[Closed] Should I rigidify and singlespeed my old bike?

I have the Genesis Altitude (think the frames are similar) that I built up rigid and single-speed several years ago.

I built it specifically for plugging through the winter slop, but I've ended up riding it most of the time.

I opted for Exotic carbon forks from [url= https://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&c=43&p=195 ]CarbonCycles.cc[/url] which I've been very impressed with for the price.

[img] [/img]

Like the look of that and the fork. Although at £100 that's pretty much my budget gone. Will have to look out for a second hand one.

Some Exotic carbon forks in the classifieds now - 465mm a/c.

I rigid-ified and single-speeded my Cotic BFe.

Used the Exotic carbon forks and what looks like a very similar chain tensioning device to 'verses'

It's a great bike for popping around on and playing about down the local park 😆

Something about that bar / stem combo looks odd

Some Exotic carbon forks in the classifieds now - 465mm a/c.

Something about that bar / stem combo looks odd

I've also swapped that On-one tensioner for a fancy Surly one.

Andy R - Member
Some Exotic carbon forks in the classifieds now - 465mm a/c.

Cheers. They look ideal, still a bit more than I wanted to spend but....

go rigid on the front

Sounds you all have fun with "rigid".
Interesting...

I really love a long travel fork which is plush. The opposite...

Had a look at your "carbon rigid forks": wasn't aware of these kind of forks at all. The fun part is the low weight and the flex?

It's your old bike, go for it 😀
I'm riding a single speed rigid on one 29er at the moment.
Bought some Toseek carbon forks from eBay.

Don't fancy the singlespeed bit, but I rebuilt my bike with some old Surly rigid forks (and a new drivetrain) lately - enjoyed the Quantocks and Mendips ride since more than I have in months...

Plenty of carbon forks on Aliexpress £50 or so.

Yup - fantastic fun. I repaired my old cracked XC bike and it's my short range, all weather thingee bike

I built up an old Trailstar rigid SS for my commute to work. It was ace.

Then the nutters at the Strathpuffer riding SS for 24hrs put the idea in my head to give it a whirl off road. Swapped the gearing to something a little more dirt oriented and the bug bit!

What I'm saying is SS but hit the dirt. You'll surprise yourself (and others) what you can ride up.

Plenty of carbon forks on Aliexpress £50 or so.

And you’d trust them? Because I know I wouldn’t.

Not much flex I've found.

A rigid SS as your only bike wouldn't be my choice but it's a great way of using up old parts and frame. You almost certainly aren't going to be as fast as on a full susser but the trails will be much more involving as you can't just ride roughshod over stuff.

Great in the winter - get home and chuck a bucket of water over the bike and you're done! Next to sod all to go wrong.

Singlespeeded a ragley blue pig earlier this year. It's great for razzing around the streets/local bridleways and taking kids to school. Good fun at the BMX track as well.
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Has brakes now as well!

Do it ...

Had an Inbred frame given to me by a mate who no longer needed it, picked up a Nukeproof carbon fork for about £25 from eBay, rest of the parts from boxes in the garage, cadged from mates, or bought second hand ...

Very old skool ... But old skool used to also be fun back in the day! Great winter slop bike!

Ads you must have atleast one whole link too much chain there!

And those tensioners push up you know 😉

Just sent you a message that might help you out, Phil.

Why not? I always hankered after a Haro Mary SS or a Redline Monocog. Still do to be honest 🙂

Yup, had this:

[img] [/img]

it was in need a of respray and I thought I may as well get a disc mount brazed on the back at the same time. Dialled Bikes did his offer on the 853 Prince Albert pre-order, so I thought I'll swap the bits over and ride that that while I froo-froo the old bike. Relly enjoyed riding the PA, so I thought I'd build up the old bike as a rigid SS, ao found some steel forks to send off with the frame for a matchy-matchy paint job. Absolutely love it. Suits the frame really well. light and zippy, great handling.

[img] [/img]

Andy R - Member
Plenty of carbon forks on Aliexpress £50 or so.
And you’d trust them? Because I know I wouldn’t

Happily ride them over a set of secondhand eBay ones...

I have to admit I don't understand the singlespeed thing - especially not for road use. If it were me I'd go 1x9 on the cheap if you've got most of the bits already.

Rigid however for a pub bike makes sense though. I like he look of those forks above. Could another option be some secondhand Kona project 2 forks - theybalways used to be raved about but I think you get different lengths so need to get suspension adjusted ones.

I have to admit I don't understand the singlespeed thing

Other advantages; No probs with mech/cassette clogging with mud/foliage. Improved fitness and technique. Lighter bike. Don't need to clean as often or as thoroughly (I like my 'good' bike to be kept in good nick). And obviously, the Lynx effect....

But I live in Suffolk so don't have too many inclines to worry about 🙂

here's mine, still going 4yrs later!

[img] [/img]

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/my-first-bike-build-gt-for-a-runabout

Ads you must have atleast one whole link too much chain there!

And those tensioners push up you know

Yeah I know, it was all an experiment at first, i just happened to have a stinger laying around but i've tried shortening the chain and it won't work with the size of cog/ring i had.

I did have a problem with dropping the chain from the rear but have replaced an XT cog with a SS specific one and it's all fine now.

I might put a proper tensioner on at some point though....

The BFe I mentioned above.

My Exotic Carbon forks feel great, I certainly haven't noticed any flex. This was taken during the recent snow!

On reflection my tensioner is nothing like 'verses' 😆

[img] ?oh=72309d8747f05a35e98b7556b6bc552c&oe=5ABA2A12[/img]

joebristol - Member
I have to admit I don't understand the singlespeed thing - especially not for road use. If it were me I'd go 1x9 on the cheap if you've got most of the bits already.

I live on the coast, this will only get used locally and there's no hills. I might try it as 1x9 at first (less hassle initially) while I decide what gear to go with. If I find I'm changing gear all the time then I can scrap the SS idea 😀

On road foxed is much nicer than singlespeed.

Yeah I know, it was all an experiment at first, i just happened to have a stinger laying around but i've tried shortening the chain and it won't work with the size of cog/ring i had.

I did have a problem with dropping the chain from the rear but have replaced an XT cog with a SS specific one and it's all fine now.

I might put a proper tensioner on at some point though....

That is a proper tensioner but canyou not put it under the chain and upush it up then tighten it up. Thats how i have my jump bike setup and its works nicely and keeps the chain up high.

 

I was about to start investigating my cranks and see if I could leave just a single chain ring on it, but didn't want to come off. The thread stripped with ease 👿

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Going to try a gear puller but will probably end up cutting the spindle and fitting a new BB. which is a shame as the one on it is still perfectly good.

That is a proper tensioner but canyou not put it under the chain and upush it up then tighten it up. Thats how i have my jump bike setup and its works nicely and keeps the chain up high

Yeah I meant one if those doofers on the back.
I'll have to have another play around with it as I think the chainstay bridge stops it from going up enough to take the slack.
Its BB mounted as the frame doesn't have ISCG tabs.

The trouble with singlespeeding is that once you start to love it..your 'crappy old hack bike' soon morphs into your poshest, blingest bike..." 😉

[img] [/img]

DrP

Now that [b]is[/b] nice 8)

phil5556 - Member
I was about to start investigating my cranks and see if I could leave just a single chain ring on it, but didn't want to come off. The thread stripped with ease

Just take off the outer chainring.

Replace bolts with shorter ones.

No need to work about taking the cranks off. The wee cig can just stay there.

Oh didn't realise I'd be able to get it off without removing it.

I did think I'd need a different ring though anyway to keep the chain on, or will it be OK with the original?

Yeah just unbolt the 4 allen bolts, you may need a wee chainring bolt tool to hold yhe nuts but i find they often turn okay then you find they will come off the middle ring will come off too but you'll need to turn the ring so the crank spider can fit through.

You can use a ss specific chainring its definitely more likely to stay on but i've run normal shifting ones okay aslong as the chain doesnt get too slack.

Its the middle one you want to keep by the way if you are offroading.

joebristol[...] Could another option be some secondhand Kona project 2 forks - theybalways used to be raved about but I think you get different lengths so need to get suspension adjusted ones.

I've kinda not ever worried about that on a MTB frame ...
😉

I've had a set of 29er PII's on my (1992) 26" Fire Mountain for ages, and really like the way it rides with them on (much more so than with a set of 440mm rigid PII's).

I've now swapped out a set of Surly ECR forks on my (1 x 9) 2010 Genesis Altitude (swapped for some Manitou Shermans for the lolz), but that too rode really well with the ECR forks on.

Maybe gives you extra options?

(Both the ECR and 29er PII forks are 470mm A-C).

Cheers OCB, I'm looking for something around the 470mm length now after doing a bit of reading and having a quick measure of mine earlier.

29er forks seem to be about the right length, I've got my eye on some Singular Hummingbird ones but think they might be a bit short.

phil5556 - Member
Cheers OCB, I'm looking for something around the 470mm length now after doing a bit of reading and having a quick measure of mine earlier.

29er forks seem to be about the right length, I've got my eye on some Singular Hummingbird ones but think they might be a bit short.

Hummingbird/Gryphon forks are 445mm a/c and are designed to be used with a 29” wheel - because of this they also have 55mm of offset. Swift forks are 470mm a/c but are also 55mm offset.
Most 26” rigid forks seem to be around 38-42mm offset.

You could always fit the Hummingbird forks and pick up a 29” front wheel. That would be even better.

Looking at the Hummingbird forks on ebay - the ad. is a bit misleading as they are not “suspension corrected” forks as it says. In fact, the whole point is that they’re not suspension corrected. The Hummingbird was never designed to use suspension forks with a 29” wheel, nor was the Gryphon. They were bikes purely designed to use rigid forks.
They (the forks) have a lot of offset, to reduce the trail with the 29” wheel.
The Hummingbird, set up as a rigid 69er is, in my book at least, a handling legend. Probably the best handling bike that I’ve ever ridden.

The guy says that he’s the selling frame as well as the forks but I couldn’t find it........

I was about to start investigating my cranks and see if I could leave just a single chain ring on it, but didn't want to come off. The thread stripped with ease

Did you remember to remove the washer before inserting the puller? That's the usual way to strip an Octalink crank…

Did you remember to remove the washer before inserting the puller? That's the usual way to strip an Octalink crank…

Yeah washer was off on both arms. I've given up trying to get them off, if I do ever need to I think it'll be a job for the hacksaw and replace everything.

I've taken off the chainrings (cut the small one with a Dremel to split it) and am going to ride it around as 1x9 until I decide on a gear.

What sort of chain ring do I need? I'd guess at a narrow wide but currently using a 9 speed chain, which I presume won't be compatible?

Probably looking for 36T and 104Bcd.

Narrow wide not needed for singlespeed.

If you get a 3/32 chainring the 9speed chain will be fine.

Voila?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/e-thirteen-g-ring-single-chainring/rp-prod87845

keep seeing this thread and thinking that if we have "rigidify" we should have a little more on "singlespeed"

should I rigidify and singlespeedebee my old bike?

[url= http://surlybikes.com/parts/forks ]Surly forks[/url] - the sus-corrected Ogre might be the one for you. I've been running the Instigator 1.0 forks on various (26") bikes for over 10 years.

nedrapier - Member
keep seeing this thread and thinking that if we have "rigidify" we should have a little more on "singlespeed"

should I rigidify and singlespeedebee my old bike?

😀 Ha, too late to edit 🙁

montgomery - Member
Surly forks - the sus-corrected Ogre might be the one for you. I've been running the Instigator 1.0 forks on various (26") bikes for over 10 years.

They look ideal, bit expensive unless I can find some secondhand.

Phil i'd stainless steel chainrimg.

15notes at on one. Dont forget you need shorter chainring bolts

I've ordered a 36T narrow wide (and some shorter bolts) incase I keep it 9 speed.

If it ends up SS I'll get the on one ring, it does look nice.

It's half way there. It's now 1x9 (tbh I might keep it that way) and has some Schwalbe Big Ben 2.35 tyres.

And because everyone likes a photo

[IMG] [/IMG]

And this one shows the funky reflective sides on the tyres

[IMG] [/IMG]

(Excuse the state of the lounge).

Still looking for a cheap fork.