Murray Missile 

Some of you may remember my'86 Fuji Suncrest Junk Box Build from this Fall. Well, it rode so well I decided to mothball it and use the frameset for something better and I think I have just the thing for it. A 650B and drop bar conversion. So far I have either on hand or on order a set of TA Specialties Cyclotouriste 180mm crank arms, 46t and 30t Velo Orange Gran Cru chainwheels and bolts, a pair of Velo Orange Diagonale 650B X 24mm polished rims, polished Sora hubset with 8/9/10 speed freehub, Shimano 8 speed cassette, Rivendell bar end friction shifters, Tektro CR720 cantilever brakes*, Tektro CX brake levers, a wide selection of Dia Compe drop bar levers and a Nitto Technomic stem (just in case). I believe I also have a nice SR LaPrade fluted seat post in the correct size for it as well. It's a lugged frame but the lugs are pretty basic so I will probably have it powder coated but I'm not sure of color choice just yet. I'm leaning hard toward a soft yellow like the 1960's GM Goldenrod seen on this El Camino. I doubt I will put any decals on it but I may have a friend do a little tasteful Von Dutch style pinstriping on it. Or not.

*(My favorite cantis and rumor has it they have enough adjustment for a 26" to 650B conversion.) They don't, at least not on my frame.

I don't know who this beauty belongs to but he's one lucky SOB!

JulesCW 

Interesting -- but those long 180mm crank arms might not be ideal for a 650b conversion, assuming that frisson from pedal strike while cornering is not something you are seeking...

Murray Missile 

It's a 26" MTB with a higher BB to start with, going from 26 to 650B will raise the BB another 1/2" or so as opposed to lowering it going from 27" or 700c. Plus I don't usually pedal on corners like that anyway. It probably comes from having a "Stroker" 2 speed Schwinn Stingray with pedal cranks and sprocket from a 26" Typhoon as a kid.​​​ I'd get pedal strike just riding some of the side streets where I grew up in a straight line due to the high crown in the road but DANG would that thing fly LOL.

JulesCW 

I should have clicked the link to the junk build, I guess. Not super conversant with old Fuji MTBs -- I was thinking it was a road bike. Would be a real pity to scar up a set of 180mm T.A.s....

Murray Missile 

I agree!

Schweinhund

My stingray had 36x13 with a Bendix coaster brake and schwinn 5.5" cranks, but not for long, it sucked big time. I ended up with some 6 inch cranks my Dad got somewhere.

Murray Missile 

Yep, that's what mine came with and yes they SUCKED! A classmate had a bunch of old bikes in the junk pile on their farm and I snagged the crank and chainwheel out of a 26" Typhoon they had. I think I paid him $2 for them, a lot of money for a 14 year old in 1969.

Bianchigirll 

I'm kinda thinking about doing something simialr but with my 700c IGH wheels.

Murray Missile 

In the early stages of planning what to do with I was going to build a 26" wheelset with one of the Bendix 2 speed hubs I have. The 650B conversion idea started with a completely different bike and over the course of a couple days finally landed on the Suncrest. There is always "madness to my methods" LOL.

Murray Missile 

The Velo Orange chainwheels came and are now mounted on the Cyclotouriste arms. The Velo Orange Diagonale rims and Sora hubs also came, I still need to order spokes and begin my first real wheel build BUT, the wife's car had to have an unexpected and expensive repair so no more parts for a few weeks. The Tektro CR720 cantis are enroute. My LBS recommended a local powder coater and showed me a bike they did for him so the Suncrest is getting powder coated. I'm not putting any decals on it so no problem there. I'm not doing anything with the frame until I have the brakes and the wheels are assembled so I can verify the pads will reach, if they don't I will have the mounts moved.

Murray Missile 

Well the "Junk Box Express" is no more, I stripped it all down Sunday. The 650B wheelset is done and it, one set of brake arms and the frame and fork are at the LBS getting the canti mounts relocated. The Tektro CR720's lined up pretty well with the 650B wheels on the rear but weren't even close on the front. I don't quite understand why they were so different but I'm glad I didn't accept what I had read about the 720's working as gospel and mocked everything up before I stripped and painted the frame. It will be a 650B bike from now on, no going back LOL. Wright Cycles In Moline, IL is relocating the front mounts and he's going to true up the rears as they weren't quite straight from the factory. He's also adding 2 more sets of bottle cage bosses and low rider rack bosses on the forks. Once that's done it will be on hold until much warmer weather when I'll strip and paint it. I was going to powdercoat it but I'm WAY WAY WAY over budget so it will have to be a "Earl Scheib" home rattlecan job for now. I'm not sure now that the yellow I was considering would translate well on a small area like a bike frame so the color is TBD. One candidate is 2001 GM Toreador Red Metalllic which I just so happen to have in aerosol that I had mixed up for one of my old cars. It would look good with chrome, polished aluminum and the Honey Brooks B17 I'm considering using and gumwall tires would also work well with it. It's actual automotive basecoat / clear coat.

Korina

You can't go wrong with a nice dark red.

Murray Missile 

Frame and fork are home from the LBS, many thanks to Dean at Wright Cycles in Moline, IL. for the metal work. You still work too cheap. I shot some primer on the areas where he relocated the canti bosses and added bottle cage bosses to hold off rust until I can get the frame and fork prepped and painted. I'm back to using the 60's GM Goldenrod or Butternut yellow paint depending on which GM division, it was Paint Code YY either way.

When my tires get here I'll mount them and test fit them in the frame, hopefully I measured correctly. If I measured correctly I'll shoot a couple pictures of the frame and fork with wheels and if I didn't.............

Murray Missile 

Not a lot but some progress has been made, I did a mock up to check tire clearances.

tiger1964 

I need to "Grok in fullness" these really long cranks. So -- for mechanical advantage on steep climbs?

Needs C&V bikes in the bed. I used to think of 1960 as 1959's less-attractive sister. Maybe I need to re-think that.

USAZorro

I've never come to terms with the aesthetics of unicrown forks, but it looks like a splendid concept.

Murray Missile 

Partly that and I'm long legged so most of my bikes run 175's, 180's won't be that much different for me plus I got a smokin' deal on them.

My early driving days were spent behind the wheel of a 348 powered '60 Impala so I have a soft spot for the 1960 Chevies.




I can live with unicrowns on MTB's but I have a lugged frame road bike with one and it looks so wrong to me I bought a different fork for it. Hoping to get it swapped out soon. I'm regretting my stem choice in retrospect as well but I'm not ready to swap them out yet as wrapping road bars isn't one of my better skills. Then again I need the practice before I do the 650 project......

bikemig 

Lots of great pics of cars. Too bad the thread is polluted with a few shots of the OP's bike. . . .

Time to find some gravel roads to try out the new bike.

Murray Missile 

I'm surrounded by miles and miles of hilly, rutted, potholed gravel roads and the paved roads aren't much better!