Schwinn 2 speed kickback hubs

[GTV]

Right, so I've got a '63 Typhoon. Primary issue now is the front wheel has got a good bend in it, so I'm set on changing the wheels to something less enamel white and adding a set of black 26x2.35 Fat Franks. Then I got to thinking how cool a 2 speed kickback hub would be for higher speeds, so of course now is the time.
So I've been researching (corrections welcomed)... If so equipped from Schwinn, my bike would have come with a 36 hole, 3 red band kickback, that gives me a shorter gear in addition to my standard gear. There was also a 28 hole kickback with 3 blue bands, and its second gear was an overdrive. That's what I want. I'm guessing these came on Stingrays due to the 28 holes. Yellow band kickbacks came in either configuration.
To make a short story longer, I want a two speed kickback with a taller (overdrive) gear in addition to my stock gear, and the 36 holes for 26" wheels. Since the Stingray had short 20" wheels, I don't know if putting that hub on a 26" bike would be a good idea(?) It would be one tall geared mother! How can this be done??

 

[Anonymous]

Does anybody sell a 28 hole 26" rim?

Thats how it could be done to run the blue band hub.

 

[GTV]

I'm not sure, but I'm open to that as well. As long as it's strong enough. And even if it makes my gearing crazy tall, I wouldn't be afraid to change out the crank sproket for something smaller.

 

[Wildcat]

The yellow band was standard and shorter like the red band, only blue had the overdrive. Get a larger chainwheel to make the standard gear an overdrive, and the low gear closer to standard. If your drive sprocket is now 44 or 46 teeth, go to a 48 tooth or even a 52 for the faster speed, if you can pedal it. That would be much easier, but you would have to lengthen the chain.

 

[GTV]

There are 28 and 36 hole yellow bands on eBay now.

That solution sounds completely doable. It's as flat as a pancake where I live, and I like to think I've got the legs to push it anyway.

I'll give it a go. If anyone else has suggestions, or more kickback info, I'd love to hear it!

 

[B607]

I have several bikes with 2 speed kickbacks and 52T chainrings. I also live on flat ground and this combo works great. It's all you need for an old cruiser type bike.

If you want a 26" bike with overdrive all you need to do is put the guts from a blue band in a 36 hole yellow band hub shell. I've never done it but I think it would work. Gary

 

[GTV]

I was thinking about putting two together, but since I don't have any spares lying around I might as well just find a red band, and do the 52 tooth sprocket. Glad to hear someone has tried it with favourable results!
Do I have any other options for a 52t chainwheel besides the mag type Stingray one?

 

[Wildcat]

Do both, overdrive and 52 tooth sprocket, and have the tallest gear around. In my younger days, I had an unknown diamond frame bike with a SA 3 speed and a 52 tooth sprocket, geared higher than my friends 10 speed. No shifter, stuck in 3rd. Once I got moving, about 12mph, I could ride all day. In my younger days of course.

 

[Wildcat]

The chain wheels off any old 10 speed with one piece crank are the same size, and the large chain ring is usually 52 teeth.

 

[gcrank1]

The Sturmey Archer 3spd hub, according to Sheldon Brown's website, has ratios (with a46/18 gearset), of low .75, 2nd 1.0, 3rd 1.33; this correlates to 1.92:1, 2.55:1, and 3.36:1 respectively. This gave me some pointers on what I wanted to do with my sgl.spd. with a 44 CR. I knew that going to less teeth on the rear would up my speed per rotation and what it felt like at those 3spd. ratios to judge what I thought I could handle. If you make your tall gear come out about like high on the SA 3 spd it would not be too bad, and just let low gear of the 2spd. be whatever it is.
If I didnt already have a new Shimano 110 sgl.spd., rims and spokes done on this Dyno Duece I would have gone your 2spd. route for sure. I also would have put the drum brake in front.

 

[GTV]

Please explain how the gear ratios are calculated. I understand how it works with cars (transmissions and ring and pinion gears), but when I divide 46/18 I get 2.56... What am I missing?

 

[Anonymous]

I'd like to help ya but I failed math every year.

 

[Wildcat]

As if it weren't complicated enough, there's another way to get higher gearing, a taller tire. Like going from a 26 x 1.75 to 26 x 2.125 may add an inch to the total diameter of the tire, making it a higher ratio.

 

[GTV]

Right, I just ordered my 2.35 Fat Franks a couple hours ago to replace the aged 1.75's. I love how they fit on a middleweight bike.

 

[gcrank1]

Really, you have it figured; that 2.56 then is the number of times the rear completes a rev. per the chainring, so it is 2.56:1. Then, each time the rear sprocket rotates the wheel does too, so total wheel dia and rolling distance makes a difference to you pedaling; ie, a 20" wheel will be 'lower geared' than a 27", but you get the idea. For practical purposes you are dealing with the overall effect to your fractional horsepower; the relationship to one gearset compared to what you intend or propose to do.
The size (or, number of teeth) of the rear sprocket you can mount on a given hub is limited; too small a dia.(number of teeth) just does not have enough meat to have any strength or even fit, so you then have to change the chainring. After all the calc. I got out the 1971 BSA clubracer and ran through the 3spd. gears to get a feel for what I thought I could handle, 26x 1 3/8" tires on it are close enough to the 26" fat red bricks on the Duece. I am out of my prime (by a long shot) and a pleasure rider so I liked the 2nd gear on the BSA for an improvement over the Duece's 44/22 (2.0:1, which is close to the BSA 1st gear), but know that I can overspin even that on our riverpath, and 3rd would be stretching it as an only gear, so I calc'ed for a ratio between 2nd and 3rd. I think this will work well, but it was just yesterday I got the sprocket, so no road test yet. I did run into that limit on dia. and had to go with one tooth more than what I wanted, but, it is not at all bad to ere a bit on the lower geared side when doing this anyway.
BTW, Shimano 110 coaster sgl.spd. rear; sprocket was $26! ouch......

 

[Tychevelle]

intresting thread, ive pondered on doing exactly what yourlooking to do to my 67 typhoon 2 spd. keep us posted. question for ya tho you metioned possibly swapping ot the hoops because the front rim is bent but also that your replacing the 1.75 with 2.35 franks. your typhoon should have 26 x 1 3/4 not 1.75's not sure if you know or not but there not the same. the 2.35 fat franks wont ft on your schwinn s7 rims.

Ty

 

[Anonymous]

Now my head hurts from reading that ^

Yeah I'm extreeeemly bad at math.

 

[GTV]

I've got my head wrapped around the gear ratio thing now, thanks for the explanation! Luckily, math has always been my thing.
I didn't know the 1 3/4 and 1.75 were not the same, it's so misleading!

Anyway, I rode over to my LBS (Slippery Pig) the other day and picked up a pair of tubes, and my tires are at the post office, picking them up as soon as they open the doors tomorrow! For starters I'll be mounting them on some 26" Electra wheels that came off my girls old bike.

I sold my first two bikes today ($$$!), and got my kickback in the mail, it's clean! Soon as I figure out what wheels I want (thinking tubeless, and white, but have almost no clue there... Help!), I'll swap the tires over to the new wheels and kickback.

 

[gcrank1]

Update on my sprocket thing:
The high priced rear from the LBS was the wrong part (now how can that be?), a freewheel sprocket to replace a cluster, I guess, when all I needed was a plain stamped sprocket with 3 drive knubs. I found it out when I pulled mine apart. So there I stand, bike down, wrong stuff, and an hour + drive to the LBS & back. Ugh....light bulb on! My spare Raleigh rear wheel c/w 3spd hub is hanging inside; it has a 17, and it popped off and on the Duece just fine.
What a difference it makes!
Then, yesterday we take a little rode trip to the in-laws near the Elroy/Sparta Bike Trail (Wisconsin-GREAT trail) and I hit their LBS; the main man has a box 'o rear sprockets and finds me a nice 16T for $2 (yep...it is 2011 and the fellow charges me only 200 pennies, isnt God good!).
So if you wonder, a 44/17 or 44/16 is not bad gearing at all for an out of shape old guy on reasonably flat going and will make the tires sing .

 

[GTV]

Got my Fat Franks!!
But there is a problem. Both are black, but one has a thin white wall, the other is totally black. .... Will thinner (or similar solvent) remove the line? I can't believe they sent mismatched tires, this is no good. I emailed them, but I won't hear back til Monday at the earliest, and I want to ride them now!