Spartan300

Man, you even found someone to buy it for you. Sweet! The mechanic at my LBS got himself a Monocog 29er last spring. Very niiiiiice.

bdinger

Oh man, why did you have to tell me about the Monocog. Guess what just replaced the Stumpjumper on my "next bike" list

Spartan300

My "next bike" list is so long I will never have enough space -- let alone enough money -- for all of them.

lubes17319

What began as a 32spoke about 10years ago has lightened itself a bit, aided by my mass & abusive riding.
Lasted much longer than expected.

The other breakage is opposite this recent one.

Replaced it w/a 36h flipper & tried the 1st fixed spin yesterday....weird feeling. Gonna take some getting used to.

BIG-E

Dayum Lubes! You must be one strong heavy dude to do that!

Grampy™

I've been riding this 925 for the last few weeks, it's fixed, swapped out the mustache bars for drops, the pic shows no fenders but I have 'em on, and I'm working on the stock wheel so I'm running my Topolino on the front, I kind of like it.....

bdinger

Nice, very nice.

Also, well, I'm a big dude. 350+. Is there anything I should worry about with the 925? Or should I wait shed another 50 lbs to buy this? I've had no problems on the old steel bike I started riding at 400+, nor the Specialized Hardrock that has gotten me even further.

Logic is starting to creep in with "wait" but who knows. Opinons?

Velomancer

It's great! As a previous poster said use a flop-flop (freewheel on one side and a fixed sprocket on the other) hub to start with, that way you can het used to a single speed and freewheel down hill. I found it also gives your legs a rest at the top of hills too.

Hills kill me going up, but I kill them back going down. Not even the best/fastest cyclists I ride with can keep up with me going down hill. The one and only advantage us big cyclists have.

When you get used to it, flip the wheel and try the fixed side. It's like changing to the Dark Side... there's no going back!

Here's my fixie:

bdinger

Wow that Langster is a sweet ride. I checked them out a bit, and they are... awesome. I would be all over one if I wasn't so scared about my girth crumbling that pretty carbon fork .

Velomancer

I've done quite a few mods. The fork that came stock is about as chunky and tough as you can get (I believe Specialized has changed this for the 2007 version). The Langster is a great place to start if you want to try a fixed/ss road bike. Mine came with brakes and a 16t freewheel cog. the hub is flip-flop as standard so you don't need to spend a fortune to convert it to a real fixie.The carbon fork makes a huge difference to the harsh ride....

...and even new it's not a bad price. They pop up on eBay regularly, 4 at the moment, but you may find they go for a high price. I saw a two year old Langster with similar mods to mine go for US$200 more than a new current model.

pasadenagrand

It was great to read this thread. I logged on today looking for some info on doing a singlespeed build.

I've got a Centurion Lemans roadie, a Fuji Regis hybrid, and a Raleigh M-20 mountain bike. One or more is going the singlespeed route. I was going to buy new, but I want to have the pleasure of being part of the build....from powdercoating to finally airing up the tires. Besides, I got all 3 of these bikes for $100.00...and they are in great shape! Now I just need to find an LBS in my area that can do a good build.


I haven't been on a bike in about 8 years, but that will change soon. As of today, I am 6'2, about 295lb. I need to get off my fat a** and do something about it.

Wish me luck!!!!!!!

Spartan300

That Centurion would make a great single speed. As someone who decided to build rather than buy, I can tell you the more involved you are in the build, the more pride you will feel when it's done. I had my LBS remove/reinstall the headset and bottom bracket cup and redish the rear wheel. The rest was up to me, from stripping and repainting to airing up the tires. Doing the bulk of the build yourself can be very exciting and even more frustrating. By the time you're finished, you'll probably wish you had just bought a new bike, but that will pass. All things considered, I'm glad I built mine. When it was finished, I had a nice, relatively light, lugged steel frame bike with almost everything I wanted and nothing I didn't. And it was nice to stand back and say, "I did that." That being said, my next bike will probably be a new one. There's definitely something to be said for not having to search for an odd seat post size that hasn't been used in years or trying to find long-reach brakes that are good and affordable. On the other hand, that mid-80s Centurion at my LBS would make a great fixed gear...
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Just be careful. After making one of your bikes SS, you may find yourself wanting them all that way.

Evoracer

I'd go for the conversion. As others have said you can take pride in your ride. I built mine for the daily commute in Nov. and have been on it daily until 2 weeks ago when I thought I'd give my regular roady a try. I gave it a full week to compare. I am back on my SS this week and have increased my one way from 4 to 10mi just because... Hell, I go home for lunch daily too.

BTW, 6'0" 240

Sammyboy

250 lbs, got two SS bikes, and two fixes. Clyde status and single speediness have nothing to do with each other, in my view.

Sammyboy

Here are my singlespeed and fixed rides:

My EG Bates track bike:

My chrome singlespeed (brand unknown)

My Nigel Dean fixie (I wanted a smaller frame!)

And finally, my under construction Falcon urban assault single speed


I've also got an HR Bates Cantiflex BAR frame from 1940 which I'll build fixed....eventually.

Spartan300

Really dig that Falcon, Sammyboy.

Sammyboy

Thanks! I had the frame kicking around, a little small for me, but sooo nice and orange. And I had the bars, and wanted to do something with them. Came to the conclusion that sticking that medium width 26" wheelset on could give me a bike that was usable on the road, but was also great for scorching across the grass, and could deal with mud and rain and snow too. I may yet add a rack to it.

The CLYDE

I was a 325lb. on a singlespeed (Surly 1x1)...they're fun but definitely make sure you have the right gear ratio for your riding style. Otherwise you'll go through a lot of chains and really this problem isn't CLYDE specific but single speeds REALLY do a number on your knees (eventually).

About the best rims for a really big CLYDE on a single speed, I have found to be Mavic EX721. Bombproof.

bdinger

Hrm, see, that's another concern. I have a bad left knee already (tore it up a couple years back, never had surgery) so I do need to watch that a bit. Damn, it sounds like fun, but I don't want to destroy me and the bike in the process .

That 925 is totall sweet though...

rykoala

The Velocity CliffHanger is also totally bombproof. 340lbs, 100psi 26x1.25" tires, huge pothole I didn't see in time. The wheel is still perfectly straight.