Joining the 'single speed project' gang

[SimonJKH]

To add another string to my cycling repertoire bow, and thanks to exhortations from Andrew Culture as to the fitness benefits of pushing that one gear up any incline, I'm going to get myself some single speed action.
I'm starting with this:-

I got it for £cheap off the Bay as a back-up commuter. Mainly so I could still get to work if the Triban suffered a major mechanical, and partly to have something with mudguards. It rides quite nicely, but needs a bit of work here and there, so I thought I'd convert it to single speed at the same time for added excitement! Order of business is:-
1) Convert to single speed

2) Convert to 700c wheels

3) Convert to calliper brakes

4) Fit a longer stem (just a comfort thing)

5) Change bar tape and saddle (just cosmetic stuff)

I'll take my time with this conversion. I plan to finance it all with ebay sales, so getting the new bits will depend on how sales go. But mostly I'm looking for advice. Please anyone with any suggestions, don't hold back. I'm all ears!

 

[lip03]

many try and give up, but all the bits you want to do seem relatively simple and doable on a budget. 700c wheelset might be something that will cost you a little more but times on your hands I suppose. buying a set of single speed wheels will help in the quest to ss the bike and convert the wheels at the same time, making your crank set single should be simple enough as it dosent look like the old cotter pin type. there will be plenty more people on here that will help technically.

 

[lip03]

biggs682 is a nice guy and helped me with a few bits in the past

 

[mcshroom]

Looking at the bike. If the inner ring is a 42 then you may be fine just using that as a singlespeed crank. Also if the wheels are fine (and preferably alloy rimmed) then I wouldn't get rid of them straight away. A little tweaking with a spoke-key and a new screw on freewheel would be all you need to turn it into a singlespeed if thats the case.

As for brakes, not sure what they are, but if you stay at 27" then modern cantis such as Tektro A520s should fit on those mounts.

If you do go for 700c wheels, then you will need long drop caliper brakes to cover the new distance between brake bridge and the rim.

 

[SimonJKH]

If you do go for 700c wheels, then you will need long drop caliper brakes to cover the new distance between brake bridge and the rim.

Thats certainly a good tip, thanks!

 

[raleighnut]

Looks to me like someone spent a lot of money on it as this frame would not have brake bosses on given its age , Sun was bought out by Raleigh/Carlton and Worksop was closed in the mid 80s.These brakes were probably fitted by a touring cyclist who found the centerpulls not up to the job when heavily loaded. Why not try to sell this to a classic touring fan and build a fixie from scratch as unless you grind off those bosses its going to look very odd. I'd buy it myself but I already have something similar and can't justify going up to 11 bikes. Try posting this one in the classic section of cyclechat and see if anyone will make an offer

 

[3narf]

if the wheels are fine (and preferably alloy rimmed) then I wouldn't get rid of them straight away. A little tweaking with a spoke-key and a new screw on freewheel would be all you need to turn it into a singlespeed if thats the case.

That's what I did, although mine did come with 700c wheels. When the rear just wouldn't stay true any more I bought a set of the Magnum SS wheels off ebay for £60.

They've been good so far, I've only had the rear trued once in 4300 miles. The front hasn't been touched.

 

[SimonJKH]

Can't see any Magnum wheels on the bay at the moment, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. They sound ideal.

 

[3narf]

Can't see any Magnum wheels on the bay at the moment, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. They sound ideal.

I think they're Raleigh Special Products, it could be worth searching for that or just single speed wheels.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

The Bicycle Doctor is a goldmine for odd bits and bobs. He sorted some long-reach brakes for a tenner for me!

That front chainring looks like it should be fine for conversion using singlespeed bolts, these are the ones I use.

I'd recommend changing to 700c wheels as they are easier to find and the tyres are a lot easier to find cheaply. If you get a pair of wheels with a freehub then converting to singlespeed becomes silly-easy.

Personally I'd recommend getting some better wheels for your Triban then using your Triban wheels on your singlespeed, that's what I'm doing for a friend in London at the moment.

 

[philtalksbx]

A lot comes down to budget, parts availability and persistence. On a similar base I put a 16t bmx freewheel on the 27in wheels and a stronglight 48t crank. The crank was inexpensive and the chain line was pretty good. It rode well for almost a year but then I started....

Eventually it evolved with a 700 flip/flop wheelset from PlanetX for about £100 and Tektro R559 long drop brakes for £35. The difference is huge - the wheels are solid and smooth and with 25mm Marathon Plus tyres are great for commuting. And as for the confidence in the brakes? Great, although I did go on to fit straight bars and suitable (bmx again) levers as I prefer the more upright position when I'm in traffic.

All down to preference but the wheels and brakes are what did it for me.

 

[SimonJKH]

I'd recommend changing to 700c wheels as they are easier to find and the tyres are a lot easier to find cheaply. If you get a pair of wheels with a free hub then converting to singlespeed becomes silly-easy.

That's a big part of my thinking. It makes life just a little easier if I can just keep popping the same spare tube into my pocket each ride instead of trying to remember which one I need.

 

[SimonJKH]

Tektro R559 long drop brakes for £35.

That's another one for the ebay watch list. Cheers!

 

[mcshroom]

That's a big part of my thinking. It makes life just a little easier if I can just keep popping the same spare tube into my pocket each ride instead of trying to remember which one I need.

700c tubes fit 27" wheels though

I have some kenda tubes from Wilkos which are marked up for either 27"x 1 1/4" or 700x28c

 

[SimonJKH]

Really?

Yeah, but still....