The joys of a shonky, spare parts singlespeed
Discussion
I recently put together a singlespeed 26er hard tail mtb from an 03 Kona and a combination of various old parts kicking around in my shed and have been using it for night rides.
I had ridden singlespeed a few years ago, but not for a long time.
I'm using a 32:16 ratio and riding it on various hilly, rocky and muddy terrain.
It is superb and cleaning the forks and chain is the limit of my maintenance.
Basically, It's not about how flash your bike is.
I had ridden singlespeed a few years ago, but not for a long time.
I'm using a 32:16 ratio and riding it on various hilly, rocky and muddy terrain.
It is superb and cleaning the forks and chain is the limit of my maintenance.
Basically, It's not about how flash your bike is.
Indeed just got a tired old Raleigh Flyer single speed to commute on, £90 off ebay.
Chucked on a load of spare parts and cheap ebay bits and off I go 60 -100 miles a week to work and back , including some biggish hills and 3 miles a day of gravel/light off road on 25c slicks !!
Frame is made from old scoflding poles, wheels are 3kg a pair!! But its so smooth and quiet and quick on the flat in a straight line!!
Abysimal round corners, I crashed it @ 25mph into a wall! it would have f
ked the gearing of a normal bike and easily damaged the frame , but picked it up and jumped back on!!
Really enjoying the no nonsense and not having to maintain or clean gears, which the gravel and rain would always fk up! I can just leave it outside shops and not worry
Got a few much muchh more expensive bikes that havent been touched for a few months now, as cant be bothered with the hassle of using them in the UKs poor weather. I even did a club run on it !
Chucked on a load of spare parts and cheap ebay bits and off I go 60 -100 miles a week to work and back , including some biggish hills and 3 miles a day of gravel/light off road on 25c slicks !!
Frame is made from old scoflding poles, wheels are 3kg a pair!! But its so smooth and quiet and quick on the flat in a straight line!!
Abysimal round corners, I crashed it @ 25mph into a wall! it would have f
ked the gearing of a normal bike and easily damaged the frame , but picked it up and jumped back on!!Really enjoying the no nonsense and not having to maintain or clean gears, which the gravel and rain would always f
k up! I can just leave it outside shops and not worryGot a few much muchh more expensive bikes that havent been touched for a few months now, as cant be bothered with the hassle of using them in the UKs poor weather. I even did a club run on it !
My 29er Inbred's right posh then. Nailed it together with mostly lightly used bits for £500. If I *had* to put myself in a niche I would say I'm a SS mountainbiker now. It's done the most mileage this year. Anthem gets saved for bigger trails, road bike's gone, and the gnarmac adventure bike does winter roads & bridleways with mudguards.
SS is great, I love it, and contrary to what you might think, the hillier the better please (just gear it to just about be able to gurn up your local bastid climb)
Lent mine to a mate for a couple of miles which immediately led to my buying another frame for him (£50!) to build up similar.
SS is great, I love it, and contrary to what you might think, the hillier the better please (just gear it to just about be able to gurn up your local bastid climb)
Lent mine to a mate for a couple of miles which immediately led to my buying another frame for him (£50!) to build up similar.
Once the bike is fully functional, and not too hefty, you don't really need that much else.
Admittedly, my parts bin did contain a battered set of Hope/Mavic wheels and old disc brakes, but it qualifies as shonky as the rear brake is a now a mismatched calliper and lever combo that appears to work. The old Continental Vertical tyre has been excellent too.
Admittedly, my parts bin did contain a battered set of Hope/Mavic wheels and old disc brakes, but it qualifies as shonky as the rear brake is a now a mismatched calliper and lever combo that appears to work. The old Continental Vertical tyre has been excellent too.
My 1993 Marin was converted to single speed commuter about 6 years ago and even though I've had 3 or 4 bikes come and go in the meantime, it's the one that gets the most use. In truth it's mainly as I don't get to go out too far or do too much challenging riding beyond getting to the station or the pub, or out with the kids now.
I removed the old suspension forks and swapped back to solid ones, put some commuter slicks on, removed the gear set and put on a 44/16 cog set and the On One tensioner. So it runs very well on the road, starts from a standing stop fairly easily, spins out on the flat around 21/22mph which is more than enough, can climb reasonable short hills still and copes very well with gentle off road conditions.
I love the simplicity and ease of use and almost zero maintenance. And also the fact it looks like a knackered old thing I know I can leave it locked up (sometimes not!) in places I normally wouldn't and it is always there when i get back.
I removed the old suspension forks and swapped back to solid ones, put some commuter slicks on, removed the gear set and put on a 44/16 cog set and the On One tensioner. So it runs very well on the road, starts from a standing stop fairly easily, spins out on the flat around 21/22mph which is more than enough, can climb reasonable short hills still and copes very well with gentle off road conditions.
I love the simplicity and ease of use and almost zero maintenance. And also the fact it looks like a knackered old thing I know I can leave it locked up (sometimes not!) in places I normally wouldn't and it is always there when i get back.
Big fan of singlespeed and fixed gear bikes - the simplicity is wonderful. My commute is sandy, wet, salty etc and with a fixed gear bike the brakes are used less, there a barely any moving parts. The chains get a hard time but they're cheap and easy to replace. I've just progressively and cheaply upgraded using bits off ebay as and when they turn up.
Started with a converted BSA:
Then the ebay flyer (proper single speed frame with track ends - what a difference):
On One pompino (current ride - really nice bike)
Also converted my 2000 Marin to single speed but I can't cure the chain slip on it. (Not a major issue as I hardly use it but frustrating - the chain tensioner is now underneath the chain pushing up but still it slips...)
Started with a converted BSA:
Then the ebay flyer (proper single speed frame with track ends - what a difference):
On One pompino (current ride - really nice bike)
Also converted my 2000 Marin to single speed but I can't cure the chain slip on it. (Not a major issue as I hardly use it but frustrating - the chain tensioner is now underneath the chain pushing up but still it slips...)
Maybe not shonky, but some spare parts involved. Frame, forks, bars, levers & stem from the first bike I saved up to buy myself, in 1983. Wheels from a second-hand Specialized Allez, brakes, chainset and the rest new.
QR rear wheel means that I've had to add a chaintug, but it rides very sweetly. Strictly for gentle summer bimbles round the lanes, though.
Actually, come to think of it, cold-setting the frame armed only with a tape measure, a broomhandle and a piece of string was pretty shonky.
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