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rk2 shimpo wheels

updated fri 13 jun 03

 

Ruth F C Nicol on wed 11 jun 03


I wonder if anyone knows about the locking mechanism on the pedals of
RK2 Shimpo wheels. I lent one of my wheels to a friend (an old one,
made in 1974). Prior to shipping it back to me, she placed some form of
locking bolt on the pedal/hand lever to prevent movement during transit.

Now I have a wheel with a completely locked pedal. I can turn the
wheelhead freely by hand. I've looked inside and can see nothing that
looks like it needs to come off to free up the movement of the pedal.
I lent this wheel out over a year ago and just now decided I needed to
press this one into service. I can't remember what my friend she said
she'd done regarding this pedal lock. I vaguely recall her saying
something about wheels coming equipped with this feature to prevent
damage during shipping. Now I can't reach her. Has anyone heard of
this?

Ruth Nicol

Carl Finch on thu 12 jun 03


At 07:32 PM 6/11/03 -0400, Ruth F C Nicol wrote:

>I wonder if anyone knows about the locking mechanism on the pedals of
>RK2 Shimpo wheels. I lent one of my wheels to a friend (an old one,
>made in 1974). Prior to shipping it back to me, she placed some form of
>locking bolt on the pedal/hand lever to prevent movement during transit.
>
>Now I have a wheel with a completely locked pedal. I can turn the
>wheelhead freely by hand. I've looked inside and can see nothing that
>looks like it needs to come off to free up the movement of the pedal.
>I lent this wheel out over a year ago and just now decided I needed to
>press this one into service. I can't remember what my friend she said
>she'd done regarding this pedal lock. I vaguely recall her saying
>something about wheels coming equipped with this feature to prevent
>damage during shipping. Now I can't reach her. Has anyone heard of
>this?

My RK-2 Shimpo is not accessible to me right now, but if memory serves,
there is a short steel bar (probably with a hole in each end to accommodate
a bolt) that can be installed UNDERNEATH the machine that prevents the
motor and cone assembly from moving--thus preserving the rubber drive ring
from damage if the non-rotating cone should slam into it when the machine
is tipped during shipping.

In other words, it is not simply that the pedal is locked--the pedal won't
move because the motor carriage is bolted down! Flip your wheel over and
look for something which is keeping the motor/cone assembly from moving.

<5 minutes later--after a search in the bowels of my house>

Ahaa--found it! I've just now dug out my Shimpo spare parts bag and there
it is--the bar and the retaining bolts! The bar is about 4.25"x0.75" and
about 3/16" thick. There are 3/8" holes at each end for the bolts. The
bolt heads have been painted RED, so they are readily apparent when
unpacking! Shimpo even included a 13mm x 10mm wrench for removing the
bolts!!

--Carl