Heading up to Cannock on Friday but at the weekend my bottom bracket gave up and not sure I will have the funds to replace before the weekend. I have got a singlespeed set up I use on my commuter I could transfer over but the ratio is 38:18 – is that going to be difficult to ride or are there not too many steep climbs?

Its called Follow Your Dad. There are 2 short loose-ish steepish bits, the rest is relativley flat and easy going.

And the website makes it sound so difficult! If it is only 2 short climbs Im going to have to walk on Im not too bothered

There was a guy hammering round on a blue spot brand singlespeed at the weekend. He seemed to be getting on alright.

He seemed "serious" though, if you know what I mean. And big. Not the sort of person I'd look at and think: "well, if he can do it…"

But the climbs are short, and the downs are twisty. I would like to try it in one gear, I reckon the odd spinny section and the odd grunty section would be worth the benefit of losing time from misshifts and lost momentum from shifting up mid-climb. No idea about your gearing though.

How has the BB given up? Is it a hollowtech style one? Has it simply seized solid? If so take the cranks out, pop the seals off (a screwdriver and some elbow grease), and shove loads of grease (once you've tried to remove any muck) in. If its seized chances are that the seals on the cartridge bearings will have given up by now anyway. Reassemble and see if you can work the grease into the bearings to unseize them? Worth a try

There was a guy hammering round on a blue spot brand singlespeed at the weekend. He seemed to be getting on alright.

He seemed "serious" though, if you know what I mean. And big. Not the sort of person I'd look at and think: "well, if he can do it…"

Did he have a beard ??????????

not sure, I only saw his back!

by his general demeanour, I wouldn't be surprised if he was completely clean-shaven.

How has the BB given up? Is it a hollowtech style one? Has it simply seized solid? If so take the cranks out, pop the seals off (a screwdriver and some elbow grease), and shove loads of grease (once you've tried to remove any muck) in. If its seized chances are that the seals on the cartridge bearings will have given up by now anyway. Reassemble and see if you can work the grease into the bearings to unseize them? Worth a try

Its a deore one and the bearing are completely loose with a couple of mm's play in them. I rode at the weekend after checking all the bolt torques etc and at the end of the ride the crank arm came off! It had lost the bearing tension cap so I can only assume the amount of vibration that isnt normally there cause the bolts too loosen off so until I replace the bottom bracket it is just going to happen again