British Klunker

[Dr S]

Eyup

That early MTB thread has got me all nostalgic again.

After watching Klunkerz on Saturday night and drooling over the Schwinns on MOMBAT I have begun to wonder what the Brit take on Klunkers would be if the the sport had started over here. Transport yourself back to the early seventies and think about how we would have built a brit Klunker. What frame would we have used? wheels etc.
I guess some of the componants would be the same, motorcycle bars, stems and levers, TA Cyclotourist ctanks and campa mechs etc. but what about Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs for example??

I'm thinking this could be my next project but I need suggestions and ideas from both sides of the pond. It has to be period. I'm already working on the long hair and beard and I have some vintage clothes so once I build a bike I'm ready

Can anyone suggest a suitable frame as a starting point??

Cheers

 

[kaiser]

ooo tricky, whats wrong with a chopper

Would it have to be a road bike from the era, do you think?

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

thinking about this a steel touring bike may be the starting point,

 

[cherrybomb]

In about 1977ish I had a kids Raleigh road frame running as single speed with motorbike bars and fat tyres (not sure what they came off, or how fat they'd be by modern standards)). Several of my mates had similar bikes that we used to mess around in the woods on. I can't remember how it all started but I guess they were copied from someone else's bike (probably an older brother).
Bloody good fun that bike, shame no photos seem to have survived.

I guess a tourer frame would be as good a place to start as any.

 

[Marmite King]

Tricky one this, I had a couple of Raleigh Choppers in the 70`s, and I remember my dad modifying the older one with longer forks to fit a bigger wheel, meanwhile on the other side of the pond there was the Schwinn cruisers with the fat tyres.

There`s always the Raleigh Bomber, initiated in late 79` early 80` and launched 1981...........but this will be too late for your project.

 

[kaiser]

Tourer does sound the best start point, a galaxy perhaps?

 

[legrandefromage]

remember loads of kids having racers with motobike handlebars back, baaaack in the early 80's. I had a Puch Mini Sprint which had wide bars and fattish tyres in around '82

 

[justbackdated]

I had a Rory O'Brien racer with chrome ends, fitted with cowhorn bars and a single speed/fixed rear hub and a bald back tyre but was the bike I went "tracking" with.
Had a Dawes 26" wheel bike with chopper bars to go cruising on

 

[orange71]

it would have to have cowhorn handlebars!

 

[greenfinger]

interesting topic! its a shame the raleigh bomber wasn't a bit older, it was a pretty cool looking bike