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Hard Pedaling '59 Western Flyer

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Vetteman61

Finally riding a big boys bike
About 9 years ago I restored my dad's 1959 Western Flyer he had as a kid. It's been hanging in his garage ever since and he's been too afraid to ride it, but I have finally convinced him to get it down and use it. The problem is that it pedals too hard and we aren't sure why. We have taken the chain off and adjusted the torque on the pedal bearings and they are not too tight. I had to get new wheels for the bike, the front sprocket is original, but I can't remember if I had to get a new rear sprocket or if it was original. I'm curious if it has the wrong rear sprocket on it causing the issue. Also, I put larger, balloon style tires on it (26 x 2.125), but I don't feel that would cause it to be as hard to pedal as it is. How can I determine the correct size sprocket? Does anyone have any other areas to check, I feel like we've covered everything we can think of.

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Thanks,
Brandon
 
try lifting the back wheel off the ground and peddle it and see if the wheel spins freely without to much drag from an over tightened cone
 
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You're checking the air pressure in your tires, aren't you? Low air pressure makes a bike a lot more work. Whatever it is should be an easy fix, once you find it. The bike looks like it's in excellent shape.
 
When you say cones, are you referring to the bearings in the rear hub? I'll count the teeth on the rear sprockets and report back.
 
The bearings ride between a cup on the hub of the wheel and a tapered cone threaded onto the axle. There is a very fine line between "pinching" the bearings between the cup and the cone making the wheel hard to turn, and having too much "play" in the bearings between the cup and the cone making the wheel too loose which lets it wobble. It will take a thin wrench to get on the cone to back it off.

Have you turned the bike over letting it sit on the handlebars and seat and turned the pedals by hand or spun the front wheel and observed how easily they freewheel once you've turned loose and just watched them spin?
 
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"The problem is that it pedals too hard and we aren't sure why"

pedals too hard like you need an easier gear or something is rubbing somewhere? do the wheels spin freely?
 
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