My Latest Bikes

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Schwinn Alloy7O.jpg

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PICT0004.jpgHere are my latest Bikes. A giant Elwood 21" frame with 700C wheels with a HT70cc. This is the most comfortable bike I've ever built. The larger wheels make such a difference to ride quality and the high bars and low saddle are so comfy to ride withj.
The Schwinn Alloy 7 had the HT 70cc for 2 weeks before I put the 4 stroke in.
The HT 70 was that rare thing - a good motor - just the luck of the draw. But the 4 stroke is lovely too except on hills.
 

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The bike you have linked to from walmart has v-brakes front and rear. As for the truness of the rims? In my opinion you are expecting to much to think the the rims/wheels of a department store bike are going to be perfectly true and properly tensioned out of the box!, or will stay true for very long after you start to ride them. Making them true and bringing up the tension is a simple matter although I know alot of people are intimadated by the thought of truing a wheel. The Point Beach Schwinn is pretty much the same bike as the Alloy Seven except the frame material is steel rather than the aluminum of the Alloy Seven. The Point Beach will be a great first build bike for the Grubee 4-stroke kit. It should go together with a minimum of fuss.

ocscully
 
The bike you have linked to from walmart has v-brakes front and rear. As for the truness of the rims? In my opinion you are expecting to much to think the the rims/wheels of a department store bike are going to be perfectly true and properly tensioned out of the box!, or will stay true for very long after you start to ride them. Making them true and bringing up the tension is a simple matter although I know alot of people are intimadated by the thought of truing a wheel. The Point Beach Schwinn is pretty much the same bike as the Alloy Seven except the frame material is steel rather than the aluminum of the Alloy Seven. The Point Beach will be a great first build bike for the Grubee 4-stroke kit. It should go together with a minimum of fuss.

ocscully

Hi ocscully,
Thanks for the info about the bike I linked to. Guess I should resign myself to the fact that I'm probably not going to get a bike off the shelf that is very true. I will have to take it to the bike shop for some help with the tension. I don't know how to do it myself but might have to learn in the long run. Can you give me a general idea of what's involved in truing a wheel? Thanks.

Glad that you think that the Point Beach would be a good first build bike. That takes a load off of my mind. I need things to go as smooth as possible for my first build <grin>.

Thanks for all your help. I will try my best to get the truest rims I can when I go and get the bike.
 
def check the wheels

Yeah definately check the wheels. my grandma bought my bike a while ago from walmart for a birthday present, which is also the one that i am motorizing. The front wheels is REALLY warped. i think it is because the racks that walmart used to use to hold the bike up because all of the weight of the bike was resting on the front wheel. we had to shave off most of the brakes on the front just so the wheel would turn without rubbing on the brakes. When i get the bike running, i will probably just buy another wheel because im sure that one is too warped to fix. and i need all the brakes i can get on the front because i had to take the back brakes off. Good luck on your build. Hope it all works out good and keep us informed.
 
Yeah definately check the wheels. my grandma bought my bike a while ago from walmart for a birthday present, which is also the one that i am motorizing. The front wheels is REALLY warped. i think it is because the racks that walmart used to use to hold the bike up because all of the weight of the bike was resting on the front wheel. we had to shave off most of the brakes on the front just so the wheel would turn without rubbing on the brakes. When i get the bike running, i will probably just buy another wheel because im sure that one is too warped to fix. and i need all the brakes i can get on the front because i had to take the back brakes off. Good luck on your build. Hope it all works out good and keep us informed.
Seriously, lev, do yourself a favor. True the wheels. If you turn the bike upside down, and spin the front wheel slowly, you'll be able to SEE the warpage, and unless the rim is actually visibly kinked (or spokes kinked), you can pull it true. Get online, read Sheldon Brown's treatise on wheel building, or look at the link I posted 2 posts above yours.

A wheel that is badly out of true affects bike balance, as you noted affects brake performance, and worst, causes premature bearing failure. Having the bearings fail in your front hub at speed is seriously NO FUN. Been there, done that, ain't going there again.
 
Yeah definately check the wheels. my grandma bought my bike a while ago from walmart for a birthday present, which is also the one that i am motorizing. The front wheels is REALLY warped. i think it is because the racks that walmart used to use to hold the bike up because all of the weight of the bike was resting on the front wheel. we had to shave off most of the brakes on the front just so the wheel would turn without rubbing on the brakes. When i get the bike running, i will probably just buy another wheel because im sure that one is too warped to fix. and i need all the brakes i can get on the front because i had to take the back brakes off. Good luck on your build. Hope it all works out good and keep us informed.

Hi Levsmith, Thanks for the info about checking the wheels. I don't know much about the Walmart bikes.. I've heard some good stuff and some bad stuff. Sorry you had a time with your wheels. At least the bike was a present and you don't have to worry about the wheel costing too much money (I hope).

Do you think it would be better to get a bike that is NOT of the rack? One from the back that might still be in a box? Just wondering. Maybe I would have a better chance of getting one where the tires are true that way... don't know.

Let me know how it turns out for you and your bike. I would be interested to know if things work out good for you. Best of luck to you!

-cd-
 
Wow beautiful bikes, I could see myself getting bit by the
"collectors bug" If that bug bites my banking will be in dissarray for sure.
Very Nice!!!


A
 
Truing wheels

Crabdance, Truing wheels is a science and an art. The scientific method is accurate but boring and slow. I use the art method and I find I have a knack for it. The attached PDF below will tell you the science which is good to know but you can do it by eye and feel. I true wheels on an upside down front fork and I use yellow road marking chalk to mark the rim when it's spinning - it marks the bulges. Then I have lots of small pieces of sticky elctrical tape which I use to mark spokes I've tightened. You need to keep track of spokes you've tightened or loosened (different colour for loosened).
I look at the bulges where the warps are and first loosen or tighten the spoke on the opposite side of the circle. So if the bulge it 2 O'clock I go to 7 and 8 O'clock and adjust those. The wheels starts coming true very quicly. Eliminating the very minute wobble takes a lot of small adjustments but I have got better at it quickly. I've rebuilt wheels from the bare hubs and got them really nice without a tensionometer. It's worth getting a good spoke adjusting tool. Mine is a Park Tool costing $14 and is nice and small so fits easily in a pocket. Try it and see how you go. Don't give up and you'll get pretty good. It's like cooking curries or suchlike after a while you don't really need to consult the recipe. I enjoy doing it and often fix kids wheels on the spot cos a warped wheel upsets me and they think it's great of me and don't steal my bike lights next time I leave it unattended. Good luck Crabdance.
BTW, Thanks for your nice comments on my little fleet Accender & Masterlink.
I've learnt most things at MBc. It's a fantastic resource and zany culture.
 

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