1939 DX Schwinn Ace -- Finished
- Thread starter J_Westy
- Start date
jimihendrix
MacRetro Rider
Absolutely stunning 
sandmangts
Senior Retro Guru
You need to pack that thing up and come to Cali. You have me wishing I had gone with paint instead of powder coat on my Merc. I think I will do paint on my next project, a 41 Elgin. How do you like the sturmey 8 speed? Does it shift ok under load? How is the braking? I have the Nexus 8 and find that it shifts very well under load and I like that you don't have to pedal to shift but I do wish the braking was a little stronger in the back. The sturmey drum I have up front is very strong though. My bike is pushing 42 pounds with the forged fork and truss rods. Once I find a Tange that should bring it down to under 40. Here is a shot from the weekend:
And the next project.
Thanks for posting with such detail! I have found both of your threads to be very helpful. I will try to detail my next build as best I can.
And the next project.
Thanks for posting with such detail! I have found both of your threads to be very helpful. I will try to detail my next build as best I can.
A,
I thought you broke your front fork and switched to a bmx styleblades? I can't keep up. I do know the delivery person left me some wheels on the front porch today.....Thanks for the stickers. I am feeling a little guilty for sending those 7x's full of brake dust on the rims........
J does such a good job documenting his builds it inspires me to try harder. It also helps that he does a great job with the builds themselves. I wanna see a picture of blue "C" and red "DX" together. Curious about a ride report and what their differences between the two are. Which one will you grab to go for the neighborhood cruise...Wish I had that problem......
I thought you broke your front fork and switched to a bmx styleblades? I can't keep up. I do know the delivery person left me some wheels on the front porch today.....Thanks for the stickers. I am feeling a little guilty for sending those 7x's full of brake dust on the rims........
J does such a good job documenting his builds it inspires me to try harder. It also helps that he does a great job with the builds themselves. I wanna see a picture of blue "C" and red "DX" together. Curious about a ride report and what their differences between the two are. Which one will you grab to go for the neighborhood cruise...Wish I had that problem......
sandmangts":1urbkji6 said:You need to pack that thing up and come to Cali. You have me wishing I had gone with paint instead of powder coat on my Merc. I think I will do paint on my next project, a 41 Elgin. How do you like the sturmey 8 speed? Does it shift ok under load? How is the braking? I have the Nexus 8 and find that it shifts very well under load and I like that you don't have to pedal to shift but I do wish the braking was a little stronger in the back. The sturmey drum I have up front is very strong though. My bike is pushing 42 pounds with the forged fork and truss rods. Once I find a Tange that should bring it down to under 40. Here is a shot from the weekend:
And the next project.
Thanks for posting with such detail! I have found both of your threads to be very helpful. I will try to detail my next build as best I can.
sandmangts":qh5qrt7q said:
A -
I haven't made it to the trail yet with the DX - hopefully this weekend.
But, from what I've read the SA isn't the strongest hub in the universe, so my plan is to avoid shifting under load. It'll be for light duty riding with the kids for the most part.
To be honest I chose the SA for the retro-ness of the drum brake and because I got a pretty good deal on it.
I think it's the same 70mm drum as the X-FD front drum, so I'd expect it to have the same stopping power.
No problem on the detail. With as long as it takes me to accumulate all the parts for a klunker, I have plenty of time for pictures and typing
Looking forward to your Elgin build.
J
Ductape":qh5qrt7q said:
T
I'll see what I can do for ya
The blue C has been getting mostly errand duty around town so far. There's something very pleasingly simple about a single speed coaster brake bike.
This red DX will likely be the one I grab for the trails -- the handling seems less twitchy. Must be the trail on the Tange fork since the two bikes are essentially the same otherwise.
Off-road ride reports to follow in the next weeks.
Any near term plans for your C?
J
sandmangts
Senior Retro Guru
Ductape":1oltqc6m said:
Cool I hope the wheels work well for you. I am going to re-finish/polish the wheels anyway so don't worry about the dirt. The original fork did have a bent steerer and a bulge. I went with the cheap bmx style forks and then I found another forged fork that is in the pic. It worked but it was too flexy for off road so I went back to the bmx forks. Still waiting to find the ever-elusive Tange and a DX frame. I want to know how that Sturmey 8 holds up. They also make a 3 speed with a drum brake that has 117mm over locknut spacing. Could be a good option for the Elgin so I won't have to spread the frame as much.
I cant decide. I think I like the red one better. But then I really like the blues forks........ You might need to post Red up on BOTM one of these days..... I think if I get rid of the Champion, I will indirectly acquire some cool parts for the C build. I just need to get the wheels built up.....
