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Bike Related: Anyone built a retro-direct?

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro-Direct

    I'm procrastinating, and trying to build one out of junk parts. I have a feeling I'll be running into problems....

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      CommentAuthorparis
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

    dont you pedal backwards to shift

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      CommentAuthorgrimm
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

    So to use the lower gear, you stop pedaling and then start pedaling backwards and it engages? It doesnt like pedal backwards to derail then pedal forward, right?

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      CommentAuthorMIN
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

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      CommentAuthorMIN
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     
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      CommentAuthorstumptown
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

    NO COMPRENDO

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      CommentAuthorgrimm
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

    I feel like my mind is gonna explode.

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    I think I stared at it for 30 min trying to figure out out it works when I first saw one.

    update: I don't have a freewheel tool, or the chain tensioner thingy, so it'll have to stay SS till I have some skrilla.

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      CommentAuthorbschultz
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
     

    Shit is like an MC Escher bike, haha.

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    shit it is not that hard to wrap your head around. look at the chain line. see how when you pedal forwards the crank ring pulls chain from the small freewheel (the top part of the chain) and if you were to pedal backwards, the crank ring would be pulling chain from the big freewheel ( eyeballs on the bottom chain line) the long distracting loop is just a chain tensioner.

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      CommentAuthorK_phomma
    • CommentTimeJun 28th 2008
     
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      CommentAuthorgrimm
    • CommentTimeJun 28th 2008
     

    I got it. I was being overly dramatic. But the thing that does mess with my head is what itd be like to pedal up a hill with your legs going backwards.

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    grimm:

    I got it. I was being overly dramatic. But the thing that does mess with my head is what itd be like to pedal up a hill with your legs going backwards.

    i was more responding to jeremy, but to answer your question, its really hard on your knees to pedal backwards, thats why its the low or "spin' development on 99% of r-d setups

    • CommentAuthorcrossett
    • CommentTimeJun 28th 2008
     

    Nice first gen Dura Ace cranks on that blue bike.

  15.  
    crossett:

    Nice first gen Dura Ace cranks on that blue bike.

    wow you need to go to BPA ..namely bike parts-aholic anonymous

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      CommentAuthorbschultz
    • CommentTimeJun 28th 2008
     

    Crossett is the bike parts shinobi master... EAI gold super cogs as ninja starz and errthang... fuck yall know?

    • CommentAuthorkrystenr
    • CommentTimeJun 30th 2008
     

    Do we know anyone that has a r-d bike? I wanna try riding this shit.

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    A friend, scott has one around. I think I'm setting it up opposite so my low gear is reg pedaling, and I can go fast downhill pedaling backwards...

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    i though of doing that as well, but from what I'm told by folks who have tried it, the extra torque is murder on your knees. it's an easy swap back though...just the freewheel and chain routing.

    • CommentAuthorkrystenr
    • CommentTimeJun 30th 2008
     

    Gabe, get your friend Scott to bring this shit 'round. I wanna see what all the fuss is about.

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    anyone got a spare BMX style freewheel? thats all I'm short and you know i aint tryn to spend no money on this...

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    oye, then there is this:

    http://myspace.voo.be/pcoupard/retrodirect_drive/

    Lots of good info on that site^

    I was going to just buy a large MTB freewheel, but from the pics it looks like everyone is using some sort of custom freewheel with 20ish teeth. Anyone know how to do this?

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    oh, and it sounds like I'll need to widen the frame...

    grrrr, I think I need a Q&A session with my buddy...

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    the main problem im running into copying the above pic (the large freewheel and small held together with a non drive looseball BB cup) is that most available freewheel cogsets have some sort of neck down after the screw on threads. perhaps your idea for a large MTB freewheel would be fine. mostly it's abut getting two freewheels next to eachother. after that manhandling the assembly into the frame, routing the chain and kludging up a tensioner seem easy to me.

    it's all about finding the big freewheel in that pic tho..

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    oh and that cogs got at least 26 teef

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