kassebaum

hey guys, im new to the forums, ive been lurking for a while, and i decided i want to get a single speed road bike, or at least build one up. i asked my dad and he told me he has some old ****ty bike in his basement, and basically all i want off it is the frame. i'll post a pic and you guys can give me some opinions of waht i could do to get it to being a really nice single speed bike i can ride around college. thanks

roastbeef

dear god. i would keep that thing far away from the place that i sleep.

kringle

It's a Huffy frame with stamped dropouts. If zombies ever took over the world, it might serve well as a barricade piece.

kassebaum

haha its in my basement now but im gonna try to start ****ing with it tomorrow after i get out of class

bbllaakke

+1

But yeah, you could convert that.

Even though it's a Huffy.

kassebaum

can i use the frame at all? i'm gonna take it to this bike shop near where i live and ask them to take it all apart, and buy new EVERYTHING but the frame. new everyting, only thing i'm keeping is the frame

Steev

Does it fit you at all?

kassebaum

yea i'm like 5'8, and it doenst have a seat so i cant like sit on it, plus its covered in rust and i dont want tetnis

edit: is normal parts or w.e gonna fit it and is it gonna break in half while riding is really all im concerned about. taht and i dont want it to weigh very much, and if its a single speed with only a front and back brake, then it shoudlnt.

but idk im also considering a coaster brake. any thoughts?

johnnyedge

purchasing new EVERYTHING will probably cost more than just getting a complete SS.

JayNev

if you buy new everything, you should get a new frame too. you should just get a complete for 300 bucks at bikesdirect, honestly. if u dont like it, resell it

tmh657

So stand over the top tube and see if nut nectar pops out. If not it fits.

peabodypride

Not worth it for a conversion. Not to be mean but the shop probably won't even touch that.

MPLSdunk

if you are buying all new components dont put them on that frame.

gestalt assault

not even...if zombies took over the world i'd saw that bike into pieces and use the tubes for pipe bombs...

kassebaum

wait wait. would it really cost less to buy a whole new bike?

edit: and what is "stamped droppouts"
plz dont hate me, eveyrone is new to stuff at some point

Saddle Up

LOL man this is the funniest thing I've read in quite some time. Lol whew man. Good one kassebaum!

peabodypride

Yes, it will cost substantially less to get a proper bike than to try and fix that thing.

Stamped dropouts (I don't think the poster meant stamped) are what that frame has. See how the rear dropouts (the metal plate where the wheel is bolted on to) has two creases where it meets with the chainstays and seatstays? Well, the dropouts were literally shoved into and connected to the stays. All but all bikes have all parts brazed together (similar to welding, all parts of the frame are one larger piece and certainly NOT shoved together.) That means it is the most low of low-end frames. Totally not worth it.

Just donate it to a bike co-op. They'll either spend resources fixing it or send it to the scrapper.

kassebaum

im trying to get into this stuff man plus im really going to need this bike come spring. i dont want to walk all over a huge campus. and, it honestly just looks like a lot of fun and it would be a good experience building up a bike, i think. so please, help me out here :/

synapsemusic

the reflectors seem to be doing their job still, i'd start from there and re-build everything else

peabodypride

We're not trying to put you down. It's collectively just a good idea to start over. A new Kilo TT is under $400. You will learn just as much in maintaining it and upgrading parts.

the_don

And you will get the bike finished, it'll be reliable and it'll probably look nicer too. You can even choose your colour!

get a new one and learn to work on it and take it apart. It's also always cheaper than buying new parts too.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/thehour.htm

Look, $299, free shipping, you can choose your size and colour, and you can choose to have a quill or threadless stem. (threadless might be better because it is usually easier to change the bars if you want risers or bullhorns).

If you buy separate, you will look at 150-200 for the cheapest wheels, 50-100 for crankset, 30-60 for a saddle, 10 for a new chain, 30-50 for pedals. Then you have to buy all the tools (assuming that you don't encounter any ).

elTwitcho

I don't think anyone is trying to put you down, it's just the reality is that that is just a really really bad candidate for a single speed/fixed conversion. Yes it's physically possible to do it, but you'll end up spending more money and after a short period of riding and learning more you'll just end up realizing you want to buy a new frame now as well.

Nightdiver

This is really true. If the process of learning about bikes and their parts is just as important to you as having one to get around on, then either get an inexpensive new bike, or find a decent frame and then build around that. It will be waaaay cleaner.

kassebaum

that's waht i would like to do. can i buy used frames online? and if not, where can i find one? i called bike stores, all local goodwill / salvation army's, checked various dumps, and nothing. i found that bike through my dad and its a p.o.s. as i am now learning

FlatFender

Why are you so set on having a used frame when a complete new bike is $299?
I understand wanting to build your own bike, but getting into cycling by building your own bike before you have one that you can ride isn't the way to go.