N/A New Bikes

Mary and I decided to ask Santa for bikes this Christmas.  Fortunately, both were delivered early and I assembled them fairly quickly. I took my cruiser on a test ride, I nearly gave myself a heart attack! Where we all those gear selections like my old ten speed? Hmmm, I should have asked Santa for at least a three speed instead of this fixed/single speed, this thing doesn't coast.


Mary's Cruiser

I did some research online and ended up purchasing two Shimano Nexus 3 speed upgrade kits. Both kits cost zip, thanks to American Express points. My only added cost will be sweat equity to make the change.


Shimano Nexus 3 Speed Wheel Set with Shifter

I removed both tires and tubes from the original bike rims and transferred them to the two new rims.  Pretty easy, no tools needed but some hand strength is required. I did have to reuse the rubber protection that covers the spoke hubs since the new set of rims did not have them.


My ride

I bolted the new front wheel back on the bike and started with the gear assembly. I would say it went smooth with the only issue getting the snap ring in place since my spreader didn't open wide enough. I ended up using a pair of needle nose pliers working in reverse to open the ring and a flat screwdriver to hold the clip in place. Once I got it started I worked the remaining portion around the gear assembly until it locked in place.

I did watch a video prior to starting the upgrade to make sure I understood the process. The video wasn't in English but it's the best I could find and the guy provided an excellent detail of each step. Tomorrow I will air the tires up and take test ride number two.