Lugnuts001

parcoju, great slideshows! I like the close-up shots. I wish I could get my cotters out that easily.

parcoju

Thanks! Some people have told me that liquid wrench and lot of praying gets those cotters out xD

Even though it looks like I'm flying through this project, I still don't have all the parts and, alas!, I have college midterm exams upon me! (It is week 5/10)

So here are a few tidbits to show that this project will survive!



my "brilliant" cotter press thingy



How oh how do you remove this flabbergasting fixed cup?



In its folded state!

EvilV

I'd have thought a blow lamp flame on the crank near the cotter pin but not on the pin would make it come out easily. The heat expands the hole, then a light tap on the pin and out she comes. Since most people will be replacing the crankset, there's no need to be especially careful about overdoing the heat and damaging the finish either.

I'm sure you all know that though.

OrangeClownBike

I had to resort to a blow lamp on the fixed cup and a long spanner, once it's started it was ok. it would scorch t he paint tho.

Sixty Fiver

A cotter pin press is a wonderful thing but if that doesn't work (and you are screwed) and you are not going to be saving the cranks and spindle then a cut off wheel does a very snazzy job of removing the cranks.

You want to wear good protective clothing, gloves, and safety glasses if you do this as it does make a lot of very hot sparks and some red hot metal fragments may also come flying off. The heat this generates also seems to be enough to aid in the removal of the bb cups.

parcoju

I first tried to recreate a cotter pin press out of a vise, an old nut, and a lot of cussing.
I based it off of this design I saw on the web:

https://forums.bicycling.com/eve/foru...2/m/3941079064

unfortunately, that didn't work.

a cotter pin press would have been really nice

https://bikesmithdesign.com/CotterPress/index.html

......

Just wondering, for all those Phil Wood Retaining Ring using people,
Have you tried fitting any other bottom brackets besides the Shimano UN-72 (and Phil Wood)?

I have had my eye on the Shimano UN-25 for a while now just out of curiosity
https://www.bikeparts.com/search_res...p?ID=BPC314230

I already have a 110 mm UN72 and am going to acquire a NOS 73 x 122.5 JIS axle and a NOS 73 x 115 ISO just for testing out and I was just wondering what other people have tried.

jur

I use a machinist clamp to press the cotters out, and back in (just as important!). Never failed yet. The leverage is hugely more than on a G clamp.

Of course it's mighty handy that I had to make such a clamp (quite a beefy one) during my 1st year as engineering student.

griftereck

I put the big nut on the cotter then clamp it up in a vice.
a vice gives tonnes of force.
G clamps arent good at holding lumpy things, better on flat things

To remove the fixed cup on a 20. I put the chainstays in a vice and then drift the cup round with a hammer and cold chissel. Oil both inside and out of the bb. Its easier to do it this way on a 20 since the chainstays are straight paralell tube, instead of tapered.

griftereck

I see you took a spacer from the non drive side of the shimano hub gear.
will have to redish the wheel then.
might not need much work though

parcoju

indeed i did. I should note that I have not actually installed the hub onto a 406 rim; the i bought the hub laced to a 559 rim and the pictures of me respacing the hub were with that 26" rim.

I have yet to decide if i want to remove all the spacers and whatnot on the final project.

It seems that sheldon brown did it to both the nexus 7


and nexus 8,

so what the heck?

Indie

So how do you go about changing the handlebars? I'm guessing people do it because they want something taller... I'm 5'5" and I feel hunched over when I ride this thing. If anything my seat needs to be higher, not lower, and the handlebars are at their highest extension.

I'm not going for restoration, obviously. I wouldn't call it hot rodding either -- it's more like resurrection from the dead, involving parts and patches from other cadavers. I have a Zombie Twenty.

I built new wheels last fall (on aluminium rims, which made the whole thing feel like it weighs half of what it used to), and I've just ordered some Kool Stop Continentals as replacement brake pads. Any recommendations for the handlebars?

parcoju

I had the complete opposite outlook towards the handlebar height! But then again, I am only 19 and about 5"3'. I had always wanted a really really aero position for a bike and it was so hard to find a suitable bike that would accommodate my not-so-tall stature.



As for the handlebars, there are a lot of options. One option, which I found from Phatatude's blog
was to use a stem riser.

https://web.mac.com/phatatude/Green_S...g_Tube....html



couple the stem riser with a 1" to 1 1/8" shim and a long threadless stem, your options are endless!

As for handlebars, you could find BMX style bars as those have a lot of rise. Heck if you're really into going crazy, you could maybe find a set of those "lowrider" style handlebars, because those thing are obnoxiously large.

You can replace the seatpost with any oversized 28.6 seatpost. The one I got was a 28.6 x 330 mm Thomson Setback seatpost, but I believe you can get seatposts for crazy long lengths, like 410 mm+ if you prefer

Indie

That is very cute. I can't decide yet if what I want is a higher stem, or if I want to be able to lean forward a little bit further without scrunching up my back (for that I think I'd need bullhorns).

Lugnuts001

I picked up a Samsonite Oyster suitcase today...
100_5567.jpg
It fit without a struggle. I didn't have to take the fork off the front half of the frame (and didn't have to deal with loose bearings). The seat stays on the seatpost too.

Elkodust

Very nice, Ive been looking for a travel solution for my twenty. And god do those mag wheels look nice. How much did they run you? Im dieing to upgrade my twenty, but since I need a better commuter solution, Im too hesitant to put much money into it and I might just sell it unfortunately. Its too heavy, at least atm and too cumbersome a fold.

Lugnuts001

The Skyways were $150 shipped. You can get no name mags for half the price brand new on ebay. I spent about $350 on the Twenty, which is still a couple hundred less than the Giant Halfway that I bought and returned. No it doesn't fold very small so it's limited as a commuter. The things that drew me to it were the sturdiness, cost of the original bike, upgradeable, and it can fit in a non-oversize suitcase. If I were you, I'd keep it just because. If you put it in a suitcase it doesn't take much space to store.

Elkodust

I prolly will, considering I only spend 80 bucks on mine. I will probably end up getting a smaller commuter bike, a downtube or something like that seems within my price range. God I want those mag wheels so bad. Once I get a smaller bike Im definitely getting those mag wheels.

Sixty Fiver

The best upgrade you can do to a stock Twenty is to replace the front wheel with an alloy one and replace the brake with a long reach bmx side pull... this might cost all of $50.00.

After that one can think about rebuilding the rear wheel, putting in a lighter seat post, and perhaps replacing the cottered cranks.

The Girl's 1974 R20 has new wheels and a new front brake with Kool Stops but is otherwise stock... she loves it as now it is a bit lighter and does stop really well.

Lugnuts001

I rode a Downtube Mini and liked it. FYI, Skyways come in 16" too! The only thing is it will have to be singlespeed.

veloceleste

I used a Soma quill extender and butterfly bar. Very comfortable and a few hand positions.