"On the Road Again" Challenges
 

Anyone who's spent any amount of time in C&V knows that there are many here who enjoy projects. There are also many who enjoy riding. And there are those who enjoy a bit of storytelling. And those whose best is brought out by a challenge.

In years past, Narhay has provided us with opportunities for these things with his Clunker challenges. He has been scarce here lately - as there have been periods when I was scarce. I'm certain all here would be glad for his return, but if we are to have any hope of having an event of this nature for 2023, the wheels need to get rolling soon. So in the spirit of Clunkers past, I propose to you...

The On the Road Again Challenges.

I am feeling ambitious and trying to be inclusive. The idea is to put a bike that was not working (and I'll be lenient on defining "working), on the road in some improved state during 2023. Like the former challenge, there is the requirement that the bicycle be ridden 100 km (bonus for Miles) and final entries/documentation received by the morning of September 5th. Plenty of time here. Pictures are strongly encouraged. (at minimum, before and after photos are needed) Progress reports help maintain interest and provide motivation so expect the thread to be alive.

Here's where there are twists, There will be five distinct categories. While it is certainly possible for a bike to meet more than one of them - or for an exceptionally talented person to have a bicycle that does meet all five, the rules/guidelines are separate. The categories will be:

1. Mucho-cheapo
2. Frankenbike
3. Restoration
4. It started with a part
5. From the frame up

The details:

Mucho-cheapo: This is the only category with a budget, but with a couple differences from years past: $108 is the limit for spending on the bike and parts in 2023. The focus is on resourcefulness and ingenuity on a budget. "Horse-trading" has a place here, but the judge(s) are going to raise eyebrows if the Confente that you miraculously got in a trade for a beaten-up U-08 gets entered (if you catch the drift). That said, go ahead and dig into your parts stash to find a seatpost, an old Titleist derailleur and whatnot. In the spirit of the competition, please don't put the 50th Anniversary gruppo that you've been holding onto since 2011 on it. One other difference - in the interest of safety. Tires and tubes are excluded from the budget limit. One further note. Efforts beyond finding a $50.00 beater and giving it a generic overhaul will be rewarded.

clarification of 5/4/2023: If you paid for, or traded an item acquired since 1/1/23 for the part in 2023, consider it as part of the $108.00 limit. Items on-hand as of 1/1/23 count as $0. Items traded for items that were on hand as of 1/1/23 also count as $0.

additional clarification of 5/8/2023: Parts can not be sold, and the sale price applied to the project cost as a negative amount to offset other costs.
For example, if you use or trade a part that was on-hand prior to 1/1/2023 for one that is used on the project, that's Zero. If you sell the part for $50, it doesn't change your budget to $158.

Frankenbike: While you may choose to live within the Mucho-cheapo budget, that is not necessary. The idea here is to take something and make one or more parts of it something different from what it started with. Aero bars on a MTB? Fair game. A fixed gear Varsity? check. Tall-bike? ok. Tractor lights on a night rider? Go for it. Proud of a gugificazione? Room for that too. Ingenuity, and creativity are your friends in this one.

Restoration: I have immense respect for people who have the eye for and exercise the attention to detail necessary to perform a faithful restoration. There's no reason why they shouldn't have a category.

It started with a part: This category will tap into not only your project completion skills, but also having a knack for documenting your creative process. Did you ever come across a component that took you down a bit of a rabbit hole of a project, or became a theme for your build? Perhaps it's one of those 3-pulley derailleurs that inspired you to build a bike that can be ridden up a cliff, or some awesomely cool fenders that just had to go on something. A colored part that led to repainting the frame? Whatever it is, here's your category.

From the frame up: Whether you paint it or not, if you build a bike up from nothing you have a category.

Please note that this is intended to be fun. If you have feedback or suggestions, I'm willing to hear them. Likewise, if you're interested in being a co-judge for one of the categories, shoot me a PM.

Let's see what we can do! :thumb:

I chose from the frame up, it is always interesting to build a bike up to your specifications.I have already five from the frame up builds in the works

I bought the Marukin last month with an eye toward this sort of contest. The chain and freewheel were so rusted, I had to carry it to my truck, since the wheels would not turn. I ended up just cutting the chain with a pair of lineman pliers because I didn't want to chance breaking my chain tool. The tires look like an alligator with a skin condition, but they still hold air.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0de6158747.jpg
1970s Marukin

With the expanded categories, I might enter the FW Evans as well. While I could get it on the road and stay within the $108 budget, I want to do more than just make it ridable. I have already ordered decals.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f036961566.jpg
FW Evans

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a821a03990.jpg
2023 challenge: Cleaning a path to the bikestand... I think there's a candidate for almost every class in the picture, except for the rattle canned lugged Bianchi Hybrid that got kicked outside for stripping....

I think the sixth category should be I needed to organize my garage so I built this thing.

:roflmao:

OMG, my room is nearly that bad!

I was holding on to a bit of floorspace, but had a huge influx of parts, wheelsets and bikes, and the junk flow continues...

I picked up a pair of Mafac Competitions from a forumite. Need to find a 1970s or so European race frame to hang them on. Been riding Racers for almost 60 years and admired the Peugeots of the Bernard Thevenet era but never had race quality Mafacs.

A few years ago I picked up a trashed Peugeot frame (~1989 501 Reynolds) that had been hit by a car. $20. To be a fun light summer fix gear. Needed a fork, French seatpost and 1/8" chainring. Brakes. I had bars, stem, pedals and wheels, $105 (including the frame) got it on the road. When I plunked downthat $20 bill I knew the bike would wear "TEAM DUMPSTER" on the downtube if it was a good ride and ever got painted. One sweet ride and as much fun as the bike I raced long ago. Such a good ride I doubled the investment with the seat I put on all my good bikes. Doubled that total tossing the frame in to get painted along with my custom. That bike lives on to this day as the inspiration for the TiCycles fix gear of my Avatar photo. (The geometry was lifted off the Peugeot. Except: BB up where it belongs for a fix gear and chainstays/dropouts likewise reflecting fix gear use.)

I've got this -

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fafe1c0716.jpg


...which would definitely qualify for 'mucho cheapo' (guy was gonna junk it), but it would also mean putting another 100 miles on another Huffy...

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0e4713f0d.jpg


I have a few other basket-case projects. Lemme look.

All right. Hopefully you have a before picture to go with the after. (or an after to go with the before) Then would need an encapsulation of the spending and mileage. Then it's a matter of waiting until September for results.

Plenty of time to prepare more submissions. :D

I got this 2 years ago. More importantly, I got one of the more difficult bits for it a couple weeks ago. The only thing that would stop a 2023 completion is paint. I'm not certain I want it and if I do, 2024 seems more likely.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3645f898_k.jpgPaglianti 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

If this year goes well, I think this could become annual. Is that a Frejus, or something else with similar seat lugs? I see "P" in the rear dropouts, so likely the latter?

Two possibles for me in the Mucho Cheapo category. One is an early 70's Montgomery Ward 10 Speed, bottom bracket was shot when obtained. Grand total spent to date is $45.
Current state
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c8b9686063.jpg


Other candidate I don't have just yet, but a friend is giving it to me and will be delivering it this week. Raleigh 3 Speed.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9cfb330507.jpg

This thread is fun; we are either in competition or on a team or however this challenge works, because I have this JCPenney "10 Speed Racer" right here going up against Montgomery Ward:


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...376b2de851.jpg

I just today built up the '84 Claud Butler that was in the oxalic acid bath a couple weeks ago. We'll call it 'from the frame up' because it was in no way restored. Just cleaned up and re-assembled . I have a NDS pic here somewhere. I see that pic has yet to arrive on my laptop, but I have this Rube Goldberg fourth hand tool pic, to hold its place.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c02a240a22.jpg

Paglianti. Out of Treviso. Probably better known for mopeds than bikes after the war. Giovanni Pinarello started his cycling career working there in 1937.

Wow gorgeous bikes, right up my alley. Garbage bikes need more love. Good luck to all, because the bikes always win.

The Mucho Cheapo and Frankenbike categories are pretty much everything I own!

I have several projects that I have either recently "completed", or which are in progress. I only expect one or two of them to actually be in the running here, but they since they're not 100% ruled out yet, will post some teasers.

Here's one of my glacial projects. A Raleigh Technium Team that I acquired via the Frame Doesn't Fit thread. (Thank you Insidious C.)This is (imo) one of the actually desireable versions. 753 tubing attached via aluminum connectors (are they really lugs?)

Image one is as received, then blasted clean, and then partially painted. I have most of the parts to complete the build, save spokes for the wheel build - which is an obstacle presently. The other hurdle that this faces is that it is my wife's size. Will she ride it 100km? Doubtful - made even more so due to being back and forth arranging care for her mom, and the recent acquisition of a Burley tandem.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f9ea1f7444.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...24349270b6.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...229389f93c.jpg

Another that probably won't is a Bridgestone 100 that I picked up last spring for $50.00 shortly after picking up a fixed Motobecane Grand Tourer that was a bit large for me - also for $50.00. Not only did I neglect to photograph it as purchased, but I also doubt I will have motivation to ride it the required distance. I did take it out for a shakedown, and the gearing is "just right", but I need to beat my legs into better shape before I'll be able to go far enough on it each ride to make it my choice for the day.



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cb1e497c14.jpg

One that is a "possible" is the Carlton Corsa that I acquired from a forum member (boatsinbottles) here a couple years back. I have recently finished it - but am still trying to decide whether the bar tape should stay. It has yet to receive its shakedown.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...08a543606e.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...39c3a779d7.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...79992230bb.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e03f8fb98e.jpg

Finally, the most likely. Showing how it looked the day I bought it in a 3 for $50.00 deal last summer. The other two were MTBs with suspension which I gave away to a fellow who was keen to build a bike on the cheap for his son. This had done beach duty for a few years. Fortunately most things cleaned up with a wire brush. I'm still not done building it. The rear wheel needs a serious overhaul, but most all else is serviced and back together. It is a small frame, but I thought this would be a good candidate for a local cyclocross event held here each September. I've never been in an actual race before, but I figured "why not?".


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e7e4d3109b.jpg

From the frame up Allegro Schweitzermeister
 

About a few weeks away from completing a “from the frame up” restoration of a 1974 Allegro Schweitzermeister. I previously posted about the full restoration of its sister bike, “the Toblerone” which was a fully painted version of this bike model. It became my favorite rider and I wanted to bring another into the stable.

I was able to obtain an identical frame, except this one has chrome and an amazing tiger stripe paint job. Have been pulling together the Campagnolo Nuovo Record parts it would have been built with in the “A” configuration. Built my first wheelset around a pair of Campy Tipo high flange hubs for the build. Chrome is impeccable, paint is very good. Some of the decals were shot, but Greg Softley from Cyclomondo was able to provide historically accurate decals for the restoration. Below are three pictures showing the starting point, the built wheels, and the current point. Will update as I progress. Waiting on a really cool Brooks Professional that Rudi put new leather on. Went with a very non traditional red to match the bike’s lug lining and decals.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0245b7557.jpeg
Frame as received.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...54eda7c6c.jpeg
Current state. Badly damaged, down tube, fork and seat tube decals were removed and replaced. Left the ones that were in good shape.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9e55d97cd.jpeg
First wheel build! Used the first edition of “The Bicycle Wheel” by Jobst Brandt for guidance. The spoke length calculator at the Sheldon Brown website was helpful and I rechecked my work using some of the other calculators available online.

I had intended to try to just put the minimum amount of work in to get this Marukin on the road. I replaced the chain and shift cables, made some adjustments and aired up the tires, and got everything working. After a short test ride, I don't really want to ride it for the required mileage in its current state. I have enough parts on hand that I can shed several pounds of weight while still meeting the budget. Hopefully, that will make it a more pleasant experience.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0de6158747.jpg
1970s Marukin

One of the coolest bikes I have seen. It's almost a camo look from the distance. Really enjoying this one. Please post more photos when you have a chance.

The Mighty Montgomery Ward 10 speed is nearing completion. Picking away at it bit by bit. Still plenty left to do, but closer than it was a week ago.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...18007f4e29.jpg

Oooooo I might be in for the restoration category! Maybe this will get to move on it. It might take until September..