Captlink

I sold my Worksmen but might build another cruiser as I miss it.Here's the rundown.
Gloss black newsboy with chrome springer,Alloy wheels w/drum F and 7 speed rear with coaster brake.Sealed bottom bracket Kevlar belted tires with thorn proof tubes plus extra wide sprung seat.I later added the smaller chain ring and wider bars.
This was a great bike overall and was a confidence builder as I weighed 350# at the time.The springer worked great and I never had a single flat tire or any other mechanical problem.

I sold it after 3 years of use to a man that needed it.I learned that I despise coaster brakes and no one needs a extra wide saddle.If I build another it would have drum brakes F&R with a IGH of 7-11 gears with a possibility of a two speed chain ring/BB assembly plus a springer.
These are two wheeled tanks that are next to impossible to damage.While not inexpensive they represent a value over the long haul.

bluebanks64

2017 Worksman INB - 52.8 lbs as pictured.

Philphine

do they, or did they ever come as 29er's? there was a frame at the co-op one of the guys was calling a "working man's" bike. I thought maybe it was actually a worksman, but it uses 29" wheels. I built it up using a huffy millennia for wheels and parts. I think it was on hold the last time I was there though, in Louisville, ky.

bluebanks64

The Worksmans INB is a really decent bike to ride, pretty smooth and feels wicked solid. I think it was money well spent but they are not put together that well IMO and the original paint simply sucks. I stripped everything off mine and had it properly powder coated then reassembled it and trued the wheels. Next month I plan to put some retro grips and pedals on it as well as a dark brown Brooks B66 saddle but that's as far as i'll probably go with it. I like the look better without the fenders and reflectors so dumped them straight away. It's a totally different ride from my 18 lb. fixie!, but I enjoy them both on the bike path.

Bholio

I picked this one up a few months ago from craigslist. Looks like it was well treated for years, then lost its dry storage and was left outside for a few months before being sold. Lots of superficial rust, and a solid chain, but no really deep, long-term rust.

It came as pictured, missing the kickstand and front basket and mounts.

Fenders and handlebar cleaned up really well using wet foil. Haven't done anything else with it yet. It has a very heavy rear rim with solid tire. Unrideable. When I finish up some other projects I'll get some normal wheels and fix it up.

base2 

I paid $20 for this bad boy. It's a former Boeing factory bike. So for the better part of 30+ years, nigh almost 40 years is spent in sunny and 70 degree weather inside the factory here in Everett, Wa.

44, 22 cogs on a broken hub with no brake.
I just bought a 7 speed Nexus hub and it's at a frame shop now getting the rear triangle spread from 106mm to fit the new wheel.
I also have a brand new 77a drum front wheel that will be going on it as well. The fit is sort of tight with the old bladed forks, but as soon as I braze on a tab for the reaction arm, I'll be in business. New uni-crown forks with the tab are $50. They are so ugly though, I'll gladly spend the effort with a torch.

I'm going to powder coat it safety yellow to restore it to it's former glory.

SquidPuppet

What was the rear end previously spaced at?

base2 

For whatever reason, it was spaced at 106mm. That just doesn't seem like any "standard" that I have heard of. Both the fram shop & myself measured it.
No matter though, it's at 135mm now & they made mention that the frame was "bent some too" & they straightened it as well for no charge. (It pays to have a relationship with your local boutique bike maker!)
I replied that I had no doubt, & it probably got hit by a forklift or something and just stayed in service like the workhorse it is.
I just picked it up from the shop this afternoon & it's currently in my living room waiting for the proper Nexus hub anti-rotation washers to arrive from Niagra Cycle.

SquidPuppet

Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you were having it spaced to 106. So I was like, "Whaaaaat?"

That's a whole lot a spreading there, to 135. It looks OK?

I think the choice to powder it safety yellow is noble. Stock, but improved.

base2 

Looks fine. I really think no one would ever notice. If anyone ever did, they have the eyes of an eagle and are a better man than I for sure. In any case, I have no intention of putting it back.

BTW: thanks for the call of nobility, I have many fond memories bombing around the factory on one just like it until they took them all away for being too dangerous. A Worksman will always be yellow to me, and if it ain't, then it's not a Worksman! We still have the Movers, the Adaptable trikes, and even an Executive trikes around. I ride 'em everywhere I can on 2 wheels just for fun.

base2 

Nowhere near done. But, I did do enough to get it able to move. Here is some pics of it at the park by my house this morning.
My goodness! This thing is heavy! 51 pounds (23 kilograms) as pictured.

base2 

Here, I brazed a small block on to the fork blade for the drum brake reaction arm to key into. It was a very tight fit, but there is a few thousandths clearance between the blade and the reaction arm tines. The original drums and forks worked together as a package. The new drums and uni-crown forks work as a package. Mixing old and new makes for a tight fit. Thankfully, I got lucky.


Now that I had drum brakes, I needed to run a cable, and a zip-tie around the fork blade just wasn't to my liking. So, I brazed on a solution.


Also, I hated the original kick-stand. I went to the local co-op and found a better stand. What that means though, is the handlebars flop around. Now that I had cables, I wanted to keep the bar spins in check. So, I brazed in a bent stainless steel washer to attach a spring to. The spring will go to the bolt on the fork. I don't for-see any issue, the local bike share bikes have a similar arrangement.

SquidPuppet

I'm digging the custom braze-ons. Especially the steering damper. Maybe use A small piece of clear vinyl hose around the spring to prevent scratching. Are you going to add water bottle cage bosses? It's might convenient to have a set for hot days.

51 lbs. No racks, no fenders, where the heck does it come from? Does it have the original Worksman steel rims?

base2 

Indeed it does have genuine Worksman factory rims. Purchasing the 7 speed hub was painful but if it can't be a joy to ride out in the real world (outside of smooth and flat factory floors), then what's the point?

I've decided against water bottle bosses. I mocked up a few different cages on the seat tube and aside from space issues with the second top tube, the aesthetic just "wasn't right" it looked cramped and unnecessarily complicated...too "modern." This isn't a bike for long trips. I like the timeless look and a stop at the ice cream stand on a hot summers day is oddly appealing.

Currently: The bottom bracket cups are absolutely shot, the bearings are pitted and the crank takes 1/2 pedals. The pedals on it have lots of slop. If for no other reason than future replacement of the pedals, and that I have an American to BSA bottom bracket adapter on hand from a previous project, I will be replacing the crankset with a square taper bottom bracket and a reasonably appropriate looking aluminum crank from my parts bin. A $0 upgrade is a good way to go when future proofing.

It's going off to powder coat today.

Oh, and the vinyl tube is a good idea!

SquidPuppet

I don't think that's odd at all.

Hey, maybe you can find some snazzy colored fuel line in the right diameter.

base2 

https://www.strava.com/activities/1357811304

It's a nice sunny January day, so I figured a 58 mile bike ride was in order.
This pic was taken the day after build.



Wife made me stand next to my creation.


The bike I built, in front of factory this bike lived in, next to the plane I built.


I did use a 23 tooth rear cog, and manage to find a square taper bottom bracket of the proper dimensions. The bottom bracket shell was a really odd 70mm width, so I had to use a 73mm square taper bottom bracket with spacers so it would fit properly. In my pile I had both a 110 square taper and a 118 square taper. But with one the crank arms hit the chain stays and on the other, the chain ring hit the chain guard. A 113mm spindle gave me all the clearances I needed, but things are really close all-round & I didn't appreciate having to buy a thing for my thing considering how much I already spent.

In a bit of frustration I took the chain guard to the belt sander to remove a about 2 millimeters of the roll on the lower edge to buy some room. It worked & at least a few things are out of the parts box and back in service even if they do touch a bit due to flex when you are really reefing on it. I'll keep an eye out at the co-op for a crankset that has wider "Q"

But for now, It works and is as good as new. The chrome is all waxed and shiny, I cruise in gears 4,5,& 6 on the flats, 6&7 going down and 1&2 on hills...So it's nearly optimal. I think it's time to put some miles on it.

J.Higgins 

I'm thinking about buying just a Worksman frame. I called and asked... $175.

SquidPuppet

Cool. We need some high res close ups though. I wanna see how your brazed goodies look after the powder. And the crank and front brake setup too.

Forklifter

I would recommend that it sounds like a sick bike man!

J.Higgins 

Clean and simple. Nice!

base2 

Sorry for the delay, I had set the bike aside because I wasn't quite satisfied with the crank situation. I had clearance with the setup mentioned earlier in the thread, but when I really got on it hard, the crank arms would hit the chain-stays. So I tried to put the original Ashtabula crank back in it with some new pedals, but the 3/16 chain-ring was not a good fit with the 1/8 cog on Shimano 7 speed hub. After some trips to the Ebay, I sourced a 44 tooth 1/8 inch chain-ring that would work, but I blew the drive pin off the original Ashtabula.

A new Ashtabula crank was sourced from Porkchop BMX, & I swapped the ring over, but I just didn't like it. It was too wide and felt like I was riding a horse and there was a wobble in the pedals. This was getting frustrating & far too expensive!


So I had to go back to the co-op and see if I could find a goldilocks crank set. Success! After going through milk crate after milk crate comparing the apparent q factor and spindle offset of every crank in the place, I found a vintage Sakae triple that was 110 bcd. I still had to grind out the bosses for the innermost ring and the chain drop nub on the crank arm because I was concerned about interference issues, but a few turns on the belt sander was easy enough.


Then, because I still wasn't quite happy with the gearing, there was another trip to a different co-op. I managed to find a 42 tooth 1/8th inch single speed chain-ring for $5 and a 73x108mm un-55 bottom bracket. It turns out that the bike I had, had a 70mm wide bb shell. I had 2 2.5millimeter spacers. So I had to shave a millimeter off each of the spacers down to achieve the proper 73mm width. What a PIA.


The combination WORKS! So I took it for a spin on one of our first REALLY decent days here in the Northwest. Pics below. (sorry, I don't have a pic of the bb area yet, I was just too excited to ride it)

Philphine

layback seat post and springer saddle? just throwin' my two cents (or two bike parts) in. still a good looking bike.

Jax Rhapsody

Don't like the look of zip ties holding cables... zip tie holding cable. lmao

SquidPuppet

Zip ties are what multi million dollar race bikes use, so I'm ok with them.

J.Higgins 

I'll have to admit that I don't care for the look of zipties either, but I live with them on my bikes. On my ECR however, I used some waxed artificial sinew, and I think it looks great. Its solid, waterproof, and most-importantly (to me) tight.