Good morning

[CaddmannQ]

By the way, good morning Mossberg Owners!

I think the results above show how the contest will shake out, but the voting is not over until Saturday. Things are likely to change.

This was my other entry in the muscle bike class, and it currently sits at third from last.



I actually entered this one just to make sure that the other one wouldn’t end up in last place. These things are very much a popularity contest, and I am a newbie at ratrod bikes, Having only joint last summer.

This is my entry in the skinny class. There are some ties and things may change by Saturday but right now it’s tied at 11 of 17.

 

[meanstreak]

Good morning everyone. Man, here we are halfway through January already. We were at 36 this morning, headed for mid 60s again. I am liking this weather a lot. Not as warm tomorrow, 50s, and hopefully some rain in the morning. We are pretty dry .

I have a couple of errands this morning. Dog supplies and groceries. Hopefully I'll get to Academy this afternoon to look around a bit, then the dog park.

You all have a great day...

 

[CaddmannQ]

I actually entered this one just to make sure that the other one wouldn’t end up in last place.

I didn’t explain how this could work because I didn’t explain the voting procedure. Anybody that belongs to the club (forum, site, whatever…) can vote, whether they had a bike entered in the contest or not.

You can vote for as many bikes as you want in each category and you can vote for yourself. To ensure that “AL-U-Mini” wouldn’t wind up in last place, I had to vote for it, and not vote for my “Leftover Bits” build.

It’s possible that the Leftover Bits could have garnered more votes, but I thought it extremely unlikely.

Personally, I think it’s a Wacky system that lets people vote for all their friends whether they had a nice bike or not.

But the bottom line is there’s no cash prize so it’s not a big deal. It’s a hobby & I pour money into it for fun.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Here are the bikes mine beat, (so far…)














This stuff is hard to judge because if I beat these 7 of 19 that puts me #12, but there are multiple ties. Somehow it makes me #7.

 

[Bobster]

Here are the bikes mine beat, (so far…)

This stuff is hard to judge because if I beat these 7 of 19 that puts me #12, but there are multiple ties. Somehow it makes me #7.

By the looks of the pics (ie: snow), this is not an "in person" event? Some present like they had a photo shoot done with Pshop and so on... There appears to be some stiff competition for you but some look to be like something I see on the curb on trash day...

 

[CaddmannQ]

By the looks of the pics (ie: snow), this is not an "in person" event? Some present like they had a photo shoot done with Pshop and so on... There appears to be some stiff competition for you but some look to be like something I see on the curb on trash day...

How it works is that any member can start a contest build, and you have to keep your progress photos and written journal online as you build the bike. Everybody can look at that stuff as they will.

Then on the week of voting, you have to upload your final photos and then pick one photograph of your bike to be judged.

If you’re trying to make a judgment based on the amount of effort expended or the amount of glory achieved, well most of that is overshadowed by the popularity contest and preference for certain styles.

To make a judgment we have to go back to everyone’s builds, read and see what they started with to figure out how good a job they did. But ultimately it’s all irrelevant because only that one final image matters to anyone who hasn’t seen your thread.

 

[CaddmannQ]

… some look to be like something I see on the curb on trash day...

You have to remember that the name of that forum is Rat Rod Bikes. A certain amount of rattiness is considered fashionable and sometimes total grunge can be considered a winner, so it’s all very bizarro-world in that respect.

Some people started with very rare and untouchable bicycles/parts. Things that they had been trading and collecting as a hobbyist for years.

Also I spent $600. A lot less was spent on some of those bikes. More on others. Some were painted with brush splatter in somebody’s basement, and some were professionally sprayed by an expensive custom painter.

Some guys started with brand-new chrome plated frames. I started with something from a junk pile.

Some of these people have virtually no tools and they’re working under scruffy circumstances. Some of them own professional bicycle shops and build dozens of bicycles a year.

There’s a lot of kiddies and young adults on the forum of course, and the important thing is that the old guys there, like me, all appreciate the kind of work that goes into these things (whether they win a popularity contest or not.)

We had entrants from the United States, Canada, France, UK, Germany, Poland Australia, the Philippines, and Belgium, I believe. Man, it looks pretty tough getting bicycle parts in Poland. They’re building with leftover Soviet era commuter bikes and such.

The Polish guy was working on a Ukrainian bicycle last time I looked. You don’t see that stuff around here.

France is like the bicycle ganglion of the whole world, so anything is possible there. Strangely, the French guy dropped out. Lotta problems over there right now I guess.

 

[Scoop]

Fantastic! Of course I'd vote for yours [popularity contest, right?!]

But of the pix you showed I like the Wheelie Bar and the Pontiac.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Here are some photos of that bike that have not been photo shopped. It was pretty popular but I thought it would do better.

 

[CaddmannQ]

So this is where it gets more complicated. That bike and the bike with the huge handlebars and the quilted white seat are both considered pig bikes, which is a subset of muscle bikes.

But not every pig bike is a muscle bike so there are even more complicated rules.

Mine is considered of the subset choppers, and because it’s not painted it’s a rat rod chopper.

 

[Scoop]

@CaddmannQ
I want to compete. Which category would this fit in? I just started it.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Every category requires pedals and wheels! I didn’t make those rules so don’t get pissed off..

 

[CaddmannQ]

My votes have doubled, from 3 to 6, and there are still 6 days left to vote. I am in a tie for 6th now, with this bike.

 

[Scoop]

Every category requires pedals and wheels! I didn’t make those rules so don’t get pissed off..

Pedals and wheels! Who would've thought?
I'm still in the blueprint and imagination stage. How long do I have to enter next year? I'm getting close.

Is there a class for this? Like " SCOOPer Pooper?"

 

[Bobster]

I picked this one up in a tornado sale--think it has potential?

 

[CaddmannQ]

Pedals and wheels! Who would've thought?
I'm still in the blueprint and imagination stage. How long do I have to enter next year? I'm getting close.
View attachment 28777
Is there a class for this? Like " SCOOPer Pooper?"

There are now three build off per year, and the next one starts May 1st. But I warn you that toilet trikes have already been done. I have never seen a toilet bicycle though.

You better have a sturdy kickstand because you only get one mistake with that bike.

 

[CaddmannQ]

I picked this one up in a tornado sale--think it has potential?

View attachment 28778

That is an extremely classic and desirable bike with mechanical linkage brakes.

As for myself, I owned a tornado. The Schwinn Tornado Deluxe with big wire paper boy baskets.

As an eight-year-old kid, I thought that it was brand-new, but I got it in ‘63 and it turns out they only made that bike in ‘59, ‘60 and ‘61. It was lovely red with white trim and white wheels with red pinstripes.

That was the only bike I had between the age of 7 and 17. I sold it for $10 after I graduated high school. Brand-new, that bike would have sold for $39+ in 1960, So I figure Dad paid about $20 for it at the Luke AFB thrift shop.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Good morning Mossberg Owners.

I spent most of yesterday cleaning out my garage. It’s not 100% clean yet, but it’s much better. There was a small bucket of metal chips and carborundum dust on the floor and bench.

The weather has cleared up nicely here and so today I’m going to get to ride my bicycle and change the oil on the truck.

Soon I should be able to start work on the Jaguar again.

 

[John A.]

Good morning all.

More rain headed our way today. We had some strong winds and rain yesterday morning. Back yard is saturated and has puddles laying in it where there usually aren't any.

Also got our electric bill following the big winter storm we went through. My bill wasn't as bad as I expected, though still plenty high enough. I probably saved a few dollars by running a kerosene heater during the day. But the bill was $285.

I was expecting ~$350, all things considered. It was below zero for 3 straight days and barely topped 15*F for several days afterwards.

I do think using the auxillary heat helped. Plus, we also cooked on top of the kerosene heater too. Had some nice stew and with a couple dishes of leftovers. Only time she used the oven was to make the cornbread for it.

 

[Rodburner]

Good morning all.

More rain headed our way today. We had some strong winds and rain yesterday morning. Back yard is saturated and has puddles laying in it where there usually aren't any.

Also got our electric bill following the big winter storm we went through. My bill wasn't as bad as I expected, though still plenty high enough. I probably saved a few dollars by running a kerosene heater during the day. But the bill was $285.

I was expecting ~$350, all things considered. It was below zero for 3 straight days and barely topped 15*F for several days afterwards.

I do think using the auxillary heat helped. Plus, we also cooked on top of the kerosene heater too. Had some nice stew and with a couple dishes of leftovers. Only time she used the oven was to make the cornbread for it.

I’m on the budget plan up here, have been for several years. We had an unusually cold stretch in Nov/Dec, but it wasn’t enough to alter the budget payment for 2023. I have a gas water heater that runs about $18/mo, but an all electric house otherwise. The monthly payment is $235, but that covers electric, city water, sewer, storm drainage, bus and garbage. I try to keep the place about 70F, but use my electric blanket in the living room while watching tv. Keeps me from taking hot showers just to warm my feet…lol