rumrunn6

Anybody change their rear gearset to another that had an easier 1st gear for better hill climbing? I've got a '70s era Schwinn 10-speed and I think this kind of gear swap would be easier than swapping the front double gear crank for a triple.

ScottRyder 

Hey Rum, glad to hear you're getting out the vintage steel!

I've swapped out a lot of my freewheels for some easier hill climbing, some are in the 14-34 tooth range.
What do you have on there now?

I'm heading to the Cape on Memorial Day weekend .. How about you?

Scott

rumrunn6

Hey Scott, Current gearset is 14/28. I guess I'll keep my eye out for a 14 / 34. That's pretty easy to swap right? I just have to grab it with something stong and turn it the other direction where it's not spinning? I seem to remember doing it with a screwdriver or a monkey wrench when I was a teenager.

Regarding the Cape I've been wicked frustrated this year and even had to cancel a 3 night stay at a lighthouse keeper's house! About a month ago my spouse, while out with some girlfriends, fell on a handicap curb and broke her kneecap. I've been working double duty for the kids; cleaning; laundry; shopping, etc. She's coming around fine and may start driving and working next week. That CCRT been calling me but I haven't been able to answer yet. I went out a few times since we discussed it while there was still ice and I had some good rides since it melted, but now had to take a break. Been getting my miles commuting.

My converted hybrid started snapping rear spokes and so I'm back on my old steel bike. Turns out the modern bike and wheels couldn't hack it.

USAZorro

There's a tool for it - which is highly recommended. If you don't have one, you can take it to the bike shop. With some luck, they might not even charge you for it.

ScottRyder 

I remember doing a lot of things as a teenager that I wouldn't do now. Removing the freewheel that way, well I'll add that to my "don't do list". You should get a freewheel remover tool, most good bikes shops have them or can get them for you. If it's a Suntour it will most likely be a two prong but sometimes they're a 4. They cost under $10.

If you're down south over the long weekend I could swap it out for for you in a few minutes. I might even have a 34 tooth laying around.


Scott

urodacus

even easier might be swapping out your 42 front ring for a 39, if your front derailleur can handle it.

rumrunn6

"If you're down south over the long weekend I could swap it out for for you in a few minutes. I might even have a 34 tooth laying around."

That would deserve a six pack for sure ... You check your email down there?

wrk101

Depending on the crankset you have on the bike, I swapped my 52/42 chainrings on my Lotus with a 36/47 combo that came off a mountain bike donor I had in the workshop. Everywhere I look around here is a hill, and hey, I don't have that good of a motor either. So it cost me nothing (the donor was real cheap). Vintage touring triples often were in the 48/36/28 range or somewhere near that. And no impact on RD (may have to shorter chain slightly.

mparker326

Your current rear derailer may not be able to handle a 34 unless it is a long cage one.

robatsu

+1.

And then you are doing the 52/42 thing over a wide range 5 or six, unless you then want to respace the rear hub.

When you dig into it, it really isn't necessarily so clear which is the best solution.

Currently, I put a triple on my fuji daily rider. Run the stock 6spd 14/30 in the rear. It came with a Suntour Vx mid cage, which has enough chain wrap to take up all the chain slack for the three lowest rear cogs while on the low front chainring (34). That's plenty. and this is enough low gears for trailer pulling on moderate hills.

I think the bike ended up a lot more flexible than if I had just put a new rear derailleur and cluster on it, which I can still do if I need even lower gears.

reverborama

This I suggested on the cross-post in the Mechanics forum. I believe this is going to be the easiest a least expensive solution.

ScottRyder 

Beer ... it's a good thing.

That's a good point that everyone brought up about the rear not handling the 34 tooth. Totally spaced on that. But I might have an old Suntour Vx GT lying around as well. Add two more minutes to the swap out.

Drop me a pm and I'll give you my cell number in case you're down.

Scott

John E

All of the old SunTour V-GT series derailleurs handle 32 or 34T cogs beautifully. In the early 1970s Nishiki shipped almost everything except the Road Compe and other racing models with a 14-32 or a 14-34 freewheel and either a V-GT or a wide-range Shimano derailleur.

I built my wife a Peugeot UO-8 from the bare frame. Not wanting to search out and to pay for smaller rings for her TA Professional 3-bolt crankset, I modified a SunTour cogset to 16-18-21-24-32, which gave her all but the top end of the popular 52-42/14-24 1.5-step combination, plus a great granny for the hills above west Los Angeles. An even better solution would be an ultra-6 speed freewheel with something like 15-17-19-22-25-32. With a little respacing and probably a longer rear axle, also consider a 7-speed freewheel, such as a 14-16-18-21-24-28-34, which should work out very nicely with your 52-42 front combo.

bikemore 

I commute from Harvard (outside 495, not the school) to Boston at night. Got a pile of freewheel removers
and a big stick and a pile of long cage derailleurs. If it doesn't work out with Scott I could add stuff to my
backpack on the way home and stop by. Also have a 5 gear freewheel 14-32 or 34.

rumrunn6

Hey I just found out I have a Trek 520 (bent frame) with a triple crank. Can I use some of that triple crank on my old Schwinn**********

Little Darwin

They both use English bottom brackets, so you should be able to swap the BB and crank right over.

To shift properly, you should switch to a long cage RD, and ideally a front derailleur that will handle the jumps/width of a triple.

rumrunn6

Well, maybe I can use those from the 520, huh?

bikemore 

Should work. Picture might help. I am guessing the 520 has derailleur hanger as part of the dropout,
and the schwinn doesn't . If true, you will need an adaptor. Again, not real hard to come by - but it is
good to prepared before you start.

rumrunn6

Oops, turns out that Trek frame has no derailers. No wonder I got it free huh? I have other parts but not those. oh well, maybe I can tweak mine to work ...?