DDB Fin

Well it took quite a while for all the other parts to come in but they finally got here so this is what happened.
The chain was purchased at the Bike Stop as were the brake lever, cable, and caliper. Got home and went to to work on finishing the bike. Got the chain sized and fitted to the bike. Attached the brake lever and taped the handle bars. I used friction tape (old school) instead of this new cork comfort stuff. Got out the brake caliper and went to install it when WTF? The mounting stud was way too short and only went half through the front fork not allowing for the nut to be screwed on the back. So he next day I take it back and find out I have to order a special one for the style fork I have.

One week later.

My wife gets the call that the caliper is in, so we go pick it up after work and on our way to dinner. Eating chinese buffet and wanting to get the bike finished. Doing our biweekly Walmart run and wanting to finish the bike. Buying beer at Quiktrip and wanting to drink beer and finish the bike.  Finally get home, put the groceries away and get everything together to install the caliper. Pull the caliper out of the box and WTF? Same frickin caliper from a week ago.

I stewed all night. The next day, Saturday, today, we  run some errands and then off to several different bike shops to find the proper caliper. Finally get to the Trek store by the Independence Center and the "caliper guy" tells me that they no longer make a longer mounting stud. Instead the coupler nut that attaches to the mounting stud is longer. OoooKaaayyy. Anyway here's the pics and the finished product. I hope you all like it as much as I do.

The new chain. A Giant brand chain. Smooth action.

 

 

Diatech brake handle and cable. $5 roll of friction tape from Nuts and Bolts hardware store. That tape is so old school it makes me feel like I"m a paperboy again.

 

That therre people is the elusive brake caliper but by God it got installed. By the way that brake cable was about 4 ft. long. Trimming that shit to size can be tricky. Slow and easy. 6 beer process. Calibrating is a little more alcohol intensive.

 

The finished product. Yes it is fast. I can't wait to log some miles. Oh by the way I like to give each bike "license number" so this one is....

 

Dumpster Dive Bike at my house, 530 West Buckner.

 

3wheeler is next.

 

Dumpster Dive Bike V

Did a little running of errands this morning....Walmart. Scary people on a Saturday Morning. I swear Charlie Manson walked by me on the way to the bathroom. I don't know why but as soon as we get in the parking lot of this place I gotta piss. Anyway... we got back home, put up our groceries, and then took the boys for a walk out on the Trace.

Meet the boys. Martin and Norman in that order from left to right.

Okay so that's done and home to work on the bike? No Missy needed yarn so of to JoAnne. Buy yarn, come, throw laundry in and go put rims on the DDB..... Check it out.

All that is left for completion are a chain, brake, and handle bar tape. This bike was built for speed and I can't to see how fast we can go.

 

DDB part Duex X Duex

My wheelset came in today. Retrospec red 41mm deepV flip flop fixie rims with CST high performance tires. These looked cool on the SGVBICYCLES.COM website. But pictures do not do these rims and tires justice..

I can't wait to put them on tomorrow.

 

Chain and Brakes to come followed by the maiden voyage. More pics tomorrow.

DDB Pt. III

Building this bike takes a little time when you are ordering parts off the interweb and you ain't made of money so hence the amount of time between posts. Anyway some parts came in and here is what happened.

The new crank was installed to the bottom bracket......

 

Man that's a cool looking crank.

But what would Mr. Mojo Rison think?

 

 

He liiiikkkkkessss.

 

Okay we need pedals and toe clips or this will be really hard to use.

 

 

These things don't weigh shit. They are so frickin lite I thought the box was empty when I got it. They look awesome on the crank.

 

 

 

I got a new seat and seat post and put them on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But once again I couldn't help but think, "What would the Lizard King THink about such a thing?"

As usual he was so stoned he diunt care.

Com'on people I ain't no photo grapher. That's the best back drop i could muster in a minutes notice..(reminder to self..give you more time to find backgrounds.)  Don't worry when it is all done i will have some hot naked chick riding it with no seat. Nah but i got your attention.

 

Well that is all for now. I ordered the wheelset yesterday so it should be here in a week. Until then I urge you to look in your's or, friends, parents, neighbors, coworkers, anyone's garage or junk pile and find a basket case bike. Send me a pic. With your idea and my inspiration i might be able to  create your next pedal power creation.Just to show you what I mean........

These 3 "piles of shit" will soon be a full suspension 3 wheeler. I looked up 3 wheeled bikes today and i found none to match the design I have. Let me finish the DDB (dumpster dive bike) and the FSX3 will begin. 

 

 

(Insert catch phrase here)

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



Dumpster Bike part 2

So the primer dried, cured, and whatever paint does and the seven coats of grey were applied.
Now this paint had to dry, cure, have a cocktail, whatever, I had to wait. I actually got paid to watch paint dry one time but that is a whole other blog and a bottle of Ridalin away from ever being written.

Now to the parts and their installation. Bottom bracket please step forward your time has come.

 

 

Pretty vague looking little contraption isn't he? Well without this little guy shit ain't happening people. Besides the rider this is the heart and soul of the bike in my book so buy a good one. Figured it out yet........

Yeah that's right, gotta have a place for them thar pedals to connect. But they come later. Head set is next. The head set is kinda the brains of the operation. It helps the bike figure out what direction it should take in life.

 

And it came with these instructions....

 

 

 

Yeah Yeah Yeah the picture sucks but let me tell you they were as confusing as this picture is blurry ipso facto shito the out of focus shot. Anyway, some where in the beginning it explains to use this special frickin tool to seat the bottom bearing cap to the fork.... (people, fork.. fork, people, okay introductions over)



 

 

 

 and some other thing to the steering column top and bottom using 250-1500kg psi of pressure. OOOOOHHH PRESSURE I see.

 

 

 



 

4 ton press should due. Everything got pressured into becoming part of the bike....

 

 

Fork gets his stuff and then gets attached to the frame. Oh by the way, you gotta grease the shit out of this or it do not work so good.

Its missing something though.

 

THis thing needs a stem

 

and handle bars

 

and now it looks like this

 

 

 That's about all upto this point. I gots me a high performance crank and some cool pedals on the way. Until next time, think about how you want your bike to look. Wait wait... My other single speed want's to say hi....

 

 He kinda a ham people. He wanted his two best poses so up top his first photo before his new seat and down below is after many miles and some detailing.

Anyway this is what I do and the little sticker under the handle bars says it all, "Life is Good." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dumpster Dive Bike

It was the best of times, it was the worst of.......wrong story. Anyway, call me Bobby, give me an old bike and an idea and I will build it. I have been building bikes since I was about 8 years old. I love it. Be it form, function, fashion or comfort, I will build a bike to suit the desire.
My first bikes were strictly work bikes. Paperboy needs transpo people. Later in life I built choppers for neighbor kids. Right now my passion is single speed track bikes with flip flop rear wheels. And since I just recently discovered (my wife encouraged me and set up this blog for me) that I could post my stories and bikes I decided to give it a try. My only regret is that I never took any pictures of my old bikes so what you are about read and see is right now.
A few monthes ago, while at work building a parking garage, I found this old frame and fork in a dumpster outside the dorms at University of Missouri-KC.

Pretty retro I must say.  My fellow ironworkers who saw me go get this thing kinda laughed but at the same time know my passion for bikes. So I get it home and it sits for a while. In the mean time I have been buying parts and paint.
Today I started the first phase of Operation Dumpster Dive Bike: code name TED.

That crappy college attempt at a paint job had to go. So I hired this "Stripper" friend of mine to remove the old paint.

She can also remove the chrome from a trailer hitch. Anyway, the old paint is gone and time for....

.

That whole can was used and now this...

is hanging in the garage drying. By the way, the bottom bracket threads were covered with Miller Lite 16oz aluminum bottle caps. See all things have more than one purpose. We're gonna let this old feller hang out for awhile before we let him meet his new color...

 

but you get to see it now. I know, I know Gray, but you'll see.
You're probably wondering, "What happened to that fork I saw in the first picture?" Well yesterday, while purchasing the new goose neck stem (I brought it with me for sizing) the Bike Stop guy pointed out how badly it was bent. So I found it a new home.

New carbon composite fork on the way.
Well that is about all for today. More to come.