36Oly_Rider

Hi all,

I am going to be working on my dad's Burley Sandpoint so he can ride again. I am trying to find some more information on it, but everything thing is pretty standard. Anyway, we were discussing how to make it an easier ride for him because he just had heart surgery. So, I told him I have a 9-speed Deore Rear derailleur, Alivio shifters and cassette from a previous fatbike upgrade I did a while back. He seems to like the idea of using trigger shifters vice grip shifts, but it leads me to a have a few questions after I took a gander at the bike (which was about all I could do because its pinned against the wall with his riding lawnmower in the way). The bike itself is pretty much stock when it comes to the drive train.

1. How many chains will I need to purchase? Initially, I thought 2, but dang, that thing is long as..well, you know. It looks like at least 3 or possibly 4...
2. With the position the bike is in, I couldn't tell if it was a free hub or freewheel setup and what I find online, it just says "Burley Recumbent". It looks like a standard run of the mill POS hub. My guess is freehub, but I just want to make sure.
And Finally, 3. The front derailleur is a Sunrace M2S triple...Will that be compatible with the Shimano trigger shift?

I know I'll probably have more questions and should have asked in the Mechanics forum, but I figure here I would be able to get a more specific answer...

Thanks for the help.

Jon

BlazingPedals

1) Three chains will do it. You won't need all of the third one, but you will definitely need some of it.
2) If it's stock, it'll have a freehub. Mountain bike spacing (135mm.)
3) Yes, Sunrace is Shimano-compatible. It's inexpensive, but some of the newer stuff is nice enough to be considered 'mid-range' quality.

Most bent riders run mountain bike cassettes to get the large gear range they like. I have 11-32 on most of my bents. I'm slowly converting all of mine from twisties to triggers. I find GripShift is easier to use; but the rubber wears out quickly and then the whole thing is toast. Triggers promise to last longer.

36Oly_Rider

Thanks for that...We got the bike out and are probably going to work on it this weekend...But yeah, the gripshifts on it don't feel as smooth as the SRAM or Shimano ones. The bike does need a good chunk of work on it. Mainly general maintenance. I tried to have him get a new front derailleur and crankset (both XT) on craigslist for a Benny, but he said "A hundred bucks? Heck no..." But then that got me thinking...With as long as the chain is, would there be any benefit using a clutched derailleur? He does ride on some mild trails and gravel roads...

catgita

If the chain stays are close to the chain, a clutch derailleur may help. If it looks beat up then consider it. If there is plenty of clearance, skip it. I have one and find it adds a little bit of noise.

mobilemail

I recently found a Deore crankset for my Burley for something like $60, from JensonUSA, I think. It is 22/32/42 or thereabouts, so your dad may appreciate the gearing. As for shifters, I'm not a huge fan of twist shifters, but they are generally more for forgiving of front derailleur trim than pushbuttons are. If you an get a decent price on bar end shifters, it's a nice option and have a better quality feel than twisters.

And thanks for educating me. I'm a huge Burley fan and thought I knew all the models, but I had never heard of the Sandpoint. (Koosah with different parts...)

I think the Bicycleman still keeps some Burley specific parts like seat fabric, etc. if you have such a need.

Retro Grouch 

How much bike tuning experience do you have?

I'm thinking this has the earmarks of a frustrating experience if this is a first project. Everything might bolt right up and work fine the way that BlazingPedals suggested, but I doubt it. If you brought that bike to me to work on the very first thing that I would do would be to figure out how to hold it steady at a convenient height while allowing the crank and rear wheel to rotate.

36Oly_Rider

Retro Grouch: This isn't my first bike tune-up, but it is my first recumbent tune-up/modification. I usually do frame up builds on my bikes...For this, the plan is to elevate the bike with nylon line or rope from the rafters in the garage and will use my mechanic stand to keep it stable and prevent swaying. I'll post up pics...I am curious, though, to hear what you might think be problematic

mobilemail: I agree. The twist shifts are more forgiving, and you almost alway know what gear you're in and that is what he wants. The Alivio shifters we're using has the indicators on them. I doubt he'd like bar-ends, haha. He does want a new seat...but a leather one, haha...

catgita: Yeah, you're right. I looked at the chainstay, and it's fine...I'm pretty sure the grandkids put it through some heck since he put off-road, knobby tires on it...I know I would have, haha.

mobilemail

I have used a ceiling hoist in the past when working on my 'bents. Just make sure your support is solidly attached to studs, or a minor tragedy could occur. I usually lift the rear just far enough to let the back tire clear the ground so I can put the bike through its paces.

Jedi seat tricks - On the Burleys, the seat base's angle and position is independently adjustable from the back. Burley's seats have a reputation of being hard and unforgiving, which I learned is exactly how it feels if the seat base is positioned flat like a road bike. But (at least for me), if i tilt the seat base so the nose is upward, it immediately becomes all-day comfortable. Those bolts are a pain to get to, but worth it. Also, if your dad is big, and/or powerful, and/or likes the seat reclined a bit, you may want to make or buy some "speed struts" for extra support of the seat. These are just extra struts that run from the seat back's mid-point down to the braze-ons midway on the chainstays. (I'm small, weak, and stay slightly more upright, so it isn't a big concern.)

Retro Grouch 

1. Most bike components are designed for DF bikes so you have to think through the ergonomics. Without seeing your bicycle I can't envision your handlebar so I can't say if triggers will work for this application or not.
2. Front derailleurs are much pickier when using trigger or brifters. My recumbents all have either bar ends or thumb shifters. I'm not saying triggers can't work but it'll take more tuning.
3. The other thing about tuning recumbents is the crank is so far from everything else. You can't just twist a barrel adjuster while you're turning the crank with your other hand. That's why I mentioned how you secure your bike while you're working on it.

FWIW: I have a lightly used pair of SRAM Centaur 9-speed Shimano compatible twist shifters that are your's for the asking. You'll need new (tandem length) cables and they aren't the easy to install cables into SRAM's.

36Oly_Rider

Yeah, we had to do that. I threw up a line over the rafter and hoisted the bike's rear wheel to about chest level. I then took my mechanic stand and clamped it to the non-drive side chain stay for stabilization...Worked pretty good, but for the adjustments, the bike wanted to sway and it was sliding the stand like nothing...Probably will weigh it down next time as an extra precaution. Fortunately for me, my nephew came over and helped me out a bit.

Once my dad gets the okay to ride, we'll make the adjustments. He was telling me about the same issue you were having with the seat. I haven't rode it long enough to really know. Just the test rides I've done. I don't think he's going to be riding very hard to require the speed struts. He's been off the bike a year already due to early symptoms of his ailment, but after his surgery, he's showing great improvements and actually can't wait to ride again. Thanks for the "Jedi Seat Tricks" I'll definitely use them...

Yeah, I now know what you mean. The trigger shifters seem to be awkward mainly on the front derailleur. The rear feels fine. It was a painful adjustment period, but was easier after my nephew and I realized the derailleur hanger was bent causing out heartaches...Fixed and it shifts beautifully.

The front seems more finicky. Not sure if it the Sunrace derailleur/ Shimano shifter combination, but it works (oddly enough). Seems to me its not smooth enough and takes a lot of force to get it in the big chainring. The bottom 2 shift really good. I'll definitely give him the advice of using thumbies if he doesn't like the triggers. Another possibility is a Shimano FD if he doesn't want to change out of the triggers. The bike itself is in great shape, but lacked general basic maintenance, but that is still in progress...

Thanks for the offer on the twist shifters, but I'm pretty sure he's going to be stuck on the triggers and/or possibly the thumbies.

I really do appreciate the help/advice with this you all are giving me with this. Sure is making it easier to work on.