Jax Rhapsody

I always wanted one of these when they came out, thinking they were a modernized version of the decades old cantilever frame, the anodized colors, lightwieght aluminum, annnnddd 3pc crank(!). This one was my stepdads, who died last year and it's my favorite color. It has the seat, single speed, cockpit from the ratrod I was building until it fell off the front of a bus. I lucked up because the back wheel was the same as the front with the rim design and black hub.

The only thing left to do is mount up the front brake. I need a bigger crank and ditch the chaingaurd. I want to red the hell out of it and black what can't be, since some stuff is black. I also have a spaded fork from a mtb to put on it, which matches the frame better than the modern style fork that it came with. I'm on the fence about the fenders

As far as the ratrod; it has the LaJollacoaster brake wheel on it, some random tire set and bars and seat, it's original fork, so I can sell it. The frame is actually fine, at the time I got it because it was black and made peace with the built in rack... which is all the excuse I need to get rid of it because I hate the rack. With the reembursment from the bus company, I'm going to be making amother ratrod with my DB Drifter1, that will be everything I wanted it to be.

Philphine

i have one of these. have you noticed even though the frame is aluminum, all the other parts are steel (especially the crank set. it weighs a ton)? i made mine my cheap weight weenie project.and replace steel parts with aluminum as i luck across them.

Jax Rhapsody

Yeah, that's a walmart bike for you. Well correction; that's Pacific Bike Co for you. They tend to use the same parts across all their marques. Like that front fork. I don't get how those became the cheapo standard, spaded forks look so much better. That's the same crank usef on various cruisers for years. Remember that Eddie Bauer me and a few other people where trying to put together at the co-op that one time?
I'll be doing the same with it, ever find a non steel alternative fork for it? I'll eventually add a sealed BB to it, I think those are worth the added wieght.

Philphine

i haven't lucked across an aluminum fork. no aluminum bike i've seen has one, no cheap one anyway. haven't been by the co-op either since maybe last year. need to get back. i used to rummage through the parts off and on, but never saw an aluminum fork come up.

2old

Kinesis made Al forks, and my wife has one on her very light rigid bike, but it's 1&1/8" threadless; I've never seem a 1" and/or threaded Al fork either.

Edit: Perhaps some road forks have been Al.

Unapomer

Here's one modified to be a coaster brake only mtb racer, as seen at the Coaster Brake Challenge. A light and fast bike!!

Unapomer

A few of the rear wheel mods:



Homemade heatsink to cool the rear hub on long descents, notice that the high-temp grease has started to boil out despite the heatsink

Philphine

yeah, this is what i'm thinking. not get too crazy about it, just luck into parts and see what i end up with.

Jax Rhapsody

That's all pretty cool. Never thought about a heatsink for a coaster brake. I like those wheelstays too. Odd though, mine has a built in coaster torque arm mount.

Jax Rhapsody

Well it's a nice bike, but not carbon nice, I guess I'll need to find a nice spaded fork. I don't know why they stopped using those on bikes.

I speak on this bike a bit here.