3.20.2011

Frankenbikes

i've never been one to be conventional when it comes to bikes.  i strive to do things that haven't been done before.  although - let's be honest here - everything's been done before.  i know that Mavic doesn't make a plate to move rim brakes on an MTB frame up to match a 700c wheel just for me.

i guess that means there's some French guy building these same bikes that i build.

i knew i was on the right track when a mechanic (and artist) that i worked with at Redbike - someone i greatly respected - told me he'd never met a mechanic that could make more out of seemingly nothing then i could.  i credit my experience as a triage mechanic on the battlefields of Dow Chemical where i repaired Norco cruisers, and awful Workman tricycles.

unfortunately, i've not done a good enough job or documenting some of these projects, and i have no photographic evidence, just anecdotes.  like...

- the Fisher i built up as a single speed from parts that customers no longer wanted at Redbike. 
-the carbon miyata road bike that was too small for me. 
-the Kona Humuhumu-Nukunuku-Apu’A i built with 700c wheels (someone stole this out of my backyard while it was in mid-upgrade, it had no seatpost and no front brakes.  people will steal anything.)
-the single speed Moulden MTB with 700c wheels (this for a customer at Redbike after i proved the concept was sound - see the DIY hybrid below.) 
- the Miyata Ridge Runner DIY Pugsly that was lost in the great purge.

thankfully, i do have some pics.

like the too big single speed Norco with moustache bars;

 
(yes, i do have Curt Harnett's legs.)

(no i don't...)

the DIY hybrid Kawasaki (no pics of this sadly), which became the DIY hybrid Vertex;

 
(this could be the most bad-ass bike i ever put together)

which later became the DIY hybrid GT;


and is now the DIY hybrid Klein.  again, no pics amazingly.  it's a stealth bike.

there must be more, but my mind draws a blank at the moment.

the 'just make it work' aspect of bike repair at Dow was a big factor in my ability to see these projects in my mind before picking up the wrench.  but, a subconscious influence perhaps, was a factory Frankenbike from back in the day.

the Specialized RockCombo;




when i was still learning what a 'chainstay' was, the guy across the street from me had one of these.  i remember thinking it was really cool.  but today, i'm wondering what the hell i was thinking.  the drop bars hinder it's use as a proper MTB, and it's puny 26" wheels make it fairly hopeless as a 'cross bike.  so, why exactly?


of course, there was one guy who made it work;



well, sort of.  the magazines at the time reported that Johnny T's 7-11 coach allowed him to race mountain bikes as long as he ran a drop bar to maintain his riding position.  it made sense at the time, but honestly - is that not a completely ludicrous idea?  

MTB and road racing have virtually nothing in common as far as the bicycle/rider relationship is concerned, so how does making Tomac less competitive on a drop bar - and really, we know it wasn't making him better, because nobody else did it - help him to be a better road racer?


i bet you that secretly, the 7-11 coach knew that drop bar would hinder Tomac, and hoped that it would do so so much that he'd quit MTB racing.  or, he'd do what actually happened; quit road racing in 1991.  


so anyway, this all leads me to pondering a drop bar on my single speed Blizzard.  until i ran the idea past my brother.  his reply?


"don't see the benefit of looking that ridiculous."


that takes care of that.


besides, i'm sure it breaks one of the rules.

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