still very much a work in progress
'64 Schwinn Hornet Strandie
- Thread starter ParkRNDL
- Start date
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To be honest, I have no idea. They have been kicking around here for a while. I really like the general shape of them, but they are really low quality, like I wondered if they are off an exercise bike or something. The diameter of the knurled section is a hair small, so they wobble a little in the stem when the bolt is loose, and you have to crank it way down down past where you think it should be to get it tight. I was thinking I'd replace them with something similar looking but better quality when/if i found something, or at least shim them to make them a better fit.
Looks clean, I really dig it.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
A strandie needs something WIIIIIDE!
So I've been fighting with the Shimano 3CC 3-speed coaster on this thing. Then I saw where a friend put a Nexus 8-speed on his Electra. And at a bike event, I rode an amazing custom with a Nexus 3-speed coaster. So I got to thinking about Nexus hubs... and then this popped up on CL.
The guy who sold it to me said it was his daughter's, and that she barely rode it, which appears to be true. It's dusty and scuffed from being stored in a barn, but the tires have no wear. I got it for about what I would have paid for just the hub kit brand new... so the wheels, tires, and shifter are just gravy, not to mention the seat and grips.
I took it around the block once or twice, and it was so nice and smooth, I almost felt guilty taking it apart.
Almost. For about five minutes.
By the time I got it together and adjusted and took it around the block, it was dark, so the garage door shots will have to wait till tomorrow. But I have a couple preliminary shots here, and I gotta say the hub shifts and brakes slicker than gopher snot.
I like bikes geared low, but with a 32t front, the Trek was really low even for me. I think I'm gonna replace the 46t cloverleaf with a 36t Lucky 7, which will be higher than what the Trek had, but still nice low pleasure cruise gearing.
Edit: just took another lap around the block. Maybe I don't need to go that low... maybe just go from 18t to 20t on the hub...
The guy who sold it to me said it was his daughter's, and that she barely rode it, which appears to be true. It's dusty and scuffed from being stored in a barn, but the tires have no wear. I got it for about what I would have paid for just the hub kit brand new... so the wheels, tires, and shifter are just gravy, not to mention the seat and grips.
I took it around the block once or twice, and it was so nice and smooth, I almost felt guilty taking it apart.
Almost. For about five minutes.
By the time I got it together and adjusted and took it around the block, it was dark, so the garage door shots will have to wait till tomorrow. But I have a couple preliminary shots here, and I gotta say the hub shifts and brakes slicker than gopher snot.
I like bikes geared low, but with a 32t front, the Trek was really low even for me. I think I'm gonna replace the 46t cloverleaf with a 36t Lucky 7, which will be higher than what the Trek had, but still nice low pleasure cruise gearing.
Edit: just took another lap around the block. Maybe I don't need to go that low... maybe just go from 18t to 20t on the hub...
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I did the same thing with a used bike off of craigslist. Older than yours but the Nexus wheels were nice and straight. I put the leftover stuff (one speed) on the girl's donor bike and sold it to get more parts. I added a crank conversion and a 42 tooth chain wheel, gave it a nice low gear.
I might find a wheelset to put on the Trek and sell it. The only problem is it has that 32t crank gear...
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
How are those Bontragers rolling? That's a nice looking tire.
I like them a lot. They are rated at 55 psi, and I bump the rear up to 60 to compensate for last Thanksgiving's weight that I still haven't taken off.
They feel a lot better than the old 45 psi Schwinn cruiser knockoffs that were on it; definitely much less draggy. 
That doesn't matter. A lot of cruiser bikes are geared low for easy riding.
Most people that ride bikes like that have no desire to go fast.
