The Single Speed Thread - Show Us Your Bike

CamB · *by **CamB** on Thu 24/Mar/05 3:32pm*

Does this count

I want a singlespeed, but wife doesn't (I might have to sell the geared one).

james · *by **james** on Thu 24/Mar/05 3:36pm*

CamB wrote:Does this count

does it ever, nice ride.

pissface · *by **pissface** on Thu 24/Mar/05 3:38pm*

CamB wrote:Does this count

I want a singlespeed, but wife doesn't (I might have to sell the geared one).

are you wgtn based? bike looks familiar! (and sexy)

CamB · *by **CamB** on Thu 24/Mar/05 4:20pm*

Thanks guys. It was fun building it up and great to ride.

I'm up in Auckland (nearish the waterfront, which is good because that gear is hard on any form of serious hill - I'd be stuffed in Welly

)

OneTrackMind · *by **OneTrackMind** on Thu 24/Mar/05 4:41pm*

CamB wrote:Thanks guys. It was fun building it up and great to ride.

I'm up in Auckland (nearish the waterfront, which is good because that gear is hard on any form of serious hill - I'd be stuffed in Welly )

Nice ride. What is the make up your bike? I'm currently looking for a donor bike to make something very similar.

-Chris

PhilterNZ · *by **PhilterNZ** on Thu 24/Mar/05 5:34pm*

CamB wrote:Does this count

I want a singlespeed, but wife doesn't (I might have to sell the geared one).

G'day Cam.

That is one spanky looking bike.

I know exactly where you are coming from, I have been talking single speeds for a while now and my wife either didnt get the hints, which I seriously doubt, or didnt want the extra bike. Hence the conversion... As I didnt trash any parts converting it wont take too much tgo go back to a geared bike. Of course once converted I will never go back - un til my already failing knees collapse completely.

hitting Woodhill 9.00 AM Friday for the fiorst test ride.

CamB · *by **CamB** on Thu 24/Mar/05 5:38pm*

Yeah, I wanna get a steel frame and convert it to horizontals, so am better off selling my bike.

The fixie is a 1970 something (maybe '75) Holdsworth track frame which I stripped and had powdercoated ($95 I think), and a can't remember the brand 1" alloy steerer carbon fork (threadless), with Nitto bullhorn bars, Sugino 75 cranks (48T) and a Soma cyclocross lever (guess who went on holiday to San Francisco over Xmas

).

It's got some nice older Mavic track hubs and open pro rims. I run 16T at the back - any smaller and I'd spin it out downhill, any larger and I couldn't turn it at all...

It all got out of hand - I started off trying for $500 all up (bike in track form was $250 without wheels and I needed a fork drilled for a brake). Then I couldn't find a cheap second hand fork with a long enough steerer ... blah blah blah, spent lots more (double and I got some good deals)... It's pretty nice though, and the stealth no drivetrain noise/can't coast is pretty fun

Oh yeah, sorry for the roadie content.

OneTrackMind · *by **OneTrackMind** on Thu 24/Mar/05 7:07pm*

The fixie is a 1970 something (maybe '75) Holdsworth track frame which I stripped and had powdercoated ($95 I think), and a can't remember the brand 1" alloy steerer carbon fork (threadless), with Nitto bullhorn bars, Sugino 75 cranks (48T) and a Soma cyclocross lever (guess who went on holiday to San Francisco over Xmas

).

It's got some nice older Mavic track hubs and open pro rims. I run 16T at the back - any smaller and I'd spin it out downhill, any larger and I couldn't turn it at all...

It all got out of hand - I started off trying for $500 all up (bike in track form was $250 without wheels and I needed a fork drilled for a brake). Then I couldn't find a cheap second hand fork with a long enough steerer ... blah blah blah, spent lots more (double and I got some good deals)... It's pretty nice though, and the stealth no drivetrain noise/can't coast is pretty fun

Oh yeah, sorry for the roadie content.[/quote]

I too am starting off with a $500 budget, but each time I find a cheap donor bike on trademe I get outbid ... trademe is just getting too popular these days

I found a discussion on mtbr.com where many US mountain bikers were building up bikes like yours for winter/snow commuting, got the idea there to build one. Here's hoping I can find a donor soon and get started.

What sort of final build weight did you end up with?

Cheers,

pushbikerider · *by **pushbikerider** on Thu 24/Mar/05 10:16pm*

OneTrackMind wrote:I too am starting off with a $500 budget, but each time I find a cheap donor bike on trademe I get outbid ... trademe is just getting too popular these days

try like your local trade and exchange newspaper, other than that use your network of contacts, often ya can pick up some baragins that way, check out what vert built for like $600 mainly using Vorb I beleive to get s/hand parts from, if ya not to tall there is an azonic frame going cheap i think (possibly happy baboon?)

OneTrackMind · *by **OneTrackMind** on Thu 24/Mar/05 10:39pm*

cheers, after a road single speed/fixed though, wanting to build it round an early to mid eighties road bike. I did build a mtb ss for about $350 out of an old trek donor bike ... wil clean it up and post a picture on the weekend.

-Chris

IntenseFreerider · *by **IntenseFreerider** on Fri 25/Mar/05 12:05am*

Nothing like a solid singlespeed hardtail for DH and jumping, beautifully smooth when you don't have that assmonkey of a derailier bouncing away.

Don't know exactly the ratio i'm running just using the cassette right now running in 6th, hard enough to go too fast, easy enough to get out of tight corners, mint !!!

CamB · *by **CamB** on Fri 25/Mar/05 9:34am*

OneTrackMind wrote:What sort of final build weight did you end up with?

Cheers,

I haven't weighed it - about the same as my roadie, which is 8kg plus pedals.

Trademe is way too expensive for these things (people insist on paying about 2x too much for an 80s bike). You would be better making friends with an LBS who takes trade ins, trying trade and exchange, or the little used forum at www.cyclingnz.co.nz

What size are you after?

nibbler · *by **nibbler** on Fri 25/Mar/05 1:19pm*

[quote ] I"m not overly fond of singlespeeds...
But I do like the Ventana!!! Double Thumbs Up[/quote]

Me too! I got mine from a friend who lives down the road from the Ventana factory in California, even knows Sherwood Gibson (the guy who makes them).
Now I am a New Zealand importer for them can't wait to build up one of their nice fully rigs as a 'show bike' !

(Pretty good excuse for another bike really). Apparently the geometry on all of their frames is as nice as my el Toro SS, but I guess I'll have to find out for myself

PhilterNZ · *by **PhilterNZ** on Fri 25/Mar/05 2:14pm*

Well just took mine for its first forest ride. I removed a few links of chain as suggested and had no chain issues at all. Will leave the final adjustint ill after I get the tensioner.

The ride went well, definately going to have to learn to ride more smoothly and stop braking going into corners.

on a side note - Woodhill was the in the worst condition I have ever seen it, the rain last night has hammered the surface, a lot wheel biting holes, some nice ruts, washed out lines... made it all more interesting.