Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - NOOB Panasonic Sport 500 rebuild and conversion

Hey folks,

I inherited a nice condition Panasonic Sport 500 frame that I intend to make into a single speed.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3062/2970208161_71e65fefc3_b.jpg

The headset and bottom bracket seem to be in good condition and I just plan on rebuilding those. (Already did the headset today... waiting on a pin spanner wrench from the LBS to do the bottom bracket.) I have some parts already like front brakes, crank, chainring, freewheel, stem, pedals. The big things that I'm missing are the wheels. So this is where my questions come in...

1. This bike originally came with 27" wheels. In doing some research, it seems like I should be able to get some 700c wheels and make the brake work by filing the groove in caliper a little bit longer. Would you go that route or would you look for some 27" wheels?

2. I'm only running a front brake, so if I decide to go the 27" route, would it look funny to have a 27" wheel in the front but a 700c wheel in the back?

3. The rear spacing is 126mm so I should be able to make a flip flop hub work just fine. However, is it worth the effort to get spacers to make the hub fit the frame more exactly?

4. I do have one other question not related to wheels. The square tapers on the bottom bracket do not have threaded holes drilled into them. Instead they have threaded studs sticking out of them. I haven't run across these in any of my research and am wondering if folks know if I'm supposed to just throw the cranks on there and use the nut (that originally came with the bike) to just tighten them down or if I need to look for some special cranks? (The cranks I have in mind are Sakae SX's in the mail from ebay.) Here's what the spindle looks like:
http://www.bikepartsplace.com/discount/bottom-bracket-spindle-nut-type/ (http://www.bikepartsplace.com/discount/bottom-bracket-spindle-nut-type/)
Edit: I think I figured this one out. Pictures at the park tool website cleared it up for me:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=103

When you say single speed, do you mean freewheel? If so, I highly recommend running both brakes.

Thanks for the reco... I'm running a fixed gear now but rarely slow down with anything but the front brake (even though I have a rear brake too). Seems ok to me for the riding I do. Granted, 2 brakes would be good to have in emergencies, but this is probably more of a fun bike vs. commuter or high mileage bike. I'll keep my eye out for a cheap brake for the rear though (trying to stick to a budget.)

One more question... is there anything that I should be spraying inside the tubes while everything is apart to keep corrosion at bay?

Check the inside of the tubes with a flash light, when you're servicing the bottom bracket is a good time to do this. If you see signs of rust, you can buy a rust converter type spray which will turn all the current existing rust into a protective polymer coating. If you see the frame is fine, I would just coat the inside with a good amount of linseed oil, which will make a nice seal and keep the tubes from becoming exposed.

Running a 700c in the back with a 27" in the front is fine; the difference is only 4mm which you won't notice at all, though your brakes may not reach properly.

The threaded nuts in the crank are fine, and should work with most modern crank arms (I'm pretty sure, though I haven't tried myself). Just put on whatever crank arms you want and tighten them down with the bolt that it came with. Alternatively, you could just replace the bottom bracket, but if there's nothing wrong with it, why spend more money? Caveat: if you're replacing the crank arms and possibly the chain rings, you might be forced to change the bottom bracket.

Is this the rust converter you were thinking about or is there something specific for bikes?

http://www.gemplers.com/product/127787/Spray-on-Rust-Converter

^no. Framesaver is what you want. JP Weilge

Hey folks - Here's an update on the rebuild:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/3001249299_afea0faf17.jpg

1. Free wheels from a guy on sffixed.com. They're old 27 inchers with tires, tubes, and a cog (even though the cog is a "suicide" cog.) I just cleaned them up, rebuilt the hubs, and pumped up the tires. The rear wheel axle is a little bent but I'm hoping I can position so that it doesn't make the wheel cockeyed in the frame. At least not by too much anyway.
2. I got a set of handlebars for free from a guy on craigslist. He also threw in some bar tape and some pedal clips. I wasn't a fan of the red at first, but they were free and it's actually growing on me a bit. The handlebars I flipped and chopped into bullhorn bars.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/3001247395_647a13c74c.jpg
3. A buddy had an old stem that he gave me (CONTROLTECH!.) The bars were a little big for the stem, but I wedged them in there and I think they'll work fine.
4. I got an old Sakae crankset on ebay for $20. The bigger chain ring is a bit worn, but the inner one, which is the one I'll use, is in pretty good shape.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/3002085938_43839d90c1.jpg

5. I ordered a brake from bikeisland.com but they don't reach the brake surface. I'm going to need to find a longer reach brake. I also need to figure out how to attach them to the fork since they are a newer recessed nut style vs. the original double nutted style. I know the old "drill out the rear hole" trick but I'm not sure if that's the path I will ultimately go down.
6. I got a cheap chain from bikeisland.com as well. Should be fine.
7. I bought some tools (cone wrench, bottom bracket tool, waterproof grease, degreaser) from The Bike Nook (http://www.bikenook.com/) which is my local bike store. They've been pretty helpful and their prices aren't bad. It's a really small store though, so they don't have a ton of stuff in stock, but they're helpful with advice and can order whatever you want. I like to support the local stores when I can as well so go visit them if you're in the neighborhood.
8. I had an old seat post lying around that was too small but I cut up a tennis ball canister and made my own shims. Works great now!

So what's left to do?
1. I may need a new saddle. I have a cheapy plastic one (another freebie from Craigslist) but that may not be very tushy friendly.
2. I want to remove the bigger chain ring so I'll need some short chain ring bolts or chain ring spacers.
3. Still need to figure out the brake thing I mentioned above. Suggestions welcome.

I really like that frame!

Dont you need a quill stem for that frame or did you convert it?

it would definitely look better with a quill stem which you can get at the swap meet for 3-6 bucks.

I believe bike island sell a set of brakes with long reach

It actually is a quill stem. It looks like a threadless stem but it isn't. I agree it would look better with a traditional quill stem but this one was free. Maybe it won't be as bad once I remove the tacky decals.

I might get those long reach brakes from bike island but I only need the front one. There's one on ebay that I might pick up instead.

You might try checking a local bike shop or co-op for a used brake. These are plenty functional and often provide remarkably long and adjustable reach compared to modern offerings, many even long enough for a switch to 700c.

I have to agree about changing up the stem -- those ugly, toothpaste weld stems don't do right by an old frame, and old stems are relatively easy to come by. While you're looking through parts bins for a brake, you may come across an appropriately sized stem as well.

I got the seat on... used a seat post that was too small but shimmed it with a cut up tennis ball canister. Also, I built myself a little repair stand out of some piping and PVC.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3004855916_a8b99d215a.jpg

I think the rear wheel that I have is not going to work. The axle is a little bent and the spacing is all f'd up. Any thoughts on how to proceed? The rear spacing is 126mm and I would like a 27" wheel since that is what I have up front. LBS for a custom wheel build?

Whats your budget? You can get a brand new Alex r450 700c wheelset at ben's for about 90 shipped.

i'd like to just find the rear wheel since the front is fine but that's proving difficult. If I go with a wheel set, this may do the trick. (http://cgi.ebay.com/WHEELSET-ROAD-BIKE-27-X-1-1-4-FREEWHEEL-ALLOY-HUB-Q-R_W0QQitemZ400001487069QQihZ027QQcategoryZ36144QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262)

I didn't find anything on Ben's... do you happen to have a link?

http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5140


Probably what I'm going to use for my SS too.

... used a seat post that was too small but shimmed it with a cut up tennis ball canister.

I'm guessing/hoping that tennis ball can was metal not plastic. Either way I'd get a new/used post that fits and not have to worry about it. If your seat post slams down mid-ride, it won't be pleasant.

Be safe!:)

It was plastic. Seems pretty solid at the moment but I'll put it through it's paces before I decide if I want to keep it or try to find a stem that actually fits.

...or cut up a soda can

I read somewhere that someone tried a cut up soda can and got rusting. My guess is there might be some small galvanic corrosion going on so I thought plastic would work better. It's very high density plastic so I'm hoping it works at least as well as the soda can method but without the corrosion problems.

dude, get a seatpost in the correct size. it shouldn't cost more than $20 or so for a cheap Pyramid or Dimension alloy post. if your shim fails, that would destroy your crotch and then probably your face when you hit the ground. not worth the money saved...

Finished the bike and took it for a test ride today. Everything seems pretty smooth. The seatpost seems to be holding up fine even after being overly aggressive with trying to get it to twist or shfit down. The chain line is a little off, but not bad. I did have to move the chain ring from the outside to the inside, but it's near silent in operation. The front brake kinda squeals but I can probably fix that with a little toe in or new pads. I'll get some pictures up later today.

These were the final hurdles I had to overcome to finish the bike:

- I abandoned the modern brake that I had bought and used an old style side pull brake instead. As a result, I had to move the brake to the right side so the cable routing was cleaner.
- I had to readjust the headset and bottom bracket after a short test ride.
- I had to get another rear wheel since I couldn't get the free one with the bent axle to work. I re-spaced that wheel so the chainline was straighter (more a nice to do than a must do.) That wheel also had a couple spokes break so I had to replace those as well.
- A quick wipe down and wax and she's good as new!

All told, I spent about $100 in parts but $40 of that was the brake that I didn't end up using. I'll probably keep it around for another project. I also spent $20 for a DIY bike stand and maybe another $20 in special bike tools but I won't count those against this project.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/3009641886_8fa24a4d79.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/3009636844_ab5bbb8f09.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/3008802801_e1c61cd8b9.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/3009641038_cd81bbd2e3.jpg

Nice build! i really like the color of the fram

real nice build. this also would have made a gorgeous ten speed. I'm sure it rips, tho. also, get a seatpost that fits. or buy a bike shim for like ten dollars.

i kinda want your bike, tho.

more like 2 dollars for the shim.

siiiiiick brah.... are all those panasonic frames worth a lot of money??? i know the njs ones sell for $800+ but do all of them hold value like this or just like a select few???

A crappy Kalloy seatpost is $12 at my LBS. Your balls want to buy you one for Christmas. Please let them.

Jeez... I guess I should get a new seat post! Has anyone actually had one fail on them? Everyone wants me to get a new one, but I haven't heard anyone actually have a failure. Mine is admittedly ghetto, but it seems pretty darn secure to me. Part of the reason I didn't get one is that my LBS is really small and doesn't carry the size. I can order one, but I'm impatient.

I don't think this particular frame is worth much. It's the low end model from back then. That being said, I really like the bike. The lugs are solid, the paint is high quality, and it rides great.

Now I just gotta find another project bike to occupy my time.

Jeez... I guess I should get a new seat post! Has anyone actually had one fail on them? Everyone wants me to get a new one, but I haven't heard anyone actually have a failure.

I think it would be almost impossible, if not impossible, to find anyone else out there who has used plastic to shim a seat post. If no one does it you won't find evidence of failure, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

siiiiiick brah.... are all those panasonic frames worth a lot of money??? i know the njs ones sell for $800+ but do all of them hold value like this or just like a select few???

lol

lol
gimme a break i don't chase bike parts all day like some people! i was just curious!
and i really don't get why those select few do sell for so much...??

The expensive ones are the new ones that are still being made in Japan. You can customize the colors and need to wait a month or something to get it. The old ones are not worth that much. If I sold mine, I would probably get 200, maybe 300? At least that's my guess. Of course, it would probably take more like $500 for me to actually part with it since it has sentimental value and frankly, I really like the bike.

I wouldn't bother with a shimmed seatpost when you can get one that fits at a co-op for almost nothing. I got a DA post for £2 at my local coop for example. Besides the safety issues that have been mentioned already, whatever janky thing you put in there might result in the seatpost lug getting deformed as it shapes itself around the not-quite-right shim. Regardless, that's a nice budget building job and i doubt the shim will cause you to die.