Author Topic: My 24â€ S&M Challenger â€“ History and facelift (Read 6470 times)

SaMAlex · « **on:** July 21, 2008, 10:41 PM »

I have had this 24â€ Challenger since 1997. I picked it up from S&M because I wanted a bike to ride around on, into town or out to the pub or whatever. It was chrome but I got it painted black at S&M, along with the forks a challenger bars. At first I built it up with gears. I thought that Id need a few (just 5 I think) but I soon found out that single speed was fine for what I was using it for, and a flapping derailleur was horrid. I changed it to single speed, which was much better, but it was still a bit of a blob of a bike. Fine for A-to-B but not really much else. Recently I have given it a bit of a face lift. I still want to use it to get around on and lock it up in town, so I didnâ€™t want to repaint it or have it looking too good. I did want it to look a bit New School, and also be race/trails ready if I ever wanted to give it a go.

Here is a bit of a photo history of it, and some pics of how it now looks today.

These are the only pics I have got of it as I first built it up (A mate worked for an MTB magazine and he was doing an article on street riding, so I used my 2-4.). Brand new frame, forks and bars with a first shape redneck clamp on stem. I used parts I had kicking round. Some Ukai wheels that I took of a mates CW that he had just folded in half, some Prince Albert cranks that came of my 20" bike, and the gears. I forced a 5 or 6 speed block in the frame and managed to get the gear changer on there. Check out the skateboard wheel and hinged DC seat clamp to hold the chain on the chainring.

Then I changed things round a little. I changed it to single speed (much better) and used a small freewheel and a flatland chainring (that looked tiny at the time!). I also changed to a higher Challenger stem and put a better V brake on it. You can see the lights and big seat on a QR seatclamp, cos it was mainly used for getting around on.

I even tried using it for getting the kids around in, but it totally didnt work. When you pedaled round your legs hit the child seat.

And now, at long last, it looks a bit more like it should. Very close to a 24" race bike. I have put the redneck stem back on, and put on some new wheels (that dont have hubs that rattle like mad). I chose to use ally rims over chrome cos I want them to work in the wet. I put some nice big Primo cranks and a small BSD chainring to give a New School feel. Ive also put a thin race seat on, which might be changed for a fat one if I dont get on with it. I also need to sort out some decals, but there is no real hurry there.

I cant see me ever actually getting round to taking this bike racing or to the trails but at least I now could. It will also be much nicer to ride around on, and after the last few months when it hasnt even been build up, I cant wait to take it for a spin!

RyanPartridge · « **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:26 AM »

Awsome cruiser!

baldbmxer · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2008, 07:58 AM »

Yep i agree - awesome cruiser.

Loving those pics of it getting a workout in its MTB street get up!

Stodgy · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2008, 08:05 AM »

Nice one Al - great history.

kev-s · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2008, 03:38 PM »

cool, looks good

Zippy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 22, 2008, 03:44 PM »

Alex, how big are your feet?

generallee · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2008, 05:26 PM »

superb - nice to see my post and clamp put to good use!

SaMAlex · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2008, 06:58 PM »

Quote from: Zippy on July 22, 2008, 03:44 PM

Alex, how big are your feet?

What do you mean, cos they hit the kids seat, or that they look big thanks to the horris Pumas Ive got on in the mag scans?

nosepickben · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2008, 08:28 PM »

I nearly wept when i saw the poor girl wearing a derailleur, she's one to be proud of now tho. Bet it's great for skids.....

SaMAlex · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2008, 08:33 PM »

Quote from: nosepickben on July 22, 2008, 08:28 PM

I nearly wept when i saw the poor girl wearing a derailleur, she's one to be proud of now tho. Bet it's great for skids.....

It was a bad idea to put gears on it. What can I say

This is where your 13t freewheel lives now so Im glad you like it. Thanks again for that

Steve P · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2008, 08:55 PM »

Nice 24 Alex

I noticed the cross 1 spoke pattern on the front wheel too

What did you do with the Ukai .. I'd be very interested if you want to sell them

Steve

SaMAlex · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2008, 09:01 PM »

Quote from: Steve P on July 22, 2008, 08:55 PM

Nice 24 Alex I noticed the cross 1 spoke pattern on the front wheel too
What did you do with the Ukai .. I'd be very interested if you want to sell them

The wheelset belong to a mate. Like i said, he had just folded his CW in half when I started to build this so I used his wheels to save me building some (even tho I got some rims at the same time as the frame). I think its about time I gave them back to him. I might even encorage him to fix his CW as well.

magna13 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2008, 09:17 PM »

that is a pretty awesome cruiser

Miko · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2008, 07:59 PM »

That thing is pretty gangster. You can be a wall-riding thief in the night with that. Nice history.

QUADROPHENIA · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2008, 08:09 PM »

ZZZZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

SaMAlex · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2008, 08:13 PM »

I finally got to take this bike for a spin today. I went for a cycle ride in the park with my sons (happy days!).

The bike felt great, really nice and solid. I might change the seat for a fat one (maybe even put the thin one on my NS bike!). The chain drive was really nice, so much better than my NS bike. I dont know if its the Primo cranks, the non rattly pedals, a new chain, or the biggest thing; a freewheel instead of a cassette! My odyssey cassette sucks ballls and it was so nice to never have a click or slip when I pedaled away. The brake was crap. I need to give it some more lubing and probably change the blocks, but the lever and the action all felt good.

Just gotta work out some nice decals for it.

Lukeee · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2008, 08:15 AM »

Cool history alex.

That gurn you've got going in the first picture made me laugh though.

SaMAlex · « **Reply #17 on:** September 29, 2008, 03:07 PM »

OK, I have finally got round to puting the decals on this, here are a few snaps.

The forks and seat tube are original, the headtube and downtube are new (Thanks Del

).
All finished now.

baldbmxer · « **Reply #18 on:** September 29, 2008, 03:24 PM »

Nice decals, Del never fails to deliver.

Might have to get me some of those for my 38

nic968 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 01, 2008, 01:16 PM »

Great bit of history there Alex...It's looking it's best now I reckon..

SaMAlex · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2012, 01:36 PM »

(Thread Bumped for Leatherman)
This is awesome Alex,
What seatguts on there?
What gear ratio is it?

The seat post is made by "ultimate hardware" or something. It was black, micro adjust, and fitted the frame, so it went on

(And I agree, the guts are very tidy on it)

I forget the gear ratio but it was the biggest chainring BSD made. Maybe 30t?