help a newbie

[crankbuster]

My Grand dad rode a fixed gear bike before the war,he told me the bike was as suntour.I looked up suntour on the net and couldn't find much out,apart from they were german i think.
My late Grand dad was keen cyclist before the war and travel from Rotherham to Brownhills,to see family there on a regular basis.
Are the good old days open roads on your nazi bike.
Well i'd love to find out about this bike. ?

I,d love to build a fix gear racer and ride to Brownhills,some thing retro.?

Please educate me gears etc,the only fixed gear i have ever ridden was my grifter as a child,when the gear cable broke. ?

(I rode it so hard i broke the crank,that was the summer of 85(sound like a Brian Adams song)).

Thanks.

 

[palinurus]

I think they were Japanese as it goes. I'm not sure that bikes can be Nazis, still.

Think they also made bike parts rather than bikes.

But a fine idea to recreate this journey to Brownhills.

Your Grifter with the broken cable was a singlespeed- one gear ratio and a freewheel, with a fixed wheel you have a fixed gear ratio and you can't freewheel.

There are lots of fixed-gear and single speed bikes on sale these days.

I expect everything you need is here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html

 

[crankbuster]

No freewheel
That could be an experience,toe clips and a big hill.
legs like a fiddlers elbow.
Still want to try it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Suntour did indeed make components, and very good too. I have a few bits in the garage somewhere I'm sure. The Guru has the answers as always...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/suntour.html

Putting a fixed-wheel bicycle (not a fixed-gear) is fairly straight forward if you can find an old frame with sloping dropouts and a rear wheel with a screw-on block.
Fixed gear bikes are great fun and highly addictive. They've become almost too cool for they're own good these days, but many enthusiasts have been riding them forever. I built my first when a student in London about 1983.

 

[crankbuster]

I think saw on the net that shimano ,bought the name suntour.

 

[mickle]

I think saw on the net that shimano ,bought the name suntour.

No.

 

[simonali]

They're still alive. http://www.srsuntour-cycling.com