Jem
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Post by Jem on Sept 18, 2014 15:18:23 GMT
If you saw my single speed thread, you'll know I sought advice on converting my sons Aerospace Pro to a single speed freewheel. Job now done, here it is. Just took it on a spin to check chain tension and see how it feels. The result is it in .... feels great. The 16 teeth at the back seems just about right. Wouldn't really be good around these parts, but for london I guess it will be ideal. Easily reversible conversion though , so not much to worry about even if he moves to the Peak District after college. I must say that I have never ridden or even picked up a bike that is lighter in weight. It is ridiculously light. And I still have the gear leavers to remove!! And if we can find a good looking single chainring with 44teeth (and tackle that bb) then it will be the lighter still.(but not in a rush to do that job, as the last time I huffed and puffed for days and finally whacked the spindle with hammer and 35 years worth of dirt sprayed everywhere at great speed and scared the life out of me) And that was just the removal. Here's a few pics I just took this minute  Camera Roll-666 by Sooper 8, on Flickr  Camera Roll-667 by Sooper 8, on Flickr  Camera Roll-665 by Sooper 8, on Flickr |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Sept 18, 2014 17:43:13 GMT
Update - just been down the chip shop on this.
I have found the lack of chain noise to be strangely unsettling to begin with, but would probably get used to it.
I had a couple of canal bridges to climb up and over and they were steep but short. When you hit a slope like that at speed they are no problem.
The biggest issue I had was a long slow up hill on the way back was hard work on the inner thighs. It was more hard work than the same ratio of teeth (16/42) would be with a rear deraillieur. What kind of tension do others here have on their chain? Any rules of thumb I can use?
But what a joy just to ride and not think much about gears. I am going to do one of my projects like this I think, even though we have a few hills that would mean I would be walking up them.
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Post by velocipete on Sept 18, 2014 19:25:18 GMT
Jem,I'll check my small stock of chain rings in the morning to see if I've got something suitable.
More weight to come off if you Loctite a fixed sprokit on,remove back brake,etc.Looking good,hills
harder on the return 'cos of weight of chips!
Cheers,
Pete.
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Post by cusqueno on Sept 19, 2014 13:01:06 GMT
Jem,I'll check my small stock of chain rings in the morning to see if I've got something suitable. More weight to come off if you Loctite a fixed sprokit on,remove back brake,etc.Looking good,hills harder on the return 'cos of weight of chips! Cheers, Pete. To be mega-cool, you need to have a fixie, as Pete suggests (didn't have you down as a trendy hipster, Pete). But there are conflicting views about whether or not riding fixed is good for the knees. See this article from the Hackney Citizen and, on the other hand, this one from the Sheldon Brown web site (not by SB himself) The other health hazard is catching your fingers between the chain and the cogs or chain wheel while cleaning it on a stand. There used to be a collection of pictures of fingers severed in this way on the Internet, but I can only find this now, from bikeforums. There's only a couple of pictures, but they are not for the sqeamish. |
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Post by velocipete on Sept 19, 2014 20:40:45 GMT
John,during an impoverished rebuild of a hand me down Raleigh I got for passing the 11+, I discovered that many goodies were out of my financial reach.
Rear brake and cable,lever for same,gears etc.Only way to get mobile,fixed wheel. I rode that bike 5 miles each way to school,went home for lunch,so
20 miles a day,5 days a week, for 5 years.You learn a lot about keeping things going on a shoe string when you have to!
For 6th form I graduated to a Vespa,another hand me down,which I could afford to run as was doing a milk round 7 days a week. Pocket money,yes I gave my
mum,30 bob a week!
Hardly a "hipster" life style I must confess,but we only had beatniks,mods and rockers in those days. Just trending to grumpy old git these days.
At least Jem is keeping all the original parts so the bike can be returned to normal in the fullness of time,not like some of the other fixie modifiers.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Sept 20, 2014 5:54:59 GMT
You were the original hipster then Pete!
While the unsigned Beatles played grubby Hamburg clubs and stayed in even grubbier digs, Jack Karouac bummed across the States and a young Bob Dylan would sing for a dime, you were doing the bohemian thing too for bike hipsters that have only just caught on. Respect !
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Post by velocipete on Sept 20, 2014 6:51:45 GMT
Non required.When I were a lad,it was still a very make do and mend society,virtually nothing was thrown away if there was the slightest chance of fixing it.
I think it would do the designers of today's products the power of good to be made to live in a similar way for a while.We may then see less built in non-serviceability.Never mind designing things to be recycled,let's keep them in use for the original purpose for as long as possible.
I used to scour the beach on a Sunday morning to rescue bikes that had been thrown into the River on Saturday night after the pubs had shut.Got many useful bits that way,after reporting the find and waiting 6 weeks of course!Built my first off- roader from parts so obtained.Unknown frame,26 x 1 3/8tyres,fixed wheel (low geared),and wide handle bars.Some lads had managed to get hold of girder suspension front forks intended for motorised bikes,popular in the early '50s,and fitted them.We spent many a happy hour bombing around the trails through the sand dunes.I think Gary Fisher must have heard about us!
Sorry if I've done my usual and strayed off topic,but it does sort of follow on.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Post by velocipete on Sept 21, 2014 9:52:09 GMT
Jem,I'll check my small stock of chain rings in the morning to see if I've got something suitable. More weight to come off if you Loctite a fixed sprokit on,remove back brake,etc.Looking good,hills harder on the return 'cos of weight of chips! Cheers, Pete. Jem,checked my suitable chain rings.I've got Stronglight 49d,50,48,and 46 teeth.These will fit your son's crank. Fit on either the inner or outer sideto adjust chainline. Your welcome to one of them.Probably the 46 would be your best bet.I seem to recall 46/16 being the ratio of choice for fit younguns,those were the days! Let me know and I'll get it in the post. Cheers, Pete. |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Sept 21, 2014 19:17:19 GMT
Hi Pete,
Thanks for checking. Yes, I guess the 46.
I think the words 'gift horse' and 'mouth' might be uttered across the country at my next question....any chance you could me me a pic of it? My son is bigger on the 'look' than other practical considerations, and if it didn't 'look right' he'd be put off.
No rush , as I just took the bike down and he's not back till Christmas - and I don't plan on going down before then. So realistically it would be Jan before I could fit it even if he wants it.
Cheers
Jem
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Post by velocipete on Sept 21, 2014 20:55:57 GMT
Jem,it looks more or less the same as the outer ring he has fitted now.Typical Stonglight 49d.
I'll take some photos and load them onto my flickr account tomorrow.Watch that space.
Cheers,
Pete.
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whippet
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Post by whippet on Sept 26, 2014 21:23:18 GMT
Like the handlebars Jem. Is it a fixie? Thought about one of those flip / flop hubs to help with the hills?
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