Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - I'm breaking away

Well, I've wanted to build up a coaster brake bike for a while and this one seemed to be an ideal candidate. I'm not even a cool bike nerd.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3678524652&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6
I'll post some pictures when I get it and get it together, the price was certainly right.

I think you paid too much.

Gaspipe frame with ashtabula cranks? no thanks.

If you bougtht this frame with the intention of setting this up to in some way recreate the bikes in Breaking Away, then you are a cool bike nerd. Well at least IMO. Cheapo frame or not, this should prove to be a fun bike.

I think it's cool!

Well, I've wanted to build up a coaster brake bike for a while and this one seemed to be an ideal candidate. I'm not even a cool bike nerd.

I think this is an excellent first coaster brake candidate. Chainline should be a breeze to achieve as it should have110mm rear spacing. Do you have a coaster brake for the bike now?

Jim

If you bougtht this frame with the intention of setting this up to in some way recreate the bikes in Breaking Away, then you are a cool bike nerd. Well at least IMO. Cheapo frame or not, this should prove to be a fun bike.
Yea, actually that's the idea. You'd be suprised how often they play that movie during the day, I've probably seen it 10 times during the kids nap time during the last two years that I've been at home, and when I saw the frame for sale...... well.... I was inspired.
Jim, I don't have a hub yet, I haven't decided what to use. I suppose I could try and figure out what hub the 'race' bikes use but I don't think I'm going to get that specific on my build. More trying to capture the feel of the bike rather than be absolutely correct. Do you have any hub suggestions?

I would just use a standard everyday coasterbrake hub. lace it up to a 700c rim ansd go have a blast. Maybe put some blocks on the pedals and pretend that you are Mooch.

must.. get.. avatar.. into.. this.. post.. due.. to.. post.. title..

I'm just not sure, did they have coaster brakes in breaking away? It's been like 10 years since i seen that movie.

All coaster, all the time. The coast followed by the powerslides (oh, to be a kid again) was a dead giveaway.

Dave

Are you prepared for the one piece crank and suitably enormous BB?

The coast followed by the powerslides (oh, to be a kid again)

To be a kid again is right! I remember powersliding with my banana seated, gorilla bar sporting cruiser bike from Canadian Tire! Who could skid the longest, skidding in puddles or on a sandy part of the road...

It was a toss up between getting a fixed or a coaster brake for my fuji. Fixed is nice but if i got coaster brake i could get rid of the front brake. I dunno, i sometimes think i should have got the coaster brake. Granted, i like the fixed. Am i rambling?

LOL, of course i am!

In Chicago, there are two messengers riding little 500's ( a mongoose with track drops and some other one with horizontal drops) One just went fixed, but both had alot of fun with the coaster brakes. Should be a fun bike. However, yeah, huuuuuge heavy bmx one piece cranks have always been the biggest gripe they've had about those bikes.

This brings up a question I had when I was building my fixie (and contemplating non-fixed options): Are coaster brakes available pre-built in 27" or 700c wheels? I cannot find any bigger than 26"? My LBS said they could build one, but that would cost more than I wanted to pay.

The crank isn't really an issue. If I don't like it then I'll just get one of the conversion setups here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/opc.html and all will be good. I too can run Campy in an american BB. It's a non issue.
Big Wheel Bicycle had some coaster brake wheels in either 27 or 700 (I don't remember which) that were cheap. Their website is down now and I didn't have terribly good luck the first time I tried to order something from then though. They're out there though, just may take some searching.
I've got a late 70's coaster brake BMX bike leaning agianst the house right now. Every day I use it to ride the 100 feet down the driveway to get the mail. Hop on, sprint to the end and do a screaming powerslide. Every day. It's a blast. I think I'll have a lot of fun on this bike. Besides, where else are you going to find a coaster brake bike with a legitimate racing pedigree. Straight gauge tubing and one piece cranks be damned, this puppy is a racer, pure and simple. :)

before going with a conversion kit I suggest looking at someplace like dans comp for some low cost bmx 3 peice cranks. I had a set of poverty cranks that were sealed and tubular cro mo for about 90 bucks or so. That is if you feel like spending money. I used to deliver on an old schwinn world tour bike that I lace a coaster hub to 700c rims, I loved that bike.

OH which reminds me. If there is anyone out there that would like that frame and fork I am more than willing to send it out to you for just the cost of shipping. It has an old set of Campy cranks on it that are now "permanently" on it and do not want to come off. All the threads on the drive side have gone the way of the Dodo.

Haha, I bought the other little 500 frame that the guy had on ebay. Damn Breaking Away, I loved that movie.......

Haha, I bought the other little 500 frame that the guy had on ebay. Damn Breaking Away, I loved that movie.......
So we're both bike nerds. Let me know if you find a good coaster brake wheel, if that's what you're doing with it.

So we're both bike nerds. Let me know if you find a good coaster brake wheel, if that's what you're doing with it.

Actually, if you could help me out I have a couple questions that the seller couldnt answer, maybe you know more. What is the seatpost diameter for the frame, the steerer tube, and will it take a conventional headset. Im already buying the bb adapter so I can run a decent crankset. If you don't know the above off hand, I guess I can just measure it myself when it comes in. As for a coaster brake, I think Im going to build this up as kind of a beater track bike with no brakes, but if I come across some info I'll let you know.

I don't know for certain, but I'm pretty sure the seat post will be the standard american size of 7/8 or 22.2, you can find good quality BMX seatposts in this size. The headtube should take a BMX sized headset and from there things get a bit wacky. Check http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/opc.html for the details on making it work with a modern fork.
At this point this is all conjecture though, I'm going off the fact that every roadmaster I've ever seen uses these 'american standard' sizes. Not exactly what you'd call a cutting edge bike company if you know what I mean. FedEx tracking says mine should show up on Saturday so I can report back on the seatpost at least then.

A bud of mine grabbed one of these that was left at one of his rental apartments. The score of the whole deal was the Cinelli stem and 44cm Cinelli Criterium bars that is came with. Roadmaster frame with a wishbone rear seatstay. Would be perfect for the coaster/beater bike. BTW, I snagged his bars, oh so nice.

Dave

JimV, or anyone else (hammye), is there any certain kind of grease you use in the coaster hubs to create less drag? I've been commuting about 8 miles a day on my bike and it just feels like I'm dragging ass sometimes. Although, that could be my body dragging ass and not the bike.....(by the way, I've got Phil's in there now)

So glad to see you in this thread Schwinny, we've missed you around here. :)
I have no advice about grease, just that I'm going to try some different ones on this bike and see what works. My understanding is that the main cause of failure on coaster brake hubs is overheating and melting out of the grease. This kind of has me wondering if high temperature automotive hub grease might be the ticket. What's the heat enduring ability of bike grease?

I really don't know what you should use. The only problem I ever had with my coaster brake hubs was that my spokes would keep breaking. You may just need to loosen up the cones a touch. But I don't even know if I would recomend that. Ok so this may be really silly but there is a guy by the name of Joe Ortiz, he works in a shop up in Adrian. He is king coaster brake. I really wish I could give you a shop name but it has been a few years since I have even thought about that guy. But Adrian is a small town so just
go through the phone book or something.