devenscience

Once a year, the website Rat Rod Bikes hosts a Rat Rod Build Off (RRBO), a world wide bike building competition. Bikes are built between May and August, with the builds being updated on the website, and then all of the finished bikes are voted on by the website's members. This year is the seventh build off (RRBO#7). There are rules to follow, such as no altering of the geometry of the frame (i.e., no stretching), you must paint it yourself, and several other rules that are designed to level the playing field as much as possible.

This year, a little over a hundred people finished.

I entered into the competition for the first time, with a bike I call Hood Rat, and since I've finished my build, I thought it time to post the final picks, and discuss some of the touches on the bike.


Some of the parts include a motorcycle side light as the headlight, a motorcycle horn, and an old car hood ornament.



Others are a motorcycle taillight, tank pouch as a side bag, an altered kickstand, and custom made handlebars with large motorcycle grips.



There is also a faux-tank with real Cadillac DeVille emblems on it, an old rat trap springer front end flipped forward, and brass straps holding everything in place.



Driving this bike is a 1970's Schwinn Exerciser huge 65 tooth front sprocket, with its crank and pedals, and in the rear is a Bendix two-speed kickback hub laced into 26" rims, and rust colored Grand Tycoon tires.


There's more, such as the bent seat post that I made, the naked rat seat, the metallic black/rust paint scheme, and lots of other small touches.