Singlespeed – Pompino 2011

Its time to build a new bike and replace the Langster

I have been enjoying the Langster singlespeed for the last eight months or so, either riding to and fro to work or riding the country lanes around the village where I live.

With many rides and a little over 1386  kms on the Specialized Langster, I like the simplicity of this bike, especially as I’m used to my fully equipped MTBs, this is just the opposite, nothing to do except oil the chain from time to time.

In the winter season I ride a little less than usual, I’ll be 54 at the end of 2011, age make me lazy especially  when its wet, cold, windy etc.  so jumping on a singlespeed is a lttle easier than riding mountain bikes especially as when I get home a quick wash and the bike’s ready again, with a MTB, I have to wash of the mud including myself,  re grease eveything, all that takes a little longer.

I’m now starting to build up my next Singlespeed from scratch, it’s what I’ve done on most of my MTBs so it should be easy, except I’m not used to road components, the makes, the models, I’m used to Shimano XTR, XT for exemple, and these don’t exist on Singlespeed bikes, rather Sugino and such…

I’ve spent and spending  a lot of time on singlespeed forums, certain are really active, such as http://www.lfgss.com/ getting advice and reading up on what to buy.

Frame & forks :
What I don’t like in the Singlespeed world is the frame looks, the anti sloping, track style is just something that is not me, the straight frame is Ok BUT I want a sloping frame, I’ve been around MTBs to long. I’ve found a frame and fork called Pompino, it’s a little on the heavy side but its cheap and quite sexy, strange thing about it that it takes old school cantilever V style brakes. http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROOP/on-one-pompino-frame

Bits & pieces :

Wheels : Mavic Open Pro rims with Goldtec track hubs and ACI Alpina spokes, all black, they were built by a wheel builder http://www.yogarup.com/wheels/this guy knows what he’s talking about, and his prices are good.

Ahead set : Chris King, as on all my bikes but overly expensive for the SS, so I bought a Cane Creek, it doesn’t seem to bad.
Handlebars : A Rotundo Pro 3T.
Stem : Race Face Deus : same as on all my frames 100mm long
Seat Post : Race Face Next SL : 300mm long, carbon version, again the same on all my bikes
Saddle  : Selle Italia Flite with Ti rails.Brakes : Avid Shorty 4
Brakes levers : Sram, they work with the brakes work nicely.
BB and Cranks : For the moment I’m running the cranks from the Langster as the Sugino 75 are so expensive, even though I have the BB sitting on a shelf waiting untill I get the cranks.
Freewheel : For the moment, the standard one that was on the Langster, A White Industries Eno freewheel to come later
Pedals : Time Atac carbon.

The bike weighs in at 9.70 kilos including pedals

BB Sugino 75 sitting on a shelf for later, just need the cranks to go with it.

It's finally finished

Update November 2011 : I’ve now done over 1260 kms in less than 8 months with this bike, the first ride was in March 2011, so far so good, I’ve changed nothing, a couple of long rides of over 90km in one go with it, it’s just fine, its fun what you can do with a singlespeed

I mostly use it for saturday training runs, when its to muddy to get out the MTB or for getting to  work , which is only a 18km ride in each direction.

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