internal geared hub/ drum brake question

[zombie7986]

Ive decided to try a internal geared hub with a coaster brake and have never had one before. All the ones i can find are just the hub with no wheel. I have never tried to build a wheel and not sure how hard it is to get right. If i cant i have a couple bike shops in town that could. My big question is what do i need to look at when looking for one? Ive checked online and they are like $70-way more than i would spend on a bike part.

[c.p.odom]

And a lot more than $70 by the time you have the wheel built. Parts and labor cost money.
Start looking for a used wheel but make sure you get all the shifter, cables, small parts, etc with it or you will not save much.

[zombie7986]

the other idea someone gave me was a front hub brake im wondering if thats a cheaper rout? but i think ill still have to get the wheel made

[FunkyStickman]

What kind of hub? What size rim? What kind of bike is it going on? There's plenty of options, we might be able to help you find something.

[zombie7986]

It will be on a cruiser im stretching out. right now i dont have forks (thinking springer) and am just getting into cutting the frame. I wanted to try and get the major pieces before i start welding anything. Im starting out with a cruiser frame and old mountain bike wheels (rusty). What i want is a cruiser with gears and i was thinking the flat black and red painted rims. if i have to get something new i cant bring myself to paint brand new rims if i have to build a wheel. Ive tried looking online for used stuff but havnt looked to hard.

[jwm]

I have the Shimano 8-speed w/ coaster brake on my rider. I use the simple twist grip shifter. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I'm kind of an old guy, but still, with this hub it takes a pretty formidable hill to get me out of the saddle. Downhill, it's as fast as I need to go. Someone stronger than I could easily use the smaller (faster) gear that comes with the hub. But, yes, it's an expensive hub ($200+), and it's expensive to have wheels built from scratch. You can find whole used bikes with three speeds for less money. Depends on how much you want to spend. Go to Amazon if you want a brand new hub. If you're patient you could follow a guide to lacing it yourself, and then have it trued up at a bike shop, but it's still expensive. I'm mostly a do-it-yourself kind of guy- (we all are, or we wouldn't be here) nonetheless, there are some jobs I turn over to a pro. All in all, I tend to look at it this way- sometimes it hurts your short term budget to go first cabin on a project. But once the money is spent and the project is done, you never regret having top quality components in your machine. You'll never say to yourself "I wish I would have spent less money, and built a cheaper crummier bike."

JWM

[mitchelangelo]

I would keep a lookout for a nice donor bike with the wheel, shifter and cable intact. Maybe get out for $10 to $30. You can find some 3 speeds out there with wheels that will clean up. I've picked up 2 Shimano 3 speed coaster brake bikes for cheap in the last year.

[Philphine]

I would keep a lookout for a nice donor bike with the wheel, shifter and cable intact. Maybe get out for $10 to $30. You can find some 3 speeds out there with wheels that will clean up. I've picked up 2 Shimano 3 speed coaster brake bikes for cheap in the last year.

i've found them, but they're always 26x1 3/8". i'm in the same boat as the o.p. i haven't figured out wheelbuilding so i just have hubs and unfinished projects for them.

but what i have done as a tide over, sometimes i'll go ahead and stick the skinny wheel on, and work on the cable routing and whatever else, so the bike is rideable (if kinda funny looking, or a least not the look i want). then just hope i can have a proper sized wheel built later.