Fat Retro (very) build

[epicyclo]

Thought I'd start a thread for this.

Velomaniac has set a challenge on the UK Fatbike forum to build a fat retro bike as cheaply as possible.

Actually he did mention wheelbarrows and flotation too, but fortunately I suffer from selective deafness of the eyeball, so I only have to worry about my own take on the concept. Come to think of it he didn't mention retro either - he must have a new wheelbarrow.

I figured what could be better than to go to the roots of fatbiking and build the fatbike that should have been built when they were first mooted, eg:



(on page 437 Cycling 1931 by Davison)

and a bit fatter than this actual bike by Vernon Blake:



(in CTC gazette May 1930)

I am going to restrict myself to using British parts where possible, and preferably stuff that was available prewar - I'll use postwar parts if they were obtainable prewar.

The only modern part will be the tyres. I suppose I could stitch together some 26x 1 ⅜" tyres, to make a fat tyre. I know how to do it and ancient tricks of tyre repair, but I want to be able to actually use the bike rather than posture around on it.

Obviously there will be some monumental bodging going on, and to make it slightly more interesting, I'm going to try to use what was commonly available back then to the ordinary rider in his back shed.

The motive? So I never have to feel guilty again by turning up at a retro ride on my fatbike.

Anyhow it starts here.

Pics of various parts will follow as I plough through my attic looking for the 1930s layer...

 

[kaiser]

I like it very classic shape!

 

[velomaniac]

What have I done :facepalm:

Thats no fair, I'm blown out the water in the fatbike comp before its started. He's soliciting the nostalgia vote before he's even started and he has superior engineering skill.
I'm off in the huff, well I would be if I had a huff but as I dont i'm going for a sulk, they're cheaper and come in a nice shade of blue..........dont try and out weird me Epicyclo

 

[Jamiedyer]

I think that bloke needs a chain tensioner

Jamie

 

[firedfromthecircus]

dont try and out weird me Epicyclo

Now there's a competition!

 

[RobMac]

dont try and out weird me Epicyclo

Now there's a competition!

Were all in with a shout for that one

 

[epicyclo]

....dont try and out weird me Epicyclo

Can't beat a man with an offroad wheelbarrow.

My effort will look positively conventional next to yours.

Anyhow, choices. I have 2 NOS frames, one from 1922 and the other 1933. It seems a shame to inflict my amateur butchery on one of them, but they have nice long chainstays so they're long enough for a fat wheel.

Then I remembered a late 30s ladies frame - I'll never use that for anything else, and the standover height is an advantage. While hoicking it out, along came an old Raleigh droptube frame (probably Bomber), and that looks like just the job.

If it is a Bomber, it is relatively recent, but that frame was also used for the prewar carrier bikes. The dropped toptube was to allow a larger range of riders, from short kids to lanky adults. The carrier frames used 26"x1.75" rims which is nice and convenient because I have a few of them.

So bits put aside so far:

Frame: frame will need slight widening at the rear and about 2" added to chainstays. It has an unusual width of BB, about 78mm which may present a problem. It can always be trimmed down but it's handy that it is so wide.

Rims: I've got 4 chrome 26". I'm working out how to widen them - maybe as simple as joining 2 together to give an approx 55mm rim

Hubs: I have some old drum brake hubs. The chainline is fairly narrow so this will need some bodging.

Design considerations: no point in going too wide. A 4" tyre on a 40mm rim gives about 88mm width and I may be able to minimise chain interference issues with this width and thus avoid having to widen the BB further.

More to come including pics.

 

[MCsanandreas]

this sounds like the work of a madman. I like it!

 

[big.eck]

i've had this offroad a couple of times 26" x 3" tyres so kinda fat

 

[clockworkgazz]

Epicyclo with the rake on them there forks and that handlebar set up, I wouldn't like to go down hill fast- handling looks brutal. Mental, quite Mental but looks fun none the less.