I recently built up the Swap Rat again. It had been torn down and stashed away in the attic. This bike gets it’s name from the frame that was given to me at one of our swap meets and it’s obviously ratty. I believe the frame to be a Rollfast. The parts I used this go around is stuff I had on hand…
- A newer fork that I had tried to match the patina of the frame the first time I built it up.
- Mismatched steel wheels, the front being painted and the rear being chrome with a Komet Super coaster brake hub.
- Aluminum, black MTB bars that I painted.
- Oury grips.
- Serfas saddle.
- The crank and sprocket probably off an old Western Flyer.
- Aluminum BMX pedals.
- Caliper front brake.
- Lee Chi branded lever.
- Pay Phone handset cable for brake housing.
What I like about this bike… The patina and it rides really well. Just by chance I think the gearing is spot on for riding I do around here.
What I don’t like… The looks of the frame. It just seems a little goofy to me. Also compared to other bikes from this era that I’m familiar with this frame is a little taller and longer. Maybe that contributes to it riding well but there’s no clearance when I straddle the bike.
So I’ll probably ride it for a while till I get bored with it or need to make room for a different build.
