HELP! schwinn single speed with back pedal brakes

S

smithmule

New Member
ok so here is my problem.

my GF wants a motored bike (yay) and wants it to be a schwinn point beach.
we cant get schwinn point beach's here in australia but we can get very similar.
the bike she has her eye on has back pedal brakes and no gears .. i have no idea how well the rear drive sprocket will fit and how to get rid of the ugly back pedal braking system.

have u guys ever tried on one of the single speed schwinn's?
 
All of the bikes I have built were "coaster" or "back pedal" brakes.

You will need to do a couple of mods to make the kit work, not hard ones either.

Remove the dust cover on the end of the axle and grind off the outer flange of the dust cover. I posted pictures of this somewhere around here...

You will also have to bend the brake arm very slightly to clear the bolt heads.

Alternately, you can bore the center hole in the sprocket, and use countersunk screws to clear the brake arm....the choice is yours.
 
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Mine is a single speed coaster brake with a front brake as well. I slow with the rear and apply the front second to assist and stop. I have a cruiser style although not a schwinn and I think the frame style is the best! My sprocket fit my rear hub like a glove!
 
I second the front brake, this from a man who had serious chain issues at first. Coaster brake with no chain = no brakes at all.

However I would not have it any other way. The coaster brake is one less control to deal with.
 
The first kit I did was on a Huffy Surfside cruiser with coaster brake. After fighting with the rear setup for awhile, I ended up replacing the whole rear wheel with a wheel from a multi-geared bike. Most single speed bikes with coaster brakes come set up for lever brakes anyway, so it was easy to make the switch. Just had to bend the rear fork open a bit to accept the wider wheel with all the extra sprockets.
 
saetta said:
Mine is a single speed coaster brake with a front brake as well. I slow with the rear and apply the front second to assist and stop. I have a cruiser style although not a schwinn and I think the frame style is the best! My sprocket fit my rear hub like a glove!
Click to expand...


Hi; i can't seem to find a single speed with a front brake; what brand and where did you get yours? thanks
 
Just scavenge the front brake from a junk bike. If you want a bit more safety, then add a back rim brake. That's how I've done it. One coaster brake plus two hand brakes. I've got as much braking as I need that way without stressing that coaster brake.

One other tip; get familiar with the guts of that rear hub and change the grease inside with the seasons.

You do want to keep an eye on those hubs. But don't let me discourage you. It's not all that hard and it's well worth while.
 
You can also order new brake kits from eBay, search for bmx style side pull brakes. They mount in the center hole for the fender.
 
i see that; i was just lookin at those! i bought my existing 7sp that came with fr and rear v-brakes...i'm not thrilled with v brakes. as far as having the 7 sps goes, peddling is is still quite a chore when you have to move the extra chain and sprockets!
 
V brakes are excellent with strong, progressive braking second only to disc.
If yours are not, they need adjustment or new pads.
 
yeah i'm sure you're right; my adjustment skills are not good plus i had had a woobly rim on front...now fixed and the rear drive wheel is not right; the pads hit at the same time but i had to set one side up differently cause the rim doesn't seem to be in line with the hub. it's a new wheel. i got it cause it was cheaper than a new sprocket adapter. i hear there's a way to "walk" the hub over but haven't figured it out.
 
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