Single-speed project bike

BeardyGit

Hey all,

I buy and sell bikes all the time - It's a hobby for me, usually costing me a little if I'm honest in balancing what I spend and what I'll sell a bike on for, once I'm ready to part with it. In this particular case however, half the challenge for me is to build something useable and safe, for a pretty minimal investment. I also want something that will meet my personal demand for quality in componentry and something that echoes one of my many memories of the many, many bikes I wanted when I was a kid, but obviously couldn't own.

I've also been screwing around with the idea of building a fixie for a long time now but keep coming back to the fact that I really wouldn't feel comfortable using it in the city, for safety reasons. I know couriers and the hard core amongst you might think that a null worry, but when it comes to comfort levels, it's personal preference above all else for me. So, the only logical thing to do was look at building a single-speed bike to give me a somewhat comparable level of simplicity, but the added comfort of a freewheel.....

Mix it all up, and I end up with a second-hand (duh) Peugeot 5 speed racer, 54cm c-t frame, early 80's vintage, with a Sachs-Huret mech, long reach Weinmann touring brakes and nasty assed chromed steel rims, crooked as old CJ Haughey. BUT, cheap and cheerful steel frame (important....more later) with a good bottom bracket, clean cottered cranks, great quality headset etc. A bargain for €50.

From then on, I've been assembling the bits and pieces I need to put it together - So far I've spent the following:

Bars - €20
Bar Tape - €10
Quill adapter - €10
Stem €10
Cables €10
Saddle €20
Mudguards - €25
R600 Aero brake levers - €30

So, that's €135 for the parts I bought, plus the €50 for the Pug. All the other parts I already had or were on the donor bike. Oh, I guess I should add in say €100 for the wheels I took from my Saracen roadbike (Miche hubs, Rigida aero rims, DT spokes)....Giving an all in cost to date of €285

I'm putting the 'selectable' single-speed drivetrain together using cassette spacers and a 15t and 17t rear double, one space apart. That will let me select a 17t if I'm knackered, of hitting a headwind, and run on the 15 the rest of the time. The dropouts are long enough to allow the chain take up the slack.

Anyway - here's what it was looking like last night, minus chain and the rear cog setup, but it'll give you an idea. I'll run it like that for a while to make sure I'm happy with how it's set up before stripping it. At that time, I'll lower the mount bar for the rear brake, and braze an extension onto the fork lower to allow me replace the super long reach weinmanns with something nicer like a set of Tiagra calipers.

I know, it's looking expensive enough right now - I didn't really need the new bars, brake levers or saddle to be honest which would have kept the price down a bit, but I'm keen to make sure everything on it is decent quality kit when I'm finished.

I've attached a photo - Have a look and I'd welcome any feedback or suggestions on colours and how to single/double-speed the back wheel. Does my idea sound feasible as long as the chainline is pretty straight?

Cheers,

Gil

Mucco

Gil_Dub wrote:

I'm putting the 'selectable' single-speed drivetrain together using cassette spacers and a 15t and 17t rear double, one space apart. That will let me select a 17t if I'm knackered, of hitting a headwind, and run on the 15 the rest of the time.

That's definitely cheating in my book. I take it you'll carry a spanner to slacken/tighten the chain when changing gear? Probably less hassle to just power through the wind :-)

You should give a fixie a go, good fun, not as dangerous as you think, and excellent feedback means you can throw it around a bit more.

Itsfixed

Yeah, even if you were considering it, i'd give a fixie a go. I have a converted peugeot bike a lot like your own (but a fixie of course), but I've decided to plump for a special offer on-one il pompino frame for STG£99!! (plus £25 for fork) Price is usually £225. I have a pompino already but this is such a bargain this will be my getting around town bike. The old pomp lives in Celbridge, where it leaves me to the heuston -bound train every morning.

I will transfer most of the parts from the pug and some other bits lying around to make a very cheap but very good fixie.

www.on-one.co.uk, the 99 sale is finished now but if you email brant they might still sell you one.

So if anyone wants a half decent peugeot bike 57-8cm, with a singlespeed or the orignal 10 speed gears, new fork (with V brake) and aheadset, excellent working order, PM me.

Ghost Rider

I don't know jack **** but that looks great. I love the paint job on those old Peugeot frames.

Have you read the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig? If not, take a look. I think you'll appreciate it.

Gil_Dub wrote:

Hey all,

I buy and sell bikes all the time - It's a hobby for me, usually costing me a little if I'm honest in balancing what I spend and what I'll sell a bike on for, once I'm ready to part with it. In this particular case however, half the challenge for me is to build something useable and safe, for a pretty minimal investment. I also want something that will meet my personal demand for quality in componentry and something that echoes one of my many memories of the many, many bikes I wanted when I was a kid, but obviously couldn't own.

I've also been screwing around with the idea of building a fixie for a long time now but keep coming back to the fact that I really wouldn't feel comfortable using it in the city, for safety reasons. I know couriers and the hard core amongst you might think that a null worry, but when it comes to comfort levels, it's personal preference above all else for me. So, the only logical thing to do was look at building a single-speed bike to give me a somewhat comparable level of simplicity, but the added comfort of a freewheel.....

Mix it all up, and I end up with a second-hand (duh) Peugeot 5 speed racer, 54cm c-t frame, early 80's vintage, with a Sachs-Huret mech, long reach Weinmann touring brakes and nasty assed chromed steel rims, crooked as old CJ Haughey. BUT, cheap and cheerful steel frame (important....more later) with a good bottom bracket, clean cottered cranks, great quality headset etc. A bargain for €50.

From then on, I've been assembling the bits and pieces I need to put it together - So far I've spent the following:

Bars - €20
Bar Tape - €10
Quill adapter - €10
Stem €10
Cables €10
Saddle €20
Mudguards - €25
R600 Aero brake levers - €30

So, that's €135 for the parts I bought, plus the €50 for the Pug. All the other parts I already had or were on the donor bike. Oh, I guess I should add in say €100 for the wheels I took from my Saracen roadbike (Miche hubs, Rigida aero rims, DT spokes)....Giving an all in cost to date of €285

I'm putting the 'selectable' single-speed drivetrain together using cassette spacers and a 15t and 17t rear double, one space apart. That will let me select a 17t if I'm knackered, of hitting a headwind, and run on the 15 the rest of the time. The dropouts are long enough to allow the chain take up the slack.

Anyway - here's what it was looking like last night, minus chain and the rear cog setup, but it'll give you an idea. I'll run it like that for a while to make sure I'm happy with how it's set up before stripping it. At that time, I'll lower the mount bar for the rear brake, and braze an extension onto the fork lower to allow me replace the super long reach weinmanns with something nicer like a set of Tiagra calipers.

I know, it's looking expensive enough right now - I didn't really need the new bars, brake levers or saddle to be honest which would have kept the price down a bit, but I'm keen to make sure everything on it is decent quality kit when I'm finished.

I've attached a photo - Have a look and I'd welcome any feedback or suggestions on colours and how to single/double-speed the back wheel. Does my idea sound feasible as long as the chainline is pretty straight?

Cheers,

Gil

Mucco

Ghost Rider wrote:

Have you read the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig? If not, take a look. I think you'll appreciate it.

Surely 'Zinn and the art of mountain bike maintenance' by Leonard Zinn is more appropriate?

Ghost Rider

Heh! Never heard of that one. I take it it's an actual maintenance manual...?

Mucco wrote:

Surely 'Zinn and the art of mountain bike maintenance' by Leonard Zinn is more appropriate?

Morgan

Looks good - I'd recommend giving the frame a respray though - paint job is a bit dated.