# I'm going to get in trouble for this... but I think it's worth it :)



## ChrisEyles (5 Jun 2017)

I just won this cracker on ebay last night  

Mrs Chris is of the opinion (perhaps quite rightly) that five bikes is already far too many for a man with only one bum to sit on them with... and she's going to learn about the new arrival (and the admittedly really quite long drive to pick it up) quite shortly.... but I think it's going to be worth it  

Here it is - a 1960s BSA Goldcrest fixed gear conversion: 

















The seller reckons it might originally have been a SA 3-speed rear hub, but doing some googling I think a 5-speed freewheel might have been more likely. 

I've never ridden a fixed gear bike before but have wanted to try one for ages. I've been keeping half an eye out for a suitable five/ten speed to do a conversion on, and then fell a bit in love with this... even the "Goldcrest" name is spot-on, given I'm a keen birder, both on and off the bike. 

The seller reckons the cranks are a touch close to the chainstays on one side so may be some faffing around with axles (which will no doubt be joyful since it looks like a cottered crank) but otherwise sounds like it's in pretty good condition, and the pics suggest a nice balance between tidy paintwork and good patina.


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## dave r (5 Jun 2017)

That looks lovely, service it and then start putting some miles on it.


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## atalanta (5 Jun 2017)

Mrs Chris may be right, but just remind her of all the things you *could* be spending that money on... "birds, booze and fast cars" as ol Georgie Best put it?


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## ChrisEyles (5 Jun 2017)

Haha, very true! 

I'll pop up a couple more piccies when I've picked up the bike... and will try not to catapult myself of the bike on the first ride (there are some very steep downhills around us and I'm not quite sure what my top sustainable cadence is!). 

It *is* pretty though, isn't it?


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## Welsh wheels (5 Jun 2017)

Buy her something nice to make up for it.


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## Mark Grant (5 Jun 2017)

Only 5?
You need to try harder!


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## biggs682 (6 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles that was in my watching pile and i wondered who won it , well done you it looks like a superb machine


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## ChrisEyles (6 Jun 2017)

Thanks @biggs682 - small world, isn't it! The seller showed me some pics of a few other very nice vintage bikes he owns when he was telling me a little about the bike's history and obviously knows his stuff... so I wouldn't be entirely suprised to find he had an account on here too! 

I've been pipped at the post so many times on ebay, where you watch all week and suddenly the price goes silly at the last minute, so I was really pleased my luck was in for this one, it looks smashing. 

Very excited about picking it up!


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## mustang1 (6 Jun 2017)

If I were in your situation, i would say something like:

"I want you to come with me to pick up my new bike. Which one of your millions of shoes will you wear?"


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## ChrisEyles (6 Jun 2017)




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## TheDoctor (7 Jun 2017)

mustang1 said:


> If I were in your situation, i would say something like:
> 
> "I want you to come with me to pick up my new bike. Which one of your millions of shoes will you wear?"



That'll work fine. I did that recently, and the swelling went down after a week


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## mustang1 (7 Jun 2017)

TheDoctor said:


> That'll work fine. I did that recently, and the swelling went down after a week


Are we talking about bruises or a blue pill scenario?


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## ChrisEyles (11 Jun 2017)

Finally picked the bike up today  It was a bit of a marathon drive, but thoroughly worth it! Looks even better in the flesh than it did in the ad pics including some gorgeous gold-ish cromo plastic mudguards. 

Haven't been able to take the bike for a proper spin yet as the brake blocks need tweaking into position and the whole thing a quick once over to check for any loose bolts etc but I've got a day off tomorrow so plenty of time to play with my new toy 

Gearing is 46/18 so about a 2.55 gear ratio with 27" wheels. Since it's my first time riding fixed I'm not sure how I'll get on with it, but the 52/20 gear on my 27" wheeled ten speed has always felt like it would make a good fixed gear, and that comes out as 2.6, so I guess it should be about right. I'll be sure to steer clear of the steep downhills until I've got used to spinning a bit quicker though! 

Here it is shining in the sun:


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## ChrisEyles (11 Jun 2017)

A quick couple of questions for the fixed riders on here - how exact does the chainline have to be? To me this looks a little off perfect, but how much tolerance is there without risking throwing the chain and locking up the rear wheel? 









Also the drive side crank is really close to the chain stay. I'd say there was less than 1mm clearance, which I guess means the two could contact one another if there's any flex in the frame or play in the cranks. Is this likely to be an issue do you think? If so, is it possible to "dimple" the chain stay using a vice and a bit of steel bar perhaps? 






There is quite a deep dimple to allow the chain ring to clear the chain stay: 






Finally is there any rule of thumb for what constitutes a good chain tension for riding fixed? The current tension I would be perfectly happy with on my single speed (freewheel) bike, but does it look like there is too much slack for a fixed sprocket do you think? 






Thanks for the help! Looking forward to getting to grips with a new load of riding and mechanics skills for riding fixed!


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## ChrisEyles (12 Jun 2017)

Went out for a first ride on the bike, planning on heading to the coast and back for a nice flat 40 miler..... 

Got about two miles from home and chain snapped  

Wasn't even putting in *that* much power when it happend, though it was up a hill. Is this more common with fixed gear than with freewheel bikes? Is it perhaps a sign that I need to get the chain line better than it currently is perhaps? It's the only chain I've ever broken, it was quite a shock when it went! 









I was planning on ordering some new tyres for the bike anyway so I guess I'll add a new chain to that order. 

Unfortunately that drive side crank does also rub against the chain stay under power. Can't decide whether to crimp the chain stay a little or to try and find a new axle... the difficulty there will be that the seller said he couldn't shift the BB fixed cup (a problem I've encountered on a few other bikes).


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## dave r (12 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> Went out for a first ride on the bike, planning on heading to the coast and back for a nice flat 40 miler.....
> 
> Got about two miles from home and chain snapped
> 
> ...



That looks like a simple chain failure, looking at your pictures your chainline looks OK. I think you need a longer bottom bracket axle though, trouble is a longer axle will mess up your chain line and you'll have to sort that out once the longer axle is fitted.


https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cottered-traditional-axle/


http://www.starcyclespares.co.uk/no...ed-bottom-bracket-cycle-crank-axle-2730-p.asp


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## ChrisEyles (12 Jun 2017)

Thanks @dave r that's good to hear. Is chain failure like this more common on a fixed gear bike, since I've never broken a chain in tens of thousands of miles? 

I've had a look at the chain line using a straight edge (length of wood) laid along the chain ring and it looks like the sprocket is set about 3mm-5mm out of the plane of the chain ring. I'd have thought this should be close enough to work OK. 

If it's only the crank/chainstay interface causing problems, has anyone tried putting a crimp in the tube with a vice? Seems like it should work but I'd be much happier doing this if I knew others had succeeded without compromising the frame strength. 

Otherwise I guess I'll have to get a new BB spindle (and hope a new one will be compatible with the fixed cup since I can't remove it), and use some spacers to get the rear sprocket into a good position for the chain line.


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## dave r (12 Jun 2017)

Chain failure is rare, the only time I broke a fixed chain was back in the 1980's, and the chain was badly worn, and the same when I broke a chain on a geared bike, that was a long time ago and the chain was very worn. If the sprocket is a little outboard of the chainring that might make it easier if you decide to change the bottom bracket axle.


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## Lonestar (12 Jun 2017)

dave r said:


> Chain failure is rare, the only time I broke a fixed chain was back in the 1980's, and the chain was badly worn, and the same when I broke a chain on a geared bike, that was a long time ago and the chain was very worn. If the sprocket is a little outboard of the chainring that might make it easier if you decide to change the bottom bracket axle.



Blimey...It hasn't been for me...Even had one go at Canning Town last year.Managed to get back and realised how bad it was.I was actually lucky to get back on that one as it was hanging by a thread.Over the years I've had a few chain incidents and with the pedal crank incident last year nothing seems impossible to me.I'm very careful how I put chains together now,also.

Im riding a 50/17 or 50/15 on two different fixies so that probably doesn't help.


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## dave r (12 Jun 2017)

Lonestar said:


> Blimey...It hasn't been for me...Even had one go at Canning Town last year.Managed to get back and realised how bad it was.I was actually lucky to get back on that one as it was hanging by a thread.Over the years I've had a few chain incidents and with the pedal crank incident last year nothing seems impossible to me.I'm very careful how I put chains together now,also.
> 
> Im riding a 50/17 or 50/15 on two different fixies so that probably doesn't help.



Back in those days I would tend to run a chain to destruction, these days I change them regularly, I rarely have a chain on a bike more than twelve months, there are plenty of cheap fixed chains available and they can be treated almost as disposable. I also run a lower gear and spin more, my current fixed has a 44x18 with a 165 crank.


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## ChrisEyles (12 Jun 2017)

Wow @Lonestar 50/15 is a monster gear! 

The cranks on this bike seem fairly long - haven't measured but I guess 170-175.


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## Alan O (13 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> ...has anyone tried putting a crimp in the tube with a vice? Seems like it should work but I'd be much happier doing this if I knew others had succeeded without compromising the frame strength.


I really would never do anything like that - I really would expect it to weaken the frame, and perhaps even crack it.

And to be honest, it's a bodge to get round doing the job properly - you know that a longer axle is the proper solution.

Alan


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## ChrisEyles (14 Jun 2017)

@Alan O yeah, I know a longer axle is the way forward. I've seen people put a larger crimp in the chain stays to fit bigger chain rings on single speed bikes before and was curious about having a go at this myself... but for the sake of a couple of quid and an hour or so's work I might as well do it properly. I'm hoping to get the BB spindle out to measure it up for a replacement this weekend if I get the chance. 

Some people will do anything to get out of working with cottered cranks, eh?


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## Alan O (14 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> @Alan OSome people will do anything to get out of working with cottered cranks, eh?


That's understandable - but it does give you the chance to use a ****ing big hammer


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## ChrisEyles (14 Jun 2017)

I've never had much luck with the hammer on the bikes I've worked on. I've only ever got them out using a big-ass bench vice and a socket to press the pins out. They don't half make a bang when they come out sometimes! 

These ones should hopefully be OK, since the seller had the cranks off fairly recently to re-grease the BB.


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## biggs682 (15 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles ouch re chain i hope you didnt damage yourself ?

Chain line needs to be as good as poss , re swapping crank as long as one cup comes out its doable just

have you tried using a 13 or 14mm bolt on stuck bottom brackets cup i have used it twice with success

still looks good though


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## ChrisEyles (16 Jun 2017)

I've got a good bruise on my knee where it hit the handlebars, but no harm done fortunately. The chain didn't jam so the rear wheel free-wheeled rather than locking up which was a plus. 

I've re-greased the BB on a few bikes without removing the fixed cup, so should be fine swapping a new spindle in to get the chain line spot on and a bit more clearance between the cranks and the frame. Just need to measure it up and hope I can find one the right length. 

Never tried the 14mm bolt method, but I'll look this up. I'm assuming/hoping that a new spindle will be perfectly compatible with the current cups, but if I do need to fit new cups then that might come in handy!


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## mjr (16 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> Thanks @dave r that's good to hear. Is chain failure like this more common on a fixed gear bike, since I've never broken a chain in tens of thousands of miles?


I think it's pretty rare whatever the bike, but you can get away with running a more worn chain on SS/FG/HG if you keep retensioning the chain as there's only one sprocket to wear evenly matching the chain IYSWIM. The only chain I've known fail was during a fluffed low-cadence rear shift on a derailleur bike... but I've only ridden SS and HG, not fixed.



ChrisEyles said:


> I've had a look at the chain line using a straight edge (length of wood) laid along the chain ring and it looks like the sprocket is set about 3mm-5mm out of the plane of the chain ring. I'd have thought this should be close enough to work OK.


Close enough, but straighter is better if you can.



ChrisEyles said:


> Otherwise I guess I'll have to get a new BB spindle (and hope a new one will be compatible with the fixed cup since I can't remove it),


I'd be very surprised if the BB spindle isn't one of the common sizes. Take it out, look for markings (NECO if you're lucky) and measure it.


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## biggs682 (16 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> I've got a good bruise on my knee where it hit the handlebars, but no harm done fortunately. The chain didn't jam so the rear wheel free-wheeled rather than locking up which was a plus.
> 
> I've re-greased the BB on a few bikes without removing the fixed cup, so should be fine swapping a new spindle in to get the chain line spot on and a bit more clearance between the cranks and the frame. Just need to measure it up and hope I can find one the right length.
> 
> Never tried the 14mm bolt method, but I'll look this up. I'm assuming/hoping that a new spindle will be perfectly compatible with the current cups, but if I do need to fit new cups then that might come in handy!



A longer spindle and then get the rear wheel dished and spaced to get the chain line near as

glad no major injuries


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## ChrisEyles (16 Jun 2017)

As far as I'm able to accurately measure it, the BB spindle dimensions are

Width between cones = 54.5mm
Cone to non-drive side crank notch = 19mm
Cone to drive side crank notch = 22mm

The closest match I can find (on SJS cycles, have looked elsewhere too though) is: 

Width between cones 51mm
Cone to non-drive side crank notch = 22mm
Cone to drive side crank notch = 32mm

This would mean the adjustable cup has to be 3.5mm further into the BB shell to fit the new spindle. This would be just about OK, but I'd worry there wouldn't be quite enough thread to get the lock-ring on good and tight.... that is *IF* my measurements are all accurate! 

The non-drive side crank would then end up in the same place (fine) and the drive side crank would be moved away from the frame by 10mm (a bit too much, but also OK since I could adjust the spacers either side of the sprocket, or re-dish the wheel). 

Does that sound like a close enough match do you think? 

PS - @mjr the current spindle has the letter "P" and the number "27" stamped on it. Any ideas what this means for the width between the cones (I couldn't find this info online yet)?


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## biggs682 (16 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles have you tried turning your old crank around ?


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## ChrisEyles (16 Jun 2017)

No, I hadn't even thought of that! I had assumed the longer side of the spindle would have been facing towards the drive side of the bike to give the chain ring the clearance it needed... and the shorter end of the spindle would probably make the non drive-side crank contact the chain stay if I'm mistaken.... but this is definitely worth a quick check!


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## biggs682 (16 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> No, I hadn't even thought of that! I had assumed the longer side of the spindle would have been facing towards the drive side of the bike to give the chain ring the clearance it needed... and the shorter end of the spindle would probably make the non drive-side crank contact the chain stay if I'm mistaken.... but this is definitely worth a quick check!



its a trick that my lbs have used from some of my builds


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## ChrisEyles (17 Jun 2017)

Damn, no, turns out the spindle was already the "right" way around, flipping it gives a very hefty contact between the drive side crank and the chain stay. 

I think I've found a suitable replacement, though it's tricky to tell as there seem to be a few different ways of measuring cottered axles... it's only £2 on ebay though so it's gotta be worth a go!


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## ChrisEyles (17 Jun 2017)

Also ordered new tyres/tubes, chain and cotter pins. Will be good to get the bike going and give it a proper ride!


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## ocianbricles (17 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> A quick couple of questions for the fixed riders on here - how exact does the chainline have to be? To me this looks a little off perfect, but how much tolerance is there without risking throwing the chain and locking up the rear wheel?
> 
> View attachment 356734
> View attachment 356748
> ...


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## ocianbricles (17 Jun 2017)

"I just won this cracker" . . . and you'll get one! Voice of experience speaking.
You sure have, and if you don't get that hub changed to a proper fixed wheel hub [I've never seen a fixed wheel, single-sided gear hub that's been dished]. Take my advice and either put a single freewheel or get it changed to a proper fixed hub complete with a proper lock ring that goes on anti-clockwise. I sorry to be so blunt but maybe it's a proper fixed hub after all. At the moment chain line it the least of your worries!


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## ChrisEyles (17 Jun 2017)

@ocianbricles it's a double sided hub, I assume for a geared freewheel one side and a fixed sprocket on the other (at least that's what my similar vintage ten speed has on the back). I'll check the lock ring when I have the rear wheel out (since I may need to flip the sprocket over in any case to get the right chain line). 

The owner put some new aluminium rims on the old hubs (the original steel ones were pretty rusty, and I'm certainly not complaining about the upgrade to alloy rims) which may explain if there's an unusual dish on the wheel? 

No worries about being blunt, as I said earlier this is my first foray into fixed gear riding so any potential issues are useful to know about. Since I've got front and rear brakes on this one I don't anticipate doing a huge amount of backwards resistance on the pedals to brake, but I guess it's always safer to do things properly. I'm definitely keen to keep it fixed rather than freewheel.


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## ocianbricles (17 Jun 2017)

Hi Chris, I couldn't tell from the photo if it was a s/sided or dbl/sided hub. If you need a cottered axle I have a few and you're welcome to one of those for a postage stamp. The bluntness was just an old granddad's concern for your welfare!
In the early 'fifties most clubmen changed over to fixed-wheel for the winter season. Mainly about a 69in gear--in I my case. Mudguards, saddlebag, [Musettes for the League Boys] cape, knee-length socks, caps. Mind you, those were the days when cyclists greeted each other with a milkman's-style "yodel" if they were NCU clubs, or an "Up The League" greeting if they where BLRC lads. The response usually being: "Yer. Right Up".


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## ChrisEyles (17 Jun 2017)

Just checked and the sprocket is definitely on a fixed thread (lock-ring is lefty-tighty with a step in the threaded sections of the hub), which is great. It actually looks like this hub is fixed/fixed rather than fixed/geared freewheel as I assumed, though it also looks like the threads on the unused side have seen better days. 

@ocianbricles thanks a lot for the offer! If the spindle I've ordered on ebay isn't a good fit I'll take you up on that  

Let's see, 46t chain ring and 18t sprocket with a 27" wheel is a spot on 69" gear. Mudguards and saddlebags also a definite yes..... not so sure about the cape/high socks/cap combo though! 

I'll work on my yodel for when I'm out on the road


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## biggs682 (18 Jun 2017)

sounds like you are getting there


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## ChrisEyles (21 Jun 2017)

All the bits and bobs arrived this morning - very fortunately I had an unexpected day off and was in when they came, which saves a lot of faffing around picking them up from the post office 







First job was to replace the BB spindle, which all went fine. Unfortunately I think the fixed cup is not as smooth as it could be but it's well and truly stuck in there and is live-able with in any case. The spindle seemed a tiny bit of a thicker diameter than the one that was fitted previously, I had to tap the cranks onto it with a hammer, which is the first time I've had to do that with cottered cranks. Anything that helps them stay on can't be a bad thing though! 

Had to file the cotter pins down to get them to fit, and they're still not in quite as far as they should be... but the flat face is fully in contact with the slot in the spindle, so I guess it should be fine from a functional point of view. 









The chainline is now just as good as it was before changing the spindle, if not better. 






Most importantly, however, there is now a sensible amount of clearance between the drive side crank and the chain stay without resorting to hamers/vices and crimping the frame


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## ChrisEyles (21 Jun 2017)

Having some new tyres is a bit more confidence inspiring than the tattered old ones. These Schwalbes aren't going to set the world alight, but I've used them before and got on with them fine, they are a nice cheap and cheerful 27 x 1 1/4 option. 





Took the bike out for a short spin this evening and it felt lovely. The frame is a teeny bit smaller than I usually ride, but the drop from saddle to hoods is a bit larger, which compensates nicely and makes it feel a bit more sprightly, encouraging you to give it some more beans, which seems to suit riding fixed. 










Unfortunately I managed to throw the chain on the way home - guess I hadn't put enough tension on it. It made a bit of a "bang", so hope I haven't ruined a new chain, that would be annoying! I'll have a check on all the links when I play around with the chain tension. The chain ring is not the roundest, and there is one serious tight spot to contend with. I might have to live with the chain binding a touch on that spot to maintain a decent tension the rest of the time.


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## ChrisEyles (21 Jun 2017)

Also ordered some black fake leather bar tape to finish the bike off (found some very cheap indeed on ebay from china - monstrous shipping time, but I'm not in a rush). Couldn't help but eye up some of the old Brooks saddles there too... but will probably save that for another day unless a great bargain comes along.


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## Alan O (21 Jun 2017)

You've done a nice job there - and those new cream-walled tyres look great!


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## biggs682 (22 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles looking good , i used those tyres a few times and like you say they do the job

Keep us posted on how it goes , i have another likely contender in watching for a similar project as my winter bike


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## ChrisEyles (22 Jun 2017)

Tensioned up the chain again this evening to make everything a bit tighter, and went for another short spin. This time I tensioned the chain with the chain ring slightly off the tight spot, so the chain is probably a tad too tight in the tight spot, but looks much better most of the way around. Interestingly it seems to have loosened up a teeny bit during the ride - is this normal with new chains? Or perhaps I'm just being paranoid, it's quite hard to quantify how much play there is in the chain by hand and I think both my chain ring and sprocket are slightly out so might just be testing different points. 

Anyway, the chain stayed on this time, and I had a lovely ten mile or so spin through the local quiet country lanes. I enjoyed the feel of the tighter chain line too, with a more immediate switch between putting in power and resisting going downhill. I had one moment going down a slightly iffy blind corner where I automatically tried to freewheel on applying the brakes, which was a little bit interesting - wouldn't like that to happen at 180+rpm though! The bike feels really nice to ride, and is very rewarding of a good hard grunt on the pedals. It's definitely a slightly racier fit than any of my other bikes. The saddle is also really quite comfy so may end up keeping it on the bike (it's not quite period correct, think it's a 1970s Selle Italia Condor, but still a nice saddle, and goes with the black and yellow paint job quite nicely). 

I think I'm beginning to get what this fixed malarky is about 







Will do another short spin over the weekend (well my weekend, which isn't at the weekend at all, but Mon/Tue anyway) and then tighten up the cotter pins and see how the chain tension's holding up. Then planning on taking the bike down to Exmouth for a (mostly flat) 40ish miler to see how I get on with it on a slightly longer ride. 

@biggs682 what are you planning on using for your fixed gear makeover? I can see how they'd make a great winter bike, but I have to be honest, if I was commuting day in day out on one I would really, really, really miss having gears.


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## Alan O (22 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> Tensioned up the chain again this evening to make everything a bit tighter, and went for another short spin. This time I tensioned the chain with the chain ring slightly off the tight spot, so the chain is probably a tad too tight in the tight spot, but looks much better most of the way around. Interestingly it seems to have loosened up a teeny bit during the ride - is this normal with new chains? Or perhaps I'm just being paranoid, it's quite hard to quantify how much play there is in the chain by hand and I think both my chain ring and sprocket are slightly out so might just be testing different points.
> 
> Anyway, the chain stayed on this time, and I had a lovely ten mile or so spin through the local quiet country lanes. I enjoyed the feel of the tighter chain line too, with a more immediate switch between putting in power and resisting going downhill. I had one moment going down a slightly iffy blind corner where I automatically tried to freewheel on applying the brakes, which was a little bit interesting - wouldn't like that to happen at 180+rpm though! The bike feels really nice to ride, and is very rewarding of a good hard grunt on the pedals. It's definitely a slightly racier fit than any of my other bikes. The saddle is also really quite comfy so may end up keeping it on the bike (it's not quite period correct, think it's a 1970s Selle Italia Condor, but still a nice saddle, and goes with the black and yellow paint job quite nicely).
> 
> ...


I really do think that bike looks great, though I'd be wanting a black leather Brooks saddle on it - maybe a Swallow.

I should be building my first fixed-wheel bike before too long - I have an 80s Falcon frame, wheels, and a crankset so all I need is, well, all of the rest of it. Hopefully I'll get the _malarky_ too


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## ChrisEyles (22 Jun 2017)

If money were no object I'd have a black Brooks B17 or Swallow on it already 

Good luck with your Falcon build! If you take some piccies while you're at it it'd be great to see them on here


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## Alan O (22 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> If money were no object I'd have a black Brooks B17 or Swallow on it already


For that very same reason, I'll probably have a Charge Spoon on mine 



ChrisEyles said:


> Good luck with your Falcon build! If you take some piccies while you're at it it'd be great to see them on here


Thanks, I will do.


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## biggs682 (22 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles there's a couple on e bay i am watching or if neither of them come up i might convert my The Pollard has arrived to fixed


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## ChrisEyles (22 Jun 2017)

@biggs682 that Pollard is gorgeous!


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## biggs682 (22 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> @biggs682 that Pollard is gorgeous!



And so far this year it has not made it to the top of the pile 

But it needs to soon


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## ChrisEyles (26 Jun 2017)

Had a lovely ride down to the coast and back today, a mostly flat forty-odd miler with a few short and sharp climbs thrown in along the way. It's sort of satisfying knowing I pedalled every single inch of the way around  

The bike rode beautifully the whole way and was very comfortable on a slightly longer ride. It's pretty much a perfect fit and handles very nicely - I can never suss out exactly what it is that makes a bike feel "right", but this one's definitely got it. It "fixed" a big grin on my face the whole way around! 






I'm planning on taking it out to the local velo park with a friend next weekend, which should be a good laugh. I'm also rather tempted to try and find a nearby velodrome, fit a 14t sprocket on the rear and see how quickly I can hoon it around the track. 

I crumbled this morning and bought a (rather delapidated) Wrights leather saddle on ebay. Hopefully it will come up all right with a bit of proofhide, a polish, and a bit of work on the rails, should finish off the bike nicely.


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## swee'pea99 (27 Jun 2017)

Just stumbled across this thread - I don't usually stray much outside the cafe! - nice bike! Do be aware that riding fixed can get very addictive. Two quickies before I go to bed: first, if I were you I'd sort out that chainline. It really ought to be a lot straighter. It's actually very easy to redish a wheel - and quick. You could probably sort that out in 20 minutes. Just tighten/loosen alternate spokes all the way round. Then if it's not quite there, do it some more. Just don't get lost over which side's which, or everything will go pear-shaped. (There are quite a few vids on youtube if you don't know how it's done.) Second, the chain tension is right when you can hold the chain half way along and wiggle it up and down about an inch - half an inch each way. Something like that. It's not an exact science, but that's the rule of thumb I use. Good luck! Have fun.


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## biggs682 (27 Jun 2017)

@ChrisEyles it's still looking good and glad to hear you are enjoying it so much


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## ChrisEyles (27 Jun 2017)

@swee'pea99 thanks a lot for the tips, that's really helpful. In that case I think I've got the chain tension about right at the moment, albeit a bit tighter on the tightest spot and a bit looser on the loosest. 

I've re-trued wheels often enough so re-dishing should be do-able. Is there an easy way to measure the chainline? I've tried eyeballing and it looks pretty straight to me, and have also tried lining up a beam of wood against the chain ring and seeing where it contacts the sprocket, and again, looks alright to me. How close should you be aiming for, something like 2mm accuracy? 

And yes, I can see how riding fixed could quickly get addictive!


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## swee'pea99 (27 Jun 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> @swee'pea99 thanks a lot for the tips, that's really helpful. In that case I think I've got the chain tension about right at the moment, albeit a bit tighter on the tightest spot and a bit looser on the loosest.
> 
> I've re-trued wheels often enough so re-dishing should be do-able. Is there an easy way to measure the chainline? I've tried eyeballing and it looks pretty straight to me, and have also tried lining up a beam of wood against the chain ring and seeing where it contacts the sprocket, and again, looks alright to me. How close should you be aiming for, something like 2mm accuracy?
> 
> And yes, I can see how riding fixed could quickly get addictive!


I'm no kind of an expert, and this is all a bit rough 'n ready, but I just took a photo of mine and it looks like this:







My theory was that by standing a few feet back from the rear of the bike and using a line-up of the back tyre and seat tube/frame, I could get a notional 'centre line', running through the centre of the bike frame, front to back, then I dished the wheel until as far as I could judge it by eye, the chain line was running parallel to that line. Hope that's some help.


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## ChrisEyles (27 Jun 2017)

Thanks, that's all useful info. I'll have another look when I'm out in the garage with a more critical eye and see how it looks.


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## ChrisEyles (1 Jul 2017)

Had a cracking afternoon's riding at the local velo park with a friend today. Set the single lap spring record for a vintage fixed gear bike  






..... OK they might have made that category up especially for me


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## Andrew1971 (2 Jul 2017)

@ChrisEyles What coloured handle bar tape are you going for.
Andrew


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## ChrisEyles (2 Jul 2017)

Black fake leather - it's arrived, just need some time to fit it now (and probably clean up the bars first). 

The leather saddle I ordered is looking really good after a couple of coats of proofhide and a lot of polish. Looking forward to getting it on the bike!


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## ChrisEyles (3 Jul 2017)

Just finished putting on the bar tape and swapping the saddle over. Part of me wishes I'd gone for cotton bar tape, but I was worried it wouldn't provide much in the way of comfort. I've used this (cheap chinese!) fakey leather stuff on a couple of other bikes and it looks alright and does feel really nice when riding without gloves. 







I wish I'd taken a "before" picture of the saddle, as it was looking pretty rough! Quite pleased with how it's come up now, and it suits the bike perfectly - it's a Wright's saddle, so made in Birmingham just like the frame. The shape is very similar to the Brooks B17 I've got on my ten speed, and if it's as comfortable as that I'll be very happy indeed. 






I love wrapping bar tape, it's one of my favourite jobs and the bike always looks so much smarter afterwards  I had to be quite careful getting the tape under the hoods, which are pretty badly perished, but just about got enough flex out of them to manage. 









Didn't quite finish in time tonight to get out for a ride, so I'm itching to go for a quick spin later this week


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## ChrisEyles (3 Jul 2017)

As always, the total cost of the bike spiralled a little bit out of control... this always seems to happen and I guess it can't be just me. Final breakdown was 

Bike £55
Chain £5
BB spindle £2
Tyres & tubes & cotter pins £25
Saddle £18
Bar tape £2

So total cost of £107, of which I guess I can re-coup a bit if I sold the saddle that came with the bike... Still, that's a lot better than my 90s full sus MTB, which cost £25 to buy (a real bargain) and now must have four times that hanging off it with chain/tyres/pedals/chain ring/brake pads etc

Totally worth it since it looks like it's going to be a firm keeper, but I'm in awe of anyone who can actually turn a profit doing up old bikes to sell on!


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## ChrisEyles (4 Jul 2017)

Managed a quick ten miler after work today and the saddle's not half bad. The skirt is a tiny bit wide with a bit more thigh rub than on my B17, and I think it needs a little bit of tensioning up as it's got a lot more give than the B17 (I guess this may pull the skirt in a bit at the same time). I've also seen DIY methods to turn a B17 style saddle into a more Swallow/Swift shaped saddle, which I'm also tempted by, but probably too scared of messing up to try! 

The bar tape is very comfy and much nicer than the old stuff which was more like textured electrical tape. 

It's certainly a head turner, I think I've had more comments about this bike while I've been riding it than any other road bike (my sit-up-and-beg 1950s Raleigh still wins hands down on that count though!). It's definitely the bike I can't wait to ride again at the moment  

Thanks a lot to all who offered helpful advice along the way - as always, it's much appreciated!


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## Threevok (4 Jul 2017)

That's proper nice that is


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## dave r (4 Jul 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> Managed a quick ten miler after work today and the saddle's not half bad. The skirt is a tiny bit wide with a bit more thigh rub than on my B17, and I think it needs a little bit of tensioning up as it's got a lot more give than the B17 (I guess this may pull the skirt in a bit at the same time). I've also seen DIY methods to turn a B17 style saddle into a more Swallow/Swift shaped saddle, which I'm also tempted by, but probably too scared of messing up to try!
> 
> The bar tape is very comfy and much nicer than the old stuff which was more like textured electrical tape.
> 
> ...



Its lovely seeing an old bike being looked after and ridden


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## ChrisEyles (8 Jul 2017)

Went out for another nice ride today and ran into some issues on the way home! 

Climbing up a short steep hill, putting down quite a bit of oomph, the chain came off with a bang. Looks like the rear wheel slipped a touch in the drop outs, drastically reducing the chain tension. I foolishly didn't have my spanners with me, so decided to press on with a loose chain... fine for several miles, then going around a slightly bumpy corner "BANG" snapped chain (and also foolishly no chain tool and spare links). No harm done and not a long walk home, but that's definitely more luck than judgement. 

Is it common for the rear wheel to slip in the drop outs under full power? I did tighten up the rear wheel axle nuts pretty tight, and they've got "toothed" grippy washers on them too... maybe I need to sand the drop outs to roughen them up a bit and make sure the axle nuts are well greased before re-tightening. 

Also when I got back I noticed that the cottered chain ring has a definite warp to it, with a visible side-to-side wobble when you spin the cranks (hard to measure, but I'd say 2mm - 3mm). I hope I didn't cause this today by throwing the chain! 

My plan is to put a new couple of links in the chain, tighten the hell out of the rear axle nuts, and henceforth always take the spanners, chain tool and spare links with me. If I keep having problems I might have to think about getting a new cottered crankset, or maybe replacing the BB spindle with a square taper one and getting some new cranks, but it'd be nice to keep the originals running if possible. 

Has anyone had any luck straightening out a cottered chain ring?


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## dave r (8 Jul 2017)

Pulling the wheel over under power can happen, but I've never broken a chain with that, make sure the wheel nuts are well tightened, just remember you may have to take the wheel off by the roadside. it might be an idea to look at chain tugs. I've never had to straighten a fixed chainring before, but I have staightened a geared one, I just put it on a flat surface and tapped it straight with a hammer, if the chainring is only a couple of mm out you may be able to live with that.


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## ChrisEyles (8 Jul 2017)

Can you get chain tugs for forward facing drop outs? I can't remember seeing these, but if so that would be probably be worth doing. 

I'm not sure why the chain broke either. No broken plate this time, just one of the rivets missing. Guess there must have been some serious sideways bending forces where the chain tried to climb the teeth of the rear sprocket during chain derailment. 

Thinking about it, the easiest way to straighten out the chain ring is probably to use a flat surface like you say, and to put the high spots over the edge of the work bench and bend them down with a big adjustable spanner. Not sure the hammer would do the job on a one piece crank/chainring.


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## dave r (8 Jul 2017)

ChrisEyles said:


> Can you get chain tugs for forward facing drop outs? I can't remember seeing these, but if so that would be probably be worth doing.
> 
> I'm not sure why the chain broke either. No broken plate this time, just one of the rivets missing. Guess there must have been some serious sideways bending forces where the chain tried to climb the teeth of the rear sprocket during chain derailment.
> 
> Thinking about it, the easiest way to straighten out the chain ring is probably to use a flat surface like you say, and to put the high spots over the edge of the work bench and bend them down with a big adjustable spanner. Not sure the hammer would do the job on a one piece crank/chainring.



I think chain tugs for forward dropouts are rare, something simular to this might do the job http://www.wiggle.co.uk/surly-tuggnut-chain-tensioner/


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## ChrisEyles (8 Jul 2017)

Thanks for the link - never seen one of those before!


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