24in Unicycle / Mountain Conversion

Hello and Welcome,
The simplest of cycle designs and yet most difficult cycle to master. About 45 years ago my friend Mike and his brother Ron received a unicycle as a gift. And we all "tried and tried" to ride that #%&@ thing! Everyday that summer I was over there trying to ride the unicycle. Eventually I got so that I could ride it down the drive then turn and head down the road. Learning to ride the unicycle was probably the toughest thing I had ever done to that point in my life. Eventually Mike got another unicycle and sold the first one to me! Sometimes on Saturdays when the Detroit News was thin, I would use the uni to deliver my paper route. Even on Saturdays It was much easier to deliver my papers on my converted Schwinn Sting Ray though.

Above: This unicycle is badged (for lack of a better word) "SAVAGE" which I am pretty sure means absolutely nothing. Because last year I had a 20inch that was the same frame and design badged "LANDIS". Other than the wheel size, tire, quick adjust seat post bolt and saddle they are basically the same unicycle.

Above: Here is a close-up of the hub area on the 20 inch Landis unicycle. It was a smaller frame, built for someone I would guess about 5ft 6 inch max . Even with the saddle height maxed out it was too small for me to ride comfortably. And after riding a 24inch wheel I really have no interest in riding a 20inch wheel.

Above: A close-up of the hub area on the 24 inch unicycle. I am reasonably sure that at least the main frame, hub, wheel and crank/pedal arms were all made at the same place.

Above: I have noticed these past few years a trend in uni cycling towards fatter tires, both on and off road. So I poked around in the shop and came up with this Kenda 24 inch mountain bike tire complete with an inner-tube. I think it looks pretty cool on the uni. I also found these pedals in the "pedal box". One was missing two screws which I took off a real rusty beat-up pair of identical model pedals. Unfortunately one of the threaded holes in the pedal frame is stripped-out. So I will have to find another suitable pair. At this point the unicycle looks clean. But all I really did was wipe it down real good with Armor-All cleaning wipes.
Once I see that it is going to work with the "phat tire" and the new (different) pedals I will break it down and clean it up properly.

Above: These pedals were a BIG mistake. For starters they have a top and bottom side, and only work properly with the top side up. Riding a unicycle is tricky enough without complicating it more. Also these pedals locked my feet into position. I was unable to adjust my foot position on the pedal once I started to ride. That was also partly because of the Nike Trail Shoes I was wearing. They have a saw-tooth jagged tread that really made it impossible to move my feet once on the pedals. So I am going to swap-out the pedals for some old style block pedals. And while I`m at it, I`ll just go ahead and break the thing down for rust removal. The rust is much worse than it looks in the above photo.

Above: Removing the pedals using a 15mm Gear Wrench. Both pedals tighten by turning them towards the front of the bike or unicycle. It is important to use the left pedal on the left (usually marked L) and the right pedal on the right. (usually marked R). How do you tell left from right on a unicycle? On this one it is easy. The seat-tube (frame) where the collar clamp tightens has a slot cut in it. This slot always faces the rear. And like any bike, left and right is as if you were sitting on the bike. Also the pedal arms are marked (R and L) on this unicycle as well. I only mention this "pedal thing" because it is a typical beginner mistake to mix-up the pedals. When this happens you end-up with one pedal cross threaded and the other that loosens it self and falls off while riding. You really want to avoid doing this.

Above: Removing the wheel assembly is simple, just remove the two bolts on each side of the frame/fork (A & B). After which the whole wheel assembly is simply pulled out of the frame/fork. I took the extra precaution of marking one side with red tape. Just to make sure I did not accidentally turn the whole thing around during re-assembly.

Above: Removing the unicycle saddle and seat-post is done in the usual way. Just loosen the quick release collar clamp and pull-up while turning. The post should slide out of the frame/seat-tube. If it is stuck you will want to apply a little penetrating oil to the bottom of the post so it can flow into the tube/frame. Sometimes it will help the oil to penetrate if you pry the slot open with a large slotted screw-driver. You will want to remove the collar bolt before trying this.
I find it easier to remove the seat-post if I leave the saddle attached.

Above: Here I have started to remove the rust on the unicycle frame/fork. Because this is not a high quality chrome plating job, I will not be using the power brass wheel-brush. Instead I will be using "Turtle Wax" Rust Remover/Chrome Polish on the entire frame/fork. I will touch up the upper frame/fork by hand with a copper wool pad. Chrome of this quality
"or lack there of" will flake-off like paint. And the brass wheel brush would likely do more damage than good. How do you tell cheap chrome from quality chrome? Experience. But if you see the tiny paint like flakes of chrome when cleaning that is not a good sign. Also if even light amounts of rust expose bare metal when polished, that's are real strong sign of cheap chrome. And just over all appearance, good chrome just looks better!

Above: Here I am using the copper scrub pad on the upper frame/fork to remove very light rust. I am very careful not to rub too hard or too long. If you look closely you can see the tiny flakes of chrome on the work-bench. They photograph white for the most part.

Above: Here I am removing the saddle rails for polishing. On these I use the copper pad and a little "Turtle Wax" Chrome Polish/Rust Remover. These are easily removed with a 10 mm wrench. These rails being high-up on the unicycle are in pretty good shape rust wise.

Above: One of the pedal arms is rusted real bad, the other just regular bad. I will use the copper pad first, very gently on the badly rusted arm.

Above: Here I have applied a generous amount of Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover to the pedal arm. I won`t let it set long before I buff it off with a paper towel or clean rag.

Above: Although pitted and scratched this pedal arm still looks much better polished up.

Above: About 1/4 of the rim was badly rusted. I brushed the entire rim with a brass detail brush concentrating on the bad part. Afterwards I did the whole rim with the Turtle Wax.

Above: Here is the better part of the rim and the nicer of the two pedal arms after rust removal and polishing.

Above: To the right of the valve stem is the worst part of the rim. Considering how bad it looked (rust) I am quite pleased with the results. Also, For the sides of the rim (breaking surface)I first used the copper pad then polished with the Turtle Wax C.P./R.R. Theses came out very good.

Above: These are the block cruiser pedals I am going to use on the unicycle. I will clean them up a little first. I know these will be a huge improvement as every unicycle I have ever owned had similar pedals to these. This is by the way my fifth unicycle and my second with a 24inch wheel.

Above: After cleaning up the spindles with the copper scrub pad, detail brush and Turtle Wax C.P./R.R. I cleaned-up the blocks with this little scrub brush and some liquid hand soap.
I did the end caps with the Vermont American fine brass wire wheel brush on the low-speed 18volt drill. The brass wheel brush will remove those asphalt scrapes although it does take a little time.

Above: The block pedals all cleaned up. Not to shabby :)

Above: The saddle I cleaned-up with "Armor All Cleaning Wipes" when I installed the phat tire. I polished the seat-post with the Turtle Wax C.P./R.R. Now all I have to do is the easy part, put it together and go have some fun!

Above: Here I am reattaching the wheel assembly to the unicycle frame. I put a little blue thread-lock on the bolts threads just for good measure. I used the red-tape to make sure I have put it back together correctly.

Above: The left pedal clearly marked. Always remember both pedals tighten turning the threaded post towards the front of the bike. If the left pedal was not reversed threaded, it would loosen itself while riding and eventually fall off.

Above: As always a little bit of grease on the threaded post before installing the pedals. I like to start screwing them into the arm by hand, just to be sure I am not cross threading them.

Above: I never removed the saddle from the seat-post. So re-inserting the post was simple since this unicycle has a quick release type seat-post collar bolt. (no wrench required)
Now to see if I can ride this thing with the proper pedals and shoes on.

Above: Pretty good riding for an Old, One eyed, Fat man! :) I`m really rusty, but being this unicycle is so comfortable, I think I`m gonna keep it and sharpen-up my unicycle skills a bit. I really like this saddle. Most comfortable unicycle saddle so far, hands down. Maybe it`s all the extra padding I now have!
Below: (A-B) Attachment holes for Lollipop bearings. (C) The cotter key. (D) Pedal or crank arm. (E) Lollipop bearing (F) Spoke. (G) Axle. (H) Hub. (I) Flange. (J) Valve stem and cap. (K) Spoke nipple. (L) Rim. (M) Rim side-wall or breaking surface. (N) Kenda off-road tire.

NOTE: You will probably need to click on the above pic to enlarge and see my markings.
Above: There are a few reasons I chose to leave the crank and Lollipop bearings alone. First the bearings are smooth, and it does have cotter crank arms (C). So why should I go looking for trouble? Another reason (not that I need another) is the bearings. It does not appear to have bearing caps. (I have since learned these are called lollipop bearings) It looks like the bearings are encased in a one piece sealed unit (E). I don`t know if these are serviceable or if replacements are even available.(have since learned these are obsolete and difficult to find) So seeing no real need or "up-side" to taking this mess apart, I will go with one of my favorite expressions. "If it ain`t broke, don`t fix it". I was going to say something about the government, and how they should learn that. But this is about bikes so I will keep quiet. Oops!

Yesterday in the early morning I heard Geese flying over honking. I test rode the unicycle in the driveway in the late afternoon. Last night on the news they were talking about the Detroit Tigers in spring training down in Fla. All signs that spring will soon be here. This morning Winter came back to north west Oakland County. Reminding me that "SOON" does not mean Now.. So it goes. Today was a good day to finish this post :)
Until next time, Please Ride Safe and Remember to always.. RESCUE,RESTORE and RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Mechanical Speedometer / Odometer. A look inside

Hello and Welcome,
On the last blog post I was working on getting my vintage Schwinn Exerciser working a little smoother and quieter. If you read the post you know I replaced the noisy Speedometer with a quieter one that was a near perfect match. Checking the comments afterwards, one of my regular readers and supporters "Ryan" commented that I would probably repair and re-use the original Speedometer. I laughed to myself when I read it thinking, "What the #@$* do I know about speedometers?" Answer: Less than nothing. But I sure would like to get a look inside of this old speedometer/odometer. Just to see how it is put together. And maybe get a "general idea" of how it works. So reef the sails! Here we go into uncharted waters again!

Above: The whole process starts here. The actual worm drive unit on the Exerciser. The spinning wheel turns the large gear by way of a tang. (you will see the tang in a moment) The large gear turns the worm gear which the cable is attached or inserted in to. The cable is held in place by a threaded retainer collar.

Above: This is a side view of a nearly identical worm drive unit. The next pic (a break-down) will give you an idea of how it all goes together.

Above: A worm drive unit broke down. This clearly shows the worm gear (white) inside the housing. Also you can clearly see one of the four notches in the large gear that fit the tabs on the drive-tang which are also clearly visible. Now that we have covered where the process starts, lets move on (or up) to the Speedometer/Odometer unit.

Above: First thing is to remove the thin nut. Then remove the threaded collar. The threaded collar holds the speedometer in place inside the housing or cover. Next I will remove the bezel & glass.

Above: The bezel and glass are secured to the housing by these metal tabs that are folded over the lip that goes all the way around the face. These tabs will need to be pried up and straightened.

Above: Using a small screwdriver I pry each tab up and as straight as I can get them.

Above: Now the bezel and glass can be removed. I want to do this with the glass facing upwards. I do not want the speedometer falling out and getting damaged. After reviewing this, I think it would be better to remove the threaded collar after removing the bezel and glass. Less chance of dropping or damaging the speedometer/odometer.

Above: Judging by how clean the inside of the housing looks, I would say it did a fine job keeping the speedometer protected from the elements. Now I can get my first look at the inner workings of a mechanical speedometer.

Above: The face looks fine, no signs of rust or dirt. The odometer wheels look clean and the speedometer needle looks undamaged. No obvious problems here.

Above: Notice the white wheel has a gear on the end. This makes sense since the white is the "tenths of a mile", and the first wheel to turn. I suspect that there is some kind of pin or peg system, that one wheel turns the next after a complete rotation. I will find out latter if I am on the right track. But for now I want to see how the rotation makes it from the cable to the first white odometer wheel.

Above: The thing that looks like an auger (marked A1) is a worm gear. Gear (A1) is inline with the cable input. It turns a more normal looking gear with angled teeth. Each time the worm gear completes a rotation, it turns the angle-toothed gear one tooth. This is called "gear reduction". But this gear-reduction takes place more than once on the way to the first (white) odometer wheel.

Above: Ok.... The (W) marks the far end of the slanted tooth gears shaft that is turned one tooth per rotation by the steel worm gear (A1) in the last photograph. At this end of the axis or gear shaft (W) is a worm gear (not seen) that turns gear (A) one click per rotation. Now (B)at the opposite end of gear A's axis or gear shaft turns gear (C) one tooth per one rotation. (C) is the gear attached to the 1/10th mile white wheel. This is how gear reduction works. Each time a "worm gear" turns a "slanted tooth gear" rotation is slowed. And by the time the rotation reaches the "white 1/10th mile wheel" it is rotating at the proper speed to turn the white wheel one digit per 1/10th mile that the front wheel of the bike travels. I get a headache just thinking about how they calibrate all this correctly. This is why God made Engineers!

The above photo is a different speedometer. Used for example only
Above: First I turned the mechanism by inserting the small hand screwdriver in the cable receiver as I did to the speedometer/odometer that was seized up in the last post. That is when I heard the noise.

The above photo is a different speedometer. Used for example only
Above: Although this speedometer was not seized up, it did need lubrication in the port hole on the side of the threaded cable receiver post. So I gave it a drop of Easy Lube oil and the sound went away.

Above: So now I`m going to hook up my power drill so I can watch the mechanism work. I have asked my volunteer photographer to take a pic of the speedometer working.

Above: It`s Alive!!! My favorite line from Young Frankenstein (see video section) Next I am going to attempt to explain how the mechanical speedometer mechanism works.

Above: Known as an eddy-current speedometer. First, The cable runs straight through the first worm gear directly to the speedometer mechanism. The speed of the cable is not reduced
along the way (like the odometer). The magnet at the speedometer end of the cable is rotating.

Here is a shot of the actual mechanism. As you can see it is basically the same as the diagram I found doing an image search.
Following Quote is from How Stuff Works "As the magnet spins, it sets up a rotating magnetic field, creating forces that act on the speedcup. These forces cause electrical current to flow in the cup in small rotating eddies, known as eddy currents". I knew that....LTMS Yeah right, I had no idea!

Above: A shot of the actual magnet and speed cup. I can't wait to see how it works from here!

Ok Me again, In the above pic of the speedometer you can see the copper colored spring located directly behind the black face plate. Now lets hear (read) what How Stuff Works has to say about it.
Another quote from how stuff works.
"The eddy currents create a drag torque that does work on the speed cup. The cup and its attached needle turn in the same direction that the magnetic field is turning -- but only as far as the hairspring will allow it. The needle on the speedcup comes to a rest where the opposing force of the hairspring balances the force created by the revolving magnet."

Above: Who would have thought all that was going on inside this simple looking device. As the front wheel spins faster so does the magnet inside the "speed cup".
This makes the magnetic field stronger and those eddy currents bigger. And when all this happens the speedometer needle reacts. The faster the speed the faster the magnet spins and the needle reacts to all this accordingly. So when you slow the rotation of the front wheel, the magnet slows decreasing the magnetic field and the eddy currents become smaller and the needle drops. It is sort of like a compass except the magnetic field is created by the mechanism. And the needle reacts to that field similar to how the needle on a compass reacts to the Earths magnetic field. Amazing Stuff!

PS: I was unable to locate a photograph of the inventor of the eddy speedometer Otto Schulze who patented it in 1902. His design (or variations of it) were used in virtually all automobiles until the all-electronic speedometer appeared in 1993. If anyone can locate his photograph Please post it on the face-book page.

Above: Every once in a while I get to refurbish or restore a bike for someone special to me.
This tiny Trek is for someone very special to me and to all who know her. And tomorrow is her third birthday, I hope she likes it!
That`s all I have for now. I`m still trying to figure out what my next project will be. I have a bout 25 projects to choose from. So until next time, Please RIDE SAFE and remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh

Schwinn Exerciser

Hello and Welcome,
A few months ago while out hunting for bikes I ran across this very pristine Schwinn Exerciser. It appeared to be in working condition although it did sound and feel like it needed the chain and crank lubricated. The boots I was wearing prevented me from giving it a proper test ride. I had been keeping my eye out for an exercise bike or trainer for this winter season. I really had something more modern in mind. But this vintage Schwinn seemed just perfect for a guy who loves old bikes.

Above: At this point I have wiped it down with Armor All Cleaning Wipes. I do not use the Detailing Wipes that leave everything shiny. "and slippery" The the Orange Citrus wipes are great for greasy stuff. But I have found the normal Armor-All Cleaning Wipes work great and leave everything clean. I know the "super shiny look" on vinyl looks great to some. But to me it just looks fake.
I also lightly lubricated the chain with White-Lightning "Easy Lube". It is a clear light oil, similar to sewing machine oil or electric motor lubricant. Because it is used indoors, I wiped the excess lubricant off the chain with a paper towel.

Above: Check-out the vintage Schwinn cable driven speedometer and odometer. How is that for high-tech? And the adjustable resistance that you actually have to turn by hand. It takes real discipline to turn it up and down to simulate hills when your feeling like a nice flat ride. And the wind-up timer with a bell. You can`t beat that with a stick! Over the course of a lifetime this thing will pay for itself in battery savings alone...ltms

Above: And how can you have anything but love for the vertical oval Schwinn Head Badge? It is a little blurry (I`m a lousy photographer) but under Schwinn it says Chicago.

Above: Resistance is provided by this center-pull brake with felt pads. Before I try to explain how it works, It might be better if I take another picture. (see below)

Above: You may need to click on the pic (enlarge) to see the diagram.
The resistance adjustment knob is basically just a threaded rod.
It goes through the dash to a hanger/bracket with a nut threaded on the end underneath the bracket. The nut can not spin because it is cradled under the bracket. So when the knob is turned the threaded rod pulls the bracket/hanger up wards. The bracket has a notch on each end which hold the top of each of the two actuator rods in place. The lower end of the rods are attached to the caliper where the straddle cable would normally attach. So when you turn the knob it raises the bracket which pulls the 2 rods upwards. As the rods are raised they actuate the brake caliper. Pretty cool stuff. There is a spring on each rod connector and one just above the nut under the bracket. These are for when the tension is released the rods are held in place and noise is reduced.

Above: After I rode the Exerciser several times I noticed there was a grind in the one piece crank. And it sounded really bad. The old Schwinn crank is not super smooth anyway or I would have probably noticed it sooner. Above is the cause of that grind. I don`t think I have ever found a crank or bottom bracket bearing in this bad of shape.

Above: This is the threaded screw-on race/cap from the same drive side bearings. It has some bad scoring and a few tiny chunks missing. I call it a race/cup because on a old one piece crank it is both. I popped a new bearing into the cage cleaned them as best as I could "indoors" then re-packed them with grease. I found an identical race/cap in the shop, so I replaced it. The left side bearings and cups were in much better shape. So they got wiped-off and re-packed with fresh grease. It was very cold the night I did this. When the weather warms-up I`ll take it apart in the shop and replace all the bearings and any cups or races that are worn out.

Above: I was hearing a lot of cable noise. So after oiling the cable housing did not help, it was time to try something else. Removing the speedometer cable is a lot like removing a t.v. coax cable. The only difference is the ends of the cable are not round. After removing the cable from the housing at the speedometer end. I lightly rubbed it down with grease and replaced it. The only problem was I was still getting lots of mechanical noise from the speedometer.

Above: Like I always say "never throw any good vintage take-offs away". I just happened to have a spare in the shop.

Above: After removing the cable at the speedometer end, this unit is simple to remove. There is a thin lock-nut type nut that you remove from the bottom of the speedometer. (same place the cable hooks-up)

Above: Once you remove the thin nut this bracket just slides right off the post. It might even fall off. Then the speedometer can be easily be removed from the dash.

Above: I am removing the rubber bezel trim for use on the replacement speedometer.
I will not polish the replacement until I see if it works. Not a big deal since the install is so simple. As it turned out the replacement was seized up. Oh brother!

Above: I am putting a few drops of the same "Easy Lube" into the threaded cable receiver post.

I will also put a drop or two of oil into this hole on the side of the threaded cable receiver post. Now I will try to free it up.

Above: A very small slotted screwdriver just fits into the slot where the cable goes. Now I just turn it by hand for a few minutes. Then just when I was beginning to think that this was not going to work it loosened up all of the sudden!

Above: This time I am sure it is going to work. So I went ahead and polished the housing with Turtle-Wax "Chrome-Polish / Rust Remover". Just a little bit on a paper towel did the trick. And yes I know the shop bathroom looks a little messy. But I have seen it look much worse than that! (:

Above: All polished, installed and ready for testing. Not very scientific, but here is how I tested it. I know at my cruising pace I ride 9 miles in 30 min. So I run the odometer up to 333.0 miles. Now I set the timer and look at the clock and ride at my cruising pace for 30 min. Nine miles right on the nose. Sweet!

Above: Here is something I thought was kind of cool. This Exerciser has a lock-ring and a fixed cog. So if you ever see one of these in the trash, you might want to salvage it just for those parts alone.

Above: Here is the Schwinn Exerciser with the new Avenir Ergo grips installed. After a while the cable started making noise again. I guess it is just plain wore out. So I took a zip tie and moved the cable to a different position and zip tied it to the frame and that did the trick. I searched the shop that night in the cold and found three speedometers complete. Except one was missing one part. Yup you guessed it, I did not save the cable for this one!

Well fellow bicycle lovers and cog heads. I think that about covers it for now.
Until next time Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always Sauvetage, de restauration et de recyclage!

PS Please do not respond in French because I do not speak it. I thought, It might to nice to say "Rescue, Restore and Recycle" in a different language once in a while.
Cheers, Hugh