Bikes Are The Best

Remember my little project? If you’re too lazy to click on the link, I’ll remind you that I’ve been working on building my very own Klunker from a very old Schwinn bike that I found in a barn. I ordered some new wheels for it, and headed up to First Flight Bikes on Saturday to pick them up.


I know I’ve mentioned it before (I tend to repeat myself a lot), but First Flight is home to the Museum of Mountain Bike Art and Technology, which houses a huge collection of all kinds of old bikes. You’re free to walk around and take it all in on your own, just be sure you don’t get sticky fingers and actually take something.

Anyway, I did wander around, and somehow ended up near the bathroom. Inside I found some cool shit (not literally, you sicko.) I saw some old advertisements from Schwinn hanging on the wall, one of which featuring the very same bike I just bought wheels for.

Back in the olden days this was a lot of money.


Since the wheels are newer, and the bike is uh, older, I was informed that I may have to do some modifications. The front hub was a little too wide to fit in the fork in its current configuration, and the rear hub wasn’t wide enough. That was an easy fix, so Jeff sent me down in the basement to dig through an old parts bin to find what I needed.


I didn’t even know they had a basement.

It was cold and dark down there, but luckily it didn’t take me long to find the nuts that I needed.

Even though I forgot the beer this time, I still got to hang around and shot the shit about old bikes and whatnot. I got some ideas on how I’ll make this old Klunker come to life, and I left outta there pretty excited. Jeff is always happy to share his knowledge about bikes and for that I am grateful. I said goodbye, packed up my shit, and headed back to the house to get busy on my project. I swapped the nuts around on the wheels, and immediately ran into another issue…


The axle on the old front wheel was a smaller diameter than the new wheel. I was warned that this might be the case, so I got out my tools to make that sumbitch fit.

A few minutes with the Dremel and I was ready to install the front wheel. It fit like a glove of course. The rear wheel was even easier, since I didn’t have to modify the frame.

Now I just have to order some Maxxis tires for it, find a seat (and seatpost) somewhere, and put everything together. I’ll be just like the guys in Klunkerz.

So rad.


I’ll be back tomorrow if I’m not snowed in. You know, because another round of winter weather is headed our way.

Not rad.