Cattywompus

Hello again, C&V! I'd like your opinions on this Tote Cycle I'm (?)modifying. I know some might consider it putting lipstick on a pig, but she's my pig. This bike makes me irrationally happy. I've always wanted a cargo bike but don't have the space to store one. I also like the ability to load it up on the car rack without strain. I have plans for this bike, man. Plans.

After finding as much info as I could, I decided I wanted a modern IGH. So I have a Nexus 8 speed and Sturmey Archer dynamo/drum brake on the way with a pair of 20" Rhino Lite Rims to lace them to. I chose Maxxis Ringworm tires. My question for you guys: what kind of spoke should I go with? I'll be carrying my 35# toddler (and still growing) on this bike. I'd like to carry some groceries and be able to make some library runs. I'd also like some feedback on color choice- I'm going to have it powder coated after the welding is done.

As it came to me. 39 pounds by my scale:



With intended passenger:


The Bendix RB2 that came with it is nice, so I got in there to clean it. Forty-year-old gunk, from the look of it:


Cleaned, new grade 25 bearings installed after this pic was taken:


Reassembled, runs like a champ:


Bridges removed. First time using an angle grinder, but I'm satisfied with the result:


Re-spacing the dropouts. The black marks on the threading is where I started. Needed a little gentle prying at the end, but I got 135mm on the nose:


New bridges cut. The bottom one is not as close fitting as the top, but this is my first rodeo with frame modification, so I'll cut myself some slack. My neighbor's son has a TIG welder, so I'm going to ask if he can do the work for me:


So there it is. Any ideas on spokes, color, or anything else you can think of would be great.

cb400bill

Orange or Copper would look cool.

Cattywompus

You know, I'm kind of leaning towards copper. Or bronze maybe.

rgver

Looking forward to the progress on this one

bicyclridr4life

Bronze metallic was a factory color on the three speed version. I had one a couple years back, but had to let her go

Cattywompus

I've seen pictures of Tote Cycles with that paint- very pretty, especially in the sun. I think that's why I'm leaning towards that color- it's in tune with the classic vibe.

rhm

the spokes probably don't matter much.

The Sturmey Archer 8 speed hub is well suited to small wheels, the Shimano one not so much. But you can make either one do the job.

Cattywompus

Really? How so?

Cattywompus

Thanks! I plan on keeping this thread up to date.

Michael Angelo 

Nice, I would silver braze instead of tig.

Pompiere

Don't forget to check the crank clearance on the right side chain stay. If it was close before, it may rub after spreading the rear. Not something you want to find out during final assembly.

rhenning

A couple of pictures of my 3 speed and I also own a black coaster brake one. Very nice riding for a small bike. The black one has Continental Contact tires which I am very happy with them. Roger

rhm

Play with the numbers on Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Gear Calculator.

You can disregard some of the parameters, such as crank arm length, but be sure to put in your correct chain ring size and (approximately)correct tire size as you read them off your bike as is or as planned. Then check what cog size the hub comes with: Sturmey Archer 8 speed hub usually comes with a 25t or 23t cog, and a smaller one (19t?) can be found. The Shimano, I think, comes with a 21t cog but smaller ones are pretty easy to find, as small as 16t (even smaller cogs exist but they are not dished, so they don't fit that hub). Also, most people set the gear unit (=output) as "gear inches"

You probably want a low gear somewhere around 30 inches.

You have 20" wheels, so you'll be okay with either the Shimano or the Sturmey Archer hub. If the wheels are any smaller than 20" the Shimano hub starts getting into trouble, requiring a larger chain ring than is readily available.

The main issue is whether you can find a gear range that will allow you to use all of the gears. I have my folding bike (which has 20" wheels and the Sturmey Archer hub) so the lowest gear is about 35 inches, the highest about 105 inches. I use my lowest gear all the time, but don't need a lower one. I rarely use my high gear, but on the rare occasions that I'm tearing down a hill or a bridge, I'm glad to have it. Fastest I've ever gone on that bike was somewhere around 32 mph.

If I switched my bike to the Shimano hub, I'd want to find a much bigger chain ring, maybe 56t, which is not all that easy (and potentially expensive).

John E

I like any project that replaces a single speed with an IGH.

Cattywompus

I understand that brazing is ideal, but I'm having a hard time finding anyone even willing to take on the job. Is brazing necessary, or just best practice? I'll do what I need to do, but since the original bridges weren't even tubing and the welds weren't anything to write home about, I thought MIG might be good enough. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Cattywompus

Good call! I'll check that today. Thanks!

Cattywompus

Thank you you for the thorough reply- that makes a lot of sense. I'm going to look at Sheldon's calculator today and see what I come up with. Would plugging in some of my favorite chainring/gear combinations on my other bikes as a point of reference be useful? Would it translate over? I'm not used to thinking in those parameters, but I'm willing to learn.

Cattywompus

Thanks for the tire recommendation. I'll keep the Continentals in mind. The Utility Cycling crowd seem to be fond of Schwalbe Big Apples, but I wasn't sure about tire clearance with fenders.

That's a handsome bike you have there. Wish mine came with a front rack. Did you make the saddlebag yourself? It looks custom made. Very nice. I lucked out on an industrial sewing machine last year (50 bucks for the table, motor, and head. I still feel smug about it) and would like to get into leather working. Need to finish the bike first, though.

rhm

Yes, definitely, figure out what gears you spend the most time on other bikes. That is a useful exercise no matter what you learn.

But don't expect the modified Tote-Cycle to emulate any other bike. I don't know why it is, but my gearing requirements on my folding bike are different from other bikes. I'm sure it's something to do with the different geometry etc of a folding bike, probably related to its weight and general flexiness. Some bikes, if I don't have a gear low enough to get up a hill comfortably, I'll just stand up and hammer as hard as it takes. The folding bike feels awful when I stand up, so I don't.

Note also that the Shimano hub has uneven and unpredictable steps between the gears. As a result I don't develop a reliable sense of when I should shift on my Shimano-equipped bike. Shifting on the Sturmey Archer tends to be more intuitive.

Cattywompus

This will be my first experience with one, so I'm a little nervous. People who have them love them, so I'm pretty sure it's going to work out. I'm looking for simplicity over performance on this build.

Velocivixen

@Cattywompus - thank you for posting this thread. I've never seen a bike like this and I'm interested to see how you manage all the upgrades. On either the vintage mountain bike thread or the drop bar conversion thread on this site, someone had a Stumpjumper that they had down tube shifter bosses added and had painted a gorgeous metallic Orange/copper. It was fantastic, so if you want to see it you could do a quick search or another member may know who has the bike or what thread its in.

P,ease keep posting details - I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Cattywompus

I have a question about that scenario. I've read that when changing gears on an IGH lots of force on the pedals is bad, but I'm not sure how they define "lots of force". I would assume standing on the pedals while changing gears is a no-go. What about hill climbing? Is there anything I could do to damage my hub if I change gears while climbing? We live in a flat area, but I don't want to form any bad habits. Sorry for the basic questions, I have zero experience with IGHs.

Cattywompus

Thanks, I will!

I'll check out those threads, too. I'm a sucker for orange. It's my favorite color.

rhm

Start out cautious, and within a few miles you'll get the hang of it. To shift, you really should stop pedaling for a fraction of a second, but you don't have to read the word "stop" too literally. You just slack off a bit; so if you're pedaling along at 90 rpm, you could slow your pedaling down to 85 rpm and you'd be effectively coasting. That's the moment to shift. This may not make much sense in the abstract, but you'll figure it out very quickly.

Velocivixen

I just checked out my local CL & someone is selling one "like new" and is asking for $450. I wouldn't pay that much, but curious as to how much these are really worth? Guess it depends on the buyer. It's also a copper/Orange/gold color.

@Cattywompus - Heres the page with the Orange Stumpjumper. Scroll down a little.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post16700196