Garage sale bikes part swap.. Will it work?
 

Hello everyone, Last week I bought 2 used Raleigh C40 hybrid bicycles. I gave $80 for the pair… Knowing that they both had ‘issues’. Neither bike had a seat. The brown bike is a 21” frame. The left pedal was cross threaded into the crank. The green bike is a 23” frame and the chain rings are bent.

So, I used the good left crank from the green bike, and a seat from the parts pile in the garage… And the brown 21” C40 is ready to go! (We are giving it to a friend, so I finished this one first.)

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/9792/20595062.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7418/23670611.jpg

This left me with the green 23” bike... Today at a garage sale I picked up a Schwinn World Sport 10speed complete with bent back wheel for five bucks. So here is the question. Can I use the crankset from the Schwinn 10 speed on the Raleigh and create a 14 speed? They have the same tapered square mounting system, so they will bolt right on... But are they compatible?

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8747/88546875.jpg

The original Raleigh chainrings are 24/34/42. The Schwinn’s are 40/52. The lowest rear cog on both bikes has a tooth count of 30. So I understand it would loose a lot of the lower gearing. I’m fine with that.

What do you think?… Would it work?

CHEERS! goaly

I think one issue that you would have would be chain width. The seven cogs in the cassette of the hybrid will require a 7 speed chain. The teeth on the older Schwinn chainrings might be too wide to fit into a 7 speed chain.

A better question is why would you cannibalize that cool old Schwinn? Have the rear wheel trued and ride it :)

I thought about it.. But because of back surgery I can't do the lower handlebars. I can sit upright and ride a hybrid for 30 miles without problem, but I cant go around the block on the Schwinn.

I never thought about the chain width!

Why not just change the left crank arm.

I would change just the left crank arm, but the chainrings are bent... I think the previous owner tried to remove them with a hammer instead of a crank-puller. So, at this point the green Raleigh needs a complete crankset including the pedals.

Plus a seat, but I consider that to be a separate issue.

To address the drop bars, might I suggest a set of short moustache bars or riser bars or North Roads? That Schwinn is a cooler bike than the Raleigh. ;) I'd use the Raleigh as a parts donor bike for later and get the Schwinn on the road.

Here's my '71 Nishiki, with cutdown moustache bars, set up as a fixed gear.

http://www.bikeforums.net/picture.ph...1&pictureid=78

http://www.bikeforums.net/picture.ph...1&pictureid=79

Pull the goose neck and bars off the Raleigh and drop them into the Schwinn. Get the wheel trued as mentioned.