Bicycles

[wheelbender6]

I didn't realize that anybody was making 3speed coaster hubs in the 70s.
-Its a thick, heavy hub. I still have the front rim brake in case the coaster isnt strong enough.

[cheesy]

Be glad you have that front brake.
The TCW series of hubs are kind of scary. If you’re shifting adjustments are not dead nuts, you may find you do not have a rear brake. I’m not a fan of older 3 speed coaster brake hubs for that reason. The only one that I do ride is my 1950s manually shifted Bendix 2 speed and that has noticeable differences in braking between high and low gears.

If the hub is an, I think, SC3, AC3, or AWC, you’re probably okay.

[wheelbender6]

I think Gary Fisher used that type of 2 speed hub on his klunker (proto-mountain bike) in Marin County.
http://images.singletracks.com/blog/...irve_side2.jpg

[wheelbender6]

conti port.jpg

conti stbd.jpg

conti der.jpgI have been on a bit of a Schwinn-bender. Bought two 1970s Schwinns in 3 days. This youngster is a 1979 Schwinn Continental II. I like the color so I hope it will rub out nice.

[wheelbender6]

Mock up of the 3 speed coaster Continental. After getting the shifter to operate, I will pull it apart again for cleaning and rust busting.
Though it was a 15 speed drop bar bike, Schwinn literature admitted it weighed a road hugging 36lbs!
Conti cruiser.jpg

Conti Cruiser II.jpg

[wheelbender6]

So Cheesy; How do I get the shifter cable seated in the Sturmey flat shifter?
The shifter pawls are supposed to "engage" the cable when pulled through in 3rd gear position. I cannot get the pawls to engage the cable.

Is there a trick to it?
Sturmey Shifter.jpg

[cheesy]

Nice looking build. My answer to your question is, get creative or get the correct cable. The Sturmey Archer cable has a small crimped and silver soldered fitting on the shifter end of the cable and a special ferrule on the cable housing to fit the shifter. See the top of this page.
http://www.sturmey-archerheritage.co.../pic-125.3.jpg

You said earlier that you don't have a decent bike shop in your area. I have a couple of used cables laying around but Amazon does have what you need.

[wheelbender6]

Thanks Cheesy. I have the correct cable on order already. It should have arrived with the shifter but was delayed somewhere.

[cheesy]

I almost have the Gitane Mexico dialed in.


One more adjustment to the handlebar and we can call it good. But, man, am I outta shape. I should be able to spin out on that 66" gear. Hah! Maybe downhill, but I am still paying for yesterday's hot and sweaty Tweed Ride.


A lot of Sheffield Steel and American Iron on that ride.

[Darkrider]

As i mentioned in the What did ya buy thread i picked up the Red and Silver Supercycle XTI-21 on friday for $50. I picked up some basic bike tools and parts for the Supercycle on sat as well as a couple tubes for the wifes Raleigh Discovery. Also on sat i reorganized my porch into a bike work area to make use of space previously occupied by my Harley. On sat night the following was done to the three bikes.



Supercycle XTI-21 (Red/silver) : new grips,seat,kickstand and brake levers.

Raleigh Discovery (Purple) : new front tube and front brake adjustment.

Triumph Cliffhanger (Green): new rear tire and rear brake adjustment after reusing the adjuster from one of the old brake handles from the Supercycle.

Now the Triumph still needs a bit more work before its ridable but at least the list got shorter on it. Biggest things it will need is a new front fork and a seat. The front forks are seized solid on it and the seat..well not the most comfortable thing in the world. I will use the same model or similar seat to what i put on the XTI. I grabbed the wrong style pads for the XTIs rear brake when i bought parts so i will correct that later on. I will just ride it the same as i rode my old motocrossers and mountain bikes in the past. Heavy front brake application for stopping. I will probably end up fitting some beefier forks and shock to the Triumph to handle weight and be able to take more abuse. That bike i view more as a blank slate chassis to build into a proper trail basher.

[cheesy]

Knocked out 7.5 miles on the fixed gear this morning before I made myself available for phone calls. That might not sound like much, but there's no coasting on a fixed gear, nor is there downshifting to go up a hill or upshifting when going downhill. Damn near a total body workout.

Time for a nap.

[Darkrider]

Picked this up yesterday to have a newer bike to ride while working on my Supercycle XTI 21 and Triumph Cliffhanger. Didn't realize how much larger the 29" Tire bikes are compared to older 26" tire bikes. Standing it next to my wife's Raleigh Discovery makes hers look like a youth 24" tire bike lol I'll try to get a pic of the bikes together later today.





2022 Supercycle Rush 29 Dual Suspension


Took it for a test ride last night and it is def gonna be nice having full use of all the gears unlike my XTI which can only use 3 atm.



However i am going to need to go back to Canadian tire either today or tomorrow and have a discussion about their "Free Assembly"



I found the following faults on the bike once i got it home. Some of which i kind of expected from looking at it in the store such as the floppy reflector and suspected the tires were flat...


Flat tires
Incorrectly set up rear brake (Drags on the rim even at rest)
Loose rear wheel with finger tight nuts
Floppy front reflector


The wheel i found when i tried to leave the house for my inital first ride and could not figure out why the chain bound up and would not crank. Closer inspection of the wheel revealed the answer to that. Funny thing is i used to work at this exact store years ago as a teen as a way to make money for racing mountain bikes back then. Granted i raced Konas and such but still even low end bikes got decent set up and adjustment before it came out of the bay to be displayed. One thing i distinctly recall is that the rear wheels were always factory installed so assemblers didn't need to do anything with the drive train. Precisely to avoid this sort of issue.

[tpelle]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

It is indeed a beautiful saddle. Yes, good eye. My Motobecane is indeed from Bikes Direct. If a person knows a lot about bicycles, frames, components, geometry, and what his or her needs are, Bikes Direct is an excellent place to get a wonderful value on a bicycle. You also have to know how to do some basic assembly and tuning, but for a China Rider, that comes easy. Although it is a French name, that is The only part that is French. The bicycle, like most nowadays, is made in China. I guess that makes me an active China Rider! Excellent.

I was on an extended out-of-town assignment about 10 or 11 years ago out in California east of LA in the Moreno Valley area - actually on what used to be Lucille Ball's horse ranch.


Anyway, the company rented an apartment for me that was only a couple of miles from the job site, so I purchased a Bikes Direct Motobecane road bike. Steel frame. Very retro. Had frame-mounted shifters and the whole deal, but had mountain-bike gearing, to be delivered to me out there. I carried a Brooks B17 out there in my luggage because, once broken in, there IS NO more comfortable saddle. Rode it a lot in the evenings and on Sundays.






My original intent was, when I was finished with the job, that I would just find somebody to give it to out there (minus the Brooks, of course). But I liked it so well that I packed it up and shipped it back home. I rode it a lot back here, but then stopped for a while. Last summer I got it back out and tuned it up, then took it out to the multi-use trail that I had been riding on, but the black top was so frost-heaved and broken up that I put it away.


I used to ride on the side roads near my house, but the distracted drivers have gotten so bad that it has scared me off.


But the Motobecane is still out in my garage, along with my old Trek MTB and my Surly Long Haul Trucker.

[Darkrider]

Here is the entire collection including the wifes bikes.


Hers:

White beach cruiser (can't recall brand atm)
Raleigh Discovery Rigid frame



Mine:
Triumph Cliffhanger Dual Suspension 26" Tire (Green bike)

SuperCycle XTI 21 Hard Tail 26" Tire (Red and Silver)
SuperCycle Rush 29 Dual Suspension 29" Tire (Blue)









Currently looking at a SuperCycle Scrambler DS to add to the collection which is a dual suspension 27.5" Tire. This will give me a full set from 26-29" Dual Suspension Mountain bikes. I tend to lean to the "Different Tool for Different Task" sort of mentality here. The older Triumph and Supercycle XTI will be more so modified trail basher type bikes while the Rush and Scrambler will be for more demanding terrain and running about the city. Probably more so the Rush in the latter case.


The plans for the Triumph:


Single crank wheel conversion to take it to being a 7 speed

Touring saddle (same as what i have on the XTI and Rush)
New front forks
Trigger shifters in place of the grip shifters


The plans for the XTI

Trigger shifters
New front forks and front disk brake conversion.



Next project i have is bike related in the form of setting up that shed shown in the background of the pic to properly vertically store bikes for winter. This will entail of building a new false floor and putting up 2x6s with storage hooks. If i have it figured out right i should be able to store up to 3 bikes per side. I will also be finishing the assembly of a portable shed which will also see similar interior work done as well as internal walls to add a secure door.

[cheesy]

I straightened out the garage a bit before driving to Beaufort. Seriously, I can quit anytime.