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single spped bike

Came across an evans bike shop yesterday by chance, went in to have a nose around..not intending to buy anything.





saw a single speed bike...specialized langster monaco '09,.....i think i'm in love!!!!



and for only 450 pounds...def gonna get one in the new yr for work commute





anyone else feel the same?!!

Comments

  • ...but then you look at the Charge Plug Freestyle!
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    I have a Bianchi Pista, its' great fun, I've used it for some long flat-ish circuits (70kM), excellent kit to smooth your pedalling and improve your cycling
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    The mere thought terrifies me.
  • jboyjboy Posts: 40
    yes...i did some googleing on single speed bikes and saw the freestyler, but i think the charge plug looks better http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/images/prod_14934.jpg



    ....then i came across a trek district......mother of god...this turns me on..even more so with the thought of drop handles on it

    http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/district/district/





    ps i'm not a freak...i just seem to really like these bicycles
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    Build your own, get a cheap frame from fleabay, youll learn loads about basic bike mechanics too. Ive used a fixed wheel for commuting for the past 6 months and theyre great fun. I use a 44 front ring and a 15 rear cog so to give me a tougher time uphill, get one or build one youll not regret it!
  • NickNick Posts: 66
    i have one of these



    [image]local://1147/0167C72162DD4BE1A1338275F33A4B48.jpg[/image]
  • jboyjboy Posts: 40
    i've been lookingon google and ebay and am struggling to find a cheap frame as suggested earlier in the thread...think i'm gonna build from scratch and spend about 400pounds in total



    does anyone know of a good website?



  • OranjOranj Posts: 45
    You will have more luck buying a complete bike and stripping it down - plain frames sell for much more on eBay than whole bikes. I picked up an old Reynold's tubed Raleigh for £40 and stripped it down and fixed it. The equivalent frame would probably have cost me £100.
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    The probs you'll have when converting a "conventional" frame to a single speed or fixed wheel frame is the rear dropouts (the slots into which you rear wheel fits into). On a dedicated fixie/single speed/track frame they will be horizontal and on a normal road frame they will be vertical. You have vertical dropouts on your normal bike coz your rear derailier takes up the chain tension, but, on a fixie you dont have a derailier so you have to adjust the chain by moving the rear wheel back or forward.



    To get round this issue you can either get a jockey wheel tensioner that clamps to your chainstay (frame) but this looks shite!! You can cut and shut some horizontal dropouts to your frame (hubjub sell these) but if your frames ally it makes welding tricky (TIG welding for alluminium is a bit of an art). Or you can get yourself an White industries ENO eccentric hub, this is what I've got and its the DADDY!! Its not cheap but will last you for ever. This special hub is designed to conert vert dropout frames to fixies. I got mine from HUBJUB (check their website www.hubjub.co.uk ). The guy who runs the shop, Will, is an absolute star and will answer any questions you have.



    They will sort a wheel build for this hub built by Paul Hewitt (Top wheel builder). All in cost me about £160 for the built up wheel but as the frame cost me nowt I managed to build entire bike for £250 and its a blinder!! Good luck.......[;)]



    [image]local://1517/B9E8AB0A1967494691B9E66658597AE6.jpg[/image]
  • jboyjboy Posts: 40
    thanks for all the info...i'm looking forward to getting all the bits and pieces together.



    MG...if i just bought a fixed gear frame to begin with, i dont need to worry about the vertical/horizontal issues will i?



  • MGMG Posts: 470
    Thats right, but they generaly go for a few squid more, have a look on ebay. good luck!!
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
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