First time single speed

Bikerbaboon

I have been looking for a long time for a dirt cheap bike to make in to a single speed.... by dirt cheap i mean under £200. I have seen this as a full kit.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TQ:GB:1123.

the size is right for me. and the bike is for general transport to and form work ( 10 min each way) poping to the shops

what do you all think could i get a better bike for the price?

The only down side was i was looking forward to makeing my own bike but fettleing on this one will keep me going....

Apollo748

They're cheap rubbish which is fine if that's what you want.

Personally I'd save a bit more and get yourself 2nd hand Langster/Bowery or similar.

biondino

I don't know if anyone has *confirmed* that these bikes are rubbish, but you get what you pay for, so odds are pretty high. I'd advise against it.

Bikerbaboon

the reason that i dont want to spend more is incase it gets stolen i have a expencive MTB for my real riding, Im just worried thatthe frame will be a wobbley pile of rubbish and that the wheels will be out of tru every 5 min and that the breaks will need a weeks notice to stop me.

ride_whenever

TBH, the only weak area will be the wheel tension (easy for you to fix) the BB/cranks and freewheel strength. The hubs'll be fine for a while, and the frameis steel so should be fine, TBH for 150 it is worth a punt.

il_principe

Given the almost total lack of info re the provenance of the frame, wheels, BB etc etc I'd steer well clear of that.

By well clear I mean I wouldn't go within several light years of it.

symo

Just out of interest why does everyone hate on the langster in general. Is it because it's OTP? Looks like a good bike to me.

il_principe

symo wrote:

Just out of interest why does everyone hate on the langster in general. Is it because it's OTP? Looks like a good bike to me.

I dunno about other people, I just hate its geometry, and the ridiculous "City" special editions, especially the London one.

biondino

I don't hate it hate it, but I think it's not very pretty, it's common (me = snob) and it's ridden by a lot of hipster gimps and the like.

artaxerxes

If you are looking at under £200, why don't you pop down to your local Decathlon? At least you can get a feel for the bikes there and not rely on dodgy eprey photos

symo

OK, numbnuts questions again.

On a fixie, how do you corner without clattering the pedals down? Or are shorter cranks fitted? Or do they have higher BB's to compensate?

Greg T

symo wrote:

On a fixie, how do you corner without clattering the pedals down? Or are shorter cranks fitted? Or do they have higher BB's to compensate?

Purpose built fixed should have higher BBs.

I've not had trouble grounding cranks cornering but I am aware of the danger and don't lean the bike over that far.

In fairness you'd have to be mad leaning to ground your cranks (perhaps not so mad if you have big flat pedals)

wgwarburton

Shorter cranks & low-profile pedals help, so they are often preferred. Some dedicated frames may have a higher BB, but mostly it's a case of anticipating the problem and avoiding it. You get better at reading the road for adverse camber and changes in contour that might cause a pedal strike and you can also compensate a little by leaning the bike appropriately. Kerbs, bollards and other street furniture (like cars....) can be a PITA.
I've had it happen, it wasn't nice.

Cheers,
W.

el_presidente

I've never grounded a pedal but as Greg says you do find yourself cornering slightly slower and mor upright. It is only an issue on 90 degree corners at the bottom of hills and I don't see many of them on my commute. Not an issue in the real world.

Colzer1

i would be inclinde to try and buy an old steel framed Kona with a project 2 fork on it. they make excellent single speeds and can have the rear drop outs easily changed to horzitonal ones by a descent frame builder

Greg T

Colzer1 wrote:

can have the rear drop outs easily changed to horzitonal ones by a descent frame builder

I asked Pearsons if they could stick me some track ends on my old road bike.

They said no, no, no, no.

Who around London would?

GT

wgwarburton

My "winter hack" came with traditional flat pedals (and 165mm cranks, actually).

There's a right hand corner with adverse camber that I used to take on my commute (different route now), it's at the end of a longish shallow descent, so would typically be approached at about 25mph or so. Usually I would cut the corner slightly to reduce the radius and maintain speed.
One evening there was a fellow cyclist waiting to turn out of the junction, sitting at the apex where I would usually cut the bend. Rather than duck onto the wrong side of the road I opted to do the right thing and turn round him. Stupidly, however, I attempted this without slowing down enough.
As I reached the apex of the bend my right pedal grounded and all hell broke loose... The rear wheel lifted for a fraction of a second punting me upwards and then the bike slewed sideways on the pedal-end and carried on down, dumping me onto the tarmac and sliding off into the verge where it could sit quietly, nursing its wounds. I ground (and I use the word deliberately..:-( ) to a halt a few yards down the road, all too aware of what had happened and how stupid I had been, wishing that I could somehow blame the screwup on the poor innocent, who was busy enquiring if I "was OK?".
I ended up with a huge dent in my pride, some nasty grazes & bruises and a badly bent pedal (no loss, as I wouldn't be using them again anyway, after this!). I also shredded the handlebar tape, dinged up the brake levers and probably bent the bars a bit more, too.

This is what is often referred to as "experience", I think...

Cheers,
W.

PS FWIW, I wasn't wearing a helmet and didn't hit my head. In this specific incident one could only have made things worse, I think. I mention this only because it's common to claim their life-saving properties after such events and there seems to be a common perception that enough anecdotes add up to real data. So- here's another "data point", for anyone who applies this methodology :-)

biondino

I'm not sure "it could only have made things worse" is any more reliable than "omg it saved my life!1!!11"

wgwarburton

My point exactly.

Cheers,
W.

symo

OK, next numbnuts question.

On my ride home I have to descend a steep hill. I can easily reach a speed where on the big ring at the front and small sprocket at the back I can make no input at around 80 rpm on the pedals. How would I manage this on a fixie?

Greg T

You go with the flow and let your legs just go through the motions - if your cranks are spinning so fast it's making you wobbly use your brakes and slow down.

The lower the gearing the faster you spin downhill.

(That last comment was brought to you by the GT School of the Blindingly Obvious)

dal105

symo wrote:

OK, next numbnuts question.

On my ride home I have to descend a steep hill. I can easily reach a speed where on the big ring at the front and small sprocket at the back I can make no input at around 80 rpm on the pedals. How would I manage this on a fixie?

You soon get used to going downhill slower and uphill faster than you normally would on your geared bike

Just use the brakes (you are gonna have brakes, right?) if you're going too fast to be comfortable.

Bikerbaboon

I leave this topic for 1 night and i come back to a fixie question time......... right thats it who has my frigging bat and ball im off home.


p.s. if any one knows a cheap place for a pub/winter hack single speed can you send a message to me or just post it here. thanks.

cyclenutter

biondino wrote:

I don't hate it hate it, but I think it's not very pretty, it's common (me = snob) and it's ridden by a lot of hipster gimps and the like.

I like the fact he uses the description mentioning the word GIMPS lol

Bikerbaboon

ok ok bit more tinternet brousing and this turned up what do you think with brakes added? http://biddlebikes.co.uk/catalog/produc ... cts_id=276

biondino

How handy - we have a resident expert on that very bike! She'll be along soon I'm sure, but in the meantime - how strong are your calves and thighs exactly?

lost_in_thought

Bikerbaboon wrote:

ok ok bit more tinternet brousing and this turned up what do you think with brakes added? http://biddlebikes.co.uk/catalog/produc ... cts_id=276

Oh gollum... even with my shiny new bowery I still miss your ugly (I'm told) forks and ridiculous (I'm told) gearing...

I really liked this bike, I'm not really that good on knowing about the finer things in the world of bicycles, but it served me well for nearly a year before some little monkey stole it from my back garden.

On the subject of adding brakes, the one I got had a hole drilled in the front fork but due to the paint it was marginally too small for the bolts on brakes. I took it to the Evans in Fulham, where a bike mechanic with a brain (Tim) sorted it out for me for about £25 with a lever (bmx style) and a brake.

RIP gollum, RIP...

symo

On the same site they are offering the Fuji track bike for 282!!! Now I'm contemplating that with a set of brakes F+R!

wgwarburton

Hmm, another quote on it:

> Designed by the UK distributors of Fuji Bikes the Montana brings you the geometry and ride of the of the Fuji Track bike with an alloy frame and higher spec.

I find that hard to believe... I'd also challenge the assumption that an alloy frame is automatically better than steel!
I wonder what these weigh... With a cheap Al frame and CroMo forks, I'm guessing 12Kg plus...

I see EBC arn't listing their Revolution singlespeed anymore. Guess they sold 'em all....

Cheers,
W.

biondino

"Designed by distributors" doesn't fill me with confidence. Would you let a hospital porter take out your gall bladder?

symo

biondino wrote:

"Designed by distributors" doesn't fill me with confidence. Would you let a hospital porter take out your gall bladder?

No but I'd let him design a trolley he has to push.

The Fuji looks like a Bargain.