Wednesday, October 19, 2005

More of a mild custom than a chopper



I thought the blue 3-speed was going to be cool. However, the vision I had for it really didnt fit the type of frame it is. This little green meanie right here -now this fits the bill. I put the banana seat and sissy bar on the blue bike and that just killed it. Amy said I should toss it back in the trash, Grumpyunk said I needed a mullet to ride it. Ok, ok, I get it. You can see it below in the shiny floor pics (sort of). I passed this bike about a hundred times. It was leaning against a tree in someones garden dripping with quaint. I thought to myself, I need that bike.Well, on my usual Teusday night rounds I spotted the tree leaner out by the curb. I swung the truck around and went back to scope out the green bike. After a brief confab with the owner, who was a very nice salt of the earth-tell it like it is kind of lady, I drove away with a classic american middleweight bicycle and a very heavy T.V. stand. She wanted twenty bucks for the bike and twenty-five for the stand. The bike, upon closer inspection, had a tag reading fifteen dollars. I figured if she had it tagged fifteen, she'd take ten. I had a ten dollar bill in my pocket. She said I was killing her (with a wry smile) but o.k. she'd take ten. She then tries the hard sell on the t.v. stand. I tell her how all I had was the tenner and I had no room for the stand. She says just take it and sell it to a buddy and keep the cash. I again tell her how I dont have room blah, blah, but I'll take it away if she just wants it gone. It's too bad I didn't have time to talk to her, she seemed cool as hell. Turns out my Mom wanted the t.v. stand anyhow.
As for the bike, it uses fat tires that are readily available and the blue 3-speed uses some anomalous skiny things. The forks are tweaked pretty bad on this bike but I think I'm going to build a motorcycle style rigid front end for it anyhow. I already swapped out the bars for the apes. I'll just put the banana seat away for right now. I don't think I dont think I've got the stones to ride around on a banana seat-ed 3-speed from the trash. The paint on this thing is cool. Green sparkle, weather faded with chrome tape pinstripes. I have this thing for green metal-flake. I'm drawn to it like a hot dog to a donut. I may just leave the paint as is. The proper way to do a project is to put it all together and make sure everything fits, then take it apart, paint and reassemble. I usually dont get past the first assembly phase. If it comes apart after that I'll probably paint it something flat and primery. Hell yeah, now were gettin somewhere.

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