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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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 Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:31 pm Subject: |
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IMO singlespeed has (almost [*]) all the disadvantages of fixed, and none of the compensatory fun. I don't understand it.
Howard will be along in a minute to disagree offer an alternative opinion
[*] "almost" here being that at least you can freewheel down hills on a singlespeed |
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Howard
Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 336
Location: W2 now init.
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:46 pm Subject: |
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Hah no Dan's right, my SS just happens to be a road bike that isn't my Cannondale. SS isn't actually any more fun than geared, except I suppose from the warm glow you get inside from knowing that when it gets soaked with salty gritty water in the winter you are wrecking a slightly cheaper drive train.
Anyway I'm too spoiled by freewheels and freehubs now - If I go fixed I think I'd be a danger to myself and others - but If you think you will go fixed at some point, start off with it fixed.
If I was building a cheap fixed wheelset I'd go for an On-One double fixed (they do a 135mm) and Rigida Sputnik rims (because the forum told me to). CycleBasket do cheap spokes. But honestly anything vaguely modern will be fine. |
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JoshL
Joined: 16 Sep 2006
Posts: 23
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:07 pm Subject: |
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Eugene, are you sure that it is 135mm spacing, that would be pretty unusual for a road bike with any less then 8 gears on the back.
I have been considering stashing my wheel building stuff in the office, so if you want to go that route, you could use it (lunchtime wheel building sessions)!
-- Josh |
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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:17 pm Subject: |
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To expand on that, spacing should be measured between the inside plates of the rear dropouts and is usually 120mm (old bikes), 130mm (modern road bikes), or 135mm (MTBs)
But that didn't stop my 1993 Orbit road bike from having approx 138mm spacing. I have no idea why that was, but I owned it from new (until it was nicked) so fairly certain it wasn't bent or crashed. |
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Eugene
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:30 pm Subject: |
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I did get a friend to measure as well - and its exactly 135mm.
It's only 15mm though - surely it can be bent in to shape given it's a steel frame?
And Josh - that sounds fun! Do you have somewhere to store it? |
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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:57 pm Subject: |
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| Yes, you could bend it (this is technically known as "cold setting" it). But adding spacers or getting the axle length right in the first place is probably a better idea because that way you know the fork ends will be parallel with each other |
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roger
Joined: 26 Feb 2004
Posts: 531
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:00 pm Subject: |
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| dan_b wrote: |
But that didn't stop my 1993 Orbit road bike from having approx 138mm spacing. I have no idea why that was, but I owned it from new (until it was nicked) so fairly certain it wasn't bent or crashed. |
Having also owned an Orbit I would guess that it was down a total lack of quality control when the bike was built. |
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Howard
Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 336
Location: W2 now init.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:15 pm Subject: |
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| Lan's Surly is spaced at 132, idea being you can run mtb or road hubs. I think that's kind of neat. |
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Howard
Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 336
Location: W2 now init.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:27 pm Subject: |
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| Eugene wrote: |
What are the differences between all these crazy Mavic hubs/rims etc that you guys keep talking about? Is it just the material/weight; surely they all perform the same function?
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The SRAM hubs I was referring to are mtb hubs with a standard disc mount. I could have gone for shimano deore hubs - they are certainly cheaper - but I like the idea of the x9's cartridge bearings. That and the cross bike they are going on is going to be mostly SRAM and I think they are pretty.
Rims. There are different profiles, strengths etc. Something that can be said about the mavics is that they are pretty true out of the box so building the wheel up shoukd be easier. |
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peterc
Joined: 10 Mar 2004
Posts: 1284
Location: M3 somewhere
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:08 pm Subject: |
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| Eugene wrote: |
Peter - relating to your last post, I'm guessing not. What's the benefit of keeping the existing rear hub if it's a freewheel - is it just one of cost? |
Cost, and just needing less new stuff...
And while wheel building is fun (if you like that sort of thing) the "bits" if you are buying all of them new, are not cheap as a rule, so unless you want to. |
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Eugene
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 12:24 am Subject: |
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OK, I picked up a pair of Weinmann DP18s + Gatorskin tyres of eBay today for £99... hopefully that's not completely crap!
That's the big spend out of the way - now just to figure out whether a new crank set is needed and what size bottom bracket to get to sort out the chainline!
Also talking to Josh, I might buy a single speed freewheel for the DP18 rear wheel because I'm not certain I want to ride fixie in London just yet... |
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Howard
Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 336
Location: W2 now init.
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| Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:40 pm Subject: |
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You said 'fixie'.
This thread is now dead to me. |
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Eugene
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:16 pm Subject: |
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Update on the conversion.
I've stripped most of the bike apart and wanted to completely get everything off to repaint it (it's been spraypainted in a very careless manner). But the headset/seatpost refuse to come out after several hour of twisting, hammering, pulling and a bit of blowtorch action. Given this, I might just leave it all as it is, as the seat post is about the right height for me anyway.
Weinmanns have arrived with an 18T fixed wheel. I just need to buy a freewheel (for single speed).
Going for a ratio of 48-18, I've got hold of a 48T chain wheel from another old bike but without the crank on the opposite side. Which means I probably need to buy a new crankset (I think the chain wheel I've got is a 110 BCD one).
What's an acceptable price to pay for a new/used crankset, and/or does anyone have a suitable crankset lying around somewhere? |
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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:21 pm Subject: |
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| St John St cycles sell left-hand cranks without the other side, if you don't mind them not matching visually |
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