say. I think. Will try it anyway, as soon as a cheap stem pops up in my Ebay search.

Longer stem feel slower to turn but doesn't necessary mean it is slower.

To be clear, I am talking long not tall. The bars are high enough, I just want them a little further forward... well, I want my hands a little further forward.

^ I'm pretty sure you know that - but Google long stem, and you do get a lot of long steerers and/or tall stems.

So much win! I love crazy bastardised motorised things like this, even down to the pedal on the kick start. Awesomes.

This is my once stolen, now returned London rat. decided to document it in its current state, just in-case she goes missing again..... its a shit heap, but rides just how i want it to.

You got it back! Nice! What was the story? Or did you tell that elsewhere?

freewheel with foot retention, nice. I like to have straps regardless of fixed or not.

Thought that was incredibly common?

freewheel with foot retention, nice.

Pretty popular with cyclotouriste too, nice to have one shoes than two.

You got it back! Nice! What was the story? Or did you tell that elsewhere?

i was on the way to the police station.... figured i would ride around the area and pop into Barclays bikes.... to my amazement some guy was riding it down a side street in dalston. don't think he was the thief, but he knew it was stolen as he gave it back without any fuss at all. i think he said something like "fair do's" and scuttled away. the highs and lows of the past day has made me really appreciate the bike.

i was on the way to the police station.... figured i would ride around the area and pop into Barclays bikes.... to my amazement some guy was riding it down a side street in dalston. don't think he was the thief, but he knew it was stolen as he gave it back without any fuss at all. i think he said something like "fair do's" and scuttled away. the highs and lows of the past day has made me really appreciate the bike.

Gosh that was lucky!

i was on the way to the police station.... figured i would ride around the area and pop into Barclays bikes.... to my amazement some guy was riding it down a side street in dalston. don't think he was the thief, but he knew it was stolen as he gave it back without any fuss at all. i think he said something like "fair do's" and scuttled away. the highs and lows of the past day has made me really appreciate the bike.

Congratulations.
I'm always curious about people who buy stolen property, their stories and justifications are usually more interesting than than the thief's.

i was on the way to the police station.... figured i would ride around the area and pop into Barclays bikes.... to my amazement some guy was riding it down a side street in dalston. don't think he was the thief, but he knew it was stolen as he gave it back without any fuss at all. i think he said something like "fair do's" and scuttled away. the highs and lows of the past day has made me really appreciate the bike.

This is my once stolen, now returned London rat. decided to document it in its current state, just in-case she goes missing again..... its a shit heap, but rides just how i want it to.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/lukebrennan76/DSC00206_zps2e0b9459.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/lukebrennan76/DSC00210-1_zpsa1733083.jpg

So glad you got it back!

In my search I found this, not the same but similar...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Condor-bike-frame-built-by-Bill-Hurlow-c1955-/151004976520?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2328991588#ht_9138wt_1227

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Condor-bike-frame-built-by-Bill-Hurlow-c1955-/00/s/MTE0OVgxMDk5/$T2eC16R,!yEE9s5jFQmyBRMPWBoeN!~~60_58.JPG

£650! Bladdy hell...

That's fucking epic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXXckWLc0E

Repped. One of the gnarliest things I ever saw. And yes, I did say gnarly

^^ So awesome!!
Agreed that bit under the bridge got pretty scary. What would happen if it got too low. He could've just got stuck there...
Scary thoughts...

moar pics?

STOOPIDTALL - CICLAVIA 2013 - LA BIKE CULT - YouTube

^^ So awesome!!
Agreed that bit under the bridge got pretty scary. What would happen if it got too low. He could've just got stuck there...
Scary thoughts...

Just stick a GoPro on Apollo's head for a day.