# State singlespeed



## All uphill (28 Mar 2020)

Here's my latest project. A gift from neighbours who have been clearing out their garage, it's a steel singlespeed State bike. Out of shot is a bucket of bits.

The owner had started stripping and sanding this down, but gave up when they stripped the thread trying to remove the crank.









I already have a singlespeed, so this really is my N + one too many. Consequently this is going to be a minimum cost job to build a low value shopping bike.

Any alternative brilliant ideas welcome!


----------



## biggs682 (28 Mar 2020)

Hope you gave it a good bacterial wipe down before touching it


----------



## All uphill (28 Mar 2020)

biggs682 said:


> Hope you gave it a good bacterial wipe down before touching it


All precautions taken.

Very odd having to work out a protocol to transfer it from his garage to ours! We laughed that it was reminiscent of old spy films making a drop.


----------



## All uphill (4 Apr 2020)

Two developments:

1 Frame stripped with a chemical stripper. That was fun! Next job to wire wool it and decrease ready for primer.








2 The owners who gave it to me now want it back! I've negotiated that I finish the job and they will reimburse me for "materials". 

On the positive side this saves me needing to find a buyer, but I now have the feeling I'm doing it for them, not me.


----------



## fossala (4 Apr 2020)

Sounds like he didn’t want the faff of removing the damaged crank. Once he saw you managed it he is asking for it back? Sounds a bit dickish or maybe I misunderstand?


----------



## All uphill (4 Apr 2020)

fossala said:


> Sounds like he didn’t want the faff of removing the damaged crank. Once he saw you managed it he is asking for it back? Sounds a bit dickish or maybe I misunderstand?


Thanks for that, glad it's not just me thinking "Dick!"


----------



## Nigelnightmare (8 Apr 2020)

All uphill said:


> Thanks for that, glad it's not just me thinking "Dick!"


I'd bill him for my time as well.

You could always add a *"This bike belongs to ****** *(Insert neighbours name)*, A Tight fisted Dickwad!"* sign in UV then clear coat over it.


----------



## 12boy (9 Apr 2020)

Did you chase the BB threads as well? Probably the crap approach to repainting, but I just clean and scuff the existing paint and usevthat as the primer when rattlecanning a beater bike. I ain't impressed with the wanting it back thing, unless you swap or give each other stuff as a rule. A POS bike prolly isn't worth a friendship.


----------



## burntoutbanger (9 Apr 2020)

I'd be very tempted to just give it him back as is.


----------



## All uphill (11 Apr 2020)

Thanks for the kind comments. The neighbour and I have come to an amicable agreement and the bike is going back to him looking like this.






I'm really surprised at the finish I got from hours of prep and rattle cans.


----------



## 12boy (11 Apr 2020)

Looks very good, much like new. Rattle can paint takes a while to properly harden, though. I used leave mine in one of my cars for a few days in the summer heat. Got go be 140F in there and hardened right up.


----------



## Gunk (12 Apr 2020)

You should have painted it pink! 👹


----------



## Nigelnightmare (12 Apr 2020)

12boy said:


> Looks very good, much like new. Rattle can paint takes a while to properly harden, though. I used leave mine in one of my cars for a few days in the summer heat. Got go be 140F in there and hardened right up.


You know when it's cured enough.
The smell doesn't knock your head off/ make your eyes water when you open the car.


----------



## 12boy (13 Apr 2020)

But the other stuff my teenagers left in the cars did!


----------



## SkipdiverJohn (13 Apr 2020)

How much does one of those things weigh in minimalist condition?


----------



## All uphill (13 Apr 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> How much does one of those things weigh in minimalist condition?


@SkipdiverJohn 

Funny you ask that. I weighed it and my 1973 Raleigh 531 singlespeed yesterday. The one I've done up was all of 2kg heavier than the Raleigh!

On my dodgy scales:

Raleigh 9.5 kg
State nearer 12 than 11 kg.

You can really feel the difference on the road; the Raleigh is comfortable and quick, the State just feels heavy.


----------



## SkipdiverJohn (13 Apr 2020)

That's interesting, because I weighed my 531 framed Raleigh Royal at 25.6 lbs or 11.6kg - minus mudguards and rack but with gears and a comfortable but fairly heavy Selle touring saddle.
I'm assuming the State must be a plain gauge hi-tensile frame with heavy wheels. I was expecting you to give an answer closer to 10kg, seeing as the bike only has the very bare minimum of essential parts fitted.


----------



## 12boy (13 Apr 2020)

I first saw them at the height of the fixie craze. Inexpensive heavy machines with primary emphasis on primary color paint, sometimes frame and rims in different colors. Very different from a Soma Rush, Surly, KHS Elite 100, Pake or IRO. I had a Fuji track bike at that time that weighed around 20 lbs without brakes. It's too hilly here for me to enjoy fixed any more although I usually ride my Surly Steamroller single speed in the summer when I'm not pushing heavy studded snow tires.


----------

