Bike Builders

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Whether you are just curious about how to add your own components to your bike, or if you are a pro-builder, this group is for people that can't help but tinker, tweak and upgrade their bicycles! Share photos, tips, and techniques here!

Location: Chicago, IL
Members: 59
Latest Activity: Mar 16

Discussion Forum

Bike Builds 17 Replies

Post your Bike Builds Here You can link to existing posts if you have put a build somewhere. If not, please post pics and describe the build.

Started by Lee Diamond. Last reply by Lee Diamond Mar 16.

Bike Building Mondays 10 Replies

Howdy. Here is a posting of the bike building winter project I have. It is not on the calendar on purpose. This is a club activity for those that want to participate, but you have to be in the Bike B…

Tagged: drunken, social, builds

Started by Lee Diamond. Last reply by Lee Diamond Mar 14.

Ask a question 19 Replies

This is the ideal place to ask a question when you get stuck, opinions on gear, techniques, and how to's.

Started by Lee Diamond. Last reply by Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) Dec. 17, 2009.

Does anyone need shop space to build or storefront space to sell?

I am looking for other builders to work out of our shop, we have some limited tools steel chop saw, grinder, pipe bender, no jigs. I am borrowing Todd A.'s mig welder. and am slowly collecting more t…

Started by Josh Catrambone Dec. 8, 2009.

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Comment by Lee Diamond on March 9, 2010 at 7:59am: Yep. Not showing. For sure. Definitely. Not there.

How's DC?

Comment by Bikefreeek on March 5, 2010 at 9:42am: Not sure why the links aren't showing?

Comment by Bikefreeek on March 5, 2010 at 9:41am: Here's a couple more that I've done recently

The Handsome Hybrid conversion

Super Burrito!

And here's another try at some of the ones that had bad links before...

Hortence, Mia's Schwinn 3speed conversion

The yellow canti'd cargo bike

Comment by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on January 30, 2010 at 8:13pm: Alex, I love the Stupid Trick Cycle and the 12" wheel tandem. Well done sir!

Comment by Primitive Don on January 30, 2010 at 2:10pm: Very cool Alex! Great utilitarian features with the fenders and racks.

Comment by Bikefreeek on January 30, 2010 at 1:28pm

Here's some of the bikes that I've built in the last few years. These are all bikes that I built with a personal interest over strictly for sale.

My everyday Work Horse

My SS/Fixie Conversion, the Hipster Bandwagon

Yellow Canti'd Cargo Bike, 20" wheels

The Junkumbent

Schwinn Hipster Whip

Light Work Horse on rare Nabash 26" wheel frame w/ 3 speed internal 7 speed external cassette hub

My Gunnar CrossHairs "Stripey" covered in red/white reflective tape

The Junkwagon converted cargo bike

Tiny 12" wheel tandem

The Hipster Horse/Ghetto Pony - 26" wheel fixed gear conversion. The cog is bolted onto the disc brake mount instead of thread on w/ lockring

Nishiki "road style" Mixte made for 26" wheels

The Stupid Trick Cycle, a neighborhood favorite!

The HipStar - IRO SS/Fixed

Lauren's StumpJumper Mountain Tour Bike

Rust Bike w/ oven racks

Junior - 24" wheel fixed conversion

RC Nishiki - Richard Cunningham deigned Nishiki Mountain Bike built as a light tourer

Mia's Schwinn "Hortence" with wine box on back

Francis - a Mt. Fuji w/ new canti bosses to fit 26"x1 3/8" (ISO 590) wheels

Prudence - 3 speed basket bike

Comment by Lee Diamond on January 9, 2010 at 11:35pm: What is the strangest way you have gotten something to fit?

I have done more thank I should have certainly, but the stangest one recently was I was able to bend fenders from a trashed 3-speed to fit a single speed with different size wheels and brakes through the use of two clamps. One was used to crush the area where the brakes were. The original bike had gigrodous John Buck brakes which fit comfortably over it. A simple screw clamp from my wood shop fitted with wood bumpers smooshed the area nicely and looked clean and fairly straight.

The next problem was the way the fenders would fit on the wider wheels. The short answer is, not at all. A wide mouth pipe clamp helped me widen the angle. I put the fenders on my work table so they were like a downward "C" with the edges touching at the tips. By putting the clamp on top of the curve of the very sturdy and heavy chromed steel fenders with rolled up towels in between the clamp and the fenders, I was able to gently pull the center down and it widened the mouth from what was some type of 26" tire to 700c wheels quite nicely.

What's some of yours?

Comment by notoriousDUG on December 10, 2009 at 10:43am: Todd,

Try the hand built bicycles group for frame jig info.

Comment by Todd Allen on December 10, 2009 at 1:37am: Anybody here have any experience building jigs? I'd love to set up a very flexible jig for doing a wide variety of one off projects such as trailers, cargo bikes, recumbents, etc.

This wouldn't be for production work so it wouldn't even be necessary to jig up a complete frame in one go.

Suggestions for a back plane and fixtures would be much appreciated.