You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Confessional time...
have been working like a loon on a project recently and going to make a nice bit of pocket money. Rules in our house is you get 10% spunk money on any windfall you get to do what you like, no regrets.
I've got a bit of a thing brewing in my loins about a carbon singlespeed road bike...
I love my pomp, and am more likely to jump on it on a sunny sunday for a blast round the local lanes than get on the mountain bike at the moment. Mrs S has a lovely planet x carbon (far too small for me - already tried, nearly broke it 😉 ) and it makes me fantasise about just what it would feel like to have a blat on a sharp, light, fast road bike, rather than my comfy but clunky pomp.
Im also 6'4"
Options are:
Generic eBay Chinese 57cm carbon frame/fork and a set of nice wheels etc for about £500ish, but run the risk of needing a long stem to get the reach on a 570mm TT frame anbd will need to raid the pomp for parts and prob buy a load of other stuff too for another £100 or so
OR
XL Planet X carbon with Rival stuff on it, strip and flog gears, cassette and shifters for say £150-200, so about £800+ all in (and it'll fit)
See if Planet X can build something without gears but w lightweight parts around the carbon pro for a decent price?
any other options guys? Wiggle/CRC/Ribble deals out there? Any off the peg carbon road SS?
How much on wheels? £150 factory mavic up to £400 carbon lovelies?
Trek Madone District Carbon...
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/district/districtcarbon/
With added belt drive nicheness.
What size jeans does your sister wear?
its barbour chaps or cord plus fours round our parts thank you CFH, not sister's jeans.
EDIT - and yep, thats the kind of thing I want to build. $3k is a bit rich though
unlikely to get "carbon lovelies" for £400 🙁
Speak to Guy at Pearsons about their Cartouche carbon fixed/singlespeed.
Can't find one on their website but I'm sure I saw a frame in their shop the other week.
[url= http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/urban/product/cartouche-32340 ]cartouche review[/url]
I can build my own carbon clinchers with sapim cxray from ebay chinese rims for about £200 + hubs + £80
oooh, wanna build me some?
I have 2 pairs of chinese tub rims that I want building up, can't do it myself or quite afford the build costs at the mo.
cartouche looks intersting, but those wheels sound gash. I built some mavic open sport on on-one track hubs that probably dont weigh much more and theyre on the pomp.
leggy of course, But my warranty terms go something like:
If I make a hash of my own wheels, I die.
If I make a hash of your wheels, you die, but I promise to send your wife some lillies 😉
so probably best not to trust me...
Yeah, the wheels are poo-stain. I thought you could ask about frame only?
I have a geared carbon road bike and a pomp. Although the road bike is much faster, the pomp is much more comfy to ride, it requires minimum maintenance and I'm certainly not precious about it. For me that is part of the appeal and why it gets ridden a lot more even in training. I just jump on and go. Have you thought about just making the pomp a bit faster, wheels, tyres, carbon fork, to satisfy your shiny part lust?
4b - thats where I was starting from.
Maybe carbon fork, light bars & light stem. (£100 + £100?)
Some nice new tektro levers, ive already got some nice tektro cantis.
Some nice wheels and chainset in the sales?
hmmmmm
Would I be throwing pearls before swine or not though?
lillies you say? it's a deal 😉
4b - you might be on to something:
planet x sales bin:
fsa gossamer chainset for £100
Carbon fork for £100
ultralight stem for £40
those fancy DT swiss 1592g wheels for £350
unfortunately they only do those ultralight calipers in pairs and I cant fit one to the back of the pomp, so £60
Will need to "open" the rear triangle though...or get some lightweight track wheels
I think you might be right. I can always get a carbon frame later...
Whats a really nice pair of hooded road brake levers?
EDIT
samuri has these doesnt he?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27936
[img] 
[/img]
Gotta be a Chinarello frame off the 'bay, I really want to get one, in Pinarello colours, but saying Chinarello, stonking value!
"chinarello"
you mean like these?:
[img] 
[/img]
It's just a thought. My pomp and my road bike are both satisfying to ride, but in different ways, and if I'm not racing then the road bike stays in the shed nearly every time. Just out to do a lap on the pomp now as it happens!