ORBO Step-Thru Klunker
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That's about what I've done with this bike. I try to clean every part inside and out. Even got an ultrasonic cleaner to get the stuff a wire wheel and rag couldn't get.I usually strip my bikes down to almost barest pieces, clean each part up etc. What I would do for a decent wire wheel, though...
Thanks!That is a great stash you have there!
I didn't get much done yesterday aside from soaking a few more parts in the ultrasonic cleaner, and shining up the wheels with some steel wool.
Well, I'm now at the point where I'm ready to reassemble this bike, and this old Schwinn stubbornly refuses to go back together!
I got the bottom race for the fork installed, and the shim I found earlier helped keep it nice and tight. Took a lot more work than I thought it would to lay the race down flat though...
Then I got to work installing the headset, but I ran into multiple issues with that. First, I used the all-thread washer and nuts technique, which I don't really prefer but almost everyone else does. But there were some uneven gaps between the frame and bearing cups, and no amount of hitting them with a hammer or redoing the previous method seemed to make them any more level.
I tried installing the fork, and while it turns okay, it clearly has some resistance in spots. I also noticed that the small gap between the crown race and the bearing cup fluctuated ever-so-slightly as I turned the fork. It'd get a touch wider or narrower depending on the angle. I even tried replacing the crown race to see if that would work, but no luck there unfortunately.
I tried working on the bottom bracket next, thinking I might be able to at least nail that. Instead, I got even more problems. First, while I have the bottom bracket tight enough to keep from wobbling in place, it's still loose enough to spin easily. However, it does not want to keep spinning like on my other bikes. What makes it even worse is that my 1/2" sweetheart chainring, that I bought brand new from eBay 5 years ago, does not spin straight and is even a little out of round. I can replace the chainring, as infuriating as that is, but that doesn't solve the free-spinning issue.
Trying to push on despite my increasing frustration, I tried assembling the front wheel next, AND EVEN THAT somehow went wrong! Turns out the axle I chose is slightly bent, though not where it should matter, but worse yet, the dust cover for one of the axle cones was crooked. I tried fixing it with a few light taps of my hammer, but all I did was make the dust cover loose and refuse to seat right at all!
Part of me wants to try rebuilding the Komet Super coaster brake hub, if for no other reason than to see how that goes wrong, but I think what I really need to do is a break for the rest of today. I can worry about troubleshooting everything tomorrow.
If anybody has an idea of how to fix at least one of these problems, I'm all for it. That said, I understand that most everyone is down to the wire and trying to get their own bikes done just like me.
Well, I'm now at the point where I'm ready to reassemble this bike, and this old Schwinn stubbornly refuses to go back together!
I got the bottom race for the fork installed, and the shim I found earlier helped keep it nice and tight. Took a lot more work than I thought it would to lay the race down flat though...
Then I got to work installing the headset, but I ran into multiple issues with that. First, I used the all-thread washer and nuts technique, which I don't really prefer but almost everyone else does. But there were some uneven gaps between the frame and bearing cups, and no amount of hitting them with a hammer or redoing the previous method seemed to make them any more level.
I tried installing the fork, and while it turns okay, it clearly has some resistance in spots. I also noticed that the small gap between the crown race and the bearing cup fluctuated ever-so-slightly as I turned the fork. It'd get a touch wider or narrower depending on the angle. I even tried replacing the crown race to see if that would work, but no luck there unfortunately.
I tried working on the bottom bracket next, thinking I might be able to at least nail that. Instead, I got even more problems. First, while I have the bottom bracket tight enough to keep from wobbling in place, it's still loose enough to spin easily. However, it does not want to keep spinning like on my other bikes. What makes it even worse is that my 1/2" sweetheart chainring, that I bought brand new from eBay 5 years ago, does not spin straight and is even a little out of round. I can replace the chainring, as infuriating as that is, but that doesn't solve the free-spinning issue.
Trying to push on despite my increasing frustration, I tried assembling the front wheel next, AND EVEN THAT somehow went wrong! Turns out the axle I chose is slightly bent, though not where it should matter, but worse yet, the dust cover for one of the axle cones was crooked. I tried fixing it with a few light taps of my hammer, but all I did was make the dust cover loose and refuse to seat right at all!
Part of me wants to try rebuilding the Komet Super coaster brake hub, if for no other reason than to see how that goes wrong, but I think what I really need to do is a break for the rest of today. I can worry about troubleshooting everything tomorrow.
If anybody has an idea of how to fix at least one of these problems, I'm all for it. That said, I understand that most everyone is down to the wire and trying to get their own bikes done just like me.
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I wouldn’t worry about the dust caps. As long as the wheel spins fine, I don’t think it is a big deal.
You can probably bend the chainring into true. Maybe with an adjustable wrench?? Or maybe don’t worry about that either. As long as the chain doesn’t pop off.
Is it possible your fork is bent? Also the picture of the headset cup looks like something is pressed in there. Is that an illusion or is there something pressed in there. ?
You can probably bend the chainring into true. Maybe with an adjustable wrench?? Or maybe don’t worry about that either. As long as the chain doesn’t pop off.
Is it possible your fork is bent? Also the picture of the headset cup looks like something is pressed in there. Is that an illusion or is there something pressed in there. ?
Well the wheel was acting like the Energizer bunny when I gave it a test roll. It just kept going and going and going... After about a minute of it spinning with no sign of slowing down, I just stopped it manually. I'd like for the dust covers to work, since I plan to take this on dusty dirt and gravel trails, and I do not want to rebuild this hub again anytime soon.
Never done that before. I guess I could give it a go. Worst case scenario, I just have to take it off and replace it with a standard Schwinn 4-ring chainring.
I don't think the fork is bent, but I am wondering if I got the bottom race on there just right... I'm not too concerned about the fork, at least compared to the wheels and chainring, but it would be nice to get it right. Also what you're seeing in that picture is just grease. I apply a little to the outside of the bearing cups to prevent them from rusting to the frame. It just got squeezed out when I set the cups inside the frame.
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Grease! Of course! Silly me.
I find a lot of bent forks and steerer tubes on antique bikes. Sounds to me like the steerer tube is bent.
I have been pulling dust caps off with lock ring pliers. It works better than prying them off with a screwdriver. Less likely to get deformed. To re-install the dust cap I lay a 2x4 on top and tap with mallet. You have to do this with the axle removed. I guess the trick is not bending the dust cap in the first place.
I find a lot of bent forks and steerer tubes on antique bikes. Sounds to me like the steerer tube is bent.
I have been pulling dust caps off with lock ring pliers. It works better than prying them off with a screwdriver. Less likely to get deformed. To re-install the dust cap I lay a 2x4 on top and tap with mallet. You have to do this with the axle removed. I guess the trick is not bending the dust cap in the first place.
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I really hope you're wrong about that, because I want to use this fork on this bike. I'll check it out to be safe, but if the steerer tube's bent, then I'll either need a way to straighten it or I'll have to dig through my stash to find a replacement. I hope I won't have to do either, as I don't think I have the tools or the time to straighten a bent steerer tube, and replacing the fork would mean either settling for something that's a different color than the rest of the bike, or repainting it.
Well I just tapped it with a hammer to see if that'd straighten it out, but all I really did was knock it loose. I have enough decent axle cones that I could probably just swap this one out and be fine, but I may try straightening out this one once I take it off. I don't know, we'll see.
After taking a closer look at the chainring, I'm not sure I can really salvage it. It's not bent too bad, but the chaingring's center is off, meaning this thing spins more like an elipse than a circle. It's minor enough that I might be able to get away with it, but I'd rather not chance it. I've got plenty of 46t Schwinn chainrings I could throw on this bike, so odds are that at least one of them will work.
Having ridden plenty of one speed clunkers I can attest that rarely if ever are one piece chain rings and coaster brake rear sprockets able to turn a full revolution without having the chain tighten and loosen due to very small out of round issues. Your sprocket does wobble side to side a little but if it is steel you may be able to bend that back into true. However I'm also alright with using it as is so long as it doesn't drop the chain. On press fit parts I will use very thin brass shim stock to make headsets and bottom bracket bearing cups stay more firmly in the frame. If I shim I put the shim all the way round so pressure is evenly distributed on the pressed in part. If that bottom fork steering race is tilted a little then maybe the race can be ground a little at a small angle to make up for the tilt. The frame itself may need refacing to make the headset cup surfaces exactly parallel to one another. Good luck with your fitment issues.
I'll admit, that as tight as I like to make the chain on my bikes, there's always a little bit of play to it once everything's bolted down. Odds are that if I used that sweetheart chainring, it would've been fine, but I'm a major OCD perfectionist, and "good enough" is seldom good enough for me. I swapped out the chainring earlier this morning, and thankfully that one was straight and centered. No frame refacing required.
Got a couple more progress updates to share.
After I examined the chainring on Friday, the next thing I did was rebuild the Komet Super coaster brake, which thankfully wasn't difficult. However, once I started testing the hub, I couldn't help but notice some noises that didn't sound right to me. I spun the wheel a few more times, and then the hub stiffened up and got harder to spin.
Just to keep any progress going that I could, I installed the seat. I had to cut up an energy drink can to make a shim for it though, as the seat post was a little too narrow for my liking, and I didn't have any that fit better than that.
The last thing I did on Friday was disassemble the bottom bracket assembly so I could swap out the chainring the next day. It was looking less and less like I'd ever get this bike functional in time, but thankfully, my friend @billn messaged me back Friday afternoon to let me know he could come over the next day to help me sort this mess out.
After I examined the chainring on Friday, the next thing I did was rebuild the Komet Super coaster brake, which thankfully wasn't difficult. However, once I started testing the hub, I couldn't help but notice some noises that didn't sound right to me. I spun the wheel a few more times, and then the hub stiffened up and got harder to spin.
Just to keep any progress going that I could, I installed the seat. I had to cut up an energy drink can to make a shim for it though, as the seat post was a little too narrow for my liking, and I didn't have any that fit better than that.
The last thing I did on Friday was disassemble the bottom bracket assembly so I could swap out the chainring the next day. It was looking less and less like I'd ever get this bike functional in time, but thankfully, my friend @billn messaged me back Friday afternoon to let me know he could come over the next day to help me sort this mess out.
Before @billn arrived on Saturday morning, I went ahead and reassembled the bottom bracket with another Schwinn chainring. This time, there was no wobble in the chainring, and the crank spun just fine.
This was as far as I got before Bill showed up, and most of it wasn't (or at least didn't feel) assembled correctly.
Bill was a HUGE help getting this bike fixed up! Turns out I was being over-analytical in some spots, like the fork, and others just needed a little fine-tuning adjustment, like the wheels. With his help, we got this bike fully assembled and ready to ride by noon! We both took it for a little test ride around the cul-de-sac, and it was great! The coaster brake even works well!
One small adjustment that needed to be made was to replace the fork nut with one that had a narrower opening, to help keep the stem from flopping around as I rode it. Fortunately, I had the right part in stock.
One other thing I added was this bell. Bill suggested that I have one, as the gravel trails I planned to ride on weren't just for bikes, and it'd help give pedestrians a heads-up for when I was about to pass them.
I also threw on this portable tire pump I had sitting around for years. I doubt I'll really need it, but it looks good on this old klunker.
I really love the top-down view of the handlebars. It looks like the fork arms and truss rods are all coming from each bolt on the stem!
Once Bill left and I buttoned up everything on the bike, I took it to a nearby gravel trail I found just earlier this month for a proper shakedown run. (I'm still in the process of uploading the video to YouTube, so I'll post that when it's done.)
This was as far as I got before Bill showed up, and most of it wasn't (or at least didn't feel) assembled correctly.
Bill was a HUGE help getting this bike fixed up! Turns out I was being over-analytical in some spots, like the fork, and others just needed a little fine-tuning adjustment, like the wheels. With his help, we got this bike fully assembled and ready to ride by noon! We both took it for a little test ride around the cul-de-sac, and it was great! The coaster brake even works well!
One small adjustment that needed to be made was to replace the fork nut with one that had a narrower opening, to help keep the stem from flopping around as I rode it. Fortunately, I had the right part in stock.
One other thing I added was this bell. Bill suggested that I have one, as the gravel trails I planned to ride on weren't just for bikes, and it'd help give pedestrians a heads-up for when I was about to pass them.
I also threw on this portable tire pump I had sitting around for years. I doubt I'll really need it, but it looks good on this old klunker.
I really love the top-down view of the handlebars. It looks like the fork arms and truss rods are all coming from each bolt on the stem!
Once Bill left and I buttoned up everything on the bike, I took it to a nearby gravel trail I found just earlier this month for a proper shakedown run. (I'm still in the process of uploading the video to YouTube, so I'll post that when it's done.)
Yesterday's test ride video is up! You can hear me huffing and puffing before I'm even halfway done, but in my defense, that's because I had been on my feet for the better part of the last few days jamming to get this bike done.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
The important thing is that you got out there. Riding on rough terrain is harder work, you can't coast as easily when you're gassed. Don't worry, it does get easier, usually right about the time that you have to put them away again for the winter
Yeah, I may have been worn out after only going a short distance, but I'm still glad I went out and did it. I'll be sure to take this bike out again after I've had a little time to rest, and maybe then I'll do even better! The weather right now is perfect for riding, so as soon as I'm no longer sore, I'm getting back out there and riding again!
The bike turned out really well! I'm glad I could help.
Thanks Bill! I couldn't have done it without you.
Took the klunker out for a short ride around the neighborhood just a moment ago, and it feels like there's still a little troubleshooting left to do.
In less than a minute of riding, I could already tell that I was having a harder time pedaling this bike than my usual rider, Shoestring. My legs were getting sore ridiculously fast, especially my right leg, even though I hadn't even gone that far. What's weird is that this bike and Shoestring aren't really any different as far as setup goes.
Both bikes have a 46-tooth chainring and a 19-tooth sprocket. Both bikes have Komet Super coaster brake hubs. Both bikes have the seat down as low as it will go, though Shoestring's seat sits a little further back thanks to the layback seat post. Both bikes had all the internals completely rebuilt and packed full of fresh grease. And both bikes have about the same size of tires, except one is running on some regular cruiser bike tires and the other has knobbier off-road tires. And it doesn't matter if I'm riding on pavement, gravel, uphill or downhill, Shoestring just feels much easier to pedal.
Is it all because of the tires, or do I need to swap out the rear sprocket for something bigger, like a 22-tooth sprocket? Or could it be something else entirely?
In less than a minute of riding, I could already tell that I was having a harder time pedaling this bike than my usual rider, Shoestring. My legs were getting sore ridiculously fast, especially my right leg, even though I hadn't even gone that far. What's weird is that this bike and Shoestring aren't really any different as far as setup goes.
Both bikes have a 46-tooth chainring and a 19-tooth sprocket. Both bikes have Komet Super coaster brake hubs. Both bikes have the seat down as low as it will go, though Shoestring's seat sits a little further back thanks to the layback seat post. Both bikes had all the internals completely rebuilt and packed full of fresh grease. And both bikes have about the same size of tires, except one is running on some regular cruiser bike tires and the other has knobbier off-road tires. And it doesn't matter if I'm riding on pavement, gravel, uphill or downhill, Shoestring just feels much easier to pedal.
Is it all because of the tires, or do I need to swap out the rear sprocket for something bigger, like a 22-tooth sprocket? Or could it be something else entirely?
