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Looking a building/buying a bike a little different to what I usually have. Sold my Ibis DV9 as it was a bit overkill for what I wanted to use it for.
Any "days" out and I'll always choose my full suspension, but I want a bike to do some morning gravel miles on before work.
I want something basic that's near 0 maintenance (looking to do 10ish miles in the morning). We have a bus lane with an adjacent gravel path. Not much elevation, but there's a few gradual and sharp, punchy climbs.
So something XL, either rigid single speed gravel bike or even a flat bar bike with fast rolling, slightly knobbly tyres.
I have a few bits in the parts bin (more mountain bike stuff than road to be honest), so even a frame only would be an option.
The only luxury I'd want is disc brakes 🙂 So... what's out there that I should look at?
If you're not in a rush have a look at the Stooge Scrambler frameset for a new MTB.
Or a used Genesis Day One for drop bar fun?
Stooge looks cool, but it'll be way too expensive. I should have mentioned that really 🙂
Looking at a budget of around £500 max (less is better).
What about something like the On One Bootzipper? I think I could almost make a rigid single speed out of that from my spares. only thing is, 32t max chain ring seems a bit small.
Gusset do a ss conversion kit for XD hubs, so spare wheels and tyres are sorted. I've got seatposts, bars and assorted brakes good to go.
This bike will only be used for local exercise during the work week. It's pretty hard to get out to do anything proper around here. Closest thing to proper trails is a 25 min drive, then you've got all the clean up etc. It's a hassle finishing work at 6PM.
It doesn't have to be a feather weight machine, but at the same time I don't want it to be heavier than my Slash!
Cannondale use to make a Trail SL 29 singlespeed, if you could find a frame and fork set that'd probably suit. You'd find it easier sourcing any general hard tail frame, some suspension corrected forks and using a chain tensioner. Depends how much of a rush you are in.
Ideally, I'd like something in the next few weeks really. It's purely for getting extra miles in during the week and a bit more cardio.
It came about as I really dislike turbo training, running or HIIT stuff. I get bored of it way to easily. The only thing I don't get bored of is riding bikes outside and weight training.
Drop bar "gravel" bikes would be find, but I have no clue where to look for a cheap single speed one.
The hardtail/rigid frame could be the most cost effective way to build what I want. I have a couple of DMR chain tensioners in the spares box, but it'd need to be boost so I could use my spare wheels.
That's why I was wondering about the Bootzipper.
So my options are:
Find a cheap drop bar, single speed gravel bike for £500 or less.
Find a hardtail/rigid frame that's boost compatible.
Sonder Frontier looks ok too?
Frontier gets some great write ups.
It's not a huge issue having 32T max chainring on the bootzipper, is it? Just run 17, 16, 15, 14T whatever at the back. lighter! Gives you some grammes budget for steel to offset the slight increase in drivetrain wear.
Boot zipper would be a good choice, and a 32 up front wouldn't be a concern, just run a smaller rear sprocket as suggested.
Warning when you first build a SS it can make other bikes a bit redundant for a while..
Disc brakes are what will be limiting your options. Why do you need disc brakes for "morning gravel miles before work". Why are you expecting to need to stop so much that brakes even matter, do you have a extraordinary amount of deer where you live?
Wait for a secondhand XL Singular Swift frameset to come up on ebay. The 72 head angle makes the gravel 'come alive'. Seriously, they're good bikes...adaptable. I ran mine singlespeed for a while and liked it. If you do road work as well though I found it a stretch too far and need gears. Fine offroad singlespeeding though. An EBB stiffens the BB area I think which is better mashing up hills. I ran a stiff Atlas crank and that helped too.
Scrap that missed your looking for boost.
No, not an extraordinary amount of Deer... just and extraordinary amount of spare parts (including a spare set of boost, disc wheels). There's also a lot of morons with headphones and phones out around here.
32t would fine I suppose, you're probably right about that.
Think after totting up the spares, I'm keen on a rigid mtb style bike. Looks like it's between the Bootzipper and Frontier at this point. Any other similar options about?
I honestly won't be doing any meaningful mileage on the road, so gearing doesn't have to accommodate high speeds.
Thinking of making my Longitude singlespeed but also have a singlespeed hardtail so...
That's just greedy! 😂
Kona seem to have some XL Units frame and forks for £599. See their website here.
That Kona looks good, bit over budget, but if it includes headset that might swing it. I'll need to look at specs to see if it's boost too.
EDIT* Apparently, not boost 🙁
I think the Kona Unit is standard spacing qr front and rear. My brother has a 2017 version and that isn't boost.
The Bootzipper sounds like a good option if you need boost.
I've just built up a 27.5+ rigid singlespeed. I've not ventured far on it but I'm enjoying it so far. I went with 32t and an 18t sprocket for gearing which seems ok on the few hills I've ridden on it.
It's looking like the Bootzipper is the one then. Looks like all normal specced stuff too. The only worry is that the last steel On One frame I had, the BB needed chasing out.
Took me a while to get sorted that as the closest bike shop that could do it was 25 miles away! I just don't want the added faff.
Has anyone bought a frame only and had to have the BB chased?
Kona Unit is now boost.
It's the 2018 one though linked above, I think that was QR. The new one would be out of budget 🙁
I got my rigid singlespeed in January. I've done about 5 rides on my rigid gravel bike, 1 on my hardtail, and 1 on my full suss. 80 on the singlespeed...I love it 🙂
Regarding your wheels, have you checked to see if you can change the end caps to non boost. Would open up the frame options
Sounds good!
Hmm, I'm not sure on the wheels. They're older Novatec hubs, so I'm not sure if it's the axle or just end caps (that's even if I can get hold of them).
There's a Cannondale Trail SL on eBay at the moment, but it's going for silly money (over £500 with post).
Think I'm just going to go for the Bootzipper. I've got some pretty nice parts to go on it and they all should fit.
Carbon Hope Seatpost
Charge Knife Ti
Carbon Ibis flat bars + Ibis 60mm stem
Self built wheels (Novatec hubs on DT Swiss XM421 rims)
Vittoria Barzo Tyres (tubeless)
Shimano brakes of some description
I forgot about all the second hand stuff being silly money. Thought it was going quiet, but eBay prices seem a bit high still. To be honest, If I could have found a single speed drop bar bike with decent sized tyres for £500 or less, I would have probably gone for that.
That’s just greedy! 😂
I know! Also have two geared bikes, which must be more greedier on account of teeth alone...
Why am I finding it so difficult to press the button on something relatively cheap (compared to what I usually spend!)?
Now my brain is telling me I'm going to basically end up with a mountain bike, that's probably going to be a bit overkill, but I think it'll be a cool build.
Merlin sell these for £575, so now I thinking I can get a full bike for not much more!
https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2-claris-gravel-bike-2021-197226.html
I could single speed that quite easily. I've even got most of the kit to do that.
If it was a 3k trail bike, I'd have already pressed buy!
I had a look on Evans to see if they still did the single speed version as people tend to hold them in high regard.
That one could be a bargain depending on how much it finishes on, but it'd be a 10 hour round trip just to pick it up 🙁
Yeah, Sorry I just realised it was geared. Multitask fail 😎
There’s a 58cm Day One on there for 450 or offer, but with vees. Bet it’d still be ace. Prices still a bit Covidey tho
Just pressed button on a Bootzipper, headset and a single speed kit for an XD freehub!
Let the build commence I guess.
That Genesis looked pretty nice, but the prices are still silly. Wonder if they'll go back down to normal eventually?
So now I've got a frame and most of the bits on the way, I need to ask about chains/chain rings.
Am I right in thinking that something like a standard 8 speed chain and a N/W 32T chain ring will be fine for single speed with a tensioner?
Yes although you shouldn't need N/W for single speed if the chain tension is correct but if that is what you already have then it is fine.
Very pleased with my On One Whippet. Rigid, light, but not single speed specific. I struggled to find any SS specific frames that were not heavy or expensive so will settle for a chain tensioner.
Cheers @Kerley
I might have to buy a chain ring yet, I'll have to check my spares first and go from there.
I had a look at the Whippet, but by the time I could source a suitable rigid fork, it would have been too expensive.