Mystery solved! Sort of....
Hey, guess what! I was just browsing Rollfast stuff on ebay and came across this bike. This is what my bike probably looked like (more or less) once upon a time. And you know what? My fork IS the original Rollfast fork! Here's where I went seriously wrong: because the bike had 26" wheels on it when I bought it, I assumed that was the proper size. Actually, it should have 24" wheels. It all makes sense now! I'm working with a stripped down version of what was once a fancy girl's bike, rather than a woman's.
Regardless, my bike will be pretty darned pretty when I'm done, and I will ride it with pride! It will probably look more like a Schwinn than a Rollfast with the spring fork, but it's a crazy custom job, right? And I need the 26" wheels so the bike will be big enough for my height. It's all going to work out in the end.
Now I know what to look for in a vintage girl's bike frame, size-wise. Never trust the wheel size alone! Live and learn! Please disregard all my past theories. :)
Case closed.
PS I should add that trying to research anything about vintage cruisers is a crapshoot at best. If I seem to be floundering, it's because there really aren't many books about vintage bikes other than picture books. I can't even find a book about basic bicycle repair that touches on one-speeds! It's too bad I'm not into multi-speed bikes, there seems to be a ton of information on those.
Regardless, my bike will be pretty darned pretty when I'm done, and I will ride it with pride! It will probably look more like a Schwinn than a Rollfast with the spring fork, but it's a crazy custom job, right? And I need the 26" wheels so the bike will be big enough for my height. It's all going to work out in the end.
Now I know what to look for in a vintage girl's bike frame, size-wise. Never trust the wheel size alone! Live and learn! Please disregard all my past theories. :)
Case closed.
PS I should add that trying to research anything about vintage cruisers is a crapshoot at best. If I seem to be floundering, it's because there really aren't many books about vintage bikes other than picture books. I can't even find a book about basic bicycle repair that touches on one-speeds! It's too bad I'm not into multi-speed bikes, there seems to be a ton of information on those.
