[Old_Dude]

For those of you who aren't familiar, I have an '87 mountain bike that I was going to convert to either SS, or use with the rear derailleur only - here's the original thread ICYI:

http://www.ridemonkey.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7338&highlight=diamondback

Generally speaking, I'm not a quitter, but at this point I'm throwing in the towell on the old beast. I finally reached a point where I have virtually all the parts for the SS conversion, but everything seems to be working out wrong, requiring lots more effort & money than I'm willing to provide.

Over & over, I look at this bike & think about what a piece of crap it is - how newer technology is there for a reason and how my love of this bike is quickly fading to a more practical solution (piece it back together & donate to Salvation Army or I might keep it hanging from the shop ceiling as a conversation piece - someday I hope to have grandkids).

My peeves with this bike include, but are not limited to the following:

- The u-brake is simply a bad idea without a known, inexpensive fix
- The center pull brake on the fork sucks (cable goes through a hole in the stem, & I hate c/p brakes)
- The lack of suspension, front & rear, seems like a cool, nostalgic thing - but hard to get used to & undesireable after riding a decent FS bike for a while - I like the control & comfort of suspension bikes
- Converting a conventional drivetrain to SS is just too impractical (IMO):
- figuring out a reliable & adjustable chain tensioning system
- aligning the chainring & rear cog just right
- just the whole idea of making something work in a way it wasn't intended - this is a big, red flag - just get a stupid SS frame and go for it using SS rims & so forth, or buy a used, pre-build SS
- having the cog & chainring wear out quicker because they're in constant use seems like a pain
- The threaded headset is lame - even though I rebuilt it, it's still not as smooth or as durable or reliable as the new head sets on a cheap bike
- the frame weight is . . . very heavy in anyone's book
- the frame dimensions are weird (125mm opening between dropouts, with the rear wheel & tire installed, there's maybe 2 mm of space between the tire & the U-brake - if I move the wheel from it's most rearward position, the tire contacts the U-Brake - just to get the wheel on the rim I have to either remove the U-Brake or deflate the tire - that really sucks!
- I don't want to buy any more parts for this bike - I've already spent almost $200 already & I still need a new front rim, new tires, and some other stuff.

It does have a nice, aftermarket handlebar (140 g) and a nice, sealed bearing BB - these items may find their way to my (very inexpensive) new hard tail.

I think I'll return the items I bought to rebuild this bike & get on with my life. Adding a decent rear derailleur & new set of tires to my '02 Trek 4500 suddenly seems like a much more practical thing to do.

Hey, I tried.

 

[riderx]

Old Dude -

I don't have time to address all of your list right now, but maybe you could find a local SS rider to help you with your conversion. Try reposting this on this SS forum. Lots of friendly people over there and I think a few are in Georgia. Don't give up yet!

 

[riderx]

I cross posted this over at emptyBeer's SS forum, so you can skip if you already read.


Here are some thoughts on your issues OD. First, step back from the project a minute and evaluate it. You know this bike is never going to be a top of the line steed at this point, so look at it as nothing more than a FUN experiment to see if you like single speeding. That means using every salvagable part that's already on the bike or in your junk drawer to make a rideable bike. Then, only invest the bare minimum to get the rest of the parts you need. Better yet trade, barter, beg old parts from your biking buddies. A lot can be accomplished like this.

Once the thing is built, then you can decide if you like single speeding and if so, if you want to upgrade your ride or build a new one, or just leave it the way it is.

Now to your list:
- the u-brake: rear brakes only provide about 20 -25% of your stopping power. Put some halfway decent pads on both brakes, new cables and don't worry about it - you'll be able to stop.

- Centerpull F. brake: see above or scrounge a V-brake. Your LBS probably has a bunch of low end v-brakes sitting in a junk drawer they will give you for cheap

- Converting a convential drivetrain: really not that hard, can be a bit of trial and error frustration, but it's anything but impractical. Freehubs are much better sealed than BMX freewheels. Plus, except for spacers, you've got the parts already. That makes it very practical.

- Chain tension: you have semi-vert drop outs, so you should not need a tensioner. If you do, just use the old derailluer - it's free after all.

- Cog and chainwear: You can get many, many miles out of your drivetrain. If you are riding the bike enough to wear these things out quickly, you will be happy it is so cheap to replace compared to a geared drivetrain.

- Threaded headset: yeah, they are lame, but they were used successfully for a long time. Drop some new bearings in it, pack with grease and don't worry about it.

- Heavy frame: just makes you stronger by lugging more weight up the hill.

- Frame dimensions: Well, the U-brake thing is strange and may require you to use a tensioner for the gear combo of your choice. Check this link to find a usable gear combo: http://www.peak.org/~fixin/

-More parts: I'm sure you (or your riding buddies) have some old tires laying around - everyone has old tires. Use them for the time being. Front rim? Can you salvage the old one? If not, you can always pop the front wheel off of your other bike when you want to ride the SS. Takes 2 min. and doesn't cost a dime.

Don't make the bike a money pit, I think you can get the thing up and running for minimum coin. Remember, this thing is never going to be a hot rod racer. That doesn't mean you can't have a hell of a lot of fun on it. Good luck!

 

[Old_Dude]

This is like deja-vu - same post at the other web site.

But, again, thanks for your comments, suggestions & encouragement - I'm going on with the conversion.

BTW - as I posted at MTBREVIEW.COM SS forum, I am planning the first annual SS race in Atlanta - sometime this summer, perhaps - maybe making it a triathlon:

1 - single speed for 12 miles, or so
2 - rope swing into the river (points for style)
3 - pint chugging

Maybe 2 & 3 should be combined.

 

[riderx]

Check out www.singlespeed.cc - the guy (Ronnie) who runs the site is in Georgia, right outside of Atlanta I believe. He's a good guy and has talked about putting on an SS race before and might be able to give you a hand with your conversion.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by Old_Dude
This is like deja-vu - same post at the other web site.

But, again, thanks for your comments, suggestions & encouragement - I'm going on with the conversion.

BTW - as I posted at MTBREVIEW.COM SS forum, I am planning the first annual SS race in Atlanta - sometime this summer, perhaps - maybe making it a triathlon:

1 - single speed for 12 miles, or so
2 - rope swing into the river (points for style)
3 - pint chugging

Maybe 2 & 3 should be combined.

Drop number 1 and make it a biathalon. I would do that.