Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Bike
- Thread starter CaptainEO
- Start date
Abelugo
Sr Member
don't get the prewar frame, you need a 1946 - 1955 frame. Hold out, it will show up.
I saw your post on thecabe, I should of gotten those two frames I saw two weekends ago, about 40 bucks each, live and learn.
I have new Duros on my bike, its a rider, I rode 30 miles on the Carlisles and one almost popped two blocks from my house.
Get the Mickey bell, if you hold out the correct one will show up.
I beleive someone is going to start making the flaps, as set sold recently on ebay for like 15.00, they show up.
If you don;t ride bikes usually, i would highly recommend using a actual 3 speed setup. Or atleast gear the bike so that is is easy to ride and get going. It ends up weighing about 80-100lbs
A lot of base parts are available at bikeworldusa or Niagara cycles on amazon pedals,handlebar wald 898 model
look up union pedals, some bike shops still have the newer version and the look the same.
we used chrome take for the chrome parts. I got several version of it, fogot which brand stuck the best.
Wald handlebars are 7/8 motorcycle handlebars are 1"
As far as finding a copy of an old bike you had, buy it whole not in parts you'll save money.
As far as the springer you can use a pyramid springer with the top part of a Schwinn springer.
good luck with the build.
I saw your post on thecabe, I should of gotten those two frames I saw two weekends ago, about 40 bucks each, live and learn.
I have new Duros on my bike, its a rider, I rode 30 miles on the Carlisles and one almost popped two blocks from my house.
Get the Mickey bell, if you hold out the correct one will show up.
I beleive someone is going to start making the flaps, as set sold recently on ebay for like 15.00, they show up.
If you don;t ride bikes usually, i would highly recommend using a actual 3 speed setup. Or atleast gear the bike so that is is easy to ride and get going. It ends up weighing about 80-100lbs
A lot of base parts are available at bikeworldusa or Niagara cycles on amazon pedals,handlebar wald 898 model
look up union pedals, some bike shops still have the newer version and the look the same.
we used chrome take for the chrome parts. I got several version of it, fogot which brand stuck the best.
Wald handlebars are 7/8 motorcycle handlebars are 1"
As far as finding a copy of an old bike you had, buy it whole not in parts you'll save money.
As far as the springer you can use a pyramid springer with the top part of a Schwinn springer.
good luck with the build.
skillcrane
Active Member
Hello Ruddiger,
Thanks. I'll need it. Money-wise, just need to cross my fingers that my car doesn't break down. Otherwise I should be able to complete the build without financial woes. Been wanting an X1 for almost 30 years, & since Pee-Wee wouldn't give me his bike on my birthday (my dad said I could have ANYTHING, damnit!!!), I don't think motivation will run out any time soon either.
Abelugo,
Thanks again for the helpful advice. I'll hold out for the right bike. Breaks my heart that I can't start building it today (I'm home sick anyway, so it wouldn't really matter), but as much effort as is going to be involved, it makes sense to start with the right foundation. If you ever come across another steal like the ones you mentioned, I'll be your bestest bestest friend if you keep me in mind ;P
As far as the tires, I heard you mention before, but I'm assuming this is the case with any vintage bike tire, or is it more exclusive to whitewalls? Definitely don't want to get stranded far from home because I insisted on the "correct" tires. Either way, some cheapy whitewalls for everyday riding may be the way to go. The Darts can come out only for special occasions like posing in front of the Alamo.
Mickey bell holdout, check. I'm sure you can tell I'm raring to go on the build. Impatience was always an enemy of mine, but I have gotten better at it as I get older. No point in re-buying everything later when I could just wait for the right thing to come along instead.
Glad to hear the mudflaps occasionally show up. I figured since that was the thing that so many people mentioned they didn't have yet that they were nearly impossible to come by. Still, I'd gladly pay someone if they were to start selling reproductions so I could check one more thing off the list.
As far as the gear thing you mentioned, I am definitely out of the loop when it comes to bike technology post mid-80s or so. Once the build starts coming along, I may reach out to the board for more advice on how to convert it over. Otherwise, I may just have a local bike shop do it for me once I get the parts. With the bike being as heavy as you mentioned, & with me being a fat, out-of-shape version of myself, any help to get the thing moving may be a good idea.
I'll definitely look into the recommendations you made on Amazon. I've never really thought about looking for older parts on there to be honest. Maybe I can get a couple of the needed parts from there without breaking the bank too badly. Hopefully I can track down the exact pedals as well. I'm sure no one else would notice except for the peeps on the board, but it would bother me every time I looked at them if they weren't spot-on. Guess it helps on this build to be such a stickler for details though.
The Wald handlebars you bought, were they similar to the one on Ebay now (item 350858634502)? I think the style is correct, but it shows 1" in the listing. If so, I'll hunt for a 7/8" variation now that I know they exist.
The last bike I owned was the BMX one I mentioned that I will be building after the X1. Much like the X1, unfortunately almost everything on that bike was aftermarket by the time I finished with it. Since the freestyle craze had just hit, I was all about the mods. I added a handlebar rotor (for spinning without the cables tangling), drop down pegs on the front, screw-ons in the back, custom pads, non-stock racing seat (terrible for comfort, great for stability), aftermarket mags, non-stock tires, special upgrade beartrap pedals, aftermarket handgrips, upgraded spider sprocket, the works. The only parts that were stock were the frame, handlebars, seat post & chain by the time I got done with it. I seem to remember doing something to the brake calipers too (may have been replaced altogether), but it's been so long that I can't remember exactly. Even the brake cable itself was changed out to match the color scheme I went with (all white & chrome). The last time I saw a complete one for sale, they wanted $1100 for it, & it was essentially a stock bike. May make sense in the long run to buy it that way & part it out, but I'm hoping to catch an auction where I can at least score the frame for a decent price. Even in the mid-80s the bike ended up costing my dad $800 after mods (it was a good B-Day to say the least), so I guess it makes sense that it is holding value now. Just did a quick parts survey on Ebay, & it looks like if the $800 frame is added to consideration, it would cost a total of $1500 to re-create (yowza!). If I can score the frame for a couple hundred (what I believe it is really worth), I could trim the build down to about $900 total (even the sweet beartrap pedals are currently $185, & there are several days left on the auction). Definitely going to wait until I can get a decent price on the frame before I even consider moving forward with that project. From a financial standpoint, the bike would be a major c***block to the X1, & that is definitely the priority.
Thanks again for all the feedback. Every bit of info helps.
Thanks. I'll need it. Money-wise, just need to cross my fingers that my car doesn't break down. Otherwise I should be able to complete the build without financial woes. Been wanting an X1 for almost 30 years, & since Pee-Wee wouldn't give me his bike on my birthday (my dad said I could have ANYTHING, damnit!!!), I don't think motivation will run out any time soon either.
Abelugo,
Thanks again for the helpful advice. I'll hold out for the right bike. Breaks my heart that I can't start building it today (I'm home sick anyway, so it wouldn't really matter), but as much effort as is going to be involved, it makes sense to start with the right foundation. If you ever come across another steal like the ones you mentioned, I'll be your bestest bestest friend if you keep me in mind ;P
As far as the tires, I heard you mention before, but I'm assuming this is the case with any vintage bike tire, or is it more exclusive to whitewalls? Definitely don't want to get stranded far from home because I insisted on the "correct" tires. Either way, some cheapy whitewalls for everyday riding may be the way to go. The Darts can come out only for special occasions like posing in front of the Alamo.
Mickey bell holdout, check. I'm sure you can tell I'm raring to go on the build. Impatience was always an enemy of mine, but I have gotten better at it as I get older. No point in re-buying everything later when I could just wait for the right thing to come along instead.
Glad to hear the mudflaps occasionally show up. I figured since that was the thing that so many people mentioned they didn't have yet that they were nearly impossible to come by. Still, I'd gladly pay someone if they were to start selling reproductions so I could check one more thing off the list.
As far as the gear thing you mentioned, I am definitely out of the loop when it comes to bike technology post mid-80s or so. Once the build starts coming along, I may reach out to the board for more advice on how to convert it over. Otherwise, I may just have a local bike shop do it for me once I get the parts. With the bike being as heavy as you mentioned, & with me being a fat, out-of-shape version of myself, any help to get the thing moving may be a good idea.
I'll definitely look into the recommendations you made on Amazon. I've never really thought about looking for older parts on there to be honest. Maybe I can get a couple of the needed parts from there without breaking the bank too badly. Hopefully I can track down the exact pedals as well. I'm sure no one else would notice except for the peeps on the board, but it would bother me every time I looked at them if they weren't spot-on. Guess it helps on this build to be such a stickler for details though.
The Wald handlebars you bought, were they similar to the one on Ebay now (item 350858634502)? I think the style is correct, but it shows 1" in the listing. If so, I'll hunt for a 7/8" variation now that I know they exist.
The last bike I owned was the BMX one I mentioned that I will be building after the X1. Much like the X1, unfortunately almost everything on that bike was aftermarket by the time I finished with it. Since the freestyle craze had just hit, I was all about the mods. I added a handlebar rotor (for spinning without the cables tangling), drop down pegs on the front, screw-ons in the back, custom pads, non-stock racing seat (terrible for comfort, great for stability), aftermarket mags, non-stock tires, special upgrade beartrap pedals, aftermarket handgrips, upgraded spider sprocket, the works. The only parts that were stock were the frame, handlebars, seat post & chain by the time I got done with it. I seem to remember doing something to the brake calipers too (may have been replaced altogether), but it's been so long that I can't remember exactly. Even the brake cable itself was changed out to match the color scheme I went with (all white & chrome). The last time I saw a complete one for sale, they wanted $1100 for it, & it was essentially a stock bike. May make sense in the long run to buy it that way & part it out, but I'm hoping to catch an auction where I can at least score the frame for a decent price. Even in the mid-80s the bike ended up costing my dad $800 after mods (it was a good B-Day to say the least), so I guess it makes sense that it is holding value now. Just did a quick parts survey on Ebay, & it looks like if the $800 frame is added to consideration, it would cost a total of $1500 to re-create (yowza!). If I can score the frame for a couple hundred (what I believe it is really worth), I could trim the build down to about $900 total (even the sweet beartrap pedals are currently $185, & there are several days left on the auction). Definitely going to wait until I can get a decent price on the frame before I even consider moving forward with that project. From a financial standpoint, the bike would be a major c***block to the X1, & that is definitely the priority.
Thanks again for all the feedback. Every bit of info helps.
Abelugo
Sr Member
getting the correct frame is the way to go, cause you won't be painting twice.
Wald 898 is the model handlebars to get.
cracking happens on all vintage tires, I had a mint set of Carlisle blackwalls, they cracked just as bad, I had forgotten about them and stored them wrong, you should keep vintage tires in a dry cool place with slightly inflated tubes in them. Also Carlisle tire don't like new tubes and seem to slip withing the rim easily even with good rim strips.
I was going to recommend getting a 3 speed Nexus if you want gears, but you can also get the original Shimano 3 speed that the shifter on the bars goes to. However the movie bike didn't have speeds.
As far as the sprocket, they are very comment so hold out for a price you feel comfortable with. Also the cranks arm either the Takagi or the stock 50's men's Schwinn one are correct.
Wald 898 is the model handlebars to get.
cracking happens on all vintage tires, I had a mint set of Carlisle blackwalls, they cracked just as bad, I had forgotten about them and stored them wrong, you should keep vintage tires in a dry cool place with slightly inflated tubes in them. Also Carlisle tire don't like new tubes and seem to slip withing the rim easily even with good rim strips.
I was going to recommend getting a 3 speed Nexus if you want gears, but you can also get the original Shimano 3 speed that the shifter on the bars goes to. However the movie bike didn't have speeds.
As far as the sprocket, they are very comment so hold out for a price you feel comfortable with. Also the cranks arm either the Takagi or the stock 50's men's Schwinn one are correct.
skillcrane
Active Member
Purchased the handlebars you recommended. One more item on my list to check off. Finally understand why they are listed as 1" as opposed to 7/8" as well. Apparently the size is based on the center of the bar, not the ends. I guess there is a bit of a bulge in the middle for mounting them. Also won an auction for a functional Persons Majestic siren tonight as well. To top it off, the first item arrived in my pile o' goodies tonight as well, which was the wickedly awesome skull siren. Came in the same box with the tiger, dragon, hippo, etc art, but it is definitely identical to the others in terms of hardware. Looks like it was barely used. I would have believed NOS if they claimed it. Even has all the original mounting brackets, which also look brand new.
Good tips on storing the tires. Shame about the slipping on the Carlisles. I guess the Darts will end up being photo op only tires after all. Need to pick up some cheapy whitewalls soon.
As for the 3 speed, I'd rather do that anyway. Plus, the gear will be hidden by the saddle bags anyway, so it won't take away from the display quality. I'm really tempted to look into the electric conversion kit. The rear wheel 48V/1000W one sounds awesome. Hauling at 25+ MPH could come in real handy in the middle of studio backlot chases after all.
Good tips on storing the tires. Shame about the slipping on the Carlisles. I guess the Darts will end up being photo op only tires after all. Need to pick up some cheapy whitewalls soon.
As for the 3 speed, I'd rather do that anyway. Plus, the gear will be hidden by the saddle bags anyway, so it won't take away from the display quality. I'm really tempted to look into the electric conversion kit. The rear wheel 48V/1000W one sounds awesome. Hauling at 25+ MPH could come in real handy in the middle of studio backlot chases after all.
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
As someone starting relatively late on this, it hasn't taken long to get most of the parts. Some of them I think will take awhile to find at a reasonable price (like the Delta headlight - the last few on eBay have gone for around $200). I went to a local bike junkyard and found the correct seat, Shimano shifter, pedals, kickstand, and a few other things. There are about a dozen of the parts you can buy new. I'm almost done painting and will probably look for tires/wheels and a fork this weekend .. then it's on to fabrication.
Abe - Do you have the auction number for the mud flaps that sold recently? I can't seem to find these in completed listings, and didn't see these show up in my saved search results.
Also - do you know what Schwinn models used this style of fenders? I haven't seen a pattern yet, and am trying to refine my saved search.
Duckbutt
Abe - Do you have the auction number for the mud flaps that sold recently? I can't seem to find these in completed listings, and didn't see these show up in my saved search results.
Also - do you know what Schwinn models used this style of fenders? I haven't seen a pattern yet, and am trying to refine my saved search.
Duckbutt
skillcrane
Active Member
So when it rains, it pours (& not necessarily all in a good way)...
Got a text last night from someone outside the state who has a 1951 DX frame for sale. Looks like I may have found my donor bike! She is calling me later today to discuss. Crossing fingers that it happens.
Then the negative...
Woke up this morning to a burst hot water line in my kitchen sink & my kitchen & living room flooded. Several inches of water in the kitchen, & my living room is soaked. Been wetvac'ing my house since 7am (it's now 2pm almost here). So far all I've accomplished is getting the water sucked out of the kitchen. From what I can tell, I have some damaged furniture (china cabinet walnut veneer on bottom warped, legs of my credenza damaged & will prob have to strip, sand & re-stain an old Danish stand). Haven't even appraised the living room situation yet. Think my coffee table may be kaput, but the rest looks salvageable at the least). May need to pull up the carpet. Was planning on putting wood flooring down to replace the carpet at some point anyway, so this may have forced my hand. Unfortunately this may have also put the kabosh on my DX1 for the time being. Not sure how much it is going to cost to get a plumber out, as well as how much it will cost for the supplies I still need for the floor (got the wood already, but still need all of the rest, like *ironically* the moisture guard, glue, nails, etc). I may have cursed myself by telling Ruddigger that the only thing that would slow me financially would be if my car died. Guess I didn't think about my house potentially flooding. LOL! Hopefully it isn't as bad as I think it may be & it is only a minor setback. I should know for sure in a few hours. Had to sit down for a bit to cool off (mentally & physically). Woo-hoo!
Got a text last night from someone outside the state who has a 1951 DX frame for sale. Looks like I may have found my donor bike! She is calling me later today to discuss. Crossing fingers that it happens.
Then the negative...
Woke up this morning to a burst hot water line in my kitchen sink & my kitchen & living room flooded. Several inches of water in the kitchen, & my living room is soaked. Been wetvac'ing my house since 7am (it's now 2pm almost here). So far all I've accomplished is getting the water sucked out of the kitchen. From what I can tell, I have some damaged furniture (china cabinet walnut veneer on bottom warped, legs of my credenza damaged & will prob have to strip, sand & re-stain an old Danish stand). Haven't even appraised the living room situation yet. Think my coffee table may be kaput, but the rest looks salvageable at the least). May need to pull up the carpet. Was planning on putting wood flooring down to replace the carpet at some point anyway, so this may have forced my hand. Unfortunately this may have also put the kabosh on my DX1 for the time being. Not sure how much it is going to cost to get a plumber out, as well as how much it will cost for the supplies I still need for the floor (got the wood already, but still need all of the rest, like *ironically* the moisture guard, glue, nails, etc). I may have cursed myself by telling Ruddigger that the only thing that would slow me financially would be if my car died. Guess I didn't think about my house potentially flooding. LOL! Hopefully it isn't as bad as I think it may be & it is only a minor setback. I should know for sure in a few hours. Had to sit down for a bit to cool off (mentally & physically). Woo-hoo!
skillcrane
Active Member
Thanks guys! After getting started on the living room, I'm thinking that I won't have to rip up the carpet today (hooray!). The water seems to be coming up fairly well, so I'll know this weekend if the mold/mildew situation is a problem or not. Hopefully after it initially dries I can hit it with a carpet cleaning machine in a few days & get any remaining mildew pulled from the pad. It will have only delayed me by a month at most if so. If I have to lay the wood down, it will be several months that I have to delay. Also, been doing a bunch of research on wood restoration over the last couple of years (since I started collecting mid century pieces), so I should be able to repair any of the damage to the furniture. Just thankful it happened while I was home as opposed to at work for 9 or 10 hours. Silver lining to everything.
Ruddigger, holy crap! That sounds like an absolute nightmare. In perspective, my flood was miniscule compared to what happened to you. I can't imagine what a huge pain that had to have been to deal with. I had a similar thing happen in my garage due to rain, but I have a one-story, so it was no biggie at all. Nothing got ruined other than some sheet rock really. Had it repaired in a weekend with some help from a few friends, & the remainder was done by a professional. The garage has since been converted to a theater, so it would be very bad if it happened again now.
Abelugo, As far as making it a long-term project, that is probably the smart way to approach this. Any rational person would take that mind-set. The only problem I have is I am so muse-driven that when I get my mind set on something, I forge ahead like a beast & hate to slow down. Slowing down isn't in the cards unless I hit a wall (or a flood ;P ). Maybe I'm OCD & have never been diagnosed. Haha! Just the way I'm wired I guess. In my mind, I wanted to have at least a cool Pee-Wee inspired bike (minus fabrication of course) by the end of the month, & a maximum of a year to completion. Still may have a bike that at least "feels" like a Pee-Wee bike by then if I get the frame I mentioned. Targeting next Halloween as having it "complete" (as in 99% of people who see it will believe it is exact). Thanks to all of the groundwork that you have all done here, I should be able to complete a build much quicker. I figure it will be a never-ending tweaking process though. The minutia of how to mount a piece or where wire is placed will only be noticed by a handful of people, but I want to strive for accuracy where it makes sense. My goal is about 90% accuracy & idealized for the rest (like I mentioned on the chrome on the saddlebags or the 3-speed for instance).
Ruddigger, holy crap! That sounds like an absolute nightmare. In perspective, my flood was miniscule compared to what happened to you. I can't imagine what a huge pain that had to have been to deal with. I had a similar thing happen in my garage due to rain, but I have a one-story, so it was no biggie at all. Nothing got ruined other than some sheet rock really. Had it repaired in a weekend with some help from a few friends, & the remainder was done by a professional. The garage has since been converted to a theater, so it would be very bad if it happened again now.
Abelugo, As far as making it a long-term project, that is probably the smart way to approach this. Any rational person would take that mind-set. The only problem I have is I am so muse-driven that when I get my mind set on something, I forge ahead like a beast & hate to slow down. Slowing down isn't in the cards unless I hit a wall (or a flood ;P ). Maybe I'm OCD & have never been diagnosed. Haha! Just the way I'm wired I guess. In my mind, I wanted to have at least a cool Pee-Wee inspired bike (minus fabrication of course) by the end of the month, & a maximum of a year to completion. Still may have a bike that at least "feels" like a Pee-Wee bike by then if I get the frame I mentioned. Targeting next Halloween as having it "complete" (as in 99% of people who see it will believe it is exact). Thanks to all of the groundwork that you have all done here, I should be able to complete a build much quicker. I figure it will be a never-ending tweaking process though. The minutia of how to mount a piece or where wire is placed will only be noticed by a handful of people, but I want to strive for accuracy where it makes sense. My goal is about 90% accuracy & idealized for the rest (like I mentioned on the chrome on the saddlebags or the 3-speed for instance).
skillcrane
Active Member
BTW, I noticed my album pics finally got uploaded. Check the first pic in particular. If anyone wants some sweet all-weather vinyl Pee-Wee stickers from me, PM me your addresses. I still have quite a few of them left. They have literally gone all over the world (in a former life I was a street artist, & Pee-Wee was my first sticker as "skillcrane").
BTW, ignore the bottom link. I accidentally uploaded the CMYK version first & it looks nothing like the real thing. Not sure how to remove it now.
BTW, ignore the bottom link. I accidentally uploaded the CMYK version first & it looks nothing like the real thing. Not sure how to remove it now.
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skillcrane
Active Member
Arghh! Just got off the phone with the girl who was selling the 1951 DX frame. Apparently her boyfriend decided he wanted to keep it & make it into a motorbike, so the hunt for an appropriate donor continues. If anyone has an extra frame they would be willing to part with or come across one, please hit me up. Really itching to start assembling my very own.
That bracket is gorgeous! Getting me jazzed to finally build mine.
skillcrane
Active Member
Lookin' sexy, Droid! That bracket works perfectly.
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