Unofficial March Shootout 3

[Wildcat]

Halfway through the month!
I used a spring off a kickstand and used a brass bell for the mounting. I switched to a larger cog for more leverage but it didn't matter. The brake works but coasters are made for foot power, you'll never stop in time with this brake.

 

[Couch tater]

Halfway through the month!
I used a spring off a kickstand and used a brass bell for the mounting. I switched to a larger cog for more leverage but it didn't matter. The brake works but coasters are made for foot power, you'll never stop in time with this brake.
View attachment 152739

Interesting concept. I would think that mounting the pivot closer to the axle would give you the mechanical advantage to engage the brake but at the same time it would increase the lever throw too much.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@handyandy1100 the wheelbarrow has sweet mags, they'd look cool on a fat trike build!
@Wildcat that brake is bonkers! I think the idea is so cool, you should keep it regardless of how well it functions.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I realized the easiest way to get rid of the green was toss the frame...
Time to rebuild my first build here, Headbanger.

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

The biggest issue those old OCC Choppers had was the small back tire, especially if you have a single speed coaster. No way you're cruising it on the streets of Chicago all day. So with the rear wheel set from Sluggo I should have a much better cruiser.

Note that Headbanger is a full suspension front clip grafted onto an OCC rear clip...

I have modified an OCC rear to take a 26 x 4 wheel before. See the back of Muscle Spasm...

So halfway through March and I'm starting over! Woohoo!

Carl.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

This just got interesting. Now it's a Carl build!

 

[us56456712]

Vintage track bicycle seat braces are almost impossible to find. I bought one from England 3 years ago and it was $97. It’s the only one I have ever seen for sale. As you can see the track bike I’m working on originally had one but it’s long gone. I made one.

I used a model airplane turnbuckle I got from an English hobby shop the ones available from the USA are too small. I have the small one in the photo. The attachment at the seat nose is a coaster brake band and the one for the bike top tube is from a vintage water bottle cage mount. The holes in the model turnbuckle are small but stainless spoke nipples and stainless spokes were used as nuts and bolts. It will look almost identical to the real one I bought.

Here is the real one.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

View attachment 152782

A nice mod my fat butt could use on a couple seats that I can tighten enough to break a bolt but never quite enough to keep from shifting...

Carl.

 

[handyandy1100]

The biggest issue those old OCC Choppers had was the small back tire, especially if you have a single speed coaster. No way you're cruising it on the streets of Chicago all day. So with the rear wheel set from Sluggo I should have a much better cruiser.
View attachment 152770
Note that Headbanger is a full suspension front clip grafted onto an OCC rear clip...
View attachment 152771
I have modified an OCC rear to take a 26 x 4 wheel before. See the back of Muscle Spasm...
View attachment 152772
So halfway through March and I'm starting over! Woohoo!

Carl.

Carl has finally gotten out of 2nd gear! and went straight into Overdrive!!!!

 

[handyandy1100]

@handyandy1100 the wheelbarrow has sweet mags, they'd look cool on a fat trike build!
@Wildcat that brake is bonkers! I think the idea is so cool, you should keep it regardless of how well it functions.

Yeah, but try to explain that to my wife! LOL

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Wildcat]

I'm keeping the front brake for sure. I had given a foot pedal some thought, but there still wouldn't be enough leverage to have it as good as the rear brake and there would be more chance of my contraption winding up in the spokes at speed.

 

[horsefarmer]

Found a chrome chainguard that looks awesome with the chrome fenders. Even says "Three speed".

Just needed a little off the top...

Some vintage reflectors getting jb weld reinforcement.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

JB Weld holds a couple sets of my stretched handlebars together. It's good stuff.
Got sidetracked for a moment...

Piecing together a rig for future jamnights, most of it is a Chad Smith Pearl set.

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I eventually came back to Headbanger with the intention of putting the front end together. But I'm missing some pieces. Specifically, the blocks that bolt the handlebars on...

But I did make some progress. It's not as long as Muscle Spasm or Harlequin, but it will likely be over 8' total.

Handlebars, Derailleur and brakes...
That's a punch list alright. Oh! And stretch the stays!

GC.

 

[Wildcat]

I thought I had a great idea, having reverse gear by flipping the front wheel. It would work in a ratcheting way with the handle. However, the hub would be rolling backwards. If there is any forward motion on the cog, then the gear would engage and flip the bike over if something didn't give out first. A freewheel hub would work. I had forgotten a coaster hub has that drawback. So I sat and looked at it hoping for another idea.
I added the extra chain wheel from another cottered crank that I cut up and wondered how it might match up to the rear in gear ratios. It was an idea I've had for awhile, 2 speeds shifting manually with the same chain. I used a couple of calculator pages on the web for sprocket sizes and gear indexes.
It works!
The chainwheels are 40 and 44 teeth. The cogs are 18 and 22 teeth. 40/22 and 44/18 use the same exact length chain. Here's my math homework:

So my low gear will be 47 gear inches and high will be 63 gear inches. 63 is about normal , 47 is pretty low, for offroad. Here's low and high:

The gear change requires swapping the wheels, moving the chain to the opposite chain wheel, and adjusting the bell position (spring tension) on the front fork. You would need a 15mm wrench and a phillips screwdriver.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

hey @Wildcat I have seen the front brake coaster done before as a hand grip, similar to the old rod brake system. (and the stationary end was spring loaded, if I remember correct) This allows your hands to stay on the bars as opposed to pulling a lever. (and upon release the spring would pull the chain back) Now I'm sure the lever works well, but it is a front brake with only one hand on the bars... just a footnote your build is looking good.

Carl.

 

[Couch tater]

Drop shippers make me want to shoot lightning bolts out of my eyes like a large angry lizard about to attack Tokyo. After twelve days of waiting my shift pin finally arrived. So, tonight I installed the pin, bell crank, cut and fit the cable and ran through all the adjustments. And took it for a ride. It was inside a large industrial building because the weather is pretty March like, but it was a ride nonetheless. Smooth........ nice riding bike. This upcoming weekends weather looks good to get it outside for a good shakedown. After that I'll run through adjustments again and check the wheel truing one more time and call it done. And maybe haul some home appliances with it, it is a U-Haul after all.

 

[Wildcat]

hey @Wildcat I have seen the front brake coaster done before as a hand grip, similar to the old rod brake system. (and the stationary end was spring loaded, if I remember correct) This allows your hands to stay on the bars as opposed to pulling a lever. (and upon release the spring would pull the chain back) Now I'm sure the lever works well, but it is a front brake with only one hand on the bars... just a footnote your build is looking good.

Carl.

The return spring is mounted to the bell, so I didn't have to make a clamp. The coaster needs a lot of leverage to be useful, more than I could do with this handle or regular hand brake lever. It's operational though. I need more leverage, the longer part of the handle needs to be above the fulcrum, on the springer body. I have the physics backwards I think. I'll do some reengineering.

 

[handyandy1100]

A little filter trickery. Happy St.Patrick's Day!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Hey @Wildcat
I believe with some leverage you can do the vertical pull. A long lever moving a short lever should do it. Mounting the pivot point is the trick, that and lining it all up. Have you seen the rod brakes I'm talking about? It's old tech, early 1900's. They have the vertical pull action. But possible center pull brakes would work if the lever pivot is in place. I'm pretty sure you can increase the pull that way. I'd make my levers one piece with some additional holes to adjust tension...

Here's a down and dirty pic.

It's just an idea. Fuel for tinkering...

GC