Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

itboffin

I had to bail on yesterdays ride due to a very loud crunching noise, I spent the rest of the afternoon taking every part off the bike, cleaning and applying huge amounts of grease.

So in less than four months of riding i'm now on my second headset, brake pads, freewheel, chainring, crankset, bar tape and by the looks of those dents soon to be frame as well, is that normal?

wgwarburton

Hi,
Nope, not normal I think, unless you're managing to be particularly brutal on your drivetrain!

Pads are consumables, so replacement is expected. It should take years to wear out headsets, bottom brackets, hubs etc.
A freewheel can get damaged by getting water into it and then not managing to lubricate it properly. Years ago when I was young and foolish (I'm not young any more) I ruined a freewheel by using WD-40 on my chain and washing the lube out of it.
Immersion in muddy water would probably shorten life, too, as would jet-washing.

Chainrings and sprockets should last a while, though I've recently discovered that you can wear out either or both in a year or so commuting on a fixie.

If you are denting a frame then I don't think that counts as "wear"... :-)

The chain loosening issue seems more likely to be some sort of axle-creep than either chain or bearing wear. How are your axles secured? Good track nuts are supposed to make a big difference and a chain tug should cure the problem. I'm led to believe that BMX-style tugs ("Star-nuts") can be used but havn't got round to experimenting, yet.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
W.

itboffin

Just did the 20 miles to the in-laws smooth as butter the only noise was from squeaking chainring spacers and the handling felt really good in fact I managed 19.1mph avg so I'm very pleased.

As soon as I find myself another job i'm going to treat myself to a shiny new off the peg single speed, yummy.

and thanks Buns

andy jackson

Well, I fianlly joined the club!

Have done two commutes on my single speed tricross, and it wasn't as daunting as I thought!

thinking of chainging the rear freewheel, something smaller, maybe fixed!

.

BoardinBob

I've made the switch to singlespeeding this weekend. The daily commute was playing havoc with the gears and it wasn't possible to wash the bike every night!

Single Speed converter kit and a tensioner from On One

Handlebars look much cleaner and simpler



And much less to get dirty and clogged up at the rear

Littigator

Good on yer

Welcome to the club!

wideboy

Just bought one of these http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/product/ ... _NOW_27499 cant wait to get going now 8) 8)

il_principe

Good man, amazed they still have any left!

itboffin

it's looking like the tricross might be this years bowery, Pearsons really have some great offers.

Yes I WANT one

spasypaddy

hi guys!!!

used to commute singlespeed, then i lost my job so learnt to ride fixed. now ive got a week or two weeks work just off oxford street. I know how to get there but i need some tips on how to ride fixed in traffic.

Thanks!

itboffin

Having worked & commuted in Regent st. recently i'd say carefully, be on extra special care round the back streets just off Oxford st. especially in the evenings.

When I used to do the Paddington to Regent st. run my heart rate would go through the roof with all the near misses and potential ops to off myself :?

I always went considerably slower (non game mode) in and around Marble Arch, Park Lane, Savile Row, Oxford & Regent st.

Good luck and enjoy

el_presidente

spasypaddy wrote:

hi guys!!!

used to commute singlespeed, then i lost my job so learnt to ride fixed. now ive got a week or two weeks work just off oxford street. I know how to get there but i need some tips on how to ride fixed in traffic.

Thanks!

take it steady

be very wary of going for small gaps, it's not so easy to dab a foot

careful of pedal strike on kerbs

girls are not impressed by trackstands

spasypaddy

im going to allow an hour to get there even though its just 11 miles because i dont know how busy its going to be and stuff. Plus i dont know how big a gap i can sneak through.

el_presidente

An hour at least I would think. It takes me 30 minutes to do 6 miles through the middle of town

attica

@ Spasypaddy

Unless you're really confident I'd say go back to SS.
Rush hour traffic is no time to find out what your limitations are.

lost_in_thought

spasypaddy wrote:

hi guys!!!

used to commute singlespeed, then i lost my job so learnt to ride fixed. now ive got a week or two weeks work just off oxford street. I know how to get there but i need some tips on how to ride fixed in traffic.

Thanks!

If you can give me your route I know some great sneaky side road routes around there. I don't actually think riding fixed in traffic is a big deal, but Oxford street is a pain on any bike with all the effing buses.

You can scoot yourself along with one foot still clipped in, be aware of kerb height for pedal strike, but if your fixed is not a conversion then your BB height will be higher which helps.

fatgrimpeur

+ 1 for Oxford St. Let buses and Taxi's exclusivley use a street and they can still turn it into the biggest clusterf*ck in London.

If riding Fixed, cruise, don't belt it. Time and space is the order of the day.

Littigator

spasypaddy wrote:

im going to allow an hour to get there even though its just 11 miles because i dont know how busy its going to be and stuff. Plus i dont know how big a gap i can sneak through.

I cycle round the Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street area every day and it's ok.

As for how wide you are you can try the patent Littigator method. Keep going for gaps until one day when you are squeezing up to the front at some lights and aim between a bus and a Merc, knock knuckles on the bus on the left rebounding onto wing mirror of Merc and knocking that out of line.

Wobbling to a halt mandatory. Feeling like a right berk, optional

BoardinBob

Disaster this morning

Sprinting past a bus this morning and the chain suddenly fell off, feet shot off the pedals and the bools and dagger battered off the top tube! I was level with the front wheels of the bus when it happened but i just managed to stop my self going under them. I put the chain back on and took it east for the rest of the ride and it was fine.

Possible causes??

a) My heel hitting the chain and lifting it off the front ring?

or

b) Lateral movement as I was sprinting helped the chain jump off the front ring?

or

c) There's not enough tension in the chain and I need to remove another link?


I reckon it's C so I'll take another link out the chain tonight

il_principe

You riding SS or geared?

I've had my cahin jump off whilst sprinting 3 times now. Last time it got jammed between the cog and the dropout, it I'd been fixed it would have been nasty. On all 3 occasions it's been my fault for not checking chain tension regularly enough. I've learnt my lesson now.

BoardinBob

jashburnham wrote:

You riding SS or geared?

I've had my cahin jump off whilst sprinting 3 times now. Last time it got jammed between the cog and the dropout, it I'd been fixed it would have been nasty. On all 3 occasions it's been my fault for not checking chain tension regularly enough. I've learnt my lesson now.

Just converted to singlespeed at the weekend. See my pics on the previous page. I definitely think it's the lack of tension in the chain

il_principe

BoardinBob wrote:

Just converted to singlespeed at the weekend. See my pics on the previous page. I definitely think it's the lack of tension in the chain

Yep it is almost certainly. Guess you're on vertical dropouts then?

BoardinBob

jashburnham wrote:

BoardinBob wrote:

Just converted to singlespeed at the weekend. See my pics on the previous page. I definitely think it's the lack of tension in the chain

Yep it is almost certainly. Guess you're on vertical dropouts then?

Yeah.

The chains not slack by any means but it's not mega tight either. I guess I need it somewhere in between

boy on bike

Just been looking at the On One website... am I reading that right that you can get the bits for a basic MTB to SS conversion for about 25 quid?? If so, my old MTB going-into-town hack is about to get a makeover...

BoardinBob

boy on bike wrote:

Just been looking at the On One website... am I reading that right that you can get the bits for a basic MTB to SS conversion for about 25 quid?? If so, my old MTB going-into-town hack is about to get a makeover...

Yip. That's exactly what I bought and did.

Removed the shifters, front and rear mech, cassette and cables.

I've got a triple ring crankset and I removed the granny ring. I could technically remove the middle ring but I'd need some longer bolts so I just left it in place.

Cog kit from On-One included 4 spacers and the 16T cog which fit over the freewheel. I arranged the spacers so the chainline is almost perfectly in line with the big ring on the crank.

Chain tensioner bolts on to the derailleur hanger.

spasypaddy

Thanks for all the tips people, i know half of the route very well its just the last section that i dont know. I am leaving my house an hour after what i would normally leave for my previous job. The distance is simple. Im sure it'll be fine if i allow 75minutes for 11.2miles. The journey shouldn't take more than 37minutes but again this depends on traffic/lights

itboffin

I'm going to try a little experiment, dropping my SS gearing to 69" and increase my RPM by 10.

Results to follow shortly.

Edit: Nasty nasty nasty and now i'm feeling sick, plus it was slower than normal due to the downhill spin outs, yuk!

spasypaddy

right day one done!

RIding fixed in central london is fine just dont try and sidle down the inside of traffic if its too narrow without completely unclipping! Got lost on my way in and my colleague rides the same way home most of the way so showed me an awesome route home, flatish, quick and only two roads almost all the way home!

oh and my brain tried to cash cheques only once that my body couldnt pay out on and that was on a massive downhill section.

When i go above 110rpm i get a bit bouncy, ive got this down to one of a few reasons:
1. My saddle isn't high enough (but i think it is)
2. Im not used to riding at such high rpm and need to work on my flexibility and spinning technique.
3. not sure of any other reasons...

itboffin

My trusty ebay single speed is on it last legs, even with recent new chain, freewheel & cranks it's look and sounding rough I think it might be time for a newer model, so far for this project I have a sweet set of carbon forks - can anyone recommend a good stiff frame.

cjcp

BoardinBob wrote:

Disaster this morning

Sprinting past a bus this morning and the chain suddenly fell off, feet shot off the pedals and the bools and dagger battered off the top tube! I was level with the front wheels of the bus when it happened but i just managed to stop my self going under them. I put the chain back on and took it east for the rest of the ride and it was fine.

Possible causes??

a) My heel hitting the chain and lifting it off the front ring?

or

b) Lateral movement as I was sprinting helped the chain jump off the front ring?

or

c) There's not enough tension in the chain and I need to remove another link?


I reckon it's C so I'll take another link out the chain tonight

How old is your chain and is it well lubed? Mine came off twice last night when/just after I'd changed gear and I have a feeling that it's because the links are a bit stiff, so when the travels round the chainring when I'm changing gear, it lifts off the chainring. I've decided that it's time for a new chain and cassette.