I'd appreciate some advice on the suitability of an SBP shift kit for the bike pictured below. I found this bike at the dump last summer and haven't done anything with it yet. Even though it was in very good shape and was ridable as it was I kind of looked down on it since it was made after Schwinn was no longer American made. But I did notice that the bike seemed to have really nice components and everything was in very good condition... no rust on the wheels, etc. and the spokes were pretty thick and solid... wheels still true after all these years. I'm guessing this bike was made not too long after the company was sold.
In my ongoing quest for a bike capable of these mountains in Maryland while pulling the dog trailer, I've been thinking about this cantilever Schwinn and warming to the idea of giving it an SBP shift kit. I would of course give it a new paint job, probably black, a seat and chainguard from the fifties and a front springer fork from a 51 Schwinn with a V brake I rigged up for it. I would use the wheels which are pictured with new tires. The engine is a PK-80 from Pirate Cycles with a killer SBP expansion chamber exhaust. In frame gas tank made by Tinsmith.
My questions have to do with whether or not this frame presents any problems for the kit. It looks to me like there should be enough room behind the seat post, but you guys who have experience know better than I do. The bike is in Minnesota so I can't look at it other than in the pictures below until I get home again in a month, but it looks like five gear sprockets to me. That should be about right, yes?
I notice that the bottom bracket uses a one piece crank and in looking over the kit hardware it looks to be made for a three piece BB. Is this going to be a problem? Can I adapt it? There must be a way since Barelyawake used such a kit on his old Rollfast, right?
The information at SBP suggests that the standard kit is for a low compression engine and I'm guessing that the slant head PK-80 has high enough compression that I would need the heavy duty version.
Would I need to change the axle on this rear wheel? The site says that regular steel axles will bend under the torque from this setup. How can I know what axle this has and how big a deal is it to change it over? Could I just slip one in from a newer mountain bike?
One last question: the engine I have has a pull start I installed on it. Will there be clearance issues with the pedal crank which comes with the kit?
This is new territory for me and I appreciate your thoughts on this. I've come to like the cantilever Schwinns and now have a few gas tanks for them. Assuming the opening is close to the same as the ones from the fifties, I should have a copper tank already to mount once the frame has been painted. I know this can be a good looking build, but if the frame is not suitable then I'm fighting things. The engine I know will plug right in for a nice fit in the Schwinn frame. This would be a summer build, some ways off yet, but I like to plan things out and be ready when the time comes. If this is a poor candidate for the shift kit I'd like to know now rather than later. Many thanks,
SB
In my ongoing quest for a bike capable of these mountains in Maryland while pulling the dog trailer, I've been thinking about this cantilever Schwinn and warming to the idea of giving it an SBP shift kit. I would of course give it a new paint job, probably black, a seat and chainguard from the fifties and a front springer fork from a 51 Schwinn with a V brake I rigged up for it. I would use the wheels which are pictured with new tires. The engine is a PK-80 from Pirate Cycles with a killer SBP expansion chamber exhaust. In frame gas tank made by Tinsmith.
My questions have to do with whether or not this frame presents any problems for the kit. It looks to me like there should be enough room behind the seat post, but you guys who have experience know better than I do. The bike is in Minnesota so I can't look at it other than in the pictures below until I get home again in a month, but it looks like five gear sprockets to me. That should be about right, yes?
I notice that the bottom bracket uses a one piece crank and in looking over the kit hardware it looks to be made for a three piece BB. Is this going to be a problem? Can I adapt it? There must be a way since Barelyawake used such a kit on his old Rollfast, right?
The information at SBP suggests that the standard kit is for a low compression engine and I'm guessing that the slant head PK-80 has high enough compression that I would need the heavy duty version.
Would I need to change the axle on this rear wheel? The site says that regular steel axles will bend under the torque from this setup. How can I know what axle this has and how big a deal is it to change it over? Could I just slip one in from a newer mountain bike?
One last question: the engine I have has a pull start I installed on it. Will there be clearance issues with the pedal crank which comes with the kit?
This is new territory for me and I appreciate your thoughts on this. I've come to like the cantilever Schwinns and now have a few gas tanks for them. Assuming the opening is close to the same as the ones from the fifties, I should have a copper tank already to mount once the frame has been painted. I know this can be a good looking build, but if the frame is not suitable then I'm fighting things. The engine I know will plug right in for a nice fit in the Schwinn frame. This would be a summer build, some ways off yet, but I like to plan things out and be ready when the time comes. If this is a poor candidate for the shift kit I'd like to know now rather than later. Many thanks,
SB
