“Rain and Scorchers”

 

 

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“Rain and Scorchers”

via antbikemike by antbikemike on 10/13/09

This is what it looked like this weekend   A wonderful clear, cool Columbus Day Weekend. On Sat we went to Providence to watch the UCI Cyclocross race, to cheer people on. Sunday I went for a big ride up and down the Charles river trail. I had not ridden the whole river trail for sometime and forgot how wonderful it is. Lots of water falls /dams and old mill buildings. At the end in Waltham is the Waltham Watch Company Mill building. It has been restored and is really just beautiful and it sits right on the banks of the Charles. Sorry I do not have any pictures, as I did not have my camera.

It is supposed to rain from Friday to Monday…so not looking so good for Open House on Saturday   If it is raining good, then I will not be expecting people to ride. I am not really into riding  in the rain unless it is warm or I am going somewhere…if people want to ride anyway, then I will go too.

Open House will still be a lot of fun and we will have lots of Indian food and hot cider to eat and drink, so still come on out. I will have room inside to eat, tents outside too. Shop scavenger hunt and many new bikes built up to look at and of course talking to bike geeks like my self.

I was riding my Scorcher bike I built last month for my birthday and I am really happy with it. The bike is made out of parts and materials that I had lying around, un-wanted or found in the trash. It is a fixed gear with nothing on it, except the seat/tool bag.  This is the 4th Scorcher I have made for myself and have made 2 others for customers. This is the first one where I am happy with the handlebar and seating position and to the point of saying that this is the most comfortable bike I have ever made. I have found out that, to use these bars you have to make the bike very, very long and with a huge headtube  and a long sticky up stem. This bike has a 58cm top tube [my standard drop bar road bike would have a 54.5], the head tube is about the same as a 58cm  bike. I am not so sure how well this position is with a load, but it feels great unloaded. It has double 71 angles and 48cm chain stays ! Very long and low.

The last one I built was very close to this and did feel very good too. This bike was built for the Shimano Alfine Frame Builder Challange [I got 3rd] A friend of mine has this bike now and he seems to like it well.

Here is Scorcher #2 Built to really look Antique, with a rod brake and 28″ wheels. It now lives down in NYC

Here is a re-built # 1 Scorcher in fall colors.

Original Scorcher.

Here are the other two I built for customers.

While I was riding down the Charles River trail I was thinking how everyone should have a Scorcher! A long, up right fixed or single speed that has this gorgeous antique style.

If set up rather simple and with not so expensive parts I could build one of these fairly inexpensive, say about $1,400 complete. How about I take some orders for about 5 or 10 of these and have some fun?

Bike similar to the one on top, but a few differences.

• 4130 frame Scorcher style, all black
• Hi-ten fork
• 1″ threaded steel headset
• Steel sticky up stem
• Scorcher bars
• Cork tape tan
• Brooks B-17
• Alloy single bolt post
• One piece crank
• ANT full suit ring
• alloy or rubber pedals
• Odyssye BMX BB
• Black  tires 700 x 35mm
• Front long reach sidepull brake
• Black fixed gear wheel set or coaster brake
• Steel brake lever
• For $50 more I can make it single speed for $100 more I can make it 3 speed coaster, $150 more 3 speed hand brake and for $50 more I can put Cream tires on. Also I could change this to a front drum brake for $100 more [to give that more Antique look]

Now this is a dedicated bike to the Scorcher bar and relaxed position, not something to want to change the bars on later.

 

 

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