GEBE picture gallery-pros/cons/costs

[bamabikeguy]

may a gebe-ignoramus ask a quick one, re: coaster brake?

if the coaster brake is on a nice 12g wheel, and there's a ton of clearance for the ring, is it doable? thanks.

I've built 3 with coaster brakes, the first 2 were "rookie mistakes", right after the lug nut fell of the front of the Avalon (which also took off that funky washer with the hook, which took a day to locate the RIGHT SIZE, since that hook thing is a bike "parts" trick, came in 4 sizes).

I got a Sun Cruiser, first bike purchased from the Peddler, and a '70's Western Flyer with leather seat for $35 in the want ads. (The third coaster was a ladies, she insisted on it, take her back to childhood days). The first two had full fenders, so some metal had to come off to give the belt clearance.

There are no real pluses, but three main minuses:

1. Speed climbing hills
2. Braking "feel" itself
3. Fun Factor

With the sprockets, a single climbs a hill slower than a 7 speed, which climbs slower than a 21 speed. Today my brother came over, we rode to get a plumbing part, him on 21speed Greygeezer, me on Rocinante (Alum 7). I told him to climb the two hills as fast as he could, and I was maybe 10 feet behind him, at the start. He got to the top a good 40 feet ahead of me, because he could assist the engine more.

If I was on a single speed, he would have beat me by 80 feet, because I would be unable to help the engine until it slowed to about 20 mph, while he could jump on the pedals at 30mph.

Coaster brakes, especially on a steep grade coming to a stop sign, is hairy, on wet pavement probably worse. With handbrakes I can't recall EVER skidding to a stop, but with coaster brakes its like 20% of the time you hit it too hard and leave a little rubber on the road.

Finally, I like freaking out passing autos and folks on porches by pedalling backwards, giving them a optical illusion, a puzzled moment.

Occassionally I like to "stand on the pedals", get the butt off the saddle for a quarter or half mile, which isn't as smooth a move with coasters.

And on long trips, miles of flatlands going wide open with the "cruise control" on the throttle, I relieve a little boredom, peddling motion foward a while, then counterclockwise for a minute or so.

 

[bamabikeguy]

So, I started with the Avalons, got mad at Walmart and found a bikeshop 30 miles north. He gave me an "2005" J&B catalog when I bought the single speed Sun Cruiser in the above post.

I knew I wanted 7th gear to do the primary motoring, and curved handlebars. I saw the Alum Retro 7, it had half fenders which would require NO drimmeling.

Paul had never noticed that model, so the red one I ordered was the first he built, 2 years later he says it is now his best seller, every time I order one, he sets it square in the showroom floor and often sells one or two more.

He keeps one or two in stock for me, they come in Men's blue, black and red, and Ladies come in light blue, pink and yellow. MSR is $250, about $50-100 less than an equivalent Schwinn, and the only model I've found with the half fenders. That rear fender I simply flip around, so it doesn't interfere with the motor mount.

Sun Alum Retro 7 -Ladies

The bonus is the foam covered handlebars, (pic 6) not only more comfortable than rubber grips, but since the entire length is covered, when I put a basket on, it doesn't rattle.

The first one, a red one, (pic 1) was the one taken to Florida, sold to a guy south of Birmingham. Then my neighbors, the Whiteheads, bought 3, (pic 2,3,4) and we called them "cattle cruisers" for tax purposes. The father, Lowell, and Paul Watson at the Peddler were interviewed for the third interview I did, the Decatur Daily frontpage story..

The two Whitehead sons, Charley and Phillip also race dragsters, so the bikes have been seen at strips throughout the area, Charley's rides in the back of his trailer, went as far south as Gatornationals.

The Peddler was switching out the standard 10" gel saddles to 12" gels for $10 extra, and we have gotten into a smooth ordering system, where he puts in my heavier tubes and liners on assembly.

All in all, the Sun Alum Retro 7 will remain my main build.

 

[Hive]

Very Impressive

Your selection has given me an idea...will get back to you. Thanks.

I will also send you something to review in a few days or weeks, if you do not mind.

BTW, I know of a lad in Antigo, WI, who collects and "peddles" old Schwinn frames.

 

[gone_fishin]

bama: thank you...i think i'd be able to adapt to the riding style, just needed to know it will work

 

[smapadatha]

From the GEBE website:

** IMPORTANT! We DO NOT recommend you motorize a 27" touring bike or a coaster brake bike. The rims and spokes of these bikes may not hold up well to the pounding they will take at Eagle speed.

http://www.bikeengines.com/measure.htm

and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

I feel like I've looked at this issue 6 ways from Sunday. My original plan was to GEBE-ify a bike with a 3 speed Nexus hub (with coaster brake) or a bike with a 7/8 speed Nexus hub. I have more info about this in the next article I'm working on, but briefly:

• The rear forks on most bikes with coaster brakes/internal hubs are too narrow for a GEBE wheel with drive ring.
• It's very hard to beef up the rear wheel with a coaster brake/internal hub. Theoretically, you could re-lace the hub on a tough rim with heavier spokes, but you would have to drill out the spoke holes on the hub and that would make me very nervous. The engineers who built that hub just did not plan for people to remove metal from the hub and then subject the hub to the additional stress of a motorized bike...
• If you break a solid axle hub - it's cheap to replace, especially if you just break the axle. If you break an internal hub, it's usually more expensive.

For these reasons I am now totally against GEBE-ifying a coaster/internal hub bike. Bummer because I love the Nexus RedBand 8...

-Sam

 

[bamabikeguy]

Think FISHBOWL

Think "FISHBOWL"

You are shopping for bikes, and have got it narrowed down to two-three models.

Look at the "shifter display" on the right hand grip. The Avalons have a raised plastic surface, like a watch, or FISHBOWL, that awkwardly gets in the way of fully depressing the thumb throttle.

The Sun's have a flatter shifter display, basically just 1-7 painted on one side, and the throttle can be easily moved a little this way, a little that way, to get comfortable.

Just a little thing, but its always the little things that bug you most.

 

[Hive]

Trans and Throttle

I am not certain, but I believe the Nexus transmissions, that DO NOT have hollow axle will work, but I cannot recall which models, if any. I researched a long time ago and it seems Sheldon Brown at Harris Cyclery advanced at least one. The problem at the time was the between the nuts distance for me, so I just obtained long axle and stayed with coaster brake, with plan to add front brake, but removed engine and sold bike-getting ready-set for install is much easier.

The Sinz (Master) brake levers and am sure others, do nicely as throttle levers. the Sinz has internal spring for return assist. Very high, comfortable. I would not have any other type. I bought this one over eBay. See note under Tech section for source.

 

[bamabikeguy]

Next Shocker26

I think I know the model of the GEBE ad, the red bike in the upper left corner...

Last week a retired truckdriver named Curt brought me a Next Shocker 26" to motorize. He WANTS the Greygeezer, but has this $100 bike with few miles on it. Bought last year, the hills around his neighborhood were just tooo much, and he wants to drop some weight and get some exercise, his neighbor Carl retired last month and plans to motorize his bike soon.

*One note about pics 1 & 4- I took those pix after the first test ride, then I put the camera on the lawnmower seat, (so it was "lost" when I finished the last mod, found it last evening after Curt picked up the bike).

As you can tell from those pix, the front strap needs to be longer, because of the brace being so low, right above the brakes.

So the finished bike has a 6" extension on the strap, pushing the engine rearwards, no longer bumping the butt...

Pros:

It's a hundred dollar bike, what can I say. BUT IT LOOKS COOL !

The frame is lower, which helps older guys get a leg over the top post.

21 speeds, stays in 21st gear at all times !

Cons:

Number one: No bottle carrier or bottle carrier pre-drilled holes. On my 40 mile "test ride" Saturday, I thought maybe a two pouched bag could be found/made, carry water on one side, spare gas on the left, tied to the handlebars.

It looks like the handlebars will switch to curved, which he will probably do.

He upgraded to a $35 Schwinn Air Ride saddle, bought at K-Mart.

5 times on the long ride, (with some rough patches) a strange, low "whiff" sound came on the bumps, I was thinking it was my tool bag stapped on the frame, but then figured it was coming from the right front fork shock.

The kickstand is minimal, that has to be corrected.

The way the seat tube is divided, it has the shortest saddle post possible, and my shock absorber post sat "high" . A taller person, 6" COULD put the shock absorber post on, have feet hit the ground, but shorter folks can't.

Curt has restored classic cars, so I know this GreenShocker won't look like this for long, he has a design for putting a basket on the front, over the shocks.

He'll probably get a heavy front strap made, and with all that space, between saddle and engine, make it where it is "shaped" and modifiable, maybe adding two small bags or baskets. He sees the "expandabilty" already.

Special considerations:

GEBE includes a bolt/nut with the front strap/angle. (pic 3). While "dry fitting" the angle, you are going to need to put it in a vise and squeeze a bit, 90 degrees won't work !

The frame on the spokering side has to be crimped in two places, top and bottom, to clear. (pic 5)

And my 6" extension was made by cutting the end of an old strap, so if this is YOUR pick, order a second strap at purchase.

I put puntureproofs/liners in the knobby tires, cruiser tires probably would quiet the ride in the future.

It's a 21 speed, but the front sprockets seem smaller than that Sun Comfort Rover's, it doesn't seem to climb hills quite as fast.

So, it's a hundred dollar bike, he added a better saddle. It has all my wheel/tire modifications, mirror ($78 total). It needs some storage space for spare fuel/water.

I'll give it a C as a pick, a B- after modifications....and he could raise it to a B+ when he gets some spaces to carry things for longer rides and errands.