thumpism 

Here's an example of the frame style he mentioned that you could use for your belt drive build. This one a Nishiki Alien but if you search on "elevated chainstay bicycle" you should find a few more, like Alpinestars and some others. Finding a tall one will be the trick, but they were popular before front suspension was so building your rigid bike should be doable. Good luck!

**EDIT** see further down.


Damn, look what I found!

https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/bik/5740913046.html

FLJeepGuy

Just for some additional info, my '95 Specialized HardRock Ultra is Cro-Mo double-butted tubing. It has a prominent decal on the down tube:

squirtdad

this still wouldn't work for a belt... look at the chain it still goes behind the chainstay....the chain still needs to be broken to install. Belts only work if you can "break" the chain stay

thumpism 

You are both right and wrong; right in the way that does not matter and wrong in the way that does. Right in that the chain passes "behind" both the chainstay and seatstay on the right side of the bike when viewed from the right.

But, the chain does not pass through the frame as it does on a conventional bike.

Look at the pic below, closeup of a different but similar type frame, and see what you think. Frames like this were designed to defeat the phenomenon of chain suck, which occurred when the top run of chain would be snagged by the knobs of the rear tire and forced down between tire and right chainstay, instantly reducing your cadence to zero.

squirtdad

got it.....eyes must be getting old

fietsbob

Had one , AKA the Alien..

Trouble with thinking about a Belt drive is No way to add the needed tension
Vertical dropouts and No Eccentric BB..
stick with a Chain drive ..




'/,

thumpism 

Good point. Lots of us having brain farts today. Not having laid hands on a belt drive bike or examined one closely, that little element of the equation escaped me. However, in the spirit of eternal optimism and with the knowledge that a stopped clock is right twice a day, there is always the remotest chance that installing the belt drivetrain on the bike just might be exactly right on this particular frame even though no adjustment is available.

fietsbob

Maybe a Good Frame Builder can put an EBB shell in it.. then get an Alfine 11 speed Hub.

ExpertTools

After looking at all the suggestions here, I think I'm going to take a look at an old Panasonic Track bike I have in the attic. Would save a lot of money on this build to start with that, and it's a 24" frame. At one point 30 years ago, I had the very nice bars from a Peugeot Mixte on it, and used it as a city bike. But it hasn't moved in 25 years or more. I'm not sure if I still have the flat bars and brake levers. Not to mention the rear brake or chainguard that came with it; I think I went back to the drop bars. The bolt on hubs are good for a city bike. Time to search the attic.


I found a Nexus 3sp 36h hub for $15 at a Co-op, so my next step will be to see if the hub width will work. While this bike is about as relaxed a geometry you'll ever see on a track bike, I don't think my brother could handle a single speed. I'll also have to see if I can put some wider tires on it, and if fenders are even a possibility.

squirtdad

that sounds like a plan......and if you need to cold set the frame, the sheldon brown site has some good instructions.

bud16415

Here is mine it is tough as nails. I left the gearing alone as it is hilly here. If I lived in the flatter city I would keep the center ring, take off the granny and replace the big ring with a bash guard and get rid of the FD. Shifting in the back as a 1X would be pretty simple as others have mentioned. Bike was a garage sale find the rest except the tires were old parts I had hanging around.

dbg

I think you're ruling out singlespeed way too prematurely. You can't get any simpler/cheaper/lighter and only severe hills might be a problem. You'd be surprised how versatile and capable a singlespeed is. You even see messengers in San Francisco riding them. My absolute favorite ride and my knock around city bike is a singlespeed. It is so elegant and easy. OMG.

GamblerGORD53

The 3 spd SA hub is a great idea.
Worrying about LIGHT for a city bike for a 60 YO HERMAN MUNSTER is just totally laughable. Is he going to race messengers ?? LOL Those road bikes most often came with skinny wheel frames. 3 spd hubs will need a 120mm DO.

noglider 

Your brother hasn't ridden in a long time, and he should decide if riding in the city is for him. I hope he does, but I would recommend against investing a lot of time or money before he decides. If Citi Bike serves his needs, he should try that first. Those bikes are very sturdy. He should bear in mind that anything he buys or you build will be lighter.

I live in the West Village where that 3-speed is being sold. $249 is a very good price for that bike which appears to be in great condition. We have a lot of bikes and cyclists in my neighborhood, and the old English 3-speeds seem to be the most durable of all the kinds of bikes I see. But I'm not saying it's perfect for him. I'm just defending the type and the value.

ExpertTools

I measured the dropouts as close as I could without removing the rear wheel, and it looks like 117mm. The hub measured 119...so by substituting a normal somewhat wide nut for a thinner one on the non-drive side, it should fit without cold setting the frame.

kingston 

Can you keep track of how much you spend on this bike? From my own personal experience, I'm always amazed how much it costs to build a bike when you add everything up.

ExpertTools

I agree that a single speed bike is a decent option for NYC. The one I have I used extensively in the city, but you must be in decent shape to power up the occasional hills. Not an option for my brother.

ExpertTools

The Panasonic track bike I'm starting with has a dual sided hub with sprockets on both sides, (fixed on one side, freewheel on the other,) so it's pretty close to what I need for width for a Nexus 3 speed.

thumpism 

I remember those. Nice little bike, like so many of the Panasonic offerings. We sold a few of them over the years they were available.

ExpertTools

I need to find a shifter for the Nexus 3-sp hub I have, ( SG-340).


I basically need everything but the hub itself. I see a bunch of Shimano 3sp shifters "packages" on eBay, but I'm not sure what will be compatible. Also, I'd really like a trigger shifter rather than a grip-shift type thing. I'll need cable, rear housing, shift rod, and hopefully a trigger shifter.


Anyone know where I can find the right shifter package to work with the above referenced hub?

squirtdad

I would suggest the for sale section of Classic and Vintage as a good starting spot. you can post what you are looking for there.

capnjonny 

For what it's worth, I am 6'5" 280 lb and 68 yrs old. I have 4 bikes I ride regularly in a hilly area of California and most of them have been converted to city bikes. They are a 1980 Raleigh Record ace, a 1980 Miyata 610, a Nishiki International, and a 1994 GT Vantara . The GT , which has 2" riser bars and all the rest have been converted to match. most of them are 64 cm. At my age I can't get comfortable on drop bards any more.

The GT is an indexed 21 speed and the others are 12, 14, and (triple ) 18 speed friction shifting. My shifter of choice is the Shimano friction thumbie which combined with a new chain and hyperglide freewheel provides smooth shifting. Recently I put a close ratio 6 speed freewheel ( 14-16-18-20-22-24) on the Nishiki triple and it is just about perfect.

for your brother I would recommend any one of the bikes I ride. I am especially fond of my Raleigh which I bought originally for $25. and have updated considerably over the last 3 years. It has a 20 - 30 Hi ten steel frame which is not to heavy and very robust.

I have built up a number of bikes for people where I have removed the front derailleur and feel this is a great way to go. It makes the bike lighter and eliminates some complexity.

I think putting a close ratio 6 speed gear cluster on the back with a friction thumbie and a 40 tooth chainring on the front would result in a bike that was easy to shift, accelerated away from stop lights easily and relatively simple to maintain.

If at all possible try to find a bike co op . They could be a source for good used parts and possibly a complete bike. There is no need to buy every thing new. Most of my bikes have been from the 70's and 80's and seldom have I had to replace the original parts. Suntour in particular made excellent components. mostly you just need to disassemble everything, clean it thoroughly, and re assemble with new grease and bearings and the old bikes had mostly loose bearings so no need to source anything but the balls. The one place you might want to go new is wheels. I know that at my weight I put a lot of strain on my spokes and seem to break spokes in my rear wheels rather frequently. With rough roads with potholes a nice new rear wheel might be a good idea.