Patrick: The 3 speed idea has merit. I recently built one up, using a 48 tooth chainring & 22 tooth cog, on a '63 S-A hub ($20 on local CL). I STRONGLY suggest against a coaster brake as the only brake. Why? Chain falls off, end of brake, end of story. You have SS experience that I lack so you may have more faith in chains staying on. Mine has ancient single pivot (80s era) brakes with matching era non-aero levers. Tires are 700c x 28 (had 'em lying around; can go larger). Gearing is around low 40s, 60ish & high 70s. The whole thing was sort of a fun project for no good reason.
dougP On Jan 13, 4:49 pm, PATRICK MOORE <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm -a gettin' old and I feel the need to coast and even, gawd 'elp us, use > lower gears for climbing. I've even got two derailleur vehicles (Fargo and > trike). But I'm not ready to convert my Rivs to derailleurs and I wonder > what is the best allaround way to get a climbing gear or two -- so your > comments (if polite) will be welcome. > > The Fargo is great for dirt and (with skinny 40 mm tires) for > all-roundering, but it is too heavy and sluggish for fast road riding. The > trike is the ideal (for me) errand machine, but it too is too sluggish to > fill the niche of longer distance or faster pavement riding. > > One option of course is to buy a nice, old fashion "racing" bike -- like > the 1989 toute 531C Falcon I wish I hadn't sold 20 years ago. I just had > the option for a perfectly measured (58 c-c X 57 c-c with 9 cm stem) > mid-80s Ciocc, but decided "no" because of the 40.5 cm chainstays. I could > have refurb'd that '73 Motobecane I sold to Eric. But let's leave a new > bike out of the picture for now. > > Another option is simply to bolt on derailleur (rear; don't need front), > rear brake and shifter to my '99 fixed custom -- a very tempting option > since the only expense will be to have a new rear wheel built to accept a > freehub or a freewheel -- and I have the rim and other parts. > > Or, I could go hole hawg and get someone local to braze on the bits that > Joe left off. > > But -- and this is the option I've thought about off and on for a few years > -- why not just get second rear wheels built up for the two Riv fixies, > with 3 speed hubs with coaster brakes? This would mean that I would not > have to hassle with installing rear brakes and replacing the amputated > left-hand brake levers (currently they are Dura Ace bodies with the levers > proper removed -- in the case of #2 the excess metal has been ground away; > in that of #3, I could just re-install the lever proper and pin). > > Note that I don't consider the S3X: first, because a Surley dingle cog will > provide sufficient gap for a fixed drive train at far less expense and > hassle that a new wheel; second because I've heard bad scuttlebutt about > its longevity; third because if I do more than install a Dingle I also want > coasting. > > Comments? > -- > Patrick Moore > Albuquerque, NM > For professional resumes, contact > Patrick Moore, ACRWhttp://resumespecialties.com/index.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
