Alecs Grifter

[alecw35]

Ive had 5 or so Grifters over the years. First one I found in a hedge in the middle of no where. I bought a XL in rather good condition for £1 at a local auction. Sold it 2 weeks later for 20 times that.
I did have a Grifter that I modded. got a extended seat tube welded in. had Wildcat forks and alloy wheels.
But like all my stuff. It was got rid of a year or so ago.

I went upto the scrap yard in town. I had been there last week. but they were shutting as I got there. I had seen a blue/white Mustang on the pile, thru the fence. So I went to look at it. Its a 24" wheeled bike. too small. It was sitting beside a Wildcat. So I took the mags off that. I was walking round another pile of stuff. trying not to fall in the puddles. I seen a 20" front wheel with a supergrip tyre on it. I looked up at the top of the pile, a Blue Grifter frame. I left the front wheel as its rusty. fitted the wildcat mags to the grifter. I also got a pair of Kenda kikzumbut :/ smoothish bmx tyres, a MTB rear wheel and a rear mech and hanger. 17kg for £7.
The Grifter is in straight from the shed/rough condition. Its got no expander bolt, stems just loose in forks. theres no bar pad, no guards, no twistgrip. Theres red alloy bmx levers with red cables to the chrome brake calipers. The crank arms are at different angles. cotterpinitis. The seat tubes rusty at the bb. I think the seat pins rusted in.
I had biked into town on my Apollo FS26 that I had found in the woods and had put in Lost property. I got it back after 3 months. was in december, so I call it my xmas bike.

I had the problem of getting 2 bikes home. I have "quad biked" home before. IE riding one bike and holding the bars of the other. But the grifter wouldnt steer, as no expander bolt.
I was going to walk the ten miles home. but then remembered the train. It was only 30 minutes wait at the station. not a 3 hour walk.
Its not raining today. so will go out and take pics of the Grifter

[alecw35]

Its hot out today. If I had known how hot, I wouldnt of stayed in sorting the Grifter.
I spread the forks so it can accept the modern wider hub. I pumped up the tyres that are on the mags. lots of bubbles come from the rear tyre.


the rear cog hits the frame. I think the wheel spacers have been put on the non drive side.

theyve chopped off the side stand. but left the lump on the frame. will cut it off. I know I can replace the stand. but Ive got a bolt on one allready

I put a pair of single speed alloys on it. the cog has clearance from the frame. I cleaned up the chain. But theres still tight/bent links. Plus its a bit short. So will change it.
I got the chewed up R nut to turn on the seat clamp. I had oiled round there. the seat posts not seized in the frame. moves relatively easily. I noticed the brakes are badly set up. the levers are upside down. the rear brake spring is below the brake arms. the bush thing it sits in is the wrong way up. the front cable adjuster is upside down too.
It doesnt have any headset bearings in there. I looked at it and theres half an inch of threads on uncovered on the fork steerer. I looked at the frame. the lower end of the headstocks flared out and the lower bearing cup is higher in the frame than it should be. I dont know if I can fix that. I dont have a workshop to hammer it in. Im working in the kitchen, or outside. I dont want to annoy the neighbours.

[mushroom]

Ged fitted some of those bernardi mags to a grifter, I think you need a 13mm spacer each side to make everything clear

[4737carling]

Ive got mags from a wildcat on my rudy grifter and they work fine.