Pantour hubs (was plans for suspended LWB?)

Thanks to meb and PaPa for your responses. I'll need a final project
for my welding class, so wood and carbon just won't do. I like the
ride of a tour easy, and have really detailed plans for one, but is is
not suspended. Since I'll sink some $$ into this, I want a super
plush luxo-mobile that I can ride for miles of smiles.

Does anybody have any experience with the Pantour suspended hubs?
Especially anybody over 200 lbs? I'm not looking to make a gonzo MTB,
so .5 to 1 inch of travel may be enough, if it really works and does
not increase rolling resistance. Comments? Thanks.
Dan

bikeman wrote:
Thanks to meb and PaPa for your responses. I'll need a final project for
my welding class, so wood and carbon just won't do. I like the ride of a
tour easy, and have really detailed plans for one, but is is not
suspended. Since I'll sink some $$ into this, I want a super plush
luxo-mobile that I can ride for miles of smiles.
Does anybody have any experience with the Pantour suspended hubs?
Especially anybody over 200 lbs? I'm not looking to make a gonzo MTB, so
.5 to 1 inch of travel may be enough, if it really works and does not
increase rolling resistance. Comments? Thanks. Dan



I certainly don't wish to wrinkle your wish list, but, home-brew
suspension on any hpv is no piece-a-cake. Cost aside, alignment
difficulties alone are a teeth clencher. And I seriously doubt you'll be
pleased with the end results - considering the added weight. If
persistance prevails, here's a link for rear the MTB suspension assy and
shocks. Just click the "frame" button on left side of the home page. (I
no experience with them). http://destinyparts.com/

Although Pantour has its followers, I'm not one of them. Others here can
help in that arena.



--

wrote:


Does anybody have any experience with the Pantour suspended hubs?
Especially anybody over 200 lbs? I'm not looking to make a gonzo MTB,
so .5 to 1 inch of travel may be enough, if it really works and does
not increase rolling resistance. Comments? Thanks.
Dan




Bikeman...

I have around 18 months (abt 7-8k miles) of experience with two Pantour
front hubs. I recommend them highly.

The first one was unfortunately crunched in an accident and used the firmer
of the two elastomers. The soft/firm cutoff is 200 pounds and I'm usually
around 195. Mine is used alternately between a V-Rex and a HepCat where the
front wheel is lightly loaded so I asked for the softer elastomer on the
replacement and like it best.

With a Pantour front hub one can mount a narrow high pressure tire (I use a
Stelvio) and lose the jittery ride that goes with that type tire. Control
on less than smooth surfaces is helped greatly as the tire stays on the
pavement rather than bouncing around.

The only negative I've found is that my hub will generate a creak that
sounds like it's coming from the crank if its skewer is not kept tight.
Took weeks of frustration to discover this.

Gene Whittle
Gatesville, Texas

I ride a Hepcat with a Pantour front hub as well, and I'm extremely
pleased. Though the amount of travel is small, it does make a
difference on my bike. I'm 200 lbs, and have had no issues with it.
Getting the brakes adjusted was a little tricky at first.

I've had it about 6 months, and about 2 months ago I started hearing
this "tick, tick, tick" some where up front. At first I thought I had
a BB problem, but it continues when I quit pedalling. I got to
thinking I had a spoke problem and have lubricated the spots where the
spokes cross on the wheel- no change (spokes are all tight). I'm
curious about your 'creak' you discovered with the hub. Exactly how
did it sound? What's causing it? I can't duplicate the sound when I
have the bike on a stand. People tell me they can hear it when riding
next to me, but can't pinpoint it. Any help is appreciated.

Chuck

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 05:46:40 -0600, Gene Whittle
wrote:

wrote:

Does anybody have any experience with the Pantour suspended hubs?
Especially anybody over 200 lbs? I'm not looking to make a gonzo MTB,
so .5 to 1 inch of travel may be enough, if it really works and does
not increase rolling resistance. Comments? Thanks.
Dan

Bikeman...

I have around 18 months (abt 7-8k miles) of experience with two Pantour
front hubs. I recommend them highly.

The first one was unfortunately crunched in an accident and used the firmer
of the two elastomers. The soft/firm cutoff is 200 pounds and I'm usually
around 195. Mine is used alternately between a V-Rex and a HepCat where the
front wheel is lightly loaded so I asked for the softer elastomer on the
replacement and like it best.

With a Pantour front hub one can mount a narrow high pressure tire (I use a
Stelvio) and lose the jittery ride that goes with that type tire. Control
on less than smooth surfaces is helped greatly as the tire stays on the
pavement rather than bouncing around.

The only negative I've found is that my hub will generate a creak that
sounds like it's coming from the crank if its skewer is not kept tight.
Took weeks of frustration to discover this.

Gene Whittle
Gatesville, Texas

bikeman wrote:
Thanks to meb and PaPa for your responses. I'll need a final project for
my welding class, so wood and carbon just won't do. I like the ride of a
tour easy, and have really detailed plans for one, but is is not
suspended. Since I'll sink some $$ into this, I want a super plush
luxo-mobile that I can ride for miles of smiles.
Does anybody have any experience with the Pantour suspended hubs?
Especially anybody over 200 lbs? I'm not looking to make a gonzo MTB, so
.5 to 1 inch of travel may be enough, if it really works and does not
increase rolling resistance. Comments? Thanks. Dan



There have been an overwhelming number of Kudos from Pantour front hub
users, with some small reports of $6 elastomers wearing out and some
hubs that weren't lubricated properly. Green light, just check for
lubing and expect to replace the elastomers.

Lots of problems with the rears. They 've done some reenginering to
correct those problems including using stronger bearings. Wait till they
get the teething problems worked out on the rears.

Alternatively, you could try adapting a mountain bike style triangle
chain stay assembly to the rear of the Tour Easy.



--

meb wrote:
Alternatively, you could try adapting a mountain bike style triangle
chain stay assembly to the rear of the Tour Easy.



Sure you can.... but I wouldn't recommend it unless an elastomer is used
to minimize swing arm travel distance (ala Fold Rush). Another crucial
issue I failed to mention earlier is; Chain line management should be
well thoughtout in advance to avoid "pogo-ing". Not unlike the Termite
Taxi, the chain line needs to intersect, at, or slightly below the swing
arm pivot point (This is especially important in lower gears). Not an
easy trick to do.



--

meb wrote: There have been an overwhelming number of Kudos from
Pantour front hub users, with some small reports of $6 elastomers
wearing out and some
hubs that weren't lubricated properly. Green light, just check for
lubing and expect to replace the elastomers.

Lots of problems with the rears. They 've done some reenginering to
correct those problems including using stronger bearings. Wait till
they
get the teething problems worked out on the rears.


I agree with meb. My rear Pantour hub is now on its second trip back
to California. It still wobbles after replacing the bearings twice.
Absolutely no problems with the front hub. I still think the folks at
Pantour are great, but the rear hub is a work in progress. Maybe this
time.

Dave Kee
Dual 26 Wishbone

wrote:


I'm
curious about your 'creak' you discovered with the hub. Exactly how
did it sound? What's causing it? I can't duplicate the sound when I
have the bike on a stand. People tell me they can hear it when riding
next to me, but can't pinpoint it. Any help is appreciated.

Chuck




Chuck...

The creak was exactly what you would have expected from a crank with a loose
fastener or bottom bracket cups that needed some grease on the threads or
some tightening. On every push with the right foot the thing would creak
which is what made me so sure it was in the crank. One day on reinstalling
the wheel after fixing a flat I tightened the skewer nut a little more than
usual and the creak went away. The creak came back a few months later but a
1/8 turn on the skewer nut fixed it.

Your "tick-tick" sounds like it could indeed be in the hub. Have you
checked those side plates to be sure one isn't dragging on the hub? That
would be easy to fix. Aside from something catastrophic like a cracked race
there's not much to go wrong with those hubs.


Gene Whittle
Gatesville, Texas