1987 GT Pantera steel converted to SS
 

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This is my regular singlespeed bike that I actually take out on the trails. As near as I can tell it's a 1987 GT Pantera built just before they started making the Panteras in aluminum. I bought it as a frameset from the LBS and built it up from clearance table and used items. It has horizontal dropouts and a U brake on the rear.

Nice. Why haven't you updated a bit the bicycle adding a front suspension and V brakes? And please, what is your set up and your drive train?

Didn't want to put that much dough into obsolete parts. The headset is actually a threaded headset with one of those threadless stem adapters, upon which I mounted a Nashbar threadless stem. I am sure you could still find a threaded suspension fork somewhere but the bike is heavy enough as it is. As far as the brakes go, the rear brake (as I mentioned) is a U-brake. For the uninitiated, the U-brake mounts on the chainstays instead of the seatstays (hard to see in the picture) so updating brakes on the rear is a not an option unless I get another U-brake. So, when I went to get brakes for the front I just got whatever I could buy for a front only setup.

The wheelset is a Nashbar bargain bin set that I couldn't have built for what I paid for it. It has Mavic rims with some version of Deore hubs (can't keep track of them anymore) with a nutted axle from Wheels Manufacturing in the rear hub to keep it from slipping. I had a quick release in there for a while but I had the rear wheel slip while climbing out of the saddle once and the chain came off. I fell and trashed my knee so bad I thought it was never going to heal and went with the nutted axle.

The crank is an RX-100 road crank with a Salsa 42 tooth chainring held in place by those Problem Solver chainring bolts. The rear cog setup is a spacer and loose single cog setup. It makes it a lot easier to change gears and doesn't look that bad. Right now it has one of those cheap steel cogs in place until I make up my mind what gear I am going to use - the hard core SS guys think the gear I am using is too tall. I will probably replace this gear with a Surly cog.

For the record, I will never do this again! If I ever own another SS it's going to be one that was built to be one - this has been a headache. Most learning experiences are, I suppose, but the cool thing is that I have gotten to ride this old GT in several configurations, and for an old GT fan that's cool.

Thanks for your description. I would still suggest a front suspension and front V-brakes. Replace the cog as you want to (I whould recomend 24 teeth cog), and you have a perfect urban and country single speed assault machine.

Nice bike. I'm fully rigid just looking at it... :rolleyes:

Thanks. It may interest you to know that I ride this thing in the Piedmont, just downstate from you, neighbor...

I enjoyed the photographs, too.

Forget the suspension. Though a quality V-brake in the front may be a worth while upgrade.

I have an old GT Zasker that I am running as an SS. Leaving some slack in the chain and using a tensioner like the Surly Singulator will allow you to use QR axles. Just beware of cheap tensioners, lesson learned the hard way.......

I have a Singleator that I am saving for my road bike (if I ever get around to rebuilding the rear wheel!).

Does that Zaskar have track ends or something?

Nope, standard (replaceable) dropouts. I reversed the spring on the Singulator so that it tensions upward towards the chainstay. That helps give it some additional wrap around the cog. No problems yet.
PS: I am running a rigid fork as well, it'll make a better rider out of ya...