Cool Bike: Custom Schwinn Fat Bike Cruiser

Originally posted on May 9, 2018 at 1:03 am

Walk around the small ski town of Crested Butte, Colorado and it doesn’t take long before you start to notice the bikes parked everywhere. Beach cruisers, converted classic mountain bikes and homages to the klunkers of yesteryear. With all of the town’s amenities in such close quarters, it is really unnecessary to drive anywhere. The quiet streets’ silence is only broken every so often by the crunch of a rusty chain or a rattling fender. While there are plenty of handsome rigs all around Crested Butte, it was Caleb Weinberg’s 1942 Schwinn that stood out amongst the pack.

Brothers Caleb and Morgan Weinberg own and operate Romp Skis located in Crested Butte. The brothers took their passion for skiing and a hobby of building their own skis and have turned it into a career. Starting in 2010, the Weinbergs began building skis for friends to test out the materials and the process until they were confident they had a great product.

Caleb Weinberg of Romp Skis

If you are standing in the lift line on Crested Butte, look down and you will likely see Romp Skis attached to the local’s boots. While Caleb and Morgan make some top notch and great looking skis, it was Caleb’s town bike that really caught my eye.

Saint Brakes, A dead giveaway that Caleb takes his riding seriously

Caleb took a 1942 Schwinn and had a local friend and fabricator weld on a new rear triangle to accommodate fat tires. He did a little bit of fudgery with the headtube and headset to make sure he could fit a Surly Pugsley fork and wammo! The frame is bare of paint, rusting in beautiful patterns. As a mountain biker, Caleb topped off this one-of-a-kind rig with some Answer bars and Shimano Saint hydraulic brakes.

Caleb and his towny monster

The attitude in Crested Butte is infectious, a passionate mountain town that loves its snow and mountain bike trail system equally. If you are ever in town and are looking for a fresh pair of skis or some local knowledge, the crew at Romp Skis will point you in the right direction.

Rust may equal death, but it also equals some unique beauty.
A little local update on a classic frame.

Posted in Bike Culture Features Cool Bikes Crested Butte Old Bikes Refurbished Bikes Vintage Bikes


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