Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
So I've had an old GT backwoods in the shed.... right at the back.....for a couple of years now.
I'd forgotten I still had it.....it got parked in the shed of doom after a hefty landing.....there was a crack sound... a big one! In there it's languished till I shinned myself on it...that got my goat...and I figure it was time to chop it up for usefull bits of aluminium tube. Popped the headset races out and could I find any signs of crack? Nope! Hmmm ok maybe it'll come out to play again
Now there's a little ride I'd been wanting to do for a while...i had no bike that fitted the requirements for this ride....it needed to be capable off-road but also fast! Fast to evade capture
The ride is here on page 349... The "concrete xylophone ride"
www.retrobike.co.uk
So this was it built in all its glorious purpleyness
After being ressurected from presumed death.
It's built out of cheap stuff lying around...oh and a £5 wheelset a man in a caravan was selling.
He didn't lioke dahgs
Well the thing thunders along nicely in fact it's filling a gap really well as a fun useable take it anywhere whatever the weather I don't care kind of style. Fastest 26r I've had on the road with a 52 ring and granny is happy at 39 for the marsh that I live on
Only problem in the build was gear shifters! I don't do drop bar brifters I find em too chunky and my hands have to be happy! Really wanted uncluttered bars aswell ....So downtube shifters it had to be!
Ah yes no mounts on downtube
Drill a hole! Ermm rather not and this is to be a cheap build so no fancy parts to be bought!
Well I figured the two welded on gear shifter cable stops looked quite manly....yup we can get a bolt through them! Took a while getting the faces parallel and flat....then made this doofer
My own problem solver!
So now we had a fully functioning grovel bike yeehaaar!
Problem was it's bloody purple....eh non cabron me no likey purple!
So I've started a little ghetto paint job...
A paint job dictated but whatever means possible and available in my shed of wonders. old cans I had in the cupboard.....not a lot! Most nearly dead and some really old! But that's all its getting cheap and sleazy just how a good ghetto p job should be
I did a few experiments with brick acid and got some great looking galvanised looking results...but alas doesn't work aswell on 7k series aluminium
So first plan dashed!
Plan B was to go with a dazzle camouflage that was first used on naval boats at the beginning of last century...so of we go till I realised there's just not enough paint....argghhh
So I just went freestyle instead!
Grabbed a roll of plasterboard jointing tape and let whatever was going to happen ..well ...happen!
Floated all that I had of white topcoat on it...it wasnt much... about 1/3 of what you actually need to paint a frame!
Then allsorts of fun I figured I try something with a rattle can I've never done before...try a fade edge...hmmm should of practiced before but what the hell let's dive in and see what we can do!
There was a lot of this faff! I'm calling it shadow masking....basically the masking floats off the frame...keep the spray angle of dangle consistent should get a neat enough fuzzy line right?
Well it's a technique I'm banking...I think I can refine it and do much better next time...but this time to hell with it let's push on....this is a one weekend wonder paint and rebuild!
And the results of lots of intrigueing masking
I'd forgotten I still had it.....it got parked in the shed of doom after a hefty landing.....there was a crack sound... a big one! In there it's languished till I shinned myself on it...that got my goat...and I figure it was time to chop it up for usefull bits of aluminium tube. Popped the headset races out and could I find any signs of crack? Nope! Hmmm ok maybe it'll come out to play again
Now there's a little ride I'd been wanting to do for a while...i had no bike that fitted the requirements for this ride....it needed to be capable off-road but also fast! Fast to evade capture
The ride is here on page 349... The "concrete xylophone ride"
Today's Ride
Today's ride round a bit of the cove I live nearby, tried to stick primarily to fireroads the whole way there and back. Was lovely and warm, with the sun shining bright. Days are definitely getting longer, making me a lot more keen on going for my evening rides as I don't have to worry too much...
www.retrobike.co.uk
So this was it built in all its glorious purpleyness
After being ressurected from presumed death.
It's built out of cheap stuff lying around...oh and a £5 wheelset a man in a caravan was selling.
He didn't lioke dahgs
Well the thing thunders along nicely in fact it's filling a gap really well as a fun useable take it anywhere whatever the weather I don't care kind of style. Fastest 26r I've had on the road with a 52 ring and granny is happy at 39 for the marsh that I live on
Only problem in the build was gear shifters! I don't do drop bar brifters I find em too chunky and my hands have to be happy! Really wanted uncluttered bars aswell ....So downtube shifters it had to be!
Ah yes no mounts on downtube
Drill a hole! Ermm rather not and this is to be a cheap build so no fancy parts to be bought!
Well I figured the two welded on gear shifter cable stops looked quite manly....yup we can get a bolt through them! Took a while getting the faces parallel and flat....then made this doofer
My own problem solver!
So now we had a fully functioning grovel bike yeehaaar!
Problem was it's bloody purple....eh non cabron me no likey purple!
So I've started a little ghetto paint job...
A paint job dictated but whatever means possible and available in my shed of wonders. old cans I had in the cupboard.....not a lot! Most nearly dead and some really old! But that's all its getting cheap and sleazy just how a good ghetto p job should be
I did a few experiments with brick acid and got some great looking galvanised looking results...but alas doesn't work aswell on 7k series aluminium
So first plan dashed!
Plan B was to go with a dazzle camouflage that was first used on naval boats at the beginning of last century...so of we go till I realised there's just not enough paint....argghhh
So I just went freestyle instead!
Grabbed a roll of plasterboard jointing tape and let whatever was going to happen ..well ...happen!
Floated all that I had of white topcoat on it...it wasnt much... about 1/3 of what you actually need to paint a frame!
Then allsorts of fun I figured I try something with a rattle can I've never done before...try a fade edge...hmmm should of practiced before but what the hell let's dive in and see what we can do!
There was a lot of this faff! I'm calling it shadow masking....basically the masking floats off the frame...keep the spray angle of dangle consistent should get a neat enough fuzzy line right?
Well it's a technique I'm banking...I think I can refine it and do much better next time...but this time to hell with it let's push on....this is a one weekend wonder paint and rebuild!
And the results of lots of intrigueing masking
