Eric F 

Another bad idea on Larry's Big Pile of Bad Ideas.

Koyote

There are a couple people on this forum who need to learn the old adage "Buy once, cry once."

Larry apparently has a bunch of bikes, but they're all awful bikes -- don't fit him, break apart, etc. He buys used wheels that don't even fit any of his bikes. Stuff like that.

We have another poster who just started a thread in search of a comfy women's-specific saddle...She opened by explaining that she's tried a bunch of cheap saddles and none are comfortable. She also owns at least several old bikes, none of which seem to fit and perform perfectly. (Wow, what a surprise - cheap stuff isn't good.)

I'm not suggesting that a person has to always spend a pile of money to get something good...But I do wonder about people who buy bunches of cheap/nasty crap and then come here to share their problems.

Larry, you should probably throw all of your ****** bikes in the dumpster, save your money, and then walk into a store and buy One Good Bike.

Eric F 

Alternately, you could recue an old Huffy from a dumpster and fine-tune it until it rides just like a new pro-level race bike. That's what the smart folks are doing these days.

Koyote

That's not realistic advice for most of us, because we're just not smart enough. I mean, fixing up an old Huffy is sorta like splitting the atom.

Eric F 

Well...there is more than one way to fix up an old Huffy. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ispreloading=1
One takes a LOT more ingenuity and functioning brain cells than the other.

icemilkcoffee 

This is the third act where tragedy turns into comedy. While you got the Loctite goo handy, just glue a bunch of zip ties onto the 650c wheels to turn them into 700c wheels.

squirtdad

I like the huffy camp thread, but

no low end frame will ever ride like a high end frame not matter what components you put on it.

I have seen the "frame is frame" "frame is something to hang parts on" thinking to much recently,

frame is the foundation to ride and handling

Eric F 

Agreed 100%. There is no illusion by AMCO that his Huffy will ride like anything but a Huffy. His self-deprecating humor, and understanding of the ridiculousness of the project, is what makes the story so entertaining. The ingenuity for resolving problems is the spice that gives it an extra punch of flavor. It's been a group effort, at times.

The self-proclaimed Huffy genius, however, seems to be all about the illusion.

smd4

Well, not so far.

Koyote

fify.

LarrySellerz

Koyote this is/was a fancy road racing bike, not a clunker. I only got one layer of cloth and there was so much epoxy I don’t think I got a nice clean wrap, but what’s done is done. The “wiping” I did was of the epoxy that got on the drivechain

as long as this joint fails before another weld I’m happy, I don’t think it will make me crash when it fails. Other welds, yeah can’t say that. So I guess in a since it’s good that the repair isn’t super robust, since it’s hard to say how much I’ve damaged the other welds in the 15 or so miles I’ve ridden it like this.

and yes there are 2 zip ties under the glue which are going to be structural/permanent, they are fancy weather/UV resistant ones. Or atleast I think they are

Eric F 

The instability of this joint will put additional strain on the other joints, some of which can lead to bad things when they fail.

smd4

Most of what Larry writes suggest it, but if this phrase doesn’t indicate chain-yanking, I don’t know what does.

maddog34

did ya at least Rough Up the Paint before you epoxied over it? Sure doesn't look like you did that important step.

remember to do that the next time this crack opens up, ok?

Progress.. one baby step at a time.

if you make it thru one ride without that mess failing,.... go buy a lottery ticket on the next ride!
then you can quit ghetto-repairing bikes and break brand new ones.

chainstay-to-BB will be the next break.. probably... you experience a sudden sinking feeling....

smd4

Missing that step no doubt doomed this project.

Eric F 

Right. Because it would have been all good otherwise.

Bald Paul

Death.

LarrySellerz

Darn I was thinking that I needed to sand it but totally forgot... and they are the fancy cable ties
https://www.mcmaster.com/product/70215K96

you can’t possibly tell that I forgot to sand it from the picture though lol. I even pumped out the epoxy, was being professional about it. the epoxy is probably about a thousand dollars, fancy stuff.

smd4

Oh, it definitely shows.

shelbyfv

I'm convinced Darwin has his hand on Larry's bare shoulder, guiding him in the direction most beneficial to the species.

Bill Kapaun

Interesting your using Stycast 2850?
I used to use it years ago for encapsulating electronic parts in optical oceanographic instruments I built.
It was a highly thermo-conductive insulating epoxy we used because we wanted the electronics to respond quickly to temperature changes as they were being lowered to depth.
It basically, for lack of a better term, has lots of ground glass in it.
I'd find it difficult to believe that there aren't "stronger" products out there.

LarrySellerz

Did you use the black stuff? The blue stuff 2850ft bl is for electrical insulation and I was hoping that the black stuff would be slightly stronger.

I chose it because it looked like the strongest stuff I had lying around.

the epoxy is a class two reproductive hazard, since we are bringing Darwin into this

ThermionicScott 

More like that angel that watches over children and drunks.

Koyote

Accent on the word was.

Never change, Larry.

LarrySellerz

im like 5 months sober from alcohol