Charge plug racer... boring and hardwork

Got one of these as a replacements for my old stolen bike and It's just very average. My old one was a cheapish build from gumtree which went like the wind, this charge plug 'racer' is on what seems to be a really difficukt ratio. I had the back cog changed to an 18 which now makes the ratio 42:18 but its still like riding through treacle up even slight hills. And there is a very minimal amount of 'kick' to the bike, no matter how much you peddle it seems impossible to really pull away and the bike just slows to a halt within seconds. Will I have to change the sigano cranket which came with it to improve the aspects I am talking about?

regards, Harry

are your tyres pumped up to correct pressure, are your wheels in straight, are either of your brakes rubbing?

are you weak? (:

Your bike is broken.

"...slows to a halt within seconds"
You didn't go from free to fixed did you?

"...slows to a halt within seconds"
You didn't go from free to fixed did you?

please, please say you did...

Everything appears to be in perfect order. Maybe I just didn't realise how good my old bike was. Perhaps I have overhammed it, within seconds may be a bit ott BUT it still doesn't really pull away like I would like and like my old one used to. Is 42:18 a good ratio?

Its not fixed!

42:18 is not exactly heavy... many would say too light... seroiusly have you check your tyres with a decent pump, are they at least 100psi? if your old bike was a converted racer with a light wheelset then it may well have felt a lot nippier.

I have a classic Plug. Whilst it's not as swift as the likes of the Langster it's by no means as bad as you describe. I run 42:17 and don't have much issue other than spinning out at times.

I would check is chain tension, especially with that crappy half link chain they provide by default. Run it to tight and it really does make a difference. I would strongly suggest ditching the half link chain anyway. I've just got a KMC 510HX which for £6 works absolutely fine.

The Kenda tyres it comes with are OK, although I found they puncture like mad on the glass covered roads I'm forced to ride. Changing to 25mm Rubino improved things in both performance and puncture resistance. The Sugino Zen Messenger crankset is fine. Not great but certainly not bad. The wheels are a bit heavy, I upgraded to Open Pro on the rear and that was a noticeable improvement when trying to get a sprint on.

I find it an OK bike, it's not the fastest thing on the planet but it's dealt well with light trails and despite my somewhat ample proportions stayed true.

cheers guys I'll try and check it out, tyre's appear to be solid enough..

^ don't be hatin' in the half links now y'hear.

oh, and don't lean.

check the rear hub, if the bearings are okay and if the cups might be overly tight?

a colleague had to ride this bike for work for a while and said it was shit anyway

i guess that was a bit blunt. it's a pretty solid frame and will probably last if you don't get bored of it but i reckon the problem would be the frame itself, its straight gauge tubing and gonna be heavy

^ don't be hatin' in the half links now y'hear.

Why not? Using a single half link to get a conversion with the right tension is fine but more than one of them on your chain and it's all fail as far as I'm concerned. They offer no benefit and lots of drawbacks.

I use a plug racer as my day to day / commute bike and I've had no problems with it at all. Sure it's not the best bike ever, but for £299 (in a wiggle sale) it's a pretty solid, dependable bike that you can throw around. Done some 50 - 60 mile rides on it with no issues at all.

Think you've got bigger issues if it slows to a halt in seconds though, I find it fairly nimble.

I have a Plug Racer - now fitted with mudguards and use as my winter trainer. I've never changed the gearing on it from new (42:16) and find it fine for blasting around the lanes in hilly North Wales. I find it really exciting: especially when I come around a blind bend to find something agricultural in the way. The brake position is "challenging" if you've kept the retro track bars on and skidding on wet, leaf covered, usually muddy (or shitty) North Wales lanes isn't very effective.

I got one in the Wiggle sale too, put some better tyres on it and it's a fun ride, if a tad harsh for steel. Tried a few different ratios between about 68" and 75" and didn't find it particularly sluggish.

One thing I do find a bit daft with Charges is the fact that they have huge clearances for thick tyres but no mudguard eyelets or bottle bosses - i'd have thought the desire for clean lines would go hand in hand with tight clearances. Then again I know precisely fuck all about bicycle design.

Got a Fuji Track frame last week tho and instantly prefer it.

has anyone tried putting a crabon fork on one to lighten it up and lively up the ride?

I have a charge frame with easton crabon forks and it is twitchy but fun.

As for this thread, I think we can all agree that the op should htfu. 42x18 is spinny as fuck, although spinny is awesome and that is the ratio I ride.

All the fgss bikes charge do are pretty much the same anyway. just with different bars and colours

I assume if you lift the rear wheel off the ground and spin it, it stops fairly quickly? Plenty of advice above, chain tension would be my first thought - check if there are any tight spots when you turn the cranks as well. After that, check brakes aren't rubbing, hubs etc etc as suggested above.

I ridden a Plug Racer for about 3 years and have always had a blast on it, although I've changed a lot of the bits. If its being slow maybe you over tightened something. I still have the original gear ratio and if anything find it a little small and spinney, but great for dashing about town

Will I have to change the sigano cranket which came with it to improve the aspects I am talking about?

No.

If there's no obvious mechanical problem it's possibly just a case of HTFU etc.

This feels so Popcorny..

dunno what that means..if you mean novice type questions and problems then yes I am pretty new to riding single speed bikes. Thanks for all the feedback, also what is htfu?

have you tried spinning the rear wheel to see if it spins freely?

we need answers!

rear wheel spins fine, brake pads are not the problem. The chain appears to be v tight with not sag..