You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
richardfm
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You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by richardfm »

@MickF might have something to say about this.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/thre ... st-1028122
Richard M
Cardiff
philvantwo
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by philvantwo »

No doubt he'll be along soon............. :roll:
thirdcrank
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by thirdcrank »

Unless he's engaged for a while with crapita
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Mick F
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Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

:D :D
Hi guys!

I really wish I hadn't sold that Chopper. I got £200 for it from a chap in Essex, and it so happened that a friend of ours was driving to Essex so he took it for the chap, so it saved me the hassle of boxing and posting it.
I returned it to original state by removing all the mods.

If I'd kept it, I would still ride it from time-to-time. Always a head-turner, and a fun thing to ride.

Two rear sprockets.
Double chainwheel.
Front hub brake ...... so I built a new wheel for it.
Front and rear derailleurs.
MTB brake levers.
MTB thumb shifters.
SA trigger shifter (as the gear-stick was too far to reach) due to the raised saddle by extending the seatpost.

This is an early photo soon after my starting to modify it. The brakes were awful, so hence the hub brake. You can see the full rig in this photo from Dartmoor on one of my training rides. There was a concrete block in the trailer box and telephone directories and books in the panniers to hold the front down.
Chopper+Trailer.JPG
Dartmoor.png
Mick F. Cornwall
philvantwo
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by philvantwo »

Did you fabricate the trailer yourself Mick F?
Did you sell it as well.
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

Carry Freedom Small Y-frame, and originally I used a suitcase strapped on, then later bolted on
It was later that I bought the aluminium box.
suitcase.jpg
Mick F. Cornwall
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ferrit worrier
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by ferrit worrier »

Here's the lad himself having just crossed the ship canal at Stockton Heath on the A5060 during his Joggle on a Chopper
P5220018.JPG
P5220019.JPG
Percussive maintainance, if it don't fit, hit it with the hammer.
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

Gosh, the weather was hot that day! :shock:

I had a very sweaty bum on the horrid plastic saddle. I had to stop every few miles to let my bum recover. Earlier and later in the ride, the weather was less hot and I could go for hours between rests.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

PS:
I still have that steel double chainset. Square taper, 52/42 172mm.

The Chopper has a cottered single of course fitted to a Raleigh BB shell, which is longer than the standard these days. I wanted to fit a double and one of the members on here sent me that one.

I had to buy a square taper BB spindle and bought the longest I could, but it wasn't long enough.
I had it cut in half and a sleeve turned to "telescope" the shaft longer. Trial and error got the length correct using the original bearings and cups, then the shaft braised up to make a permanent solid shaft.

I gave the shaft away after returning the Chopper to original. As I said, I still have the steel double.

If anyone wants it, drop me a PM. the chainset is just hanging on a nail in the workshop.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Cowsham
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Cowsham »

Class pictures
I am here. Where are you?
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

:D :D
Read my blog if you want.
http://jogleonachopper.blogspot.com
Blogs read backwards of course, and the preamble to all of this story was/is on this forum somewhere. Different subjects about different bits are in different places and buried in different threads, sadly.

Here's a piccy of the bike when I rescued it from being threatened with the recycling dump. Near neighbour of ours had it as his son had acquired it years ago and done nothing with it and left it in the shed. Neighbour wanted to clear stuff out and offered it to me, but I didn't follow it up. Months/year or two? later, he says unless I take it, it's heading for a skip.

I was there like a shot.
The rest is history.

Yes, that's cut-up pallets for firewood! :D
PICT0099.JPG
Mick F. Cornwall
thirdcrank
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by thirdcrank »

viewtopic.php?p=102748#p102748

LEJOG on a Chopper from long ago.
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Mick F »

....... but they didn't do it.

I got in contact with the Guinness Book of Records about my ride, but they weren't interested.
It wasn't a record, just a first.
If someone does it faster than I did, it will become a record.
Mick F. Cornwall
philvantwo
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by philvantwo »

Did you notify them of your time mick f?
myCycle
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by myCycle »

Hi Mick, Photos of your Chopper certainly brought back happy memories of cycling, many years ago now though!
Mick, I was delighted to read somewhere in the forum that you had a connection with Bedford. I would be grateful if you could advise on a route.
Having recently retired, I was thinking of cycling from to LE to Bedford (or Bedford to LE), as part of an eventual, just may be, stage-by-stage LEJOG/JOGLE.
My longest ride so far has only been about 65/70miles, so this would be a challenge.
I know from your input to the forum that you have lots of cycling and route experience so any advice would be grateful received. I have tried to contact you direct.
Perhaps I should start a fresh thread. Whilst I have been reading the forum for a while, this is my first message so apologies in advance for not following protocol.
Thank you.
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