Chains

[todhunter]

First off, I'm a total newb to bikes, so up-front apologies for my ignorance.

I'm going through and restoring an original Swingbike. It currently has a 40t chain ring, but I am planning to put a new Schwinn Lucky 7 chain ring on it (36t). I understand that I will probably need a new, shorter chain. Any good method to determine how long of a chain I need?

Another important question is chain width? How do I know if I need 1/8" or 3/32"? This will be a one-speed Swingbike.

Thanks.

 

[uneasy rider]

when you put the smaller chainring on, fit the original chain and see how many links too many it has. you can then with a chain breaker tool remove the necessary amount, or do the same with a new chain.

 

[ODDER]

Fixie swing?!?!?
Both styles of bike seem like it would take getting used to but together! WILD

For the record I've never ridden either but want to give it a go sometime.

 

[user 135]

Fixie swing bike seems like there may be a high injury factor.

 

[todhunter]

I am probably using the wrong terminology. One-speed swingbike, haha.

 

[user 135]

That sounds much better.

You will use a 1/8" chain for a coaster brake bike/single speed bike. The 3/32" chain won't fit on a coasterbrake hub or on a chainwheel from a one-piece crank.

 

[ODDER]

I am probably using the wrong terminology. One-speed swingbike, haha.

I'd ride that.

 

[todhunter]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll look at having the existing chain shortened, and if not, I'll pick up a 1/8" chain.

 

[Bicycle808]

4 less teeth = 2 links, or one set of inner/outers. So, if your chain is good, just use a cain tool to take out 2 links. If your chain is worn, get a new one.

For the record, many cb sprockets and opc chainwheels will take 3/32" chain. Most will require 1/8", but exceptions are extremely common. A real Schwinn lucky7 will need 1/8".

 

[mikeeebikey]

Fixie means fixed gear whether it be free wheel or coaster brake.
track bike mean suicide hub.
thank you please return to your original thread.

 

[Bicycle808]

Fixie means fixed gear whether it be free wheel or coaster brake.
track bike mean suicide hub.
thank you please return to your original thread.

Naw.

"Suicide hub"= freewheel hub with a track "cog" screwed on, sometimes with blue loctite, but no lockring available--- hence, danger of the rear sprocket unthreading and messing your life up. That's where the "suicide" comes in.

"Fixed gear" is not ever gonna be a freewheel or a coaster brake--- fixed means that if the wheel is spinning, the cranks are spinning. "Track bikes" are required to be fixed gear, but many bikes run a fixed gear drivetrain without ever being used on-- or designed for-- a track. And, fwiw, any real velodrome would probably kick you out if you showed up with a suicide hub set-up. (Brakes not allowed, either...)

A bike with only one rear sprocket and no internal planetary gears is a "singlespeed" (ok, sure, so long as there's no planetaries or multi-sprockets at the crank), and these come in many flavors: freewheel, cassette, coaster brake, fixed gear, and free-coaster. So, yeah, basically every set-up discussed on this thread is a singlespeed, but just being singlespeed does not make it "fixed".

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love swingbikes! Just don't get too confident too fast...
Ouch!

Luke.