Coaster Brake Challenge #5
Thread started by
rev106 at 11.16.10 - 7:49 am
Coaster Brake Challenge is a single speed only, coaster brake only mountain bike race. There are no hand brakes and there are no hipsters, this is the real. So anyone that has the lungs, legs, and heart and wants to have a blast come join us.
Purpose:
To have fun, to race, to sweat, breathe hard, to ride hard, to challenge ones self. This is the anti-race race. Don't kid yourself it's hard, you may crash or puke (or both) but we are down for the fun and camaraderie more than the podium. Well, there is no podium but I think you get the point.
We will be hosting 4 Sunday races in the month of January. Each race will have a meet point at 7am and race at 8am or so. Most races will be short 1 to 2 hour affairs. Meet points and descriptions of each race will be posted so you know what to expect. If you want you can go check out the courses ahead of time, not that you need to but if your really need to know you can.
This race series is open to all comers. Men, women, kids, we don't discriminate. Come with a smile and leave with a smile (and perhaps an impressive scar.)
Race dates: January 2nd, 9th, 16th, &23rd. 2011. We'll have two new courses this time!
A note on races:
Spectators:
Some of these races are fun to watch and can be easily accessible for speciation. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being best the ability to spectate will be rated.
Meat Pylons:
We're not the only ones out there people, so you will need to yield to horses and peds as best you can. The higher the number, the more Meat Pylons you'll have to deal with. Ride safe and be respectful of others. On hot days, expect the number to be lower. It should be hot. Bring water, you'll need it.
Rules for bikes:
Gearing:
Single speed only. No internal geared hubs (sturmey-archer, bendix two speed kick backs etc.) no derailleur of any kind (A chain tensioner is fine but not recommended). No external gearing. No gears. No fixed gear. Each race will be different from the last and you may want a different gear ratio for each race and you can have any gear ratio you wish. We have found that 30-36 in the front and 18-22 in the back is the range best suited for this event, see what works best for you.
Drive system:
The rear hub must be a coaster brake. Single speed coaster brake only. No two-speed kick backs, etc (I know what they look like) Some coaster brakes are better than others, do your homework and get a good one. See below for more info. Cranks of any kind may be used as well as pedals.
Braking system:
Coaster brake only on the rear wheel only. No hand brakes of any kind. No secondary braking system of any kind. No drum brakes, no cables, rods, levers, etc of any kind. You pedal forward to go forward and back to stop. Nothing else.
Frame:
Preference for old double bar cruisers but there are no frame restrictions. We have found that cruiser frames and lower end frames with a horizontal dropouts work the best. Frames with a rigid dropout are difficult to get proper chain tension. We recommend the following types of bikes:
Single speed mountain bikes
Pros: take new bike goodies well
Cons: Can be costly
Cruisers
Pros: Cheap and look cool too! Already have to correct spacing for a coaster brake.
Cons: Don't take mountain bikes goodies like threadless forks etc. Most have 1 piece cranks. Heavy.
Any 26" bike that has a horizontal drop out.
Pros: Older Mountain bikes are cheap and plentiful and easily adapt to our purpose.
Cons: None really, an ideal choice for this event.
Forks:
Any.
Wheels/tires:
You can have any kind of hoop/tire combo. I suggest a light wheelset that you've laced a coaster brake into. Something rugged is good, I've done each race with cheap alloy cruiser rims, they have held up fine thus far.
Handlebars etc.
Everything else is left up to the individual rider.
Which hubs are good? (the tech section)
Not all coaster brake hubs are built alike. You'll need a good one to hang tough in this event.
Newer hubs:
Shimano, they are ok, best around for a new hub and easily found. They spin really good and stop decent. For easy of accessibility and function, the Shimano hub is a solid choice.
Hi Stop, Falcon, CSC etc. very common hubs found on most newer coaster brake wheels. These tend to get a little sloppy after a few hard braking sessions, repacking them does little to remedy the problem. Not recommended but will work if that's all you have.
Velosteel/perry. Allegedly good, hard to source. Never seen one in the flesh so I don't really know.
Old Hubs:
Bendix red band: Decent. Most of these were on kids bikes so they are not the strongest bendix ever made but they are a crowd favorite. Most are in 28 hole, less common in 36.
Bendix Knurled hub: The brake arm will have "1970" or "1976" stamped on the torsion arm. Found on adult bikes, 4 brake pads, very stout and common in 36 hole.
New Departure: An excellent hub if you can find one.
Perry, commet sachs etc. decent, not really tested one of these to the fullest.
Morrow: reputedly the best, never even seen one, hard to find and costly.
Note: the cogs on some of theses are not the same as contemporary cogs, you may have to do some modification to make them fit. The biggest cog I've found for an older hub is 20 teeth, newer ones I've seen up to 22. Shimano cogs don't fit Bendix hubs and many of the older hubs have a different mounting set up than a snap-ring. These older hubs are on a general level better than new hubs. I recommend finding one of a little used girls bike as they tend to not be ridden hard or at all. You'll need to clean and repack the hub as the grease will act more like glue than lube once they have set for a time. I use boat trailer bearing grease, it's cheap and works great.
For more info on coaster brakes:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html
Spacing:
Most coaster brakes are 120mm or 125mm spacing. Most single speed mountain bikes are 130 or 125 mm spacing and contemporary mountain bikes are 135. The axel on your average coaster brake will be too short to fit in these frames, you'll have to swap it out for a longer one and add spacers. This is why an old cruiser or steel mountain bike frame works best. You'll also need a bike with horizontal dropouts so you can get proper chain tension. Contemporary mountain bikes with a fixed dropout will be hard to make work with a single speed, a chain tensioner may not work due to the coaster brake action. I recommend using something cheap and old for this event.
Some new bikes out there have coaster brake spacing and a three piece crank, ideal for this event. Marin makes a cruiser and there is another bike called a Madwagon that would work well. Do your homework.
Also if you need to calculate your gear inches:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
Chain line and chain tension:
Chain Line
This is important stuff here, so if you don't know read up. Your chain line must be near straight, and deviation will likely cause your chain to fall off. This is double bad because not only do you loose your drive system, you loose your brakes. This can be "exciting" so make sure when you're putting your bike together you get that chain line nice and straight. Converting bikes with a fixed dropout can prove troublesome in this area. You may need to add spacers or have the wheel over to the drive side more than the other side to get a good chain line. You may need to put a longer axel in your coaster brake hub so it will fit your repurposed bike.
Chain Tension
Also very important. As you climb you'll put a lot of stress on the frame and if your chain is loose it will come off. If your chain is too tight it will bind on the hub causing drag and potentially backing off the cones in the hub leading to a component failure. Your chain should have 1/8 to 1/4 inch of slack in it once it's on the bike. Frames with horizontal drop-outs work best for keeping the wheel from moving. Eccentric bottom bracket are costly and can fail where lugs and a couple of toothed washers have carried the day for over a hundred years now, why mess with success? Chain tensioners can also be employed.
I want to join but do not have the stuff to make a bike.
No problem, I'll have good wheelsets and frames, and complete bikes suitable for this event. I can weld BMX dropouts on your steel frame. Let me know ASAP so we can get your rig dialed in before the race. Complete bikes should run in the 85-200 dollar range depending on what you want.
Rules for riders:
No substitutions.
Bring stuff to fix your bike on the trail with you.
Helmet.
No crybabies.
Entry Fee and what you get:
The Entry Fee is $20.00 for all four races, that's 5 bucks a race. You'll have to pay the 20.00 if you make one or all 4 races.
You get a T-shirt. They're different each time.
You get a Patch.
Perhaps some schwag, we'll see.
Scoring:
Each rider will get a number and you will be scored as thus:
1 point for entering a race
1 additional point for a third place finish
2 additional points for a second place finish
3 additional points for a first place finish
Each first place rider (stage winner) will get a trophy made from old bike parts!
At the end of the series the point leader will be the overall champ. Best to show up to each race to increase your odds.
Sign up at:
Atomic Cycles
17322 Saticoy
Van Nuys, CA 91046
818 609-0113
or
Show up to a race and sign up there!
Race #1: The Longest Lap
Meet Point Chatsworth st. West of Tampa 7am.
January 2nd 2011
Spectators: 4
Meat Pylons: 8/2 (second section)
View Larger Map
A one lap race eh? Well it's not the longest (about 11 miles) but on these bikes you will be challenged! There's a fair amount of climbing and some tricky technical descending and even some street riding and braving traffic, just about everything is covered. Since it's only one lap, you won't have time to pace yourself, you'll just have to go and hope you make it! I recommend having some stuff to fix a flat etc because you do go out into the styx a bit and it's a long push back to the start. There are several sections where you can go the wrong way, I will be marking the course the day before but some of the marking may be gone. I will provide a map for each racer so you can find your way out.
we start at Tampa and Chatsworth, climb up to Tampa and Sesnon and then head around Porter Ranch where we will take some difficult single track to the bottom of Browns Canyon. Once in browns canyon, you will climb out on the street and hook back up with some fire roads on De Soto, the last leg is part of the start, back to Tampa and Chatsworth. Confused? That's the challenge!
The first part where you could get lost is the corner of Tampa and Sesnon. You cross the street and take the equestrian trail that runs parallel to Sesnon.
Here you want to stay to the right, take the single track to the fire road and climb the fire road, don't follow the trail the follows the houses.
Off the fire road and onto the single track. It's hard to see from the fire road, I will mark the trail.
Down the single track and you cross the fire road into the grove of oak trees, from here bank left onto the tricky decent. Watch your speed!!! you will eat shit and there are sheer drops, so be careful!!
Maps will be provided, you may need them.
Race #2 The Filthy 15.
Spectators: 8
Meat Pylons: 2
Meet point: June 9th 7am @ Starbucks
9935 Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Chatsworth, CA 913113602
Course Description:
This is a cross between a criterion and a bmx race with some climbing thrown in for good measure. The course is mostly comprised of hard pack sandstone and rutts in the semi figure 8 configuration. Riders will have to complete 15 laps, each lap is approximately .4 miles long meaning the total race is about 6 miles long. There are some mild descents, sandy & rutted turns and technical climbs as will as a 2-3 foot jump on the back side to keep things interesting. The middle section will be shared by riders coming and going so watch for collisions. Plan to stand on the pedals most of the race.
Race #3 Wild West Shootout
Meet point: Corriganville park Simi Valley, CA end of Smith Road off Santa Susana pass rd.
January 16th 7am.
Spectators: 9
Meat Pylons: 6
View Larger Map
5 laps, 2 1/2 miles each lap. Light climbing, mostly fire roads and wide single track. Cement bowl to traverse, course will be marked we can do a pace lap if people are unsure. Should be a fast course and there are lots of flatish sections. Don't get confused as there are a couple shared sections.
Race #4: The Fruity Loop/Side Hack Shenanigans!
January 23rd 7am
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
6401 Platt Avenue
West Hills CA, 91367
Spectators: 5/10
Meat Pylons: 6
Bring $3.00 for parking!!!
This is most likely the fastest race of this series. Mostly on light climbs and flat fire roads you may want to switch up your gearing so you can gain time in the easier sections. The overall course length is 3.3 miles about, we're doing 3 laps. It starts with a bit of a climb and then will have some mild descents and flats where you can really pedal out. The course will be a series of right turns. There is one faster decent on the back side of the course so make sure your coaster brake is all ready to keep you on the trail. There is a mild climb on the back side of the trail after you reach the bottom of the descent. please study the pics below so you can get a feel for the course, you can make a wrong turn and get off course, the trail points will be marked just in case.
This is only the qualifying race, the top 10 finishers will have to duke it out on BMX sidehacks. We're going to to ten laps in the dirt parking lot. The teams are broken up as follows: 1st & 10th place, 2nd & 9th place, 3rd & 8th place etc. The team gets the same points. Should be fun....to watch.
We start here with a climb.
Look for these signs as this will keep you on track.
Right turn at the water tankers....
It should be the second right, look for the sign. Don't go straight or you'll wind up in Agoura Hills.
You'll need to take a right here going down, this is the decent so get your brake ready. Right turn at the trashcan after a climb.
Go straight, back up the hill repeat three times.
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