Hey!
I have been lurking for awhile now...loving the pics and ideas everyone is coming up with.
I have wanted to get back into bicycling...after a looooong time away. A friend at work has started riding a singlespeed(Redline Monocog), and after taking a few trips around the block, I want one,too!
Now, here's where it gets tricky, so I'm just gonna lay it out for ya, and hope for the best!
From what I've been reading, I am a total Clydesdale...6'1", about 275lb or so. I'm also a real newbie to singlespeed. Here's where I am so far.
My neighbor across the street has a few bikes he's parting with...among them an old Schwinn Suburban(24" frame,5 speed), a Raleigh M-20(22"frame, 21 speed), and a Nishiki road bike(24"frame,12 speed). They are all in good to great shape, my size frames, and best of all...FREE!!!!! He's waiting for me to clear some space in my garage, then they're mine. I've ridden them all, and will be taking them this week. They are great to ride as is, but I want to convert at least one of them to singlespeed. Which is the best candidate for it?? I really don't want to chop them all up...I'd like to use one bike.
Also, I really need to do this as cheaply as possible...without sacrificing safety,of course. I can spend about $100-125.00 on a conversion. I am not the most handy person in the world(when it comes to bikes), so I may have a LBS help me out. I figure this might be the best way to go and if I fall in love with it, I can splurge and buy my dream bike.
I am starting a new fitness and diet regimen, and this is the little boost I need to get me going. I've been wanting to get back into biking for a long time, and this is the perfect opportunity to do it...I just need some help getting there.
Any help you guys can give would be HUGE...
I have been lurking for awhile now...loving the pics and ideas everyone is coming up with.
I have wanted to get back into bicycling...after a looooong time away. A friend at work has started riding a singlespeed(Redline Monocog), and after taking a few trips around the block, I want one,too!
Now, here's where it gets tricky, so I'm just gonna lay it out for ya, and hope for the best!
From what I've been reading, I am a total Clydesdale...6'1", about 275lb or so. I'm also a real newbie to singlespeed. Here's where I am so far.
My neighbor across the street has a few bikes he's parting with...among them an old Schwinn Suburban(24" frame,5 speed), a Raleigh M-20(22"frame, 21 speed), and a Nishiki road bike(24"frame,12 speed). They are all in good to great shape, my size frames, and best of all...FREE!!!!! He's waiting for me to clear some space in my garage, then they're mine. I've ridden them all, and will be taking them this week. They are great to ride as is, but I want to convert at least one of them to singlespeed. Which is the best candidate for it?? I really don't want to chop them all up...I'd like to use one bike.
Also, I really need to do this as cheaply as possible...without sacrificing safety,of course. I can spend about $100-125.00 on a conversion. I am not the most handy person in the world(when it comes to bikes), so I may have a LBS help me out. I figure this might be the best way to go and if I fall in love with it, I can splurge and buy my dream bike.
I am starting a new fitness and diet regimen, and this is the little boost I need to get me going. I've been wanting to get back into biking for a long time, and this is the perfect opportunity to do it...I just need some help getting there.
Any help you guys can give would be HUGE...