[LJintheUK]

Well, same country anyway. Just posted off my order for a Solitude singlespeed in the big wheel size. I love my Vicious The Motivator but I had to face the fact that I am addicted to singlespeeding. Alex, AKA singlespeedpunk, has been a pleasure to deal with and his suggested tweaks to the Vicious geometry were in keeping with what I was contemplating. I'll have a new toy to play with in six to eight weeks
Now what colour will it be?

 

[29erchico]

Color?

How about alternating stripes of puce and vermillion in a neo zebra pattern? A true eye catcher. Revolting as well!

29erchico

 

[LJintheUK]

How about alternating stripes of puce and vermillion in a neo zebra pattern? A true eye catcher. Revolting as well!

29erchico

Errr, possibly not
It's a tough question. I have been trying to think of a colour I haven't had, with no success (well except pink, and I don't like pink). At the moment it's a toss up between dark blue and British Racing Green.

 

[sslos]

Oooooh!

Errr, possibly not
It's a tough question. I have been trying to think of a colour I haven't had, with no success (well except pink, and I don't like pink). At the moment it's a toss up between dark blue and British Racing Green.

How about British Racing Green (nice hue, BTW) with ivory panels? Talk about classic!
Granted, I'm a bit biased. That's my panel-laden Wily over there===>

the los

 

[LJintheUK]

How about British Racing Green (nice hue, BTW) with ivory panels? Talk about classic!
Granted, I'm a bit biased. That's my panel-laden Wily over there===>

the los

That would be nice, but the frames are only available with single colour powdercoat. I'm sure for an upcharge I could get panels but I'm trying to do this build relatively cheaply.

 

[nightfire]

Are you going to get a pair of WB forks from him or rigid?

Here is the first Solitude in the nude. and a 29er. There are more on the website https://www.solitudecycles.com

I would go for a Phil Wood EBB if that is the route you want to go.

P::..

 

[LJintheUK]

Are you going to get a pair of WB forks from him or rigid?

Here is the first Solitude in the nude. and a 29er. There are more on the website https://www.solitudecycles.com

I would go for a Phil Wood EBB if that is the route you want to go.

P::..

Not going for WB forks, I like rigid best. He's building me a non corrected disc only fork.
Not too keen on EBBs myself, though no experience with them. Just having trackends and a V-brake at the rear, trying to keep it simple.
Ordered an ENO hub laced up to DT TK7.1 for the rear wheel and I'll borrow the front wheel from my gearie until I get some more cash together. Everything else will come off my 26 singlespeed.

 

[nightfire]

Cool, you do know you can get an disk ENO hub from Sideways don't you ;-)

Will you get a disk mount for the future?

P::..

 

[LJintheUK]

Cool, you do know you can get an disk ENO hub from Sideways don't you ;-)

Will you get a disk mount for the future?

P::..

Didn't know they do a disc hub, just got the standard one.
I won't get a disc mount. To be honest I don't need more than a V on the back, sure it'd be nice to have a disc for the mud but all the faffing with trackends and disc mounts is too much hassle for me. This bike will probably only be ridden in Norfolk so I don't need monster stopping power .
This bike's going to be stripped down to the bare minimum. It won't even have bottle bosses.
It'll be columbus thron tubing by the way

 

[Singlespeedpunk]

Better late than never!

Thanks to Phil (Nightfire) for tipping me off, I was busy looking at the Columbus catalogue and the specs of the Life vs. Spirit tubes

That 29er frame is now finished and just need the disc mounts faced before a trip to the powder coaters tomorrow. The White Bros forks have turned up (with a £60 import bill!) so its all on track. I built the wheels last weekend and all the other parts bar BB are in, the BB will be sized from stock once the rest is together to get a good chain line.

The response to Solitude has been great, I seem to have hit a rich vein of cyclists who want a nice down-to-earth bike that fits them. I have 6 frames / bikes in the line now plus a pair of rigid 395mm disc-only forks in 1" a-head....I love the weird stuff!

Colour wise I prefere single colour powder coat with the stainless head badge and / or a panel decal on the seat tube. The 29er above will be Camel Trophy / LandRover yellow with black parts....sweet! I am looking at hooking up with a local painter but I have yet to get a test frame to him....I think my new fixie might be a blank canvas for him.

Anyway, I have work to do and more importantly lunch!

Later

Alex

 

[LJintheUK]

Just got some pics from Alex Looks damn good to me. It's off to the powdercoaters tomorrow.

 

[AteMrYeats]

Post Pics! Let's see how she turns out. I think the 29er movement has to spread to Europe through Old Blighty and then things will really start picking up. Long live the custom English frame builder!

 

[LJintheUK]

Post Pics! Let's see how she turns out. I think the 29er movement has to spread to Europe through Old Blighty and then things will really start picking up. Long live the custom English frame builder!

I certainly will post pics when it's built up. And the best way to spread the word is to let others try our bikes, let them know what we know

 

[nightfire]

Hmm those forks look really nice, good work SSP.

P::..

 

[LJintheUK]

Hmm those forks look really nice, good work SSP.

P::..

Here's a pic of the fork. They should take a 2.3 if I ever feel the need for one.

 

[nightfire]

Hmm those forks look really nice, good work SSP.

P::..

 

[Singlespeedpunk]

Thanks Phil...

...now stop hitting the "POST" button

I have some of those crowns in stock (one on the next build too) and they make pretty good 29er forks. The legs are 28.6dia Reynolds with plug-in drop-outs and I can offer them in disc, canti or both (plus rack and dynamo mounts if you want!)

Because of the taper from the drop-outs to the crown I'm not sure how good they would be for a regular 26" (100mm > 63mm between the drop-outs > crown) The only downer is to get them to 38mm rake so they are a straight swap for WB and RS forks they need a little "manipulation" I wish people would make 29er sus forks with 45mm rake!....< fade to rant >

The width between the point where a tyre would sit is about 72mm / 2.75"

Alex

 

[LJintheUK]

Another pic from Alex. A slight problem with the fork, apparently the powdercoat didn't take properly at the disc mount so It's being stripped and re-done. It means a slight delay but these things happen and Alex was totally up front about it which is cool.
Alex says the blue is darker in real life. And the wheels in the background aren't mine (same colour spooky huh?).

 

[martin_uk]

Nice Blue (even if it is darker than it seems)

It's looking good. Bet you can't wait.

I never thought about colour matching the wheels! No, I'm not going there.

Martin

 

[Singlespeedpunk]

That blue....

Looks about right on the works computer screen, on the lap-top and camera LCD it looked really light! Pesky computers....(or it might be my eyeballs!)

Shame about the forks, but they should be sorted pretty fast.

Martin, even if you wanted colour-matched rims with the colour you chose I would have to refuse Your tubes are in and Lee has started work in his new, compact workshop (the old 1200sq ft one was a bit big for 1 guy!)

Alex