I've got a nice old bike frame, and I'm gonna make into my main form of transportation.
The frame is a an early 90's Specialized Allez Transition. Steel frame. It was originally painted hot pink, then was painted yellow, and it's currently gray. The paint is pretty terrible. I'm going to strip it all with some good ol' acetone and sandpaper, and paint it burgundy and black.
I like simplicity, and my commute to work is relatively flat, so my plan is to convert it into a single speed bike. I'm going to order this kit: http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Single-Sp ... 467&sr=1-4
I like that it comes with several different cogs and even a chain tensioner. I plan on shortening the current chain to use with the bike for now, but I might end up buying a newer type specifically for single speeds. I may or may not end up changing the chainring out for something with more teeth, I'll have to wait and see how I take to the new gear when I install it. My current chainring has 46 teeth, and my lowest gear has 16 teeth, but it's still fairly easy for me to ride.
Ultimately, I want something that I can use to pedal up to ~25 mph with a lot of momentum. Since I ride before dawn during my commute, there's hardly ever anyone out driving so it'd be totally safe to fly about the streets early in the morning.
Anybody here work on bikes, or have any input?
The frame is a an early 90's Specialized Allez Transition. Steel frame. It was originally painted hot pink, then was painted yellow, and it's currently gray. The paint is pretty terrible. I'm going to strip it all with some good ol' acetone and sandpaper, and paint it burgundy and black.
I like simplicity, and my commute to work is relatively flat, so my plan is to convert it into a single speed bike. I'm going to order this kit: http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Single-Sp ... 467&sr=1-4
I like that it comes with several different cogs and even a chain tensioner. I plan on shortening the current chain to use with the bike for now, but I might end up buying a newer type specifically for single speeds. I may or may not end up changing the chainring out for something with more teeth, I'll have to wait and see how I take to the new gear when I install it. My current chainring has 46 teeth, and my lowest gear has 16 teeth, but it's still fairly easy for me to ride.
Ultimately, I want something that I can use to pedal up to ~25 mph with a lot of momentum. Since I ride before dawn during my commute, there's hardly ever anyone out driving so it'd be totally safe to fly about the streets early in the morning.
Anybody here work on bikes, or have any input?