Any Singlespeeders?

smiley_boy2501

I've decided to jump on the band wagon and build / buy a sinnglepeed road bike for commuting. Couple of questions.
If i was to build one, what would i need to convert and where would i go to buy the parts?
If i was to buy one, any suggestions for around £300 mark (I would probably go used)?
Thanks in advance

Monty Dog

Try looking on the special interest forum. Most people ride fixed gear on the road rather than singlespeed i.e without freewheel.

For used bikes/kit try LFGSS

Heckler1974

I bought a 2010 Specialized Langster recently for £380 from Cyclestore which has a flip-flop hub (so fixed one side, single on the other).

Like most Specialized the 2011 models are significantly more expensive, the Langster has shot up to £500!

inseine

Try create bikes if you want new at that price, otherwise a specific fixed/singlespeed frame is hugely preferable to trying to convert a road frame.

pastasauce

This is nice and under your budget ...........

http://www.lfgss.com/thread54365.html

be quick tho !

vorsprung

I used to have a single speed bike I used for commuting

So how did I come across this?

It's simple. April 2007 I was riding around Cornwall on my old touring bike. I was doing an event of 300km. I was 50km in when the bike suddenly made some terrible noises. The rear derrailluer had killed itself and taken out a couple of spokes. The back gears were toast.

I didn't finish the event but I did convert the bike to single speed there and then to ride to Penzance

As it was an old bike it had forward facing "semi horizontal" dropouts. These are important with an impromptu single speed conversion. Normally with gears the chain is tensioned by a spring arm with jockey wheels. If you remove the gears then the chain has to be kept tight in some way. The usual way to do this with a single speed or fixed is to have dropouts where the axle can move a little, to a position where the chain is tight.

With an instant conversion like this all the spockets stay on the cassette where they are.
The chainrings at the front similarly just stay as they are

You just pick a chain ring and sprocket to make a suitable gear ratio. On that bike I ended up using 42x16 long term. The 30x19 I used initially in Cornwall was too little

Once you've picked a ratio, simply use your chain tool to shorten the chain and rejoin it
Then tighten up the chainby moving the axle in the dropouts, and ride!

Mark Alexander

Take a look at the Surly Steamroller and the on one Pompino which I have. very good retro bikes and have a good following on fgss.

smiley_boy2501

Cheers for all the responses

I'm relatively sure i want to go singlespeed rather than fixed, i'm a curb hopper and fixed just wouldn't be possible as my brain can't handle that many things (I still can't ride clip-ons). Fell free to tell me otherwise though.

pastasauce - beautiful bike, but I won't be there till I sell my current ride. Although that looks like the kind of thing I'd like.

Also can someone explain flip-flop hubs. And i know it's all personal, but what ratios should i be thinking of. I use 42 on the front and from a 9 speed cassette, the 3rd smallest. It's a FS with MTB tyres so that hinders progress somewhat. I'm thinking of buying 2 seperate bikes for the commuting/mud hence the price restriction.

mowflow

I'm currently selling a Fuji Track Classic that's in as new condition. I bought it about 4 months ago as an office bike. Intended for getting to and from meetings in the city and popping into the centre of town now and again. Due to a change of roll at work It's only been used a handful of times so is in near perfect condition. It came as a fixed gear but has a flip flop hub which I've fitted a freewheel to but have never used as I enjoyed being fixed. I've also put a WTB saddle and SRAM Apex front brake with dia camp dirty harry lever on it.

Pics of the bike can be seen here if you're interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8453354@N06/5099508712/

mrdsgs

a langster comes standard as 42x16, i changed to 44x16

flip-flop means there are cogs on both sides of the rear wheel, in the case of the langster, a 16T feewheel on one side (ie singlespeed) and a 16T fixed sporocket (no freewheeling, ie, !"fixed") on the oter side.

you take the wheel out and turn it round to swap between singlespeed and fixed.

mowflow

I wouldn't worry too much about what the standard ratio is on the bike as it's really easy and pretty cheap to change the rear sprocket for something bigger/smaller.

I bought a 19 tooth for the back of my Fuji for £9 because everyone was saying that the 48 front 15 rear was really heavy going. I don't actually find it that difficult and Glasgow has some serious hills and head winds.

smiley_boy2501

Aaaaahhhh.....things are coming into place now. One last question, whats the deal with brakes on flip-flops and single speeds?

I love discs, but how compatible are they?

Heckler1974

smiley_boy2501 wrote:

Aaaaahhhh.....things are coming into place now. One last question, whats the deal with brakes on flip-flops and single speeds?

I love discs, but how compatible are they?

The rear wheel is in a horizontal drop out so discs wouldn't neccessarily align with the calipers, I suppose you could fit one on a compatible front hub but standard callipers that brake on the rim will do to be honest.

You have the option when running the flip flop on fixed to skid the rear wheel to stop and thus do away with the rear brake, however that is for Hipsters with low slung jeans and no clue.

smiley_boy2501

Cheers. What a waste of a tyre though. I think rim brakes sound like the best idea.

Mark Alexander

You also need deep pockets for skidding as a brake