KCvale
In memory of KCvale 1959 - 2019
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Today, I changed my mind and bought a cheap, but cool looking bike.
Wally World's vintage-replica of the 1937 Columbia. I'm sure, it's a very cheaply made bike, but, when I saw that mock gas tank, I couldn't resist the temptation of building my own fiberglass tank inside. I hope the bike holds up. It had a scratch for 10% off and I opened a Walmart credit card for another $25 off. Heck, you can't buy a used, beat-up bike on Craigslist for that price! It might be a good bike on which to get my motorbike feet wet.....
I plan to simply screw a wooden floor to the top of the bottom bar, put my form-fitted fiberglass tank on it and build the sides around it all. If I pull open one side to fill the tank, I don't need to mount a gas cap ON the outside of the bike, and I can use the space at the front and back of the tank to store oil and tools. But, the "devil is in the details" and I've got a lot of fine details to work out.
Any design ideas are very welcome.
Jim
You have seen my 1937 design for making the fake tank real, and the free rag joint mount fits just right.
I like the spoke mount adapters, do them right and they essentially make your hub 3 or 4 times larger, thus less spoke length to the rim where the power goes.
On the down side only one side of the spokes are driving the rim directly, but the other 18 spokes indirectly power the rim via the bottom of the spokes connected to the hub.
A hub mount is great for wheels without 36 spokes, necessary even.
I am just not a fan of something that relies on gripping the hub solely on bolt tension grip, to me it's like any sprocket on a shaft without a keyway.
With rags on both sides of the spokes, which are just cut out of heavy machine used tire sidewalls has 18 keyways on a 36 spoke wheel.
It can't spin free and the apparent reason for the flange with another friction hose clamp to help.
No, you NEVER mount a sprocket right against the spokes.
It's a sandwich that adapts to the spokes on both sides.
just square it back up after 5 miles or so once everything seats in to what is essentially a solid piece.
I won't bad mouth hub adapters, and the hub adapter that mounts to the spokes AND the hub might really be cool, by mount to the hub, but if it's that important to you can get a whole new hub with everything for a 36 hub drive and a band hub brake and sprocket for $50 here.
http://www.gasbike.net/bike-motor-engine-heavy-duty-axle-kit-non-free-wheel.htm
But you'll need to get re-laced so figure at least $75 for a pro to do it.
And look at big vendors, some may have the Grubee complete new back wheel for under $100.
Just thoughts for you to consider if you don't think the free stock sprocket mount will work.
For me they work dandy, stay true, and already paid for in the kit price.
It's easy to toss money away on something advertised as better or easier, most may be worth it except things like boost bottles, but overall for most just wasted time and money in my opinion.