199? Carrera, Can you make a good SS bike out of anything???

My brother wanted a cheap and cheerful singlespeed for the commute to work. We picked up an old Carrera off Ebay at a bargain price with a few bits missing.



Not being terribly proud of the Carrera brand, the decals were removed using a hair dryer and a credit card as a scraper. The frame was then T-cut.

It needed a bottom bracket, I had a spare one knocking around my spares box. also needed a headset again ebay purchase, which was also the source for some cranks and chainrings.

Also added a Fred Salmon seatpost, bars and stem.



I have managed to fit the chain without a tensioner following a ghetto conversion with some plumbers pipe and a sprocket I had in the spares box. Its a bit tight but time will tell if its too tight!! :?



Just needs a saddle now, some grips (have some Fred Salmon clear ones) and some custom decals. Not sure about the stem though. May be a bit too chunky.

All told it has cost about £70!! What do you think? Can you make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?? Does the stem stay or go? What saddle would suit?? (colour and type?)

I think that looks great, especially for £70!

Proper bike shaped (if you know what I mean) - maybe not featherlight but the colour scheme works and it looks pretty quick when standing still!

A set of straight rigid forks like an F7 and that would be

Had it on my cheapo spring balance. Weighs under 24lbs...

Straight forks would look cool but may blow the budget

Looks cool to me! Although a chain tensioner would make sense!

Cool. Looks like a 93/4 to me.

whats your ghetto tensioning method?

I haven't got a ghetto tensioning method, it was pure luck that the chainstay length was about right although I'm thinking about adding a half link as it may be too tight. :?

looks superb, Pimped