Hello.
I've tried many searches and read many posts, but can't seem to isolate the info on drive wheel materials. A few have mentioned using steel pipe with either welding spatter or abrasives epoxied on for "gription".
Well, first, here is my situation. Building my first motoredbike; a 1970's Schwinn Continental 27" ten-speed with a 25cc Homelite blower engine. The motor will be mounted on the seat stays just above the rear brake bracket.
I live out in the country, six miles from the nearest town. Most of my riding is done on well-paved country roads, which is the way I like it, but I would like some assist for the windy days and to extend my range a bit. Most of my rides take me between 10 and 25 miles from home, so I've seen just about everything in that 25-mile radius. I plan to still pedal with the motor going for a speed boost. On leg power I average about 15 mph. I think 25 mph would be great, and I hope to keep the motor around 5000 rpm or lower to keep down the noise and wear & tear. The bike won't be used off-road, and almost always on dry roads. I ride like an old lady going to church on Sunday (unless a farm dog is chasing me).
Right now, I have a skateboard wheel setup from a seven-dollar KMart skateboard. Urethane, I think. I want to find a material that is hard enough to last a while but soft enough to minimize wear on my bike tire. The skate wheel seems pretty firm; it doesn't "give" when squeezed hard with your thumb. But it seemed to wear a bit during my test run. I had the bike on a work stand in the basement (too cold in the garage!) bump-starting the motor (the only way it will start) and adjusting the carb. I didn't have the tension spring connected during my fiddling - just used hand pressure. I think there was too much slippage, and the drive wheel got a groove in the center from the ridge in the tire. That got me concerned. I'd rather replace friction wheels than tires, but not every two days. It might end up working OK after all if I keep the proper pressure on it. I've never had it out of the basement, so I can't know what it will really do until it gets on the road (come on, springtime!).
So, finally, here's my questions. What do YOU use for homemade drive wheels? Has anyone had success with rubber wheels? How long do your friction wheels last? What kind of tire wear do you experience? Will a knurled metal or stone wheel be gentle on a tire if slippage is avoided? Got any idea how hard the friction wheel is pressing on the tire? I don't have a fish scale, so I'm not sure about my setup. I guess about 15 lbs total with the motor and tension spring. My skate wheels are 1.5 in wide and 2 in diameter when new. It will have about 1.5 in diameter once its shaped to the tire. That should give me about 20 mph at 4000 rpm. That's what I'm shooting for. I can fabricate what I need once I know what material/surface will work best for me.
So please share your knowledge with a brotha'. I'll post pics once I get settled in here.
Talk to me,
Adam
I've tried many searches and read many posts, but can't seem to isolate the info on drive wheel materials. A few have mentioned using steel pipe with either welding spatter or abrasives epoxied on for "gription".
Well, first, here is my situation. Building my first motoredbike; a 1970's Schwinn Continental 27" ten-speed with a 25cc Homelite blower engine. The motor will be mounted on the seat stays just above the rear brake bracket.
I live out in the country, six miles from the nearest town. Most of my riding is done on well-paved country roads, which is the way I like it, but I would like some assist for the windy days and to extend my range a bit. Most of my rides take me between 10 and 25 miles from home, so I've seen just about everything in that 25-mile radius. I plan to still pedal with the motor going for a speed boost. On leg power I average about 15 mph. I think 25 mph would be great, and I hope to keep the motor around 5000 rpm or lower to keep down the noise and wear & tear. The bike won't be used off-road, and almost always on dry roads. I ride like an old lady going to church on Sunday (unless a farm dog is chasing me).
Right now, I have a skateboard wheel setup from a seven-dollar KMart skateboard. Urethane, I think. I want to find a material that is hard enough to last a while but soft enough to minimize wear on my bike tire. The skate wheel seems pretty firm; it doesn't "give" when squeezed hard with your thumb. But it seemed to wear a bit during my test run. I had the bike on a work stand in the basement (too cold in the garage!) bump-starting the motor (the only way it will start) and adjusting the carb. I didn't have the tension spring connected during my fiddling - just used hand pressure. I think there was too much slippage, and the drive wheel got a groove in the center from the ridge in the tire. That got me concerned. I'd rather replace friction wheels than tires, but not every two days. It might end up working OK after all if I keep the proper pressure on it. I've never had it out of the basement, so I can't know what it will really do until it gets on the road (come on, springtime!).
So, finally, here's my questions. What do YOU use for homemade drive wheels? Has anyone had success with rubber wheels? How long do your friction wheels last? What kind of tire wear do you experience? Will a knurled metal or stone wheel be gentle on a tire if slippage is avoided? Got any idea how hard the friction wheel is pressing on the tire? I don't have a fish scale, so I'm not sure about my setup. I guess about 15 lbs total with the motor and tension spring. My skate wheels are 1.5 in wide and 2 in diameter when new. It will have about 1.5 in diameter once its shaped to the tire. That should give me about 20 mph at 4000 rpm. That's what I'm shooting for. I can fabricate what I need once I know what material/surface will work best for me.
So please share your knowledge with a brotha'. I'll post pics once I get settled in here.
Talk to me,
Adam
