# Spaceliner Klunker



## kngtmat (Aug 15, 2011)

This is my Spaceliner Klunker and it has the original rims except it has freewheel hub and cassette, Shimano Thunderbird front derailer & Eagle rear derailer and Tourney brakes and tires to wide that they rub the frame so I haven't ridden it much.

It has a tank on it that I heard is either a Cleveland welding or a Huffman tank, I think maybe it was done in the 70's-80's and it would be cool to find out who did it.


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## elginkid (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm 97% sure that's an early 50s Huffman tank.  It looks identical to the one on my Huffman built Western-flyer.


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## Andrew Gorman (Aug 15, 2011)

Did BMX use "bull moose" stem/bar combo's?  They were pretty  common on early 80's mountain bikes though.


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## kngtmat (Aug 17, 2011)

Cool, Thanks.



I don't know about info on bullmoose bars because I just started getting into bikes again within the last year and a half.


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## kngtmat (Sep 28, 2011)

Update on it, I got the wheels off then the paint on them other than a spot or two without a bit of chrome on them although not noticeable unless you really look at it, the front hub has cracks like when who ever had it did some rough riding and one tooth on the free wheel cassette is broken off.


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## tDuctape (Oct 7, 2011)

Research Tom Ritchey  about bullmoose bars. Original contributor of the bullmoose bar on MTB's. Not something taken from the BMX scene.

my 1981's:





Tom's personal bike 1978:





Be hard pressed to find a MTB specific bike older than this one sporting bullmoose bars.


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## kngtmat (Oct 12, 2011)

So far I all I have is that the pedals on my Spaceliner Klunker are Beartrap pedals Victor VP-800 and I want to know if any of you know what years they were made so I can norrow down when this bike was done?

Also Shimono BL-AT56 brale levers and a Viscount 2323 seat that maybe help me some too.   

I also need help on other parts Id.

Does anyone know what bike the sprocket chainring might have came from?








Apparently that little part of the crank on my Spaceliner Klunker chainring was a sprocket for a rear hub and how it was put in which has no company name on it like my other hubs do.




I might try to take it back to original instead of keeping it a Klunker unless I trade for another that isn't a Klunker in the future.


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## Iverider (Nov 14, 2011)

I just noticed the TWO rear brakes. Wow!

Cool build!


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## kngtmat (Nov 26, 2011)

Yeah they did a cool build, looks like they did a small weld at the headtube and the front wheel has a little grinding on the edge of the rim which maybe why they turned it into a Klunker.











I wonder if I should keep it a Klunker to maybe trade some day for an all original and does anyone know what front & rear hub Spaceliners came with new?


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

kngtmat said:


> I wonder if I should keep it a Klunker to maybe trade some day for an all original and does anyone know what front & rear hub Spaceliners came with new?




They came with either a Bendix single speed or kick-back two-speed rear hub.  You can buy these NOS at Memory Lane.

If you tell me the serial number of your bike, I'll be able to tell you what the original build configuration was.  It will be stamped on one of the rear dropouts.


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## Uniblab (May 4, 2012)

Brent, as you're such a maniacal researcher can you determine what color bands are correct for whichever year on the Spaceliners? I understand that the color supposedly indicates what ratio they are but have been told by someone far more knowledgeable than me that it doesn't really work out that way. Thanks


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

Uniblab said:


> Brent, as you're such a maniacal researcher can you determine what color bands are correct for whichever year on the Spaceliners? I understand that the color supposedly indicates what ratio they are but have been told by someone far more knowledgeable than me that it doesn't really work out that way. Thanks




LOLOL... too much free time on my hands lately.  It should come as no surprise that I have pdf copies of the vintage Bendix hub manuals, so I'll check them to see what they say and get back to you.

Cheers


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

Well.... that was a piece of work digging up the info, but I learned something new after reading up on it and have drafted an explanation.  There were definitely different gear ratios associated with the different hubs, so depending on which hub you had, you got an additional low gear or high gear.  

*BENDIX HUB OVERVIEW*

*SINGLE-SPEED HUBS*
_*Original Model Single Speed Coaster Brake*_
-	_*No colored band*_ on hub
-	Manufactured from 1946 to April 1961
-	Fixed gear 1:1 ratio (1 sprocket turn = 1 hub turn)

_*Model RB-2 Single Speed Coaster Brake*_
-	Identified by a _*single Red Band*_ on hub
-	Manufactured beginning in April 1961.  Basically an updated Original Model, with many parts interchangeable with the Original Model.
-	Fixed gear 1:1 ratio (1 sprocket turn = 1 hub turn)

*AUTOMATIC TWO-SPEED HUBS*
Automatic Two-Speed Hubs were first introduced in 1962, and are identified by three colored bands – either Red, Yellow or Blue.

The _*triple Red Band hub*_ was made from 1962-1964 and had a low gear added.  It was discontinued with the introduction of the triple Yellow Band hub.
-	Red Band low gear ratio is 1:0.67 (1 sprocket turn = 0.67 hub turn)
-	Red Band high gear ratio is 1:1 (1 sprocket turn = 1 hub turn) the same as the fixed gear ratio on the single-speed hubs.

The triple Yellow and Blue Band hubs were made from 1965-1969 after the triple Red Band was phased out, and had different gear ratios from each other. 

The _*triple Yellow Band hub *_ was an updated triple Red Band, having some interchangeable parts with the triple Red Band as well as the same gear ratios.
-	Yellow Band low gear ratio is 1:0.67 (same as Red Band)
-	Yellow Band high gear ratio is 1:0 (same as Red Band)

The _*triple Blue Band hub*_ was geared completely differently than the triple Red or Yellow Band hubs.  Its low gear provided the same ‘fixed’ ratio (1:1) as the high gear of the Red or Yellow band hubs, but its high gear created a hub rotation greater than its sprocket rotation, and it was referred to as “Overdrive”. 
-	Blue Band low gear ratio is 1:1 (same as the high gear of the triple Red & Yellow Band hubs, or the fixed gear ratio of the single Red Band hub)
-	Blue Band high gear ratio is 1:1.5 (1 sprocket turn = 1.5 hub turns)


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

Uniblab said:


> Brent, as you're such a maniacal researcher can you determine what color bands are correct for whichever year on the Spaceliners? I understand that the color supposedly indicates what ratio they are but have been told by someone far more knowledgeable than me that it doesn't really work out that way. Thanks




So based on what I posted above, all single-speed Spaceliners throughout the entire 1964-1968 model run, would have had Single Red Band hubs.

Two-Speed Spaceliners in 1964 (and maybe some into 1965) would have had Triple Red Band Hubs.

Two-Speed Spaceliners from 1965-1968 would probably have had the Triple Yellow Band hubs.

Does anyone out there have something different?


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## kngtmat (May 4, 2012)

That is cool.



I wonder if there is blue colored clear coat because I was thinking of something like that for this bike.


Here is my bike at Sears Parts Direct at least sort of since the rest of my serial number isn't on there and they have a diagram but I wonder what the subtitute rear wheel has which I hope I will get money to try & get one.
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...s/Model-502469440/0934/1303200/00027911/00001


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## Uniblab (May 4, 2012)

Thanks! I knew that was up your alley, um...that sounds kinda foul, disregard! 

No way would I be interested in an overdrive as that's contrary to what I seek (which is easier starting and better hill climbing---this of course requires an underdrive, not to be confused with Underdog). Either the red or yellow would be suitable. 

Dunno if you found these already but here you go:
http://www.trfindley.com/pgbndxhbs.html
http://www.bunchobikes.com/auto.htm
http://www.bunchobikes.com/auto2.htm


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

kngtmat said:


> That is cool.
> 
> I wonder if there is blue colored clear coat because I was thinking of something like that for this bike.



Why not try the Blue Candy from Alsa, with clearcoat over that?  I'm going to probably use their Blood Red Candy on my tank and rear carrier when I restore mine, and I'm going to use their Killer Chrome on the chromed plastic pieces.


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## kngtmat (May 4, 2012)

Lol 


You don't like Maximum Overdrive oh well that is ok no one else likes the movie either.



Those are cool too, I'm too dumb to want to go rebuild any rear bike hubs in fear of breaking them or losing parts which happens all the time when I do other things.


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## kngtmat (May 4, 2012)

I'm bad at painting, I can't even do primer right that is part of the reason one of my other bikes which is why my Christine bicycle isn't done yet that is a bike I spent money over what it is worth but it's ok since I will have the bike for the rest of my life, my Christine bike has PPG GM Spactra red I paid $60 with the other stuff to mix it.


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## BrentP (May 4, 2012)

Uniblab said:


> Dunno if you found these already but here you go:
> http://www.trfindley.com/pgbndxhbs.html
> http://www.bunchobikes.com/auto.htm
> http://www.bunchobikes.com/auto2.htm




Good links.  I hadn't seen them, but I've bookmarked them now.

Yeah, based on the weight of the Spaceliner, you definitely want the triple red or yellow hub to help get you going.  When I had mine shipped, it was close to 60 lbs shipping weight (yikes), and these old legs just don't have the same power they used to.


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## Uniblab (May 4, 2012)

Here's an alternative to multi-speeds.....BEAN POWER!


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## kngtmat (May 5, 2012)

Lol

The guy that did this rode the bike hard yet repaired it a few times, bad when I see other seem to find ones with the tanks still on them or find the springer forks, he bent the ends of this for to allow a bigger axle to fit it and there are a lot of dents in the fork from riding hard.

I would one of the other forks some day.

How it is now but I hope by next year I would have something added for it and I know nothing about shipping so I have to sell things to buy the stuff I need close by and I dislike cables, that is part of the reason I want it back to original as I can yet have something that wasn't on it when new.










There is another spot that looked like someone tried to smooth out rust or whatever.


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## kngtmat (May 25, 2012)

I'm trying to get the headset nut to the fork but it will not go onto the fork and I have tried every other one I have too but it seems the steerer tube is too thick even for the original nut which was completly hard to get off in the first place.


Also a fork from the same years Murray built bike is thinner than this Spaceliners fork, some day I hope to finnally sell enogh of my stuff I don't use to get a rat trap for it.


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## kngtmat (Jun 8, 2012)

Here are some current pictures but the parts on it are just temporary untill I can afford original Spaceliner parts like a springer, 7 tank, wheels, seat and so on.


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## kentercanyon (Apr 13, 2013)

*that's an amazing Klunker!!*

It's your bike to do with as you want but I wish it could talk!  The history of Klunkers includes a lot of tinkering and invention born of necessity.   Today you can buy whatever you want to bolt onto a bike, but "back in the day" people who wanted to ride trails had to improvise. 

Whoever figured out how to make a "granny" low gear on the front sprocket like that was a great backyard genius.  

And using a Spaceliner frame was probably an experiment to see what frame styles were the most rugged. The very first Joe Breeze  built custom mountain bike frames (pretty much the first ever purpose built "mountain bike") had twin middle tubes possibly inspired by the spaceliner.  They were straight but the same principle applied - a tougher frame ought to have something in the middle to stiffen it.  

The double back brakes are a testament to how hard this bike was probably ridden on steep trails.  If I were you I'd contact the Mountain Bike Museum in Colorado and ask them about this bike's history.  It's early enough in some regards, and innovative enough in others to possibly have a known pedigree.  

What can you tell about the cranks and front sprocket assembly process?  I'm completely fascinated at the ability the maker had to innovate that granny gear out of a coaster brake (rear) sprocket and make it work on a front sprocket.  

Do some research into the history of Klunkers in marin county in the 1977-82 years and you might find someone who knows who built this bike and why, and when.  

And by all means if you haven't already, watch the documentary "Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bikes" (on DVD now!) and you may see some spaceliner frames in passing being ridden on Marin county trails.  Maybe this was one of them?  I think you have a piece of history!  Don't lose the parts...  it may be worth more are a Klunker than as a restored Spaceliner.


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## tailhole (May 1, 2013)

*Oh crap.*



kngtmat said:


> This is my Spaceliner Klunker and it has the original rims except it has freewheel hub and cassette, Shimano Thunderbird front derailer & Eagle rear derailer and Tourney brakes and tires to wide that they rub the frame so I haven't ridden it much.
> 
> It has a tank on it that I heard is either a Cleveland welding or a Huffman tank, I think maybe it was done in the 70's-80's and it would be cool to find out who did it.



Now I have to build one.  Super cool dude!


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