the bike resurrection project

[arc]

(note: this is a shotgun (i.e. general, all-encompassing) post about this project of mine. to the mods, please bear with me. and i'll post pics as soon as i take them)

as i stated here, i'm turning over a new leaf with the help of biking.

i have this old heavy-weight+duty bike frame that was sort-of neglected over the years. old, as in mid-90s old. it came with a 'P.K Ripper' decal, and googling turns up images of old/new BMXs that look like mine.

just like that. sans the rear break mounts, the frame looks exactly like that.

since i more or less knew how to assemble an old-school BMX bike from scratch, i resurrected it with the spare parts lying around the house. i also cannibalized the utility bike when needed. now i have a working heavy-duty BMX. ugly, but working.

some stats: (i'll post pics later)

wheels+rims: fat old-school wheels. the kind you see in old-school sidecars
brakes: calipers in front, drum(?) brakes in the back.
drive train: not sure. i'll count it tomorrow morning. if anything, its freewheeling
others: stock BMX parts from yesteryears

but i knew things could be better. and that's the reason why i went here - because you guys know what would make things better.

i aim to make this 'working heavy-duty BMX' into a lean, mean, no-frills heavy-duty single-speed all-purpose bike that i will use for running errands, the early morning exercise among others. there *may* come a time when i will use this for organized rides, races and the Tour of the Fireflies. if work is near enough (i need to graduate first), then for the work commute too. basically, something for a quite-hilly urban jungle but can handle trails in a pinch.

it would be a challenge on my part for i have rather limited resources (time and money). at the moment, only the following are in queue for funding: a paint job (because it looks quite fugly now) and a cyclocomputer (for exercise purposes). small stuff i can add here and there, but nothing fancy planned yet, for there's no need for it. yet. most likely i'll add front suspension next, when funds are available.

so. to the senior members. any tips on anything? SS do's and dont's, SS maintenance tips, what's good for a SS with my requirements, which cyclocomputer to buy, etc?

thanks a lot guys.

[ungas]

you're one lucky guy if that frame turns out to be the real one! can you please post a close-up shot of the welds? am very curious as this was my dream bike when i was just a small boy ;DTIA

[arc]

how would you know if it's the real thing (or at the very least, a good copy)?

[ungas]

if it's made of aluminum then it's the real one. you can sell it to me if you want too ;D if it's heavy and made of hi-ten steel, then it's the copy that was usually used for pedicabs

[arc]

it's heavy as hell, so it's a copy. one thing's for sure tho - that thing is a sweet ride, copy or not. i don't mind the weight; it helps in the strength/weight training. uphill is a nasty business for a noob like me, but i'd like to think it'll pay off if i were to switch to a lighter frame and make people eat my dust. heh

back to the topic. any tips on making your own SS from a heavy-duty BMX?

[king]

wow pk ripper? isn't that more like early 80's?

[cherrybomber]

i think your gonna need a looong seatpost dude. try looking for longer cranks too.

whats the gearing on the thing? i.e. how many teeth do the front and rear cogs have?

[markymarciano]

nice bike brad..old school pk ripper