You are reading a single comment by @FatManOnAFixie and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@FatManOnAFixie
Well, I did a fave route which is 44 miles on it today and TBH I'm less knackered riding it than my go anywhere 15 gear bike. Odd. But happily odd.
Back to the build, After getting the brakes sort of working I set about getting the bike rideable. I wanted to build a SS bike after seeing how popular they'd become in Lundun. I commute via a small cc motorbike from NW Kent to Holborn everyday and notice so many SS bikes. I haven't ridden one since I swapped my Puch Mini Sprint for a clapped out Raleigh Chopper in about 1975 so wanted to see what itfelt like again.
The most obvious and cheapest way for me to use this...
Like this...
The chainline is OK (I think).
I've experimented with different cogs on that 5 sp freewheel using 11-14 mile local rides and found 48T up front and 18T at rear suits me nicely. I'm not light or even super fit but combo feels 'nice'.
The bike currently looks like this.
and
The bars are from the girly bike. They're too wide for me and I can't ride through those metal bike width restrictors thingys you see on cycle paths around Rainham so the bars are gonna go.
I've chopped and flopped the original 'drop' bars from the Dawes....
Just waiting for bar tape and levers to arrive to try them out.
18T single freewheel arrived today, gonna try replacing the 5sp freewheel soon. Had a good chat with a helpful fella at Island Gardens today re fettling and tweaking what I've done already.
A few pics to finish for now....
"Handbuilt in England" and brought back to life down my shed...
Awww... pretty detailing...
