Here is my beauty!

For the lighting I have a 12v 35w MR11 spot halogen powered by a 14.4 v battery. It gives me about 1.5 hour light time and puts out something like 1200+ lumens, about as much as a car high beam. To extend battery life I can also use a 20w bulb which is also plenty bright.

The hard case I have in the back I got of Amazon is make by Swagman. It holds 1,650 cubic inches, that's about 2.5x more than the typical flimsy fabric rack bag.

If you have any question about the conversion or accessories just let me know.

Looks good! I have the same Shimano Nexus setup on my Rans Dynamik. You need a derailleur to tension a very long chain line.

You wouldn't need the RD if you had horizontal dropouts. Did you consider a simpler chain tension device?
Do you ever have much weight in the carrier? That really hangs off the rear. Probably only on issue with heavy loads.

How do you like the chain guard and where did you pick it up?

It's really 50/50 whether you need a chain tensioner or not all depending on the chain ring/sprocket combo. The RD is the one that originally came with the bike so I left it on instead of spending money for a chain tensioner. You also need to order some special non-turn washers from Shimano.

Since I took off the rear cassette, FD, 2 chainrings and front and rear shifters, the new set up is actually a little bit lighter than the original but most of the weight now is in the back. I don't care at all about the weight since I live in a pretty flat area and heavier you bike is the longer it coasts and requires less energy to keep it at speed though it does take a little more enery to bring it up to speed.

This rear carrier is the best thing I ever bought! It is so sturdy and actually specifically made to attach the way you see. It securely fastens down on both sides and can also be locked. I have loaded it full with 4, 2 liter soda bottles and still had room for other things such as chips and salsa and beer.

I used to use a fabric trunk bag from Performance and the thing was awful. After like a week it lost its' shape and started sagging to one side whenever loaded and the velcro fasteners stretched out in no time.

Here are some pictures for you:

The guard is great and it came with the bike which is a Schwinn Wold Avenue One. I believe it is the only bike that comes with a chainguard that fully covers 3 chainrings. But since I only have one ring in the front now I think I am going to buy a smaller transparent type of guard:

She's a beauty! Going to look up the trunk. What gearing are you running? Looks like 48x18, maybe? And what type of battery? How much does it weigh? Is the light set-up a DIY or a modified production rig? Cost? Functionally, 1.5 is about what I get out of my NR Trailrats. They say 2:20, but when the weather turns cold...my commute is 20 mi each way, so I run 2...1 as a backup w/a NR Universal Taillight and 2 PBSF.

Do you have any problems w/'chaindrop'. I did when I went 1x7,8 or 9. But, mine were standard rr ders not IGH. Then I discovered unramped Rocket Rings and the chaindrop disappeared. Did you swap out the bb? I went to a Sugino 103mm 'track' bb for my '1x' conversions. Got a nice, straight chainline in 1st gear. Used BMX chainring bolts and Bulletproof cranks.

Anyway, my compliments to the 'chef'.

OK,

No chaindrop issues

I am running 700x28 tires with a 45t CR and a 19t cog on a Nexus 8.

Here are my gear inches:

1st: 33.4
2nd: 40.8
3rd: 47.4
4th: 53.9 (direct drive)
5th: 63.4
6th: 77.5
7th: 89.9
8th: 102.4

I did not need to swap out the BB.

Whole thing costs around $250 but expect to pay $400 or so if you let the LBS do it. If you're serious about it then internal hub is the way to go and Shimano nexus is the hub. I've owned other hubs such as the SA8 [never touch this hub!] and Sram7 and the Shimano kills those guys. This hub is silent and can be shifted while pedalling no problems, even uphill. If you go to the utility bike section you can read about guys loading hundreds of lbs on their bikes using this hub.



Got the light set up from here:

https://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...OD&ProdID=3399

I bought the 14.4 v battery encased in a water bottle.

Here is a how bright it is:

Thanks for the link. I'll put it in my file as lighting is always an issue for me as I work 2nd shift. Have been toying w/t idea of going IG for a while now. Everything I read about the Nexus is positive...flat changes...minimal probs, low maintenance, etc. And your lighting system...wow! Mine's ok, I'm not unhappy, but mine looks like a Cateye Opticube Sport compared w/yours. And for about the same money, too.

My main commuter has 50+40x26-12 9sp Sora/Tiagra comps, rack and Jandd saddlebags. #2 is an old c'dale SR300 w/48x28-12, 8 sp bar-end. #3 is a Fuji Del-Rey singlespeed rb w/46x16 gearing. I've got a seatpost rack and Sunlite trunk I swap between the 2 bikes. That's why I like the Swagman trunk. Seems solid and WP. Also, SKS Raceblades go between all 3. SMPs on all 3. Seriously considering an ig conversion on an old Concord that's recently come into my possession. The geometry is very similar to your Schwinn. It's a touring frame as evidenced by the 3d set of wb braze ons on the dt. It's to be set up for my wife which is why your post piqued my interest.

I'd do the work as I'm a wheelbuilder and while not an 'ace' mechanic I know one who is and we swap parts and ideas all the time. I'll point him to this post. Thanks for your kind reply.

If the carry box was turned around so that the lid opened to the rear, you could get more of it on the rear rack? Nice bike. Glad to hear favorable reviews of the Shmano 8, I have an Alfine bike coming in a few days.

Hey Nexus, from where are you purchasing your new chain guard?

No it would be the same. The box is designed to be placed that way as the instructions say. It only comes with 2 fasteners as you can see in the picture. I could probably take a sledge hammer to the part of the box hanging out and crush it and it still won't come off the rack.

You can buy it for onlu $25 here:
https://www.redtrailers.com/ShowItem.asp?id=SW80975

That is cheaper than any trunk or pann.

I am going to contact https://www.flinger.com.tw and find out. They are actually the ones who make the Swagman hard box so I assume they distribute their other products to different resellers too.

Hey Nexus. I immediately recognized where you took the pictures of your commuter. You are in Irvine, no? I commute from the University Park area to Main St., then on to Sunflower, all the way up towards Harbor. A good 8 miles (one-way) through some of this area's most treacherous roadways.

Hey nice to meet you. Yeah, I live in Irvine. I am not really a commuter though. I work out of the house and use my bike to run errands, go to the coffee shop and do all of my shopping which is mostly grocery. A couple of years ago when the price of gas was shooting up, I decided to say F#$% it and bought a bike. Now I only drive my car if I need to get on the freeway. I ride about 6-9 miles a day.

Harbor blvd can be kind of iffy at night....

Take a look at this:

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/vie...php?f=6&t=3995

Thankfully, I don't go all they way up to Harbor. But Harbor is sketchy day and night (especially at the 405). I wouldn't ride on Harbor if my life depended on it.

Would you agree that Irvine is perhaps one of the most bike friendly places in America? So many pretty bike trails and all the street have bike lanes and all the intersections have curbside cross walk buttons for bikes.

wow... that's pretty slick...

I use to use that trunk. I stopped after destroying 2 racks.

The first was a Canadian Tire Cheapie (not sure what kind of metal it was), and I had it on my bike for a couple of years. It bent the supports after about 2 months.

The second was an Axiom Odyssée (load capacity 70 kg !!! ~ 150lbs). Part of the reason I got it was because of the carying capacity (far above what I cary normally - towel, work clothes, lunch, mini pump & mini tool kit). After one month, it snapped as well. I was definately happy about the Lifetime Guarantee.

I think part of the reason this trunk was bad for the racks is that it sits so far back. You can't really change the position back too much, as the bottom is curved for the last 1/3 (unless your rack is also curved down). Sitting too far back just lets the trunk act like a big lever, putting a lot of force on the rear rack stays with each little bump.

Hopefully you have a better experience with yours than I did.

Sprocket

That's too bad.

I've only had it on for about a month and I load it everyday, sometimes to full capacity and havent has a any probs so far. If you go look at the reviews and ratings for this box on Amazon, it gets 4.5 stars and no one has reported any rack damage either but then of course every bike is different.

It was too bad - it was pretty inexpensive, it was locking, and it held everything I needed. Oh, well. Maybe I was just doing something wrong, or just had bad luck.

I used it for about 4 months total. It's now my bike tool box on the workbench.

Btw - your setup looks very nice - I'm wanting to go internal gear & chainguard when I can afford it.

Sprocket

Let us know what you learn, I'd be interested in some of their products.

Yeah their stuff looks great. I emailed them just now.

Hey, thanks for posting the thread with the Townie and the WheePod. I just might get thet Townie rack and the WheelPod!