Currently looking at the kenda kwest or panaracer hp406 but looking for more options. Not sure how hard these temp Walmart knobbys are making it harder but I'm getting old, might switch out rear cog.
Now I have two! I picked up a Priority Ace so I could give my son my old one pictured. It’s a Raleigh that must weigh 30lbs but I still loved riding it. Welp my son has shorter legs and it was just too tall for him. I built him up something else so now the Raleigh is now my commuter and the Ace for more serious fun! I haven’t ridden a lot in some years but have in the past. I am already starting to wonder if I could do a century on it! I just added some fun redshift bars and gp5000s with TPE tubes.
Just following some mountain bikers to their playground...
Art In Bike Form
The bike is 30+ years old. It was stored in a shed for a long time. Now it’s used for leisurely bike rides. The only modern upgrades are the grips and inner tubes (the tires are original). Please note - only coaster brakes!! no levers on the handlebars!
Introducing Fredrick the Facebook Marketplace Special. He is my first venture into the road bike or single-speed world as a mountain biker. I recently moved to a new city and wanted to commute on a bike so after some Facebook marketplace scouring I came across this beautiful Lemond Zurich. Reynolds 853 chromoly steel frame with a carbon fork and seat post. The saddle was kind of jacked up so I also picked up a selle italia felite right away that needed a bit of TLC but is now perfect. I then sourced a cheap 16t single speed rear wheel from Facebook marketplace (39t up front), as well as a Paul components Melvin chain tensioner used off eBay. I put on some flat mountain bike pedals because that’s what I’m used to and they’re wayyy grippier than the crap that was on it. As the final touch I got rid of the hoods that came on it and replaced them with regular old MTB break levers. it originally had drop bars, but I immediately replaced them for these bullhorn bars that I flipped backwards and upside down. I love the way it looks and I like the position it puts me in better than the drops. Unfortunately the housing on the front brake is a little too short so it’s kind of taught, I’m gonna re run that soon (im never gonna fix it) overall this build has been under $400 total and took me about a month and a half to piece together and im SUPER happy with how it turned out. It rides smooth and quiet and doesn’t skip teeth. Im thinking of slapping a front derailleur on it and making it a two speed (climb gear and fast gear). But then I’d have to post it elsewhere haha. I think for my first venture into this world im absolutely loving it and im super super hyped for how it turned out. In the future I might upgrade to a nicer matching wheel set but for now he is functionally complete.j
Edit - thanks for the advice all! Sounds like I won’t come to an unfortunate end riding with the freewheel side and I will look into those suggestions for tools to tighten everything down as soon as a I can. :-)
Hello! I am diving into the world of single speed cycling and bought a State Bicycle Co 4130. I know some folks have ~ * feelings * ~ about the value of these bikes but I fell in love with the looks and hope they will help me fall in love with single speed.
I started assembly today and found the sticker in the second pic on the rear wheel. I have plenty of tools at my disposal except a chain whip wrench thingy. Going to a local bike shop for assembly is not really an option as there is a 6-8 week wait on any work at every shop I’ve visited (wanted to get a tune up on my other bike).
I really don’t want to wait that long to ride this thing. My current bike is a piece of junk from walmart so I’m eager to replace it. Which brings me to my questions:
Hey, I’m looking at buying this singlespeed/fixed gear bike from Kleinanzeigen and the seller claims it has a BLB London track frame, but I’m not convinced.
The bike has:
- H Plus Son wheels
- BLB hubs/crank/chainring
- Dia Compe BRS100 brakes
- Tektro brake levers
- Flatbar setup
The frame was powder coated because the original paint had some damage.
There’s also a logo/badge under the saddle area that looks kind of like a crest/emblem.
What confuses me is:
the frame text does NOT clearly look like “BLB London” to me
it almost reads like “Ballern” or something similar
the only obvious BLB logos are on the hubs and drivetrain parts
Does anyone recognize this frame or know if it’s actually a BLB frame or maybe just a generic track frame with BLB components?
Also: would 320€ be a fair price for this setup?
Thanks!
I picked this up for a steal from my local bike shop today, i cleaned it up a bit and got as far as i could for the day. I’m not really familiar with building a single speed, any tips on setup? Parts? Learning resources?
>My latest mad-scientist build - technically a single-speed, because you have to dismount and either move the chain around by hand or flip the wheel 'round to change gears. It's a 1973 Raleigh Gran Sport with a history and a bad repaint currently running 39/42T chainrings, a 16T fixed cog and a 17/19T White Industries Dos Eno freewheel. I hate how narrow the tops of those randonneurs feel when I'm riding, but then I look at the bike and they're just visually snoopy and swoony, so there we are. I think I love this one.
I had my Wabi Classic for a couple months now, and after doing regular cycling for over a year, I went on a 50 mile bike ride. It was an exhausting, but very fun ride all things considered, and I’d do it again when I have the time. Hopefully I can do a full on century ride with the Wabi one of these days
Just gave this a makeover after 24 years
It’s a retired 2012 core iirc. It rides like a goddamn dream. The wheels used to be red but have faded to this, frankly, nicer, orange. I replaced the stock seat and the awful grips the previous owner had on it. Bonus that today was gorgeous for a ride.
I’m torn- I feel a bit of judgment from the other cyclists in NYC when they realize she isn’t fixed since she IS a track bike. There’s just something slightly terrifying about zipping around Manhattan clipped into a machine with no brakes. 🥴
Here is my Batavus 60cm single speed.
It was originally all Shimano 105, so I've retained the 105 cups.
Powdercoated in satin red brick colour.
The frame is 531 steel, forks are 653.
The complete weight is 9.4kg.