Current Projects chat and miscellany

Err...didnt use a magic gear calculator. Just sort of worked out what felt right. Thanks.

Yeah, original P2s with 1inch steerer.

Was going to put slicks on it, but like the chunkiness of the tyres against the skinny steel tubing.

love the kona!

Cheers guys. Crazy thing about this Kona is that I got it off my old manager's brother inlaw when I was working in a bike shop. He bought a new bike and wanted rid of it and accepted an offering of a £10.12p (trade price) chain cleaner! Sweet as!

Will hopefully finish the ti fixie frame that I've got soon.

Thanks again.

Paintwork looking fucking good on that kona mate

accepted an offering of a £10.12p (trade price) chain cleaner!

£10.12 for chain cleaner!! You were done.

Kona the barbarian

the chain in that tensioneter is the in the wrong way, it should go over the top of the orange wheel, and not under.
the second bolt to fix the tensiometer has to push up, not down as it is doing now

the chain in that tensioneter is the in the wrong way, it should go over the top of the orange wheel, and not under.
the second bolt to fix the tensiometer has to push up, not down as it is doing now

Yeah Rik, I know. I've stuck this round for the time being until I get a better tensioner, but also if I have it around the other way I'll get chain flap and screw up the chain stays. Also saw another guy running the tensioner and seemed to work pretty good.

Cheers though.

24'' cruiser, just for fun :)

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Thanks Ed
I will look out for them at Earls Court.

BTW what are those lovely tyres on mike797 's Hercules ??
#35501

This is a bike my Dad bought second hand about 20-25years ago (before I was born) but never really rode. I dragged it out of the shed the other day and have spent a bit of money buying new tubes tyres and headset, took off the bent mech and shifter and shortened the chain for single speed and also put on some pedals off my brothers mountainbike as one of the originals was snapped.
It's the only road bike I've ever ridden but its seems OK, I plan on using it for just general stuff going between Uni and my halls in Greenwich. Hopefully it wont be too "nickable" although I have bought 2 pretty good locks for it anyway.
Wondered if anyone knows what it is. There are more pics in the album on my profile.

here it comes...

personnaly that is the cheapest and best way to convert a bike to a singlespeed, it still allows it to easily be changed back, and no puppies are killed.

@ stedlocks - lovely tourer -

@ crank works , nice SS - i've seen that frame as sun, roayl enfield, Raleigh, and BSA, i had a great treking fixie on one a bit back - watch the pump pegs catching legs / trousers though - i had to nip mine off as well as cable stops for brake cable. the frame has a 73mm BB which can be a pain to replace. one thing to watch for that SS conversion method is not to get chain line too far right (down the cogs to the smaller cogs) - i've had chains try to change up to the next biggest cog and with a fixed chain length somethings got to give - in my case the axle broke. keep chain tight and listen and feel for any snagging - if you let the chain become a little loose that small snag may turn into a shift up the cogs at the rear and with unpleasant results.

@ skully - the gear change is : get off bike and loosen rear QR, derail chain by hand while walking the bike back / forward always going down to smaller chain wheel or cog before going up on other side - then tension chain whilst centering the wheel (i have a wedge device in my head that might make that bit easier - i might build ) and lock QR again .only had one short shake down so far - i might find more art to it.

the old hanger bodge seen on pic above keeps both sides of the wheel in the dropouts while i'm walking it forward / backward pushing the chain sideways - without it you can walk the wheel out of the dropouts causing extra hassle to the gear change. i'd ideally envisage entirely closed loops at rear of bike (remove skewer and prise rear end open to get wheel out for puncture repair ) to keep wheel firmly in bike whilst changing gear. it might be easier to losen QR and bring wheel forward to loosen chain, then lock QR again - then do your walk forward & backward whilst pushing chain dance to change gear - then center and tension wheel before finally locking - this prevents the tyre rubbing up on the chain stay whilst changing the gear

all 3 cogs are welded together and spun rotafix onto a standard freewheel thread on old road hub (gipiemme sprint record clone in this case). the hub thread goes all the way through the 18t and 1/2 way through the 16t. (hence the welded cogs must line up - weld whilst threaded together on a BB cup )

and to stop chain derailing on the dropout side of the rear and getting chain sucked in whilst changing gear (plus to give some small extra lock to the cog cluster) i've put in the non drive side cup off a cartridge BB into the thread on the 12t and then halfway into the 16t cog - on the photo (the dark angled one up there ^ http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/31618d1286215930-sl377813.jpg ) it looks like there is a bit of thread sticking out from the hub - it's not - that's the BB cup . i cut it to fit, it's only half the width of a normal BB cup - but with more room and maybe using a full width steel BB cup it could potentially take a 4th cog or a BB lockring. spacing is 130mm oln - i cold set the frame out (i wouldn't normally bother) but it makes gear changes easier as otherwise the frame still slightly grips the alxe lock nuts even when QR is released

Right,

Mercian just got back to me saying it'll be about 260 for a re-furb (not including new forks ;( ) which I can't afford. Between the dent and the need for a new paint-job, I'm now wondering if it would be total sacriledge to just do a cheap but decent hammerite job on it myself and use it as my winter bike?

I can do you a reasonable paint job for a few squid?

My training wheels arrived for the new road bike last night :) Ambrosio Excellights on sapim spokes and DA hubs.

Not long now...

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...Ambrosio Excellights on sapim spokes and DA hubs....

If those are your training wheels, what are your nice pair going to be?

If those are your training wheels, what are your nice pair going to be?

haha, yes that a nice wheelset as is.

Yes, they're a better wheelset than I've ever owned. By training I mean everything other than racing. Derek at Wheelsmith.co.uk built them up for me, they're lovely.

He'll be building me some race wheels to: 50mm Gigantex Ultralights on CX ray spokes and Royce hubs. He he, I'm so excited.

Done. I'm officially Hipsterized.

Name the parts man! That looks fun!

Frame: Scott MTB converted (Surly track ends)
Forks/headset: Identiti Rebate Park/Cane Creek S6

Wheels: SunRingle MTX33 36hls/System EX/Sapim/ Continental Town&Country 26x1.9
Drivetrain: Sugino RD BB/Sugino RD 165mm cranks/SNAP chainring (42x18)/Condor cog/Les Amateurs straps/VP-565 pedals/KMC K-7B chain

Stem/bars/grips: Savage BMX/Felt/ODI
Seatpost/Saddle: Generic/IscaSelle Tornado

Loads of fun expected.
:D

*Thanks J and M for all the time and help.

looks fun

rat bike (frame courtesy Scorch)

Both of the above bikes look great!