AdventureManCO 

That is horrible. Which means incredible!

Actually, what would be incredible would be for you to find 5" worth of spacers before you secure that top locknut

The fact that we have two ridiculous builds that are the exact inverse of one another is fantastic. And those parts being in such good condition is the icing on the cake. You usually see stuff cobbled together when its beat up, scraped up, rusted and repainted. That yours is so fresh and crisp gives the impression that it maybe was intentional (which we all know), but it adds another layer of horror to the build. Hard to top. My hat's off to you sir!

AdventureManCO 

How dare you think of using that large-wheeled Altus RD! I was going to do that!

Actually, great minds think alike I really was considering some sort of Sora/Altus RD (which I jokingly referenced do in the Huffy build regarding the Paramount, way back when) but last time I was at the co-op, I got some other horrid inspiration for this bike.

Expect a vote soon on what derailleur I should use for the Crapamount, out of several nice and not-so-nice choices. Of course, I'm going to override any votes for the 'nice' choices, but at least people can feel like their voices were heard haha

jdawginsc 

I like where you are going with this!

Het Volk

To me, this project is more about the process and what can be used to get a frame rideable than the finished product, and I love it

jdawginsc 

I gotz some surprises coming along as well. Not gut curdling but unique (I think).

Have to finish the Bianchi Giro derusting and prettifying, but then I will begin the journey toward the Toilet Bowlnago (super).

AdventureManCO 

The Toilet Bowlnago...lol

This thread is so full of winning I have no idea how anyone can read it and not collapse from sheer awe and inspiration!

zukahn1 

I,m actually considering seeing if the Altus large pulleys will fit on the Sram X-4.

jdawginsc 

Or barely rideable but cool and antagonizing or obnoxious! Either is fine. Both preferred.

We don’t want anyone go over the top on these builds...

...so don’t use good front brakes! Bwahahahaha!

Mad Honk 

I forgot how much time it takes to make a rather simple shelf for the War Department. But today a lot of time was consumed by making the shelf and doing the coating with a polyurethane. So the Ochsner was put on a back burner an nothing was done for the Framkenbike build. Much mental gymnastics were involved in working through some of the Frankenbike add ons during the wait time for the drying of paint. My work for the day:

Almost four hours of time used to keep the peace making this shelf.
Maybe tomorrow I can work on the Frankenbike. Smiles, MH

droppedandlost 

Crisp... like the rust chunks that fall out if I remove the BB?

RCMoeur 

Hey, I like Edge / XCE cranks. They have a lot more character than less-distinctive newerfangled ones.

And there's a lot of aluminum in those derailleurs for "frankenparts". Need to go solid steel stamped for the full effect...

AdventureManCO 

One can hope and dream!

AdventureManCO 

Here is some additional inspiration to help keep the energy of this thread higher than the seatpost level on a 48cm frame that merziac tries to ride...

Ugliest Component Competition

AdventureManCO 

The ugliest bike part ever?

GeezyRider 

Whoa! For a second there I thought I was hallucinating that Rat Rod Forums had infiltrated the C&V forum.

jdawginsc 

We are like the Rat Rod forums. Only worse.

Andy_K 

@jdawginsc mentioned this thread to me today, and once I comprehended the truly horrific nature of what was being done here, my initial thought was that I didn't have the stomach for it. Then I thought, maybe I could play along half-heartedly by downgrading some things on my Sequoia, which already has a fairly cringe-worthy mix of components, but they're a pleasant and practical mix, so I don't think that will do. As I let it sit for a bit, inspiration struck. It was literally, right in front of me. Hanging over the desk where I am currently sitting, I have this once beautiful 49cm Stella.



I normally ride a 57, so you can already imagine the first horror. I see a 350 x 25.8 mm candle-style seatpost with a on eBay that should let me use the ghastly rubber San Marco Coureur saddle that's been lurking around the dark parts of my garage.




I'm not sure this headtube will accommodate the minimum insertion point of a Technomic stem, so I may have to make some compromises on fit.

Rummaging about the garage, I came across this blood-curdling monstrosity of a mountain bike bar, clocking in at a generous 28 inches wide.



I have some other depravities in mind -- there may or may not be spray paint involved -- but this ought to be enough to get me started.

RCMoeur 

My butt: "That San Marco doesn't seem that bad. The springs might make it comfy."

The purple mop handle handlebars: My sense of aesthetics says "those wouldn't look bad on the right bike, as long as you didn't have to take it through oorways or narrow bollards."

Maybe my warped sense of taste might disqualify me from this particular competition, as I could in fine Addams style look at what most view as repugnant with mild appreciation. We'll see after I see if the stamped-steel brakes salvaged from an 80s Murray fit on the OCLV frame (oops, don't want to give anything away...)

jdawginsc 

Perfect canvas for your mad scientist work! Welcome aboard @Andy_K

jdawginsc 

Yes! That’s the spirit! The ultimate in technology in carbon fiber coupled with the lowest what the heckology in a part that set the space program back 20 years!

madpogue 

Eine Kleine rostfahrrad?

Andy_K 

Tough crowd. I might have to break out the Gran Turismo rear derailleur.

Did I mention that I have a track chainring that matches the purple handlebar?

AdventureManCO 

A Valentino also works.


Does your chainring look anything like this?




If so, you've got a lifetime membership to the club!

In any case, you get bravery points for being willing to uglify a Stella, which is a pretty rare bike. I hear the ones from 1975 are the rarest of all!

Andy_K 

Sadly, no. It's just this.




Time and neglect have already uglified this particular Stella (Smella?) pretty substantially. I bought it with the idea of restoring it for my grandson for the brief time that it'll fit him. He's three so I've got a few years to fix any atrocities I commit here.

On a tangent related to the rarity of Stellas, have you heard my story about that? I've got a beautiful Stella SX-76, repainted by Jeff Bock. A few years ago, @gugie and I were preparing to go to Bob Freeman's barbeque and bike show, and I was pondering what to take. I was leaning toward my 1973 De Rosa. Gugie said I should take the Stella instead because there would probably be a dozen De Rosas. Well, I took the Stella. There wasn't a single De Rosa there, but there was another SX-76 in glorious original condition.

jdawginsc 

Orange is one of the point-giving colors!