Selecting wheels and drivetrain - Any help?

[partsguy]

Well, it appears as if I have found a part I've been trying to get for a few years now; a set of Western Flyer thumb shifters. I'm motivated once again to finish a project.

This was a decent bike when new, but technology has changed in the last 25 years. I want this Western Flyer to keep a "retro" look, and look similar to the way it did when new. The cosmetic work is all done, except for having a new a headbadge decal made. I have the deraileurs replaced, new cables and red cable housing ran, paint buffed (looks great!!), new seat, new grips.

Any who, I need to figure out what wheels, crank, and sprocket to get for this. I want aluminum rims, with quick release axles on both front and rear. I have a 6 speed cassette of good quality.

I want something better than the 1-piece steel crank that was in this before. Is there an alternative in aluminum? 3-piece crank with two-step chain ring?

What's available guys? What's good for retro fitting this?


I'd like to keep it a 12 speed.

Before:

Tear down:

Refurbished frame set, components not installed in this pic

 

[Micha.J]

Sorry, can't help but waiting for pictures when ready!

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[partsguy]

Sorry, can't help but waiting for pictures when ready!

Gesendet von meinem SM-G800F mit Tapatalk

That bike has come a long way! It was found under some barbed wire and fencing at the scrap yard. Trying to find replacement shifters with "Western Flyer" on them has taken a long time. I pretty much gave up looking until this week. I hit eBay, and there they were!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/132014425148?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[partsguy]

Anything, guys? The crank and chain ring is my biggest obstacle.

 

[Bicycle808]

If you want an aluminum crank with multiple front sprockets, the easiest thing would be to get an American-to-Euro adaptor (Truvativ makes a popular one) and whatever regular 3-piece crank you'd prefer. You'll also need a BB set; which one you choose will depend on what crank you'd like to run.

Beware: a lot of 2-ring 3-piece cranks will be for road bikes, and you may have trouble as far as the chainrings and/or crankarms clearing the stays on your fat-tire bike. A crank for a MTB would offer better clearance. Many of those have 3 rings, but it is easy enough to chainge them to 2-ring.

Here's your starting point:
http://www.treefortbikes.com/produc...7m297QCAWHPtio7eZiF6FKVawle4JSZvKZhoCPtbw_wcB
Once you get that, you can run most any crank that will fit your frame's clearances, and is compatible with a brit-threaded BB shell. Once you pick out your crank, get some advice or do some research on what BB to run; not all are compatible at the spindle, and chainline matters, even with derailer bikes.

As far as the rear sprockets go, do you actually have 6 speed cassettes, or do you have screw-on brit thread freewheels? Your choice of wheels will vary accordingly. Further, if you do in fact have 6 speed cassettes, i might advise going with freewheels instead b/c the freewheels are cheap and compatible hubs are cheap and common. 6 speed Shimano cassettes are nice, but all the UG cassettes and UG-compatible hubs are getting harder to find replacements for.

HTH
-Rob

 

[partsguy]

If you want an aluminum crank with multiple front sprockets, the easiest thing would be to get an American-to-Euro adaptor (Truvativ makes a popular one) and whatever regular 3-piece crank you'd prefer. You'll also need a BB set; which one you choose will depend on what crank you'd like to run.

Beware: a lot of 2-ring 3-piece cranks will be for road bikes, and you may have trouble as far as the chainrings and/or crankarms clearing the stays on your fat-tire bike. A crank for a MTB would offer better clearance. Many of those have 3 rings, but it is easy enough to chainge them to 2-ring.

Here's your starting point:
http://www.treefortbikes.com/produc...7m297QCAWHPtio7eZiF6FKVawle4JSZvKZhoCPtbw_wcB
Once you get that, you can run most any crank that will fit your frame's clearances, and is compatible with a brit-threaded BB shell. Once you pick out your crank, get some advice or do some research on what BB to run; not all are compatible at the spindle, and chainline matters, even with derailer bikes.

As far as the rear sprockets go, do you actually have 6 speed cassettes, or do you have screw-on brit thread freewheels? Your choice of wheels will vary accordingly. Further, if you do in fact have 6 speed cassettes, i might advise going with freewheels instead b/c the freewheels are cheap and compatible hubs are cheap and common. 6 speed Shimano cassettes are nice, but all the UG cassettes and UG-compatible hubs are getting harder to find replacements for.

HTH
-Rob

Thanks! I'll definitely go with a free wheel. I had a 6-speed cassette from a Huffy Sonic 6 but it was shot and so was the wheel it was on.

What is a "brit-threaded" crank? I'll keep this a mtn bike OR convert to a hybrid (those are fun!)

 

[Bicycle808]

Brit-threads are the most common bb threads; basically anything with a threaded BB that's not, like, an old Italian thread or (perhaps surprisingly) or Nottingham Raleigh... in the BMX world, they call it "Euro." A brit-threaded BB shell is 1&3/8" x24tpi, female... which is the same exact specs as your standard brit-thread freewheel. The vast majority of frames in the USA are built with that standard...

Whichever way you go with the build, try a mtb crank to keep the clearance up.... you're more likely to be able to fit the bigger hybrid-style gears on it with one of those....

 

[partsguy]

This is where I left it tonight [emoji4]

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