how good a deal is it?
 

Hey guys -

I am looking to build up a singlespeed mountain bike. I found this frame online

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7103254015

The guy is offering it to me real cheap.

It is a 22" frame, I am about 6" - would this work ok for me.

Right now I ride a specialized rockhopper 19"

I am also looking for a good front shock that won't be to expensive - any suggestions along that line.
I ride a lot of fast trails, up and downs, lots of logs and roots. Nothing to extreme.

thanks guys (and girls maybe? are there any on this site?)

shawn

Its too big if you are 6'... with MTB's if anything you want to be a little on the small side for manuverability. I can't even get on a 23" frame, and a 21" is very uncomfortable and cumbersome. For a singlespeed I would go with a rigid fork, but thats just my preferance. Cheap + good fork = doesn't exist. Running a big tire up front is nice. I have a Mutanoraptor 2.4 that I run around 36psi, and it goes a long way in absorbing trail vibration and jolts.

I'm about your size and riding a 50cm (19") Peugeot MTB I converted to SS. Its got horizontal dropouts which save a HUGE headache over the conventional vertical dropouts. I would look for a more worth candidate, and forget the shock (a lot of extra expense) but thats just me.

So what are your recommendations as far as frames to look for - I was hoping just to grab a fairly inexpensive frame and covert it over to SS. I thought peguot was a car company! hahaha.

i'm dumb.

thanks man and if you have any other advice for a SS newbie or web resources maybe point me there.

spank you

shawn

http://mtbr.com/faq/ssfaq.shtml <--the best SS resource most likely

As far as frames, just look around to see whats cheap and your size. Nashbar has some generic looking frames for $89 or something right now, not a bad deal if you don't mind something a bit cheap and heavy. I hate messing with chain tensioners, so I will only use something with either track ends or horizontal dropouts, but thats me.

The Peugeot I came across was just pure luck... it was hanging in the back room at the shop with a bent rear stay which I carefully straightened. Old Trek 9xx series, Specialized Stumpjumpers, etc are all nice older steel frames. I've seen some old steel Fishers make nice conversions, some old GT's too. I'd ask whats hanging in back at your LBS, most have a few 'WTF frames' as I like to call 'em.

Peugeot is a car company also. It is European or somthing... www.peugeot.co.uk

French to be exact... then they became part of the Procycle conglomerate of Canada. Now not sure what they are up to, I think they might still sell to the European market.

I am hoping to hear from my LBS tommorow about there WTF frames - what should i look for? apparently they have a ton of abandoned bikes and old stuff.

I seriously need to do some homework - i have been researching single speeds all night and I have a poster presentation tommorow.

sigh.

thanks for the expertise guys

shawn

pretty much find a used bike or frame and go from there. ebay, mtbr.com, craigslist.org are some nice classifieds to look. i turned my first mtn bike (1996 giant boulder) into a SS. it's a very low end frame but it's 4130 cromoly, and it had semi-horizontal dropouts. keep in mind many older frames have a 1" threaded steer tube as opposed to the 'newer' standard 1 1/8" threadless steer tube. that's only going to be a concern if you're in the market for a new fork.

you can save some trouble by getting a new frame from supergo, pricepoint, jenson, one of those generic frames. could be had for around $100 if you are willing to spend that much on the project. building up a bike can be a fun learning experience, so good luck to you.

See, I was a complete fool and bought 1) a Department store bike, 2) got the wrong size because my dad wanted me to grow into it.

Here are my stats. 5'3. Bike, 20''. The problem is manueverability. Leaning isn't comfortable, and I can't feel 1 with my bike. What I mean by that, is that it won't do what I want it to do. Responsiveness is bad. Handling skinnies is bad, becasue it's just way too big. Wheelies are terribly out of control. Once I had the heigh just that my bike leaned to the side and again, I had be really on my toes and counter balance as my front wheel came down and luckily I didn't fall.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

any thoughts on using a frame like this for singlespeed? Would I have to rig up stuff to make it work since the drop out is mostly vertical?

shawn

just a chain tensioner of some sort. i made one from an old rear derailler on a frame with vert. drops. or you can be fancy and get a singleator or similar device.

Cool frame, I would use it. Depending on your gear combo, you might be able to avoid a tensioner, though on vertical drops I always run one, because as the chain stretches its going to loosen some and be more prone to dropping. Tensioners really aren't bad, I just have had horrible luck with them. The new Surly Singulator is pretty nice.