Show me your single speeds!
- Thread starter Dr S
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Splatter Paint
Retrobike Rider
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90's Ninja
Retro Guru
The rear derailleur as a chain tensioner looks so clean
MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
rrrroberts
Dirt Disciple
Only the third 88 FM I've seen in this colour. and I looked for ages after buying mine. Also has the curved Project 2 fork (by Spinner). I reckon the super long head tubes make them ideal for drop bar conversions too
Wilou
Kona Fan
Hello,
Time to show the last singlespeed I built ! I wanted something light to ride on the road. I wanted an aluminium frame and I found a very interesting and probably unique one, a Raymond Clerc. It's a frame buillder from the town where I live (Lyon, in France). I think it's an hand made one and that's why I think it's unique. The story is a little shady and unknown but the most important is that this frame is marvelous. Aluminium, I said, but also chrome plated and braze welded. It's exactly the kind of frame I was searching and I was in heaven when I found it, at a - for me - good price ! 1,8 kg frame, fork, BB, headset and seatpost. And I love also that the brake cables can go in the horizontal tube !
I wanted a light bike but I didn't want to go carbon (and carbon isn't as durable nor eco-friendly so it's a no-go for me). One day if I'm rich, I'll build a titanium one, but for the moment, I stick to aluminium. So I also searched for light wheels. I found a set of Ksyrium Elite (sold together but not from the same year). Again, good price (and reduction from the seller). Total of 1,6 kg.
For the transmission, the heart of the bike, you can imagine I took a lot of time to think and find what would be best suited to my use. Where I live, it's not flat. I already have a single speed, an old 1989 Peugeot Sahara with a 32-17 teeth chainring/cog. Nice but if it's flat, speed isn't very high (I didn't built it for that, so that's no problem). I wanted something more peachy. As I said, I wanted something light but as the frame has vertical dropouts, I can use a chain tensioner, or go magic ratio. Magic ratio is cleaner, lighter, sturdier, less noisy, but I don't have much choice in the teeth I can choose.
The most reasonable was to use 42-teeth chainring, paired with a 13-teeth cog at the rear. To use it, I must have an half-link chain. And it gives me a 3.23 ratio. I love the idea of the half-link chain. Yes it's heavier, but it's also sturdier and gives me more control with the tension. Mine is not so heavy after all (326 grams). I bought a 52/42 Campagnolo chainring and a generic singlespeed kit for the rear.
For the tyres, I had some hesitations, but not so much. I already have GP 5000 and Pirelli P Zero on my Coppi (25 and 24), but I wanted something more resistant for the singlespeed. I decided to choose two GatorSkin (25), not as fast as the GP5000 but more durable. Weight is similar.
I didn't want a fancy saddle and I didn't want an anvil but I wanted something vintage-ish (and not necessarily new). I found a Selle Italia Mythos, ca. 200 g (depends on the metal used, mine is vanadium). Not particularly comfortable, it really depends who uses it. Either you love it, either you hate it. I'm fine with it, and I love its looks (It's like having a Concorde between the legs !
).
For the brakes, I wanted the same I already have on my Coppi, cheap, light : 1996 Campagnolo Veloce calipers (with new pads). 326 g. I also took a generic aluminium MTB handlebar (52 cm). The brake levers are the cantilever ones I had originally on my Peugeot Sahara. I bought new grey RaceFace Half Nelson Lock On grips (I have yellow ones on my Trek 4500 and I love the feeling of them). New pedals also (CrankBrothers Stamp1 small) and an used Giant bell.
The weight of the bike is more or less 8 kg. It's a real pleasure to ride it, even if I must carefully choose where I go, because I can't ride where it's too steep, given the ratio. The living example that shows that an old frankenbike is still able to offer loooooots of fun ! It's very explosive, lively. The bike and I are only one when I ride on it, not a single strange noise, very smooth.
On the aesthetics side, I had hesitations. I imagined some touches of colors (the spacers on the cog, the pedals, the grips, the saddle, the bolts). I took the decision when I bought the spacers for the rear wheel. The seller had different colors, but only the black was available. I decided to go with it and stick to a minimalistic looks. Hence the black pedals, the grey grips, the original bolts and so on. Good choice I think (it looks nice to me and that's what counts !
).
Some pics to please the eyes :
Time to show the last singlespeed I built ! I wanted something light to ride on the road. I wanted an aluminium frame and I found a very interesting and probably unique one, a Raymond Clerc. It's a frame buillder from the town where I live (Lyon, in France). I think it's an hand made one and that's why I think it's unique. The story is a little shady and unknown but the most important is that this frame is marvelous. Aluminium, I said, but also chrome plated and braze welded. It's exactly the kind of frame I was searching and I was in heaven when I found it, at a - for me - good price ! 1,8 kg frame, fork, BB, headset and seatpost. And I love also that the brake cables can go in the horizontal tube !
I wanted a light bike but I didn't want to go carbon (and carbon isn't as durable nor eco-friendly so it's a no-go for me). One day if I'm rich, I'll build a titanium one, but for the moment, I stick to aluminium. So I also searched for light wheels. I found a set of Ksyrium Elite (sold together but not from the same year). Again, good price (and reduction from the seller). Total of 1,6 kg.
For the transmission, the heart of the bike, you can imagine I took a lot of time to think and find what would be best suited to my use. Where I live, it's not flat. I already have a single speed, an old 1989 Peugeot Sahara with a 32-17 teeth chainring/cog. Nice but if it's flat, speed isn't very high (I didn't built it for that, so that's no problem). I wanted something more peachy. As I said, I wanted something light but as the frame has vertical dropouts, I can use a chain tensioner, or go magic ratio. Magic ratio is cleaner, lighter, sturdier, less noisy, but I don't have much choice in the teeth I can choose.
The most reasonable was to use 42-teeth chainring, paired with a 13-teeth cog at the rear. To use it, I must have an half-link chain. And it gives me a 3.23 ratio. I love the idea of the half-link chain. Yes it's heavier, but it's also sturdier and gives me more control with the tension. Mine is not so heavy after all (326 grams). I bought a 52/42 Campagnolo chainring and a generic singlespeed kit for the rear.
For the tyres, I had some hesitations, but not so much. I already have GP 5000 and Pirelli P Zero on my Coppi (25 and 24), but I wanted something more resistant for the singlespeed. I decided to choose two GatorSkin (25), not as fast as the GP5000 but more durable. Weight is similar.
I didn't want a fancy saddle and I didn't want an anvil but I wanted something vintage-ish (and not necessarily new). I found a Selle Italia Mythos, ca. 200 g (depends on the metal used, mine is vanadium). Not particularly comfortable, it really depends who uses it. Either you love it, either you hate it. I'm fine with it, and I love its looks (It's like having a Concorde between the legs !
).For the brakes, I wanted the same I already have on my Coppi, cheap, light : 1996 Campagnolo Veloce calipers (with new pads). 326 g. I also took a generic aluminium MTB handlebar (52 cm). The brake levers are the cantilever ones I had originally on my Peugeot Sahara. I bought new grey RaceFace Half Nelson Lock On grips (I have yellow ones on my Trek 4500 and I love the feeling of them). New pedals also (CrankBrothers Stamp1 small) and an used Giant bell.
The weight of the bike is more or less 8 kg. It's a real pleasure to ride it, even if I must carefully choose where I go, because I can't ride where it's too steep, given the ratio. The living example that shows that an old frankenbike is still able to offer loooooots of fun ! It's very explosive, lively. The bike and I are only one when I ride on it, not a single strange noise, very smooth.
On the aesthetics side, I had hesitations. I imagined some touches of colors (the spacers on the cog, the pedals, the grips, the saddle, the bolts). I took the decision when I bought the spacers for the rear wheel. The seller had different colors, but only the black was available. I decided to go with it and stick to a minimalistic looks. Hence the black pedals, the grey grips, the original bolts and so on. Good choice I think (it looks nice to me and that's what counts !
).Some pics to please the eyes :
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