UPDATE: CLASSIFIEDS section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
A bike I've denied myself for years as an excessive addiction to the collection, a really nice steel dedicated SS.
I decided to go for it a while back, for a big birthday. Maiden voyage today and it's everything I was hoping it would be, which is nice after spunking a large wodge of cash on it.
Steven at Willow bike has done a sterling job.
Ooo! I like that a lot! Take it, it has an ebb?
A blinglespeed can never go boing in the front.
Yet there it is.
Well in that case, it's a capable trail hardtail with one gear 🙂
😀
Looks lovely. But it really does need at minimum a bespoke steel fork that may have come off a 1950s motorbike.
Even if its just for the photos...
Nice bike, suitably ridiculous bars 😀
A blinglespeed can never go boing in the front.
Surely the appropriate comment is 'mate, your forks are back to front' 😀😀
Tasty!
A Willow in a great colour with polished Middleburn cranks.. I like that.
That is a splendid frame, lovely colour too!
Proper bling :-)
That’s so nice! The colour and mix of black vs polished parts work really well.
What’s going on with the interesting rear sprocket / freehub set-up? 120mm fork? What’s the full geometry?
That looks gorgeous
That back end is lush
Thanks, I'm chuffed with the way it looks and rides.
Rear hub is a Hope Pro5 SS and the sprocket is a cheapo AliExpress thingy, the carrier looks chunky.
Geo-
490 reach
440 CS, 75STA, 64 unsagged HTA, 60 BB drop.
The Manitou R8 is very nice feeling, as it jolly well should be given the price.
I've had/got plenty rigid forked bikes but wanted this to be a more capable fast machine on techy terrain.
Very nice and UK handmade singlespeeds just have to use Middleburn cranks 🙂.
How are the chainstays done? Looks like single diameter round tubes but can't tell how the BB area is done. Crimped and bent? 3d print? Machined yoke?
Rear hub is a Hope Pro5 SS and the sprocket is a cheapo AliExpress thingy, the carrier looks chunky.
It’s a stunning looking bike/build, very nice indeed.
Needs a polished Boone Titanium chainring and rear sprocket though 👌
Very nice indeed. A steel singlespeed is a thing of beauty. I’ve been out on my Singular Rooster today for the first time in a while and loved. I’ll never get rid of that bike.
Very nice indeed.
Niiiice.
Nice that, lovely colour 😎
Needs a polished Boone Titanium chainring and rear sprocket though 👌
My first choice was a Boone sprocket.
Duly added to basket, but hitting the calculate shipping button was a shocker, even for someone from the Highlands 😳
However, we are due to wave off a child on Tuesday, for a year aupairing in N Carolina...
I'm hoping to use this to my advantage in the procurement of shiny niche SS baubles.
Very nice and UK handmade singlespeeds just have to use Middleburn cranks 🙂.
How are the chainstays done? Looks like single diameter round tubes but can't tell how the BB area is done. Crimped and bent? 3d print? Machined yoke?
Middleburns are great. These are an ancient set off a previous fatbike. Sanded out the worst of the scratches, polished and then swapped in a new axle of correct length.
The chainstays are 19mm round, into a printed stainless yoke @mick_r
Really neat, and very solid feeling while SS thrutching up knobbly climbs.
I feel bad now. I do think its gert lush. Just making a joke about being not niche enough 🙂
If it's a proper "Big birthday" then surely you have reached an age where your knees won't be able to handle this bike?
I could help out by "minding" it for you 🙂
My first choice was a Boone sprocket.
There's an 18T on Retrobike atm, £50
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/boone-18t-carbon-forks-chris-king-single-speed.510950/
Great, thanks for the chainstay info - I thought it might be printed. Your cranks have polished up amazingly well. My current set is 15 years and three framebuild iterations old - and proudly scuffed and ratty 🙂
Sometimes a bike just looks like a riot, and that does.
Reminds me of an early Yeti with the paint scheme and the Manitou, in a very good way.
If it's a proper "Big birthday" then surely you have reached an age where your knees won't be able to handle this bike?
It's when you stop riding SS that knee trouble is more likely I reckon...ask me again in ten years 🙂
The colour is indeed lovely, RAL 6034. I went for the tough cheap powdercoat option rather than fancy paint, I'm not in any way precious about looking after paint.
Oh, and 18T is four teeth too few for me!
