So I have finished my first build, using an old mountain bike from the shed, that has the derialluer cut off, and I thought i could get away without using pedals if I bought the pull starter. But is this hard on the clutch or the engine itself if i'm not up to a good speed? If so, Could I just throw a chain on the first gears without a tensioner or derailluer?
Do I have to use pedals?
- Thread starter Zach
- Start date
you are going to need to pedal it some how a 66cc(80) engine wont last without it you will burn the clutch out and or the engine
if choose a good middle gear and you make the chain the right size for that gear it will work
if choose a good middle gear and you make the chain the right size for that gear it will work
If you're talking about removing the pedals, don't. In many states that will make your bike a motorcycle in the eyes of the law.
As for not pedaling up to speed, you'll be replacing clutch components very soon by trying to ride it like a motorcycle. Also in the event of an engine failure/malfunction, you'll be pushing your bike home instead of pedaling it.
Tom
As for not pedaling up to speed, you'll be replacing clutch components very soon by trying to ride it like a motorcycle. Also in the event of an engine failure/malfunction, you'll be pushing your bike home instead of pedaling it.
Tom
he didnt say he had a centrifugal engine with a regular one its no good for the clutch or engine not to pedal
yea these engines dont have the power to pull you from a stop without damaging something not made for it its a assist engine
Just make a "ghetto single speed" out of it. Choose a sprocket combination that is a good gear for pedaling out at a stop and getting up to about half speed, basically a gear that is low enough that you can pull out from a dead stop easily enough but you do have to stand up on the pedals to do so meaning it isn't geared so low that you can get some decent speed by spooling yourself up to over 90rpm on your pedaling speed if need be and you can help the motor out on hills by pedaling at fast RPM to keep the motor from getting bogged down too far. Then just ride the bike by pedaling out from a stop and then engage the engine once you have a little speed up. For me personally that is usually a combination of the sprocket near the middle of the rear gear spool and the big front chain ring on most MTB gearing ratios.
A lot of times that is how I ride in town where it is constant stop and go with my Station-Inc axle mount kit. I just leave my pedal gearing on my 3x7 gears in "3" (big chain ring) up front and either "3" or "4" on the rear spool depending on whether I'm loaded down with cargo in the rear baskets or if I'm running light with no load besides myself, respectively. And I'm not missing a derailer or anything, I just find that in stop and go traffic it is better to not be constantly shifting gears up and down all the time and just use my pedals for low range and my motor for high range. Kind of like an auto centrifugal shift rear hub two speed city bike only backing off the pedals and letting the motor do the work takes the place of the high range gear. On a side note I really wish someone would make one of those type of hubs with a cassette spool that drives through the mechanism like they do with some of the manual shift three speed hubs.
A lot of times that is how I ride in town where it is constant stop and go with my Station-Inc axle mount kit. I just leave my pedal gearing on my 3x7 gears in "3" (big chain ring) up front and either "3" or "4" on the rear spool depending on whether I'm loaded down with cargo in the rear baskets or if I'm running light with no load besides myself, respectively. And I'm not missing a derailer or anything, I just find that in stop and go traffic it is better to not be constantly shifting gears up and down all the time and just use my pedals for low range and my motor for high range. Kind of like an auto centrifugal shift rear hub two speed city bike only backing off the pedals and letting the motor do the work takes the place of the high range gear. On a side note I really wish someone would make one of those type of hubs with a cassette spool that drives through the mechanism like they do with some of the manual shift three speed hubs.
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the only advantage to being able to pedal one of these bikes is to easily get it home if it breaks down.
if the engine dies and won't re-start, you can still pedal it home.
But, NO you do not NEED to be able to pedal the bike to get the engine running.
Just coast down a hill, incline, or push the bike with your feet, and pop the clutch.
the engine will start and you can take off.
i ride both of my bikes this way and i have done it for going on 4 years now with no clutch problems.
I NEVER pedal my bikes...I start and stop using just the clutch and i give a little push off the ground with my feet when i take off from a stop.
The pedals on my bikes are just places to put my feet.
One of my bikes has a coaster brake and a caliper brake, so when i need extra stopping power, i apply the coaster brake in conjuction with the caliper brake.
my other bike has a free wheel, and only a caliper brake in the rear (it's a schwinn occ chopper). as a matter of fact, i have the cranks set up so that you couldn't pedal this bike even if you wanted to. Both cranks are in the down position, so the pedals act only as foot rests.
since they are 3 piece cranks, you can rotate them around to whatever position you want.
This is what works for me, and like i said, i've been riding my bikes this way for almost 4 years now and i'm still on the original clutch pads.
I only weigh 150 pounds, and both of my bikes are small, 20" frames.
if the engine dies and won't re-start, you can still pedal it home.
But, NO you do not NEED to be able to pedal the bike to get the engine running.
Just coast down a hill, incline, or push the bike with your feet, and pop the clutch.
the engine will start and you can take off.
i ride both of my bikes this way and i have done it for going on 4 years now with no clutch problems.
I NEVER pedal my bikes...I start and stop using just the clutch and i give a little push off the ground with my feet when i take off from a stop.
The pedals on my bikes are just places to put my feet.
One of my bikes has a coaster brake and a caliper brake, so when i need extra stopping power, i apply the coaster brake in conjuction with the caliper brake.
my other bike has a free wheel, and only a caliper brake in the rear (it's a schwinn occ chopper). as a matter of fact, i have the cranks set up so that you couldn't pedal this bike even if you wanted to. Both cranks are in the down position, so the pedals act only as foot rests.
since they are 3 piece cranks, you can rotate them around to whatever position you want.
This is what works for me, and like i said, i've been riding my bikes this way for almost 4 years now and i'm still on the original clutch pads.
I only weigh 150 pounds, and both of my bikes are small, 20" frames.
not true!
i've been riding my bikes like motorcycles for 4 years, still on the original clutch pads.
if you know how to ride, and how to take off from a stop correctly by using ONLY the clutch, the clutch pads will not wear out any sooner.
you do not need to pedal the bike up to speed before you release the clutch. In my opinion, that's a total myth. every time you release the clutch, the clutch pads will get some wear. the clutch pads get wear while you ride anyway because the clutch pads is what sends the power to the chain and sprocket. the only time the clutch pads do not get wear, is when the clutch is disengauged.
when you start trying to slip the clutch and making the pads get too hot, they will wear out faster.
besides that...clutch pads are like $5.00 for a complete set, and replacing them only takes about 15 minutes.
it's not like you have to do major surgery to replace the clutch pads anyway.
Sorry, but if you're saying slipping the clutch to go from a dead stop doesn't cause more wear than pedal assisting up to a reasonable speed, you are absolutely wrong. I too have never had to replace clutch pads and I don't pedal start from a rolling stop. I'm light enough that my engines can pull me okay. But, from a dead stop I always give the clutch a little help and get the bike rolling before completely releasing the clutch.
We're both on the lighter side of the scale and in a minority as far as rider weight is concerned. The heavier riders WILL experience more clutch wear if they try to ride their bikes like motorcycles.
Tom
We're both on the lighter side of the scale and in a minority as far as rider weight is concerned. The heavier riders WILL experience more clutch wear if they try to ride their bikes like motorcycles.
Tom
Simple answer, Yes, you absolutely need pedals!
First, these motors aren't designed to pull you from a dead start, they are not geared for that, you need the pedals to get rolling.
Second, where are you gonna put your feet?
Third, having no pedals takes the MB from legal to illegal in most states...
That said, you only need one gear on the pedals, preferably something that is easy to pedal from a stop. You wont use them all that much, but when you need them you need them....
First, these motors aren't designed to pull you from a dead start, they are not geared for that, you need the pedals to get rolling.
Second, where are you gonna put your feet?
Third, having no pedals takes the MB from legal to illegal in most states...
That said, you only need one gear on the pedals, preferably something that is easy to pedal from a stop. You wont use them all that much, but when you need them you need them....
Make it a gear you can use for most cruising speeds because eventually you'll need them to get home when a malfunction occurs.
it can be done with a 36 tooth sprocket.....you just need to roll the bike down a hill before you release the clutch.
I SAID THAT THIS WORKS FOR ME!
my bikes have 20" wheels and 41 tooth sprockets which give me more than enough low end torque to take off from a dead stop using only the clutch.
this isn't my bike, it's my friends, but these videos will show you the kind of abuse that he gives his clutch.
after about 5 years of this kind of abuse, his bike is still running, on the original clutch pads!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYqr6gS-xA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjhNb0WqVWY&list=UUVvOdkMgkEkWVBo0HF9XVqw&index=2
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That's true, you can drive off like a motorcycle even with tall gearing if you're pointing downhill, but that's going to be a little inconvienant if there's no hill around. You should have qualified your statement by indecating your bike has 25 mph gearing, which gives it a reasonable cruising speed of about 20 mph.
