Bo11 Weevil

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Wheels are done already! Tires and tubes have to wait on payday, but I can look through all the shops tires and get the best deal. The brake arm on the Sram auto hub leaves a lot to be desired, so I'm going to try to fab one.
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Peeling the stickers off helped them a lot.

Since low gear is direct drive and second is overdrive (135%), I may have to change out the cog from 19 to 22 teeth. That should give me a low gear and a normal gear with a 44 tooth chain wheel.
 
I wasn't going to wait until June for tires, so I picked up a couple of new tires (cheap $7) to try it out. They didn't have a matching pair of tires at the other bike shop.:13:
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So one is 1.90 and the rear is 2.10. When I get better tires, I think the bigger tire is the way to go. I need to change the cog and put the chain on to go for a ride.
 
Putting the 22 cog on the rear was just right. I was spinning pretty good when second kicked in, about 10-12mph. The reviews on the Sram auto say it upshifts too soon, but by changing my ratio it changes right about when I'm pedaling fast enough. Stock, it seems to hit second before you get a good rotation of the cranks, making second harder to get going.
The bike itself seems pretty solid and rode straight. Now that it's a rider, I can ride when I want and work on the accessories at my leisure. Maybe some shiny stainless flames would look good.

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I've got some direct pull brakes in the parts pile I might go through for front brakes. Then I'm going to get some stainless tubing to make a rear rack that looks like this classic one. Maybe a front rack to match it also.
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The plan is to use 1/2 tubing and hope they can put sharp bends in them without kinking. Then I'd like to integrate a drop stand that will swing up and fit into the rear of the rack, held by a magnet. That will take a lot of engineering, so the rack will get done first.
 
The chain was making popping sounds, a check showed the 22 tooth cog is warped. I could straighten it, but it's probably apt to break under stress. So, I checked on different ratios in a "How To" thread and will put the stock 19 tooth cog back on the hub and change the 44 tooth chain wheel to a 36 tooth chain wheel. That will give me a first and second gear nearly identical to an old 3 speed hub. 50 and 66 gear inches.
 
I thought i was pedaling pretty fast when second kicked in, so I checked it and my cadence was about 70, too fast for me, I need it to shift at about 60 to be right for me. So a higher ratio is the only way. I'm not going to mess with the guts in the hub to change the shift point. I won't have that nice low gear for off road or the beach. I can get more low end torque by adding stirrups to the pedals. Like these:
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But I haven't seen stirrups in years so I may try to fabricate something. While searching for stirrups, I found a bunch of videos on how to make pedal straps. That might be the way to go.
 
Not sure what the shipping costs are to you, but I could definitely resource some toe clips and straps for you.....let me know.
 
I've tried shipping here, and gotten ripped off. Even after all the postage is paid, you must pay a "fee" which is about the same as the value of the item, or you don't get it. No receipt either, the money goes right in their pocket. There is a mail order place here called Lazada that has those straps for a decent price, no shipping charge, that I might use again. That's if the bike shop doesn't have any.

Thanks anyway!
 
I took a ride to the bakery this morning, the heat index was already in the 90's at 8am. Humid. The 1/2 mile ride wore me out, mostly from the heat. This is 44/19. I'll really need those pedal straps for some extra torque with this higher ratio. The tires pick up all the sand and throw it, so my rear rack will also have to serve as a fender.
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This build is purpliscious!
Prince would be proud.
 
I'm still amazed it came from a junk shop with paint that good on it.

That leather seat you threw in on our last deal works very well on it also.:thumbsup:


I forgot about that saddle. I bought that in Malaysia on vacation.
 

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