What are my best options for a wheelset? I have a late forties Road Master frame and was thinking of turn it into a clunker. I could just as easy keep it a ballooner with its skiptooth chain and cogs. I am wondering what the rear spacing is? I replaced the front fork with the sunlite 26 inch chrome from Niagra but im unsure what to do next. Ive got plenty of ballooners in the shed so i thought a klunker might be fun this time around. I guess id be looking for a 26 inch solid axle wheelset from a mtb. Most everything i can find is all QR.
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Your frame is probably spaced at around 110mm, unless it's been modified at some point. Modern MTB wheels have rear hubs spaced at 135, at a minimum. So, you'd have to re-space the frame. If i were in your shoes, i'd be tempted to run something narrower. The old mild steel frames are easily spread, but it does seem to effect the strength of the frame. If you can build your own wheels, you could easily lace in a freewheel hub at 120mm spacing, which would accept a 5speed cluster....or, if you're running singlespeed, you can just run a coaster or bmx hub, which are spaced at 110mm....
Some info on spacing your frame out from Sheldon: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html#spreading
As for the q/r issue, you can easily swap axles if you want to convert to b/o. Once you get your wheels, you can verify what size/threads the q/r axles are. It's almost always going to be 10x1mm out back and 9x1mm up front, but there are still some 3/8"x24tpi hubs out there, plus some q/r hubs have oversized axles that get turned down at the ends to fit standard frames with q/r levers.... and really, those hubs are pretty much impossible to convert to bolt-on without serious fab work.....But, if you get "normal" 9mm front/10mm rear hubs, you can easily source solid chromo axles for those, as well as the appropriate nuts....
Some info on spacing your frame out from Sheldon: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html#spreading
As for the q/r issue, you can easily swap axles if you want to convert to b/o. Once you get your wheels, you can verify what size/threads the q/r axles are. It's almost always going to be 10x1mm out back and 9x1mm up front, but there are still some 3/8"x24tpi hubs out there, plus some q/r hubs have oversized axles that get turned down at the ends to fit standard frames with q/r levers.... and really, those hubs are pretty much impossible to convert to bolt-on without serious fab work.....But, if you get "normal" 9mm front/10mm rear hubs, you can easily source solid chromo axles for those, as well as the appropriate nuts....
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Are the rear chain stays straight or are they curved? If they are curved you will have to be careful with the front and rear cog sizes to avoid having the chain rub on the bottom of the chain stay where the curve is lowest. Lowering the gearing can be done but the original cogs fit the best. If the front and rear are of a similar size the chain will just barley clear. I had success with a 3 speed coaster using 28 front x 23 rear on a Roadmaster frame. This works pretty well on single track around here but I do have to do some pushing. I only use it on the easier tracks as the tough ones make the coaster too hot to touch. The easiest would be to use a coaster wheel. A front brake really makes these bikes more manageable klunking, even if it is a wimpy drum. The best and cheapest option for me for a front brake is to use an old MB fork with a one inch steer tube that has posts for brakes. These are more powerful than the several brands of front drum brakes I have and probably a cheaper option and also I feel safer. My late 40s Columbia is a better frame for klunking than my Roadmaster, but I do enjoy riding both. If the chain gets loose it will slap on the bottom of the Roadmaster frame, so you have to keep it adjusted with these low gears. Someone suggested a chain tensioner to get rid of the clearance problem but I don't know if that would work on a coaster, probably it would?
Here is what the tight chain line looks like.
Here is what the tight chain line looks like.
I tried the derailleur with a coaster, it didn't work because the force you pedal back with is too much for it, it gets bent up and the extra back pedal makes it harder to brake. If you could mount a solid spacer, like on a tandem, that would work because it doesn't move. Like this, only a homemade bracket and it would hold the chain away from the frame.
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Are the rear chain stays straight or are they curved? If they are curved you will have to be careful with the front and rear cog sizes to avoid having the chain rub on the bottom of the chain stay where the curve is lowest. Lowering the gearing can be done but the original cogs fit the best. If the front and rear are of a similar size the chain will just barley clear. I had success with a 3 speed coaster using 28 front x 23 rear on a Roadmaster frame. This works pretty well on single track around here but I do have to do some pushing. I only use it on the easier tracks as the tough ones make the coaster too hot to touch. The easiest would be to use a coaster wheel. A front brake really makes these bikes more manageable klunking, even if it is a wimpy drum. The best and cheapest option for me for a front brake is to use an old MB fork with a one inch steer tube that has posts for brakes. These are more powerful than the several brands of front drum brakes I have and probably a cheaper option and also I feel safer. My late 40s Columbia is a better frame for klunking than my Roadmaster, but I do enjoy riding both. If the chain gets loose it will slap on the bottom of the Roadmaster frame, so you have to keep it adjusted with these low gears. Someone suggested a chain tensioner to get rid of the clearance problem but I don't know if that would work on a coaster, probably it would?
Here is what the tight chain line looks like.
Its curved like shown here. The frame itself has a few dings in it but i like it. Id even settle for a ballooner set of rims. I have a rear that came on the frame. I got the whole frame, crankset, rear wheel and skiptooth rear wheel for a fiver. The guy couldn't believe i wanted it. He was going to throw it out. I bought the sunlite chrome fork here and it might look a bit funny with 26x2.125 balloon rims but ill give it a shot if i can find a front that isnt horrible.
What i also need is a seat post. Can you post a picture of what you have for yours? That thing is NARROW....and the seat clamp appears to be part of the frame.
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First I tried 5/8 inch hot rolled steel rod for a seat post. It bent. I tried it again and it bent. Then I tried 5/8 inch cold rolled and it didn't bend. On my Columbia I used 5/8 inch 2024 aircraft grade aluminum alloy and that didn't bend either. You can get these on the net but shop as the price varies a lot.
Pictured below is my second hot rolled seat post that bent.
Here it is as it is now with a 1930s Colson Truss rod fork and a cold rolled seat post.
Here is my Columbia based klunker with a fork almost identical to yours. The same style fork with straight fork legs and the wheel off set by welded on shoulders. I think it looks good. I have a 1950s Gigant front drum brake on it. It has a Bendix manual 2 speed which works great as far as gearing and shifting goes but the hollow non hardened Bendix specific axle keeps bending with rough use. It has the 2024 aluminum alloy seat post. I raced this bike last summer in a 30 mile cross country race and nothing broke or bent. The rear wheel got very slightly bent in that race.
Its coming along.
Wheels:
My old rear wheel should work. Its an old skiptooth new departure. I found a "normal" mtb bike front wheel that i had laying around. It is alloy so it should work great with a front brake. I need to find myself a solid axle to replace the QR it has now. I may or may not want to fit truss bars at some point. IS there a recommended length of front axle you guys would recommend? I imagine it would have a to be a bit longer that an standard axle to accommodate the thickness of the truss bars on both sides.
Tires: IM debating on tires now as well. I am thinking of going with the DURO 26x2.125 Cremes or the DURO 26x2.125 black knobbies. I like the look of both. Given the Duro tires can be run at such high inflation (40-60psi) i dont know that the knobbies would be a bad choice on city streets. The bike is orange with white striping. Ive used the DURO goodyear diamond blacks on other bikes and they have worked well. I guess im curious to hear from those that run the knobbies.......how do they ride on pavement etc. Is it like pushing the couch around on the beach in july or is it smooth?
I may have giving up on the klunker thing. I live in MN and there are no mountains/hills ....so it does seem kind of pointless. At this point im thinking of making a frankenbike city rider. Everything is paved where i live so it makes sense to go with something city friendly.
I plan to go with a standard 4 bolt bmx stem and some kind of enduro bars. I haven't decided on that yet. I want to get my wheel mess sorted first.
Wheels:
My old rear wheel should work. Its an old skiptooth new departure. I found a "normal" mtb bike front wheel that i had laying around. It is alloy so it should work great with a front brake. I need to find myself a solid axle to replace the QR it has now. I may or may not want to fit truss bars at some point. IS there a recommended length of front axle you guys would recommend? I imagine it would have a to be a bit longer that an standard axle to accommodate the thickness of the truss bars on both sides.
Tires: IM debating on tires now as well. I am thinking of going with the DURO 26x2.125 Cremes or the DURO 26x2.125 black knobbies. I like the look of both. Given the Duro tires can be run at such high inflation (40-60psi) i dont know that the knobbies would be a bad choice on city streets. The bike is orange with white striping. Ive used the DURO goodyear diamond blacks on other bikes and they have worked well. I guess im curious to hear from those that run the knobbies.......how do they ride on pavement etc. Is it like pushing the couch around on the beach in july or is it smooth?
I may have giving up on the klunker thing. I live in MN and there are no mountains/hills ....so it does seem kind of pointless. At this point im thinking of making a frankenbike city rider. Everything is paved where i live so it makes sense to go with something city friendly.
I plan to go with a standard 4 bolt bmx stem and some kind of enduro bars. I haven't decided on that yet. I want to get my wheel mess sorted first.
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I ride 100 miles a week on the road this time of year on a Hybrid Klunker with knobbies. We will start to sneak onto trail sections soon as the snow comes off but they will be very muddy. This week I rode on flints, 50 yard patches of road slush and busted up pavement. Part of the reason is to use a bike I don't care about and to use robust tires to avoid spring flats. Knobbies are fine with 40 to 50 lbs of air. Today I rode 22 road miles on knobbies . I think knobbies would be OK for the city if you like the look. Most of the 60+ old times in our club ride 60 miles on the road with their mountain bikes with knobbies. There is an annual Century ride about 70 miles away but it is 100 Km (60miles) and most of us use our mountain bikes for this ride. There are some real 100 mile rides we do but we use road bikes for that. I also have a klunker that I ride only single track with Duro 2.125 white wall street tires. These don't cause any problems on single track unless it rains. Then they slip a little, especially on roots and hills. The Duro tires, being street tires, will cause cornering problems on hard packed corners with loose material on top but we have softer trails so I have no problem with cornering. I really can't go as fast anyway on the Klunker as I can on my Specialized but you get used to the limitations of the klunker. I think what ever you decide on will be just fine. You have to be more careful on pavement corners with knobbies than with street tires, especially if these is sand on the corner. I use 35 lbs pressure with the Duro tires and my rigid frame klunker because with less I get pinch flats. This makes for a rougher ride but it avoids flats.
