Novice bike build help - from the beginning...

[HorTs]

I've been given a Rayleigh Chiltern frame that I'd like to build up into a full bike.

On Google I've seen them built up into, road, fixed, and quite original retro looking bikes.

I only want to do it for the experience.

What do you think would be the cheapest?

And where should I start - I have frame and forks.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I'd say fixed would be potentially the cheapest option, as long as you can avoid the allure of Sugino 75 cranks and pace like Freshtripe and Tokyofixedgear.

It depends on what you want to do the bike when you've built it too. If you want to do a LEJOG then I wouldn't do it fixed TBH, but if you just want to pootle about then fixed would be best IMO.

 

[biggs682]

go for singlespeed with a bmx freewheel if you dont fancy fixed , shouldnt cost to much

 

[HorTs]

It depends on what you want to do the bike when you've built it too. If you want to do a LEJOG then I wouldn't do it fixed TBH, but if you just want to pootle about then fixed would be best IMO.

I'll probably just pootle about on it.

I guess this is where the really stupid questions start - how do I find what Bottom Bracket I need or are they pretty standard?

 

[biggs682]

i leave that messing about to my lbs . just normally take frame and crank set being used along with rear wheel and they do all the working out and fine tune it by re dishing wheel to suit .

 

[smokeysmoo]

I guess this is where the really stupid questions start - how do I find what Bottom Bracket I need or are they pretty standard?

Whip it out, ooo er Mrs!

Much easier said than done though on older frames, and biggs advice above is as good as it gets TBH, but if you do take it out it may well be stamped on the BB body what size it is.

Or, AASHTA, (possibly anyway)

 

[Canrider]

Short answer, take it your Local Bike Shop (LBS).
Longer answer: They're somewhat standard, but it can depend on exactly what bike we're dealing with. I see Raleigh Chilterns on the internet ranging from 1992 to 2009--these could potentially have quite different BB sizes.
Easy answer: take it to your LBS and get them to fit one for you.

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

I did this last year, bought a frame off fleabay, stripped it (with help from Smokey)!had it acid dipped and painted, took it into Evans who sold me the right bb then swapped some parts from a donor bike, sugino messenger crank and some wheels with a flip flop hub, bought a chain from halfords and used the original stem, bars, levers and brakes.

I had a fantastic time doing it.

Then rode it and hated fixed. Sold it, got my money back but am now hankering to build something else.

 

[HorTs]

I like to try and do things myself, who knows why it would be easier to take it to the LBS.

I measured the shell width so knew that was 68mm, so it was just the axle width left to chance. 113mm seemed to be the most common so I've plumped for that for starters.

Got a new Shimano UN26 68x113mm Square Taper Bottom Bracket from ebay for £9.44 inc postage and a 2nd hand Suntour crank and single chain ring also from ebay for £15.48.

I've got a set of 700c wheels (from the loft), the front should be fine but the back has the wrong hub to convert to single speed so I'm on the lookout. When I say 'wrong' I mean not the type I know .

 

[simon.r]

What sort of hub is it?

If it's a thread-on freewheel, I *think* a standard BMX freewheel will screw on, but you may have issues with the chainline.
If it's a freehub, a spacer kit and single sprocket will fit on and the chainline can be tweaked by moving the spacers around.

 

[HorTs]

Ah thanks , its a thread-on hub.

 

[simon.r]

OK, hopefully someone will confirm that a BMX freewheel will fit (can't be certain as I've not tried it myself), although I suspect you'll need a shorter BB axle to get the chainline right if you opt for this and even then it probably won't be right. You may be able to move some of the spacers on the hub around to get a better chainline, but then you'll need to re-dish the wheel, which may or may not be do-able with the original spokes. I'm like you, I enjoy tinkering and trying things out rather than just taking things to a shop, but I suspect that trying to convert the existing wheel to run ss will be either nigh on impossible, or very expensive.

Alternatively, fit a multi-speed cassette and just leave the chain on the cog that gives the right chainline, choosing the chainring size to give the right gear.

The other options are to buy a ss wheel or, probably cheaper, get a cheap / secondhand freehub wheel and use a spacer kit and sprocket.

 

[HovR]

To use that wheel for SS you will have to move some spacers around so that the hub is in the correct place to give a good chainline, and then redish the wheel. All that is very do-able, check out the guide on Sheldon's site here.

 

[Canrider]

OK, hopefully someone will confirm that a BMX freewheel will fit (can't be certain as I've not tried it myself), although I suspect you'll need a shorter BB axle to get the chainline right if you opt for this and even then it probably won't be right.

You can also add spacers to the chainring bolts to move the chainring in or out to make things line up. My first fixed build I had 2, maybe 3 1mm spacers (like washers really) to move the chainring far enough inboard of the crank spider to line up with the rear cog.

 

[simon.r]

To use that wheel for SS you will have to move some spacers around so that the hub is in the correct place to give a good chainline, and then redish the wheel. All that is very do-able, check out the guide on Sheldon's site here.

Is it possible to re-dish the wheel enough? Depending on the BB axle length I'd guess you'd be looking at 20mm or 30mm, maybe more, by the time you'd moved the spacers to get a good chainline?

Not saying you can't, but interested to know what the practical limits of re-dishing are, assuming you're using the original spokes and not re-building the wheel?