SH!T BIKE REBORN! (Part One)

I was given this Montgomery Ward Open Road SH!T Bike from Mike in June/July 2010. I stripped it of all the excess and rode it around a few months. The beauty of a SH!T bike is you can take it anywhere and NOT lock it up. It's a SH!T bike! Who is going to steal it and if someone does who cares.

Later that year, Cynthia asked me to make her a bike for school commuting. I thought about giving the the Montgomery Ward Open Road but believe it or not, I was actually growing fond of it. I decided to give her another SH!T bike Meme and I put together.

My Montgomery Ward sat and then I came across ANT's Truss Bike and I fell in love with the beautiful design. The vintage look, the truss, the swept back mustache handlebars, it was all so beautiful. I decided I need a Truss Bridge Bike, but ANT's price for the frame alone was over $2,000 (EEK). I have an in with the guys at CANIDAE Racing and their Fabricator Nick Berlanga was open to helping me make my Truss Bike Dream become a reality.

ANT's inspiration came from a 1910 Iver Johnson's Truss Bike. "The most noted I-J bicycle model of this time was the truss-bridge frame –marketed as “Trust the Truss” – which featured a curved tube under the top tube to strengthen the frame for use on the rough roads of the early twentieth century." The Iver Johnson visual appeal epitomizes the true joy of cycling.

Back to my bike. Nick was more than happy to work with me on my SH!T Bike transformation. He welded the truss and cleaned up and strengthen my frame. He knocked of some of the cable guides, saved off part of the rear brake and fender bridges, then welded the rear drops outs for strength and safety. Originally the Montgomery Ward Open Road's rear dropouts were crimped on.

Above: Nick Berlanga is busy working on a CANIDAE Racing Project.

Above: Measuring, cutting and fitting the Truss Bridge to the SH!T Bike.

Above: One last measurement and fit before Nick welds the Truss Bridge to the SH!T Bike.


Above: Nice clean welds!

Above: This it it! off to G&M Powder Coating and Ornamental Iron Work to get blasted and powder coated.

To Be Continued ...