Bike Builders Unite

[smil1473]

I'm about a day of surface prepping away from laying the first welds on my new playa trike. Been learning welding just for this project, and it's been a blast!

I have just a few questions for which I have been unable to find satisfactory answers.
1: What is the best way to clean grease off bearings? I am using steering assemblies from two bikes, as well as bottom bracket from one (pedals) and these bikes have probably not been regreased.
2: Do you have a favorite grease for playa bikes? or will any common bearing grease do?

Thanks!!

[Elliot]

Bicycle bearings can mostly be cleaned with a soft rag, like an old towel. If you need a solvent, kerosene works well -- and WD-40 is mostly kerosene.

I use White Lithium Grease. It is thinner than automotive wheel bearing grease, so offers less rolling resistance.

[smil1473]

Thanks! Got both head sets' components cleaned up and ready for new grease.

[Tiahaar]

Aaaaaaand - it's on sale for $270 shipped:

your tip got me one, thankies! (also the mart place just dropped price again woohoo)
my humble opinion is that the beast is fine for the playa, extra gears are nice on the dolo for trails though.

I have a furred beast for desert riding and converted the dolo to a 21speed. Once adjusted it rides great!
The red rims hurt my eyes, so on with the flat black spray paint...and off with the stickers too heheh.

From a distance it passes for one of those $2K yuppie fatbike rides

Here is pic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23693019@ ... otostream/

[Martiansky]

Nice ride, Tiahaar!

Wish they had had those last year when I ordered the Beast for BM and then spent way more then another $100 on mods to it including adding front and rear hand brakes and changing out the rear cog for one that made it easier to pedal. Having multiple gears like the Dolomite wouldve been a plus also.

The Dolomite is perfect for the playa, the only thing I would change would be a taller set of bars to it.

If I can swing it this year Im going to get a Massif because I think it'd be easier to step over the bar for my sister and I.
I'd change the bars and add a longer seat post since I dont like to eat my knees while pedaling.

[burner von braun]

..so, now that this year's burn has concluded, any feedback on Dolomite vs. Beast?

[Tiahaar]

there's my trusty leopardfurbeast at one of my favorite art installations this year...I went in through the Aeon door. the bike sure is fun, lots of admirers, anyone who asked about it was offered to take it for a spin, got some more beast converts added bar ends, wide soft barefoot platform pedals (the stock ones are ankle eaters, truly), a front basket, mirror, and oh yes the 21t rear cog swap. saw lots more fat tire bikes out there this year, many beasts and some other makes too, didn't spot a dolo. how did the rest of you do with your bikes? it was great bike year aside from the rain day and some really bumpy dusty roads here and there, I had a blast. rode all the jumps and ramps I came across

[Lonesomebri]

My gig on the playa. This year I spent a couple days running around to various bike repair camps and followed leads trying to find someone to weld the connector back on my chariot. I rode three ladies, then after that a guy who jumped off the seat. With that stress, the eyebolt that connects to my bike seat post broke. I visited the bike shops at 3 and at 9, went out to see Elliot, but the man, the myth, the legend was out saving orphans or something. Went to Black Rock Hardware, Yellow bikes, Hardleys, etc. Finally my friend Jackass directed me to Stag Camp and the Mighty Motsky. This is the kind of guy who, when I interrupted him eating his dinner to ask about welding my bike, he seemed kinda hesitant to tell me to come back later. He almost got up from his plate to help right there and then. He kicks ass. Fixed my chariot connection, made it better than it was. After that I somehow destroyed the axle on one side. I had bought two junk BMX bikes prior to the burn so I would have extra wheels. One replacement kept seizing up, so off to the well-organized bike shop down E, near 6:30. What a bunch of wonderful people, almost made me glad to have the bike trouble, what a great adventure. Thanks.

ChariotRiders12.jpg

[Lonesomebri]

Black Rock City Welding and Repair. With your host: Burner, eplayan and BRC citizen, the mighty Motsky.
Here he is fixing the eye bolt on my chariot that connects to my bike seat post. Thank you.

Moz.jpg

Weld.jpg

[Elliot]

I've seen a couple of bicycle wheel-axles fail when pressed into heavier service. (To say nothing of the wheels themselves.) So when I built a hand-drawn rickshaw for an other camp in 2012, I used garden cart wheels on a 3/4" steel rod axle. Turned out, they had a couple 350 pound passengers. But the only maintenance needed was a squirt of oil to cure a squeak. Garden cart wheels are not terribly expensive, use bicycle size tires, and can be bought in hardware stores and online.

Also, the bearings can be replaced with keyed shaft-hubs, so the wheel can be used as a drive wheel. The shaft hubs I recently used for this were freewheel adapters (for attaching a bicycle freewheel to a keyed shaft, from Staton, Inc. online), and they were a perfect fit in the 26" garden cart wheels.

Yeah, Motsky is The Man for welding repairs!

[motskyroonmatick]

Yay! I love this!!!!!!

Black Rock City Welding and Repair. With your host: Burner, eplayan and BRC citizen, the mighty Motsky.
Here he is fixing the eye bolt on my chariot that connects to my bike seat post. Thank you.

Moz.jpg

Weld.jpg

[Tiahaar]

dolo 7-speed fatbike presently at 249 temptations

[captain voltaveus]

I picked up one of the Dolos and am interested in converting it to a trike. Does anyone have a sense of whether the various trike conversion kits available on line would fit the frame? I have a mig welder and am not afraid to use it, but am unsure about the design.

Thanks!

[Canoe]

There's a few fat trikes been made up from Beasts. Google is your friend.
Also, look around here http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index. ... -bikes.74/

[Tiahaar]

sale alert 199 for anybody that cares to know... dolomite

[tatonka]

going to paint my bike , its made it to the playa 2 years now ... What color goes good with dust ")

[SnowBlind]

What color goes good with dust

Fluorescent Pink?

[Tiahaar]

excellent color choice! (ps also the black Beasts are now on special I see, get yer fatplaya bike & join the carnival)

it just dumped a whole lot of rain out playa way to help with biking next year

this is the back axle of a new trike I'm starting for next year

[Elliot]

No diff? Or drives only one wheel? Or what?

[Tiahaar]

Welcome back Elliot! Yups, budget solid axle, driving one wheel (modded the bearing hubs so each has a pin to lock it to the axle...can drive both sides if conditions require it)

[Elliot]

That'll work. My green trike drives on the right-hand wheel, and can turn in its own length to the left. If fact, I can make the left wheel go backward.

[Tiahaar]

this is its twin, I'm building another based on a Beast bike but it is still in the parts fab stage. once the axle and sideplates are attached you can bolt on any manor of carrier/rack/cooler with aluminum barstock...I'm putting on a big cushy motorcycle seat and a cooler rack...that's a playa veteran stablemate next to it, luv trikes!

photolink

[Elliot]

Very nice design, those aluminum chain-stay extensions! I will probably steal that idea from you. (It is similar to how I did Pear County Chopper, but I used steel and welded it on.)
Have you considered using angle aluminum to reduce sideways flexing?

About the axle.... Is that a diff, or just a solid axle? I cannot tell, because the sprocket is in the way.

[Navi_Keef]

anyone take a ktrack conversion out? I stumbled upon this $600 kit the other day. looks pretty solid.

[Ratty]

The tracks on the back are interesting but the ski on the front would spear a sand dune and send you flying.

Don't bring anything to the burn that you would hate to lose.

[Navi_Keef]

well yeah running the ski would be pretty pointless, just leave the front wheel on

[Elliot]

By all means try it, but I suspect the rolling resistance of loose dunes will overcome it. Last year I tried a Beast, with those 4" wide tires, and that went thru dunes so much better than regular tires, that I think this is a better solution.

[Navi_Keef]

yeah, im not running this. i just said that i saw it posted earlier that someone was wanting a way to run tracks. i personally will be building up a 3 speed fat bike for the playa

[Navi_Keef]

just ordered this bad boy for my art bike!

[unjonharley]

just ordered this bad boy for my art bike!

nice