# 1st post sacrilege!!??



## Dconcb (Dec 22, 2014)

Hello everyone! I'm trying to get my daughter off her phone and out Into
The garage and the great outdoors. I thought a vintage bike may do the trick.
But..... A single speed just won't cut it around these parts.( hill country)
     I'm eyeballing a 42 Columbia and a 60s sears spaceliner. She likes the
Sears better but it's asking price is significant.
    Question is, how difficult would it be to retrofit a multiple speed drive say from
A modern mountainbike or ten speed? I am very mechanically inclined and have
A well established tool set. I know anything is possible with enough time and money.
   But I'd love to knock something out in a weekend or two to keep her interested.
I'm sure it's been done before but I haven't had any luck finding info.
 Anyhow, thanks for the forum and I hope to get some ideas.


----------



## pedal4416 (Dec 22, 2014)

Your best bet is an internal geared hub. Most of the older bikes are harder to get a derailler on. 
I hope your plan works, talking on the phone sucks and old bikes and the outdoors rule!!


----------



## jpromo (Dec 22, 2014)

I agree--internal gearing is the way to go on a vintage single speed conversion. It retains the sleeker look that way. Shimano makes a series of internal geared hubs called Nexus, which I believe commonly comes in 4 and 7 speeds. You can use the original rims and just lace the hub in, run one cable to a handlebar shifter and you're set. They also offered them with a coaster brake to keep from needing to install handbrakes as well.

A ladies Spaceliner shouldn't run you over 150$ in good condition with a springer fork and tank. If he's asking more than that, then you may be overpaying. Location makes a big difference on pricing though, if you're in California for instance, complete bike prices are typically higher. Good luck!


----------



## Dconcb (Dec 22, 2014)

Awesome! Thanks for the replies. The internal geared hub seems like a much easier way to make it happen. And they were asking 250 for the space liner, real nice shape with the exception of some pitted chrome but all the lights and racks etc. we're good with nice paint.
Sounds like a doable project. Now to figure out if I want a balloon tire or a muscle bike for me!
It may be a while, but I'll be sure to post pics and possibly stat a build thread.
Happy holidays everyone


----------



## Houndog (Dec 23, 2014)

$250 is a wee bit high ,but if your daughter likes it ,so what .....


----------



## abe lugo (Dec 23, 2014)

An internal geared hub like a shimano is just a matter of widening the rear frame area and chaning the wheels out, good luck getting your kid off the phone. Try planning things to do, or create a need to have the bike. Making it more useful for your daughter to have it and use it. Dont forget to get her a cool helmet too.


----------



## Dconcb (Dec 24, 2014)

I'm sure I could beat the seller up a bit on the spaceliner, we will check it out
Next week if I can pull it off.
@abe lugo, what is chaning out the wheel? If widening is necessary we can do that.
But I hope not molest a nice old ride too much!
    Hey, merry Christmas everybody!


----------



## abe lugo (Dec 24, 2014)

Sorry meant "changing" the wheels out, sometimes fast typing gets the best of me.  you can find shimano kits on ebay, sometimes electra has them on sale very cheap, but you have to watch for those. Usually the width at the rear is about 1" too narrow, you basically widen it but bending it out, remember you want to go further out so if you have wiggle to change a flat.

Another option which is cheaper, is to change the gearing on the rear wheel sprocket, you will also have to get a new chain or add links. But basically you will reduce the effort on the pedaling if you change the sprocket to a new one with one more or two teeth. There are online gear ratio calculators out there.

Not sure the ratio on 60's bikes, they are already lighter, but if you go through the bike make sure everything is grease properly and the bearings are good. Most times the extra speed dont help unless you have extreme hills. You will notice the difference on a 7 speed, but on 3 speed you can hardly tell.

My wife took to the stock '35 gearing better than the shimano 3 custom 50's DX.



Also there a few ways to go about getting the shimano hub in, if you know how to build wheels, you can take apart the original wheel, use the rims and find the corresponding spokes, then lace it up.

Here is a link for one of the people the hub as a wheel set, https://www.chubbysbikes.com/shop/26-cruiser-nexus-internal-7-speed-wheel-set

Another http://www.americasbikecompany.com/...etsilver.htm?gclid=CP_M66Dd38ICFU9sfgod_CgAjQ

Looks like you get the front and rear for sure on second link.


----------



## Dconcb (Dec 24, 2014)

Oh ok, I wasn't sure if they're was some secret cabe lingo I wasn't hip to!
I shouldn't get ahead of myself yet. First step is scoring some rides, then we can get into the math and garage engineering.  Safety third of course! ( I jest )
We will give the bikes a thorough once over. clean, lube, check up... 
I restored a few small vintage Hondas In the past so this should be fun and hopefully cheaper?
The old Hondas used pig fat for grease and fish oil In the forks!!  I imagine  the grease will be pig fat in the bikes as well.


----------



## Duchess (Dec 24, 2014)

I don't know what the rear spacing is on the old ballooners (a 110 mm hub fits my 1910s Iver Johnson), but you might also want to check out Sturmey-Archer as they have some internal gear hubs with small OLDs (Over Locknut Dimension or how wide the hub is in regards to the bike's rear spacing) and there might be one that fits without coldsetting the frame.


----------



## stoney (Dec 24, 2014)

Agree, might be a bit high but if it keeps her off the phone and loving the bike and the outdoors, money well spent. The Sears Spaceliner would be easier to pedal in general I would think. Being it is a middle weight bike it is lighter and the tires are narrower. Good luck on the Spaceliner.


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Dec 31, 2014)

A 7 or 8 speed Nexus coaster brake rear hub would be just about the best upgrade that you can do for a bike that's going to be used as a rider. I've done up several for myself and friends.


----------



## Dconcb (Jan 1, 2015)

Yes the link earlier had some nice prices on laced alloys!
I found an amc flash and a monark silver king for a fair price, both in pretty
Nice "rider" shape. BUT... Some more pressing circumstances have came up
And my play money has fallen short... For now.
So I regret that this is now moved to back burner status for a bit.
 But we WILL get there!


----------

