Single Speed, Fixed Cogs, whats it all about ?

[Deleted member 1258]

My first fixed was built on a locally made Pollard frame back in the late eighties. I had originally brought the frame and built up a 12 speed touring bike. But after I had had it for a few years and it was getting tatty and tired I brought another bike and then stripped down the Pollard and rebuilt it as a fixed. This I used for transport for several years until the thread in the bottom bracket shell expired and I stripped it down and gave the frame away. I did say in a previous thread that was my only fixed but I have since been looking at old photos and remembered that I built up two more, but quickly converted them to gears and did not ride fixed for many years, until last year when I brought my pearson. lovely piece of kit, brought it to use for transport but used it on a number of club rides last winter and have also used it for leisure rides as well. One the reasons I stopped riding fixed all those years ago was that getting fixed bits was very difficult round here, still is, but I now have the internet.

 

[hackbike 6]

I'm always very excited to see a fixed wheel on the road, and then so disappointed when it turns out to be yet another single speed.

Do you mean free wheel?

Im a bit confused by this statement.

The famous hackbike 6 at one time was a fixed wheel.
The cog got sheared one morning then I rode it a freewheel or single speed as BM says.

<------------Avatar is hackbike 6 pic.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Isn't singlespeed the one with the BMX style sprocket?

 

[hackbike 6]

http://bricklanebikes.co.uk/track

Found this,may give them a look after my holiday if i've got a few spare bob.

Im in love.

 

[jimboalee]

Here's a "Single speed" bike.

Its a Sachs 'Torpedo' BOY coaster hub. The one with a back-pedal-brake.

The gear length is 52", same as J.K. Starley's Rover Safety, Hmmm...
Discuss.

 

[jimboalee]

PS.
Bob's not spare. He's fully occupied with them damned Yankies.

 

[jimboalee]

PPS.

The Moulton Mini is an OK ride. Fitted with a gel seat cover and wearing gel shorts, I've done 50km in 4 hours.

 

[Moose]

Left dropout
Right dropout ( with hanger )

What is a ‘Rear fork’?

To quote Sheldon Brown

Fork end

A flat piece of solid metal, with a notch or slot to receive a wheel axle. There is one at the bottom of each fork blade, and another pair at the junction of the seat stays and chain stays. Lower quality fork ends are stamped from sheet metal; better ones are forged.Rear fork ends originally had the opening facing backwards, but in the 1930s, the "drop out" type fork end was introduced. With drop outs, the slot opens at the lower front, or, in the case of vertical drop outs, straight down. The advantage of this is that it makes for much easier wheel changes, since the chain does not need to be derailed before the wheel can "drop out" of the frame.
The old-fashioned rear-opening style fork ends are still seen on some single-speed bikes, mainly as a retro fashion statement. The revival of rear opening fork ends is an unfortunate fad, making the bikes that feature this design less versatile and less convenient than they would be if they used drop outs.

 

[jimboalee]

What you must remember is Mr Brown ( wonderful person he was GRHS ) is from the other side of the pond.
"England and America, are seperated by a common language."
When our sign says "Give way", theirs says "yeild". In our language, 'yeild' means 'the success rate of a process'.
In the good ole US of A, a trunk is a boot, a fender is a wing and a hood is a bonnet.

Arguing about the name of a bicycle frame component is absolutely nothing compared with the confusion that was when Jaguar engineers tried talking to Ford engineers. Now we are owned by the Indians, they understand what we are saying.

I have been to the good ole US of A many times, business and pleasure. My avatar is one of America's heros. Uncle Bob. Notice the last three letters of my name and the surname of the Confederate General in the avatar.

In Coventry ( home of J K Starley, wonderful person he was GRHS ) it is called a dropout.

 

[Moose]

I have better things to do so I'm off now to buy some drop-outs from Ceeway.

http://www.framebuilding.com/Frame Ends.htm

 

[jimboalee]

www.solihullcc.org.uk/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1332

Just in the knick of time....

Cheers Rob, ole teammate of mine.

 

[Moose]

 

[a_n_t]

i've gone moist

 

[Keith Oates]

That is one very nice looking machine, want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[a_n_t]

That is nice, what gearing is that?

no idea, it was on that brick lane bikes site.