Monarch springer fork and drum brake

GoldenMotor.com
Jul 8, 2009
62
1
6
My Garage
Yes it will fit, I had to spread my original set slightly to make it work. Keep in mind these forks were designed for a bicycle, depending on how much weight your adding to your bike might make a difference on the operation of the fork. My bike is pretty heavy and the springer really does not operate as it should, I'm looking into adding a different spring set up or a helper spring to the original.
 

Attachments

Venice Motor Bikes

Custom Builder / Dealer/Los Angeles
Mar 20, 2008
7,266
1,797
113
Los Angeles, CA.
Do you know where should I strap the brake arm? Front fork or Rear fork..Thanks very much.
Thats a good question... Considering how the fork travel works, I think it would work better on the front leg; but the rear leg is stronger.
Maybe you could make a simple small swiveling bracket that attaches to the rear leg?
 
Last edited:

azbill

Active Member
May 18, 2008
3,358
5
38
63
Fountain Hills, Arizona
the arm will need to be strapped to the stable leg (doesn't move with fork's action)
on a monarch type, I believe it is the front fork leg
on a bee-hive type it is the back one
hope that helps :)
 
Last edited:

42blue15

New Member
Sep 18, 2008
136
0
0
St Louis metro, USA
I have a Worksman front drum wheel on a pair of Crossbow/Monark forks.
I don't have a pic posted anywhere now, but I just cut a notch in the drum bracket that straddles one of the bolts I used on the fork linkages. Getting the front wheel back on is a bit of a task and the drum brake sits at an odd angle but it works just fine.

I bought mine a couple years back, so I'm not sure what they're shipping now.
The forks had problems in the past--the front dropout spacing was too narrow (about 90mm vs. 100mm, which is what MTB wheels use now) and the head tube was too narrow to mount regular bearings (had to use a shim under the lower head tube bearings, shim not included).

....The 90mm axle spacing leads me to think that they were originally set up to fit true vintage bicycles (those using 1950's-era wheels) but a number of people complained so they might have "modernized" those aspects of it.

I also had to use different bolts; the ones as shipped would not work with the lower linkages "flipped" outside the lower fork ends, and the bolts only had a single nut and so wouldn't stay together anyway (the bolts were cut just long enough for one nut, so you could not screw another nut on against the first).
~
 

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
0
KCMO
Would the piviting drop out need an extention added reaching up to hold the brk drum support arm so that itwill pivit with the axle:confused:
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
I have a Worksman drum brake front with springers. Used a ubolt to attach to the forward leg. Did it months ago "just for now" LOL

In the great words of Capt. Foss; "There is nothing so permenent as that which is done just for today"

But has many miles and works fine.

 

chainmaker

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
2,634
69
48
Ma USA
Nice Dan, Im going back and forth on swapping out My disc hub for a sturmey drum hub. How is the stopping power on the drum?
 

azbill

Active Member
May 18, 2008
3,358
5
38
63
Fountain Hills, Arizona
Dan, I am surprised at that
I use mine almost exclusively, I only use the rear for hard/emergency braking
even with the weight of trailer/girls, it always stops me quickly
 

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
0
KCMO
Could it be on the right instead of the left side of the bike,I would have to see the mechanics of the insides of the drum to validate that guess
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Could it be on the right instead of the left side of the bike,I would have to see the mechanics of the insides of the drum to validate that guess
Hmm, got me wondering Corgi. They work well just not stop the wheel dead braking power. @ 35 MPH, takes about 2 or 3 car lengths to be completely stopped.

Dan, I am surprised at that
I use mine almost exclusively, I only use the rear for hard/emergency braking
even with the weight of trailer/girls, it always stops me quickly
My first thought was you have a much more sedate ridding habit especially with the girls. But with that much added Inertia, dunno.

I would highly recommend this wheel to any one though! I like that it is anti-locking on the front. They are also just plane beautiful and will out live me. Really well made. I had the good fortune to tour the Worksman plant. They had rooms full of old bikes and parts they no longer make and a really cool old world sort of feel from the workers. (Hey, how you do'in? They are in NYC) Every thing they make looks like it was built for war or a ruff sea voyage. The CEO is a great guy and married to, I believe, Mr. Worksman's (his real name) great-grand daughter.

The pot holes that killed "Ol' Red" did not even throw this wheel out of true.
I dunno if they went up in price, but I paid $99 bucks for it and is one of the best MB investments I ever made.

http://worksmancycles.aitrk.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/media/theworksmanfactory.pdf

"Covering a city block in Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, sits the Worksman Cycle factory . This
nearly 100,000 square foot facility was opened in 1979 and where we still operate today. But that is not
where it all started. Back in 1898, in the back of a retail store in lower Manhattan, Morris Worksman
started to develop specialty bicycles and tricycles that would be useful for local merchants to use. He
saw a need for conveyances that could take the place of the horse and buggy. That was the start of
Worksman Cycles. From there, as the business grew and his children joined the company, Worksman
Cycles relocated several times to locations in Brooklyn. Finally in 1979, the company moved a bit east to
it current location in Queens, close to JFK Airport."
.flg.

I am not affiliated with them in any way. Just really like their stuff and works great for our thing.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Last edited: