My first attempt at a single speed - on the cheap!

[orange71]

Some of you may remember me questioning what singlespeed was all about, and I thought about it, then when I bought this Raleigh Technium Chill at the weekend I figured I'd give it a go.

It's been done on the super-cheap. In fact when I take into account how much I might make on the parts excess to requirement (up for sale here soon), the whole bike comes to £40. I'll upgrade bits as I can, but it's a working bike, tested today and was great.

It's running a 46t front with a 15t rear (haven't even got round to 'proper' rear singlespeed hub/spacers etc!). For my commute of 11 miles of undulating countryside this ratio will be ideal.

Can anybody confirm this is the 1990 model by the way?

 

[stevet1]

for £40 you can't go wrong.
Chain looks a little bit slack though. May be possible to swap a link for a half link. That would possibly make it too tight for the wheel axle to sit fully in the dropout though but as long as its got good purchase on the dropout for the QR it will hold fine on the road and once the chain stretches a bit it should fit all the way in, thats how I run mine.

 

[orange71]

cheers for the advice - it's got semi-horizontal dropouts so I can adjust, but finding the sweetspot is hard as just a tiny bit too tight and it feels stiff, too loose and it comes off. I wonder if it feels stiff because the rear cassette is quite old and the chain is new?

What do you use for QR as the ones I have don't have any purchase and the wheel does move forward a bit over time and I have to re-adjust?

 

[stevet1]

shimano, pretty much the best when function comes first.

 

[orange71]

Just did my first commute on it - perfect! Even in the rain and wind, the gearing was spot on. Problem is now finding a supplier who sells individual 15t sprockets - most are 14t or 16t in SS kits...