9 replies to this topic

[Mechanical_misfit]

I hope this is acceptable use of this part of the forum.

So the Desert Fox has been down due to a really cranky wheel bearing, and I've been too broke to fix it. For the last two weeks I have been doing my daily commuting on my Bike. It's actually a tall bike. Is there anyone else on here who builds or rides these things? I've had mine for 8 years now. It's gone through many transformations, but the current set up seems to be the best I've had. It's a 1960's sears&roebuck mens cruiser welded on top of a 1970's English three speed road bike. It currently has a wheels set from a trek mountain bike and cheapo white wall cruiser tires. I have logged many miles on this thing since I originally built it, but I am sort of rediscovering it out of necessity. My current plans are to add a brake. It's never had one, but commuting in traffic sort of calls for it. Anyway, here it is.

[porcupine73]

That's interesting, I've never seen anything quite like that. How do you get going on it, or handle stop and go in traffic? The first picture looks great how you're crystal clear in the foreground while the background is blurred.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Nice Tall bicycle!

I was about to ask the Same... How you Jump to it and handle the Stop 'n Go Traffic?

I Like bicycles... I still keep my 1991 Pioneer Mountain bicycle and go around on it sometimes.

Kind Regards.

[ferox]

That's pretty nice one. You'd hardly get a second look here in Portland...lots of tall bikes. Some of the bicycle crossing intersections even have buttons for tall bikes. I haven't built one myself. I like how yours is laid back a little. Most of the ones I see here are made from old mountain bikes and are more upright. They seem a little too far forward and prone to pitching the rider in a hard stop situation. I am planning a tandem-recumbent-trike build once I get a new welder. Looks like you are ready for Burning Man, but as you mentioned a brake would be a necessity. Enjoy your commute. I do an 11 mile bike commute to-and-from work every day and the vantage point from a tall bike would be kind of nice.

[Mechanical_misfit]

Mounting the tall bike is easier to do than it is to explain. Left foot on the pedal, both hands on the handle bars, kick with your right foot to get going then hoist yourself up. For a brake I use my right foot on the back tire, but when I built it didn't have to ride in city traffic. hopefully soon I will find a junk bike in the trash that I can get the brakes from. Stop and go traffic isn't too bad though. I usually just slow down and grab onto a light post or street sign if I don't feel like getting down.

I wish I could make it to Portland to see all the talbikes out there. I actually saw my first one on a web page ran by a freak bike gang called CHUNK 666. I think they were from there. I wouldn't be who i Am today it wasn't for tall bikes I owe those guys a beer or two.

[ferox]

I wish I could make it to Portland to see all the talbikes out there. I actually saw my first one on a web page ran by a freak bike gang called CHUNK 666. I think they were from there. I wouldn't be who i Am today it wasn't for tall bikes I owe those guys a beer or two.

I thought of you Monday, I saw a really nice one parked by the food carts. It was two old cruisers put together, but they had repainted it really nice with nice components. My cell phone was dead or I would have snapped a photo. If I see it again I'll try to post something up.

On another note...I usually see one or two tall bikes on the Hawthorne Bridge during my morning commute and I'm thinking those guys are completely above the guard rail. If they pitch they're going over. no bueno

[turbosubarubrat]

the tall bikes dont fit on the max's that well in portland i watched a guy try and get one in(i was going to the far west show with my dad, basically a nursery convention to get your stuff to sell, my dad owns a nursey) it got in barely and he had to hold on to it because u cant hang on to it be the hook but there super cool

[wounded brat]

theres a bke collective in duluth lots of tall bikes and wacky contraptions:headbang:

[Scott in Bellingham]

thats kool! when I was a say 12-14 we used to make them, called them
'upsidedown bikes' as we would remove all the components then turn the frame over and put all the parts back on, then use tall stingray handlebars




like this (n0t mine)

[Mechanical_misfit]

right on scott, I've built a few like that myself. Every once in a while an old timer will call it an upside down bike. Popular Mechanics had an article in 1964 about how to build them.