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Some of the bikes I have made -
Including my favorite ride -
This just in in 2013 - I built this bike for a friend in Malaysia! There's a story in shipping for this one, it wasn't easy! The rider just finished his first 856 Km tour on this bike!
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Here are a few pictures of my bikes. I keep a page of pictures of everybody's work - I hope to see your bike here sometime! PROjects from other builders are showing here on the website - BIKES BY OTHERS!!!!!!
History - we all start, and learn as builders. These first few shots should encourage you - I started, you can too.
Here is #1 - my first, before I had any idea how to finish it. It needs handlebars, a chain. Front wheel is pink, from some child's bike. This second shot is something like my first ride. Bare steel, out on Dexter Ave, Spring of 2001. There's a big smile under that beard. Notice it's a 16" front wheel? That fork in the picture is original from the donor bike, not even a brake bridge yet - I remember that bike like yesterday. The first donor bike I ever had the bravery to attack with a hacksaw!
That first bike as finally finished. I did find a home for it in Michigan somewhere.
This is my second frame - still in the days before the drawings you see (this one is the model for the Mach 1 drawings). Still on the 16" front wheel - this bike had a number of incarnations and modifications. It was originally built to try an underseat steering system - see that little frame stub just by the idler? That's all that is left in this frame from that USS experiment.
This is my current, 6 year old ride, yellowbike2 (I am horrible at original names, but I love her just the same). I made maybe 20 Mach 2 frames over a couple of years before I challenged myself to make the 'perfect' bike for me - one that would persuade me to abandon yellowbike1 above. This is it. 700c rear, 9 speed by my favorite 3 speed front crank, I taught myself to install frame studs for this bike, we are on direct linear pull brakes now. This was a slow transition too for me as a rider. I had maybe 500 miles on this bike before I was completely satisfied with it, and ready to truly let yellowbike1 move on (she lives in Indiana now, I think).
Same #2 bike, maybe a year and more later. Really it's final form as THE yellowbike. This bike was on the masthead of the website for a while. Finally it has the 20" front wheel. I did add some rake to that fork. And presents! Fairing. In this shot it has SPD pedals on it - I went for Bebops shortly thereafter. Pannier bags to carry everything, that's probably the 7 speed, 26" rear wheel I bought for it one year. Still on center pull caliper brakesets - note how I run the rear brake UNDER the seat stays, and string it's cable under the top tube. This is a fine bike, I had maybe 6000 miles on it before I finally decided to make myself a Mach 2.
End of history lesson.
You can do it. Make one and ride. See where it leads you. It's OK, not everybody gets as addicted to this as I am.
This is an Mach 1, bare steel, in a 'first test' set up. No rigging, no brakes on it. Just take it around the block and see how it feels. I highly recommend you make this test ride with your bike. It may tell you what you forgot to do, before it's too late. Just to try it before you finish it.
Much the same 'shot', but a different bike, finished.
If you know the store bought bikes at all, you might be curious about the differences. Just shadowing my bike in this picture is an Easy Racer's Tour Easy, one of the finest worth-every-penny long wheel based bikes you can buy.
I did an underseat for John in Texas. He insisted.
Details on that underseat.
You don't HAVE to use my steering riser. Any good high rise handlebar will do (you just spend a little more if you don't make your own).
Typical detail on how the seat is mounted. See how easy it is to add a Wallyworld rack on the back? I slip the ends at the dropouts over the same mounting bolt that holds the seat brace. at the top, it's really simple - just some sturdy zip ties to tie the rack to the seat brace! I've hauled camping gear this way, no trouble. Now, if you are planning to carry passengers, that might not be enough.....
This red bike uses an "Sun EZ-1" handlebar
Yellowbike2, with a couple of similar Mach 2 bikes made 2007. I rode the black one on BRAG in Georgia before passing it along. These are all powder coated frames.
This was a spray paint experiment - an undercoat/overcoat metallic gloss treatment straight off the rattle can shelf at the auto parts store. This pretty bike lives in Florida now - it is a Mach 2.
NEW SO FAR in 2009 -
I met Richard and his bike again in Michigan on the DALMAC ride this year (2008). I made his bare steel frame 4 years ago, and it was a pleasure to visit with Richard and see the bike he made from, it. Look at the detailing Richard did on the "Radio Flyer"!
(Notice where I put a water bottle? Held on with hose clamps, of course.)
Is the background (our side porch) getting familiar now? This blue bike is the one I sent to Bryan Ball at Bentrideronline. Bryan's review of a Mach 2 bike can be found on the Bentrider Online website.
The Fall 2009 'fleet. Let's see. The blue one is Bryan's now. The green and black ones found new homes via EBay. Of course, yellowbike 2 will likely be here still when this is an estate sale..... And the funny looking bike on the left end is a commercial bike - I found an old Tour Easy in a classified ad - it's good to have it for comparison. I think your Mach 2 and mine hold up fairly well side by side with the $2,500 bike!
Gene Nichols has helped me turn Ed Staib's donated logo design into a new head badge for Recycled Recumbent bikes. I will start putting this on all my bikes. If you HAVE one of my frames, and want the head badge, please write to me, maybe include a picture of your bike, and I'll send you one!
I think Ed did a fabulous job coming up with this logo. I hope someday to pay him for it. Meanwhile, he needs work, so if you are looking, or even if you want to comment on the logo, find Ed at staib18@hvc.rr.com
Just out of the shop March 8, 2010, Cliff's underseat steering Mach 2. He made me do it!
July 5, 2010 - two of these were finished just today. The orange one has been in the showroom and was just claimed by Andrew.
There are more detail pictures from me and neat ideas from other builders here. Finish Details
Send in your pictures - I'd love to post them with the others on the 'bikes by others' page!
(This picture added because BROL isn't accepting anything but postage sized pictures any more.)
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