Twin Schwin two speed tandem

[Rex]

I have a vintage two speed tandem Schwin Bicycle. I have had it restored. However, the two speed hub does not shift gears when back pedaled. Does anyone have a solution to remedy this or know where I can get a replacement hub with the two speed feature. Can't get up the hill in low gear.

Thanks,

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

It looks like they typically have trouble shifting under load. This is just in general.

Reminds me of many lesser Shimano derailleurs.

Someone mentioned that they are best shifted with finesse. You want to shift before you approach a climb.

I would also recommend lubricating the mechanisms before each ride. If they are old, they will just generally have issues at the pivots due to thermal breakdown from friction. Lubricating before each ride can help a little—although it's not a cure all.

[Jesper]

(01-19-2022, 01:53 PM)Rex Wrote:  I have a vintage two speed tandem Schwin Bicycle. I have had it restored. However, the two speed hub does not shift gears when back pedaled. Does anyone have a solution to remedy this or know where I can get a replacement hub with the two speed feature. Can't get up the hill in low gear.

Thanks,

Hey Rex,
Do you know (approx.) what year the bike is? Does the hub have a make and/or model shown on it?
I'll try to help if possible, but I need a little more info. A couple photos wouldn't hurt either.

Note: if this is an internally geared hub (IGH), I don't believe it should need to be pedaled backwards. Sturmey-Archer hubs are not designed to be back-pedaled and damage can result from doing so if that is the brand hub that you have. I find it odd to be only a 2 speed whether an IGH or derailleur shifting bike. 2 speed on a derailleur would be a very old bike; 1920s-1930s or so; certainly pre-1940s. 3 speed IGHs were around from the early 1900s (pre-WW1).

[Jesper]

(04-24-2022, 02:06 PM)Deynolds Wrote:  We are riding this Schwinn Twinn Classic Tandem for the last 4 years, but didn't yet faced any kind of this problem. The build quality is actually very good for a Chinese Factory Bike. It was really easy to put together and took less than an hour. A couple of Adjustments and Tightening a few things and off you go..

Welcome; and thanks for the quick bike review!

If you could post a photo of your bike it help others get an idea of what the bike is since it is a relatively newer model. I know I haven't seen.