DQRider 

I bought this bike a couple months ago for $20, after BF'er Clang featured it in the "Are you looking for one of these!?" Part II' thread.

It's been sitting in the back of my van ever since, until this morning when I thought I should do my initial assessment. I need to see if the bike that has been building itself in my head will, in fact, be doable.

Because of the obvious signs of heavy use, I have named her "Lotta Myles". This name used to be reserved for certain professional ladies, usually mama-sans, in the brothels on various Pacific islands I visited while in the `Corps. It's time to make her respectable, don't ya think? So I'm building her into a sort of Beer Truck 2.0.

Here she is:



The first thing I checked, of course, was whether the seat and stem were free to be removed. No problems with either of them. Then I started looking at the various non-stock decals, clamps, and accessories that would have to be removed. The P.O. was a big fan of license decals, apparently:





Heat gun and Goo-Gone should take care of those. It appears this guy was also a Data-Driven Cyclist (DDC), judging by the sensors mounted both fore and aft:





Those will have to go. The drivetrain will need some serious attention as well. The FD is toast, and the RD will need to be completely overhauled if I want to use it on this build. I may just replace it with something newer, since this is a custom build anyway. I've decided to strip this bike all the way down to the frame/fork, do some rust treatment, sanding, and touch-up painting. I might even rent a bore-scope to inspect the inside of the frame for rust. Then all bearings will get some nice Phil grease before being reassembled.



I will definitely be using these excellent Suntour friction shifters. Just one of these is worth the price I paid for the whole bike!



The wheels are a bit wobbly, though the sealed hubs still spin freely. I have another 26" wheelset in this O.L.D. that I built up last winter. I'm mounting some seriously cool, fatter tires on those for this project.

For cargo hauling, it will be getting the rack/basket setup from Beer Truck 1.0:



I have a Brooks-style leather saddle ready to go, and the handlebar treatment is still sort-of up-in-the-air. Pedals will be swapped for something nicer, and that's where we are at for the moment. I'll update this thread as I make progress. This should be fun!
*
*
*

jdawginsc 

Clang finds the best deals for sure.

i need him searching in Charleston!

SoCaled 

Clang = Great Deals

curbtender

Owned one of these. Does it have the saddle quick release adjustment?

merziac

See pic #3.

merziac

@DQRider

HD should have a Ryobi borescope for about $100, mine works pretty well for this.

And many other options as well, many far less expensive.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ryob...nt=firefox-b-1

alcjphil

I like the Cannondale water bottle holder in photo #3. Those things were great on bikes without water bottle bosses although I don't know how well it would hold the bottle on the seat tube. I had the Rhode gear cageless water bottle holder on My Raleigh Pro

DQRider 

Yup, it does. And that will be getting replaced, ASAP. Please PM me if you want it.
*
*
*

DQRider 

That's another piece that's up-for-grabs. I won't use it. Please PM me if you want it.
*
*
*

Clang

Hey- glad I could be of some service. It's fun for me to post the deals I find.

Tell me if the heat gun works on those bike licenses. For me, they're usually a weird combination of brittle and tenacious, where they come away chip by chip instead of peeling off all at once.

I do like stripping away cycling computer detritus. It's like clipping vines that have overgrown the bike.

I think Curbtender was talking about the setback seatposts with a fore/aft QR that sometimes came on these High Sierras.
Like so:

DQRider 

Ah, yes, I see. Like the one I have on my Trek 850?



No, this bike did not come with one of those.
*
*
*

John E

I replaced my seat post quick release with a hex key bolt to slow down thieves. The alternative, which I have done in the past, is to take the saddle with me when I leave the bike.

DQRider 

Yeah, I've done both as well. I've even seen folks take their front wheel with them when going inside a building, out-of-sight of the bike, for a long period. Bike thieves... they ought to be hung just like horse thieves of the old west.
*
*
*

Chris Chicago

that's a great bike. i have it in the other color, smokey pearl. always like it's ride

DQRider 

One of the most crucial steps in my custom/restoration process is a mockup of the finished product. I do this even before cleaning the dirt off the frame and removing all the hardware. It alerts me to anything that isn't going to fit, parts I may be missing, but most importantly, it motivates me for the rest of the build. Today, I learned several things about this build, but first, here's a photo:


Typical DS view. Remember, this bike's primary mission is to replace Betty Bleu in the Beer Truck role. Plenty of cargo capacity, and big, cushy tires to reduce the jolts and vibrations which cause excess "head" - if you get my drift.


The rack I used for the mockup won't go on the final build. For that, I'll be using one of my custom wooden-deck jobs from another bike that I'm retiring for now. That's a 700c frame, and the brackets will bolt right up in a position where they straddle the brake cable, rather than running under the bridge.



One of the things I learned today, that I wouldn't have if I had skipped the mockup, is that the rear axle on the wheelset I'm using (original to my 84 Dawes Ranger) uses the same Whitworth threads that came on those old British 3-speeds. One of the axle nuts was missing, so I scavenged one from my British bike parts bin.

I'm not sure about the handlebar, I'll have to test-ride it in order to make that decision. Also, I'll need a front brake cable stop that is independent of the stem. I've seen them on other bikes, so I know they're out there. Since I don't typically make beer or grocery runs in the rain, I think I can omit fenders. The saddle will be the black Gyes leather with copper rivets from my Bianchi (Bianchi is getting a Brooks Pro),




Other details to follow as I think of them... you know how I am.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome. I think we're off to a good start!
*
*
*

madpogue 

Standard issue headset-mounted cable stop (usu. takes the place of the washer between the top cup and the locknut) should fit the bill for the front brake, no? Given how long the head tube is, and that the stem might be "slammed", you might wanna look for one with a fair amount of "drop", so the housing doesn't take a tight turn downward..

Clang

There's another '84 on the local market and I'm tempted but it's five times the price- scandalous! I'm surprised you're not using the bullmoose bars yours came with, DQRider.

madpogue 

I can understand. My only bullmoose is on a chrome Ross Mt. Something, it's a conversation starter, but it's very wide for someone with narrow shoulders, and HEAVY. Fine for a special-occasion bike, but for a daily driver, I can imagine more practical options.

DQRider 

I already have them on two of my bikes: The 1984 Ross Mt. Whitney Chrome and Betty Bleu, my `84 Peugeot Canyon Express. The one on the High Sierra project has a bit of rust pitting, and I want a different look and feel for it anyway.
Now, I know that I could probably polish this thing up and get a pretty penny for it on CL, but if you do buy this other HS, I'll give you my address and you can come pick it up. Let's call it an unsolicited finder's fee!
Just PM me if you are interested.
*
*
*

DQRider 

The entire frameset has been cleaned, and stupid license decals removed. This actually didn't prove to be much of a struggle. The heat gun worked very well, along with a plastic paint scraper which had to be sharpened a few times during the process with a straight file. Just heat up a section and go at it with the scraper. Rinse and repeat until all the decal material was gone, then go over the area with Goo-gone and a tooth brush, wipe it up with shop towels, and then I washed the entire bike.

I've fitted a brand new Shimano Altus derailleur, because I had it lying around from who knows what. It should work perfectly with the 6-speed freewheel. I'm keeping the original crankset, but replacing two of the chainrings with newer ones. Tonight, I am picking up a rack-basket for the rear ($10 CL find).



This will make it my best Beer Truck Bike ever. I've got black bear-trap pedals ready to go, and I'll probably get new cables tonight as well. This bike should be on the road by the end of the weekend! I'm stoked...*
*
*

DMC707

Argggghhhhhh ---- i remember throwing away a couple of sets of these - probably over 20 years ago - but who knows what will be worth something someday, when all you see in front of you is just a box of dusty old obsolete parts - and perhaps more disturbing , i cant find a set of XC Comp thumbies that i know i actually kept! Ce'st La Vie

USAZorro

I don't think they make tires large enough to properly fit the clearances on that frame. You could almost mount a water bottle under the fork crown.

DQRider 

Yeah... Fatbikes? Schmatbikes! It's been done since 1984.
*
*
*

DQRider 

A very good friend of mine put these up for sale on CL (NOT the beer, the pedals!):



I took one look and realized I must have them for this build. He gave me his "bike buddy discount", and I ended up scoring them for thirty bucks. The text balloon is NOT advertising! Just bragging on a local legend.

Lotta Myles is coming together nicely. The black leather w/copper rails and rivets Gyes saddle works a treat on this bike.



Still a bit of a mockup, I'm waiting on new chainrings, and the basket which will mate with this rack. That deal is still on, but there's been a delay due to the seller's work schedule. See my red "jinx" remark on the previous post.

Another view:



... and another:



I was walking `round the back of the bike, and noticed this view as well, so here it is:



I feel good about this build. It is coming together like it was meant to be. She will be getting something I have wanted to try, but haven't yet: a shellacked-twine-wrapped chainstay. There are other interesting items coming out of the idea factory between my ears, and I'm sure some will be realized, but that's all I'll say for the moment. Still not sure about the handlebar choice, but we'll see how she rides before I make a final decision on that. Stay tuned...
*
*
*

jdawginsc 

Do you find the chain to be lightweight...?

Hee hee.

Looks fantastic. Are you keeping the patina on the pinch bolt. If it is Suntour, those guys do great in evaporust.