The Facebook group, Getononeand ride (and the sales group) are worth joining.

Excellent! Thank you. Just joined.

Thanks very much, I really appreciate it. Now to find one.

Thanks very much! That’s useful to hear.

@hardtailonly – am I right in thinking medium is the 18″?

Thanks for the advice everyone, lots of good stuff there and much appreciated. I’ll guess I’ll just retension and see how it goes. For those that run everything until it all wears together, at what point do you consider it done?

Thank @tthew – that’s another question I had. Is there a wear point at which a singlespeed ring and cog become unusable with a new chain?

@mert – I did check the chain straight after I’d fitted it and the checker wouldn’t slot in, so there’s definitely been some initial wear.

@zerocool – I checked the tension before my ride on Saturday and it’s certainly slacker post-ride.

I believe so, yep. I got it from Wiggle I think.

Hey Mert. It is a drop-in one, yep. I couldn’t find my decent metal rule earlier but the rule I did find showed it had stretched to a little bit past the 12″ mark.

I’ve no idea why they’re wearing so quickly!

@kayla1 – just put an order in for a 32t chainring, ta very much.

Thanks very much everyone, I appreciate it.

I’ll be honest, building my own wheels fills me with dread. I’ll do possibly everything else, but I think that I’ve read that wheelbuilding is a dark art so many times I’m immediately shut off by the idea.

It hadn’t occurred to buy a geared wheelset and use a single speed kit. Are there any downsides? I guess with my EBB I wouldn’t need a tensioner?

Thanks all, good to know it’s not faulty!

@mashr – you’re absolutely right. The rotation is in the upper shaft.

Thanks @kayla1 – just for the avoidance of doubt, it is Bikepunx isn’t it?

Thanks very much everyone!

No spring tensioner @Daffy , it has an EBB for tensioning chain.

@kayla1 – do you manufacture the rings? I’d prefer steel to be honest. The bike is no lightweight any way.

I always tend to stick to the same bits in Delamere, @tthew – across Ashton Road from the Blakemere side. Is there much more to be found?

Thanks very much. Apologies @wheelsonfire1, I meant no offence.

@frogstomp – when I compared them side by side the difference was just visible.

Thanks chaps. No spacers left on, and all sprockets are seated as they should be.

There’s maybe only and extra millimetre or so of lip.

Ultimately I’m left feeling empty by life.

This is how I’ve been feeling, increasingly so, for the last few years. I’ve endeavoured to live a good life, do what’s right and be a decent friend, dad and husband, but have been left feeling somewhat empty and flat. I’m in no way religious but find thoughts turning to what may come after this life, if anything, and how it might reflect how one has lived. To possibly give this life purpose and an aim.

It’s sadly reassuring to read that other people share a similar emptiness, and stops me questioning if it’s purely down to me.

Is yours a 29er @sandboy ? That’s what I was originally looking for then this appeared.

The Pompino is my favourite bike. It’s so versatile and will do pretty much anything. I’m currently desperately trying to find another that I can leave set up permanently for off road stuff. There was talk of a new Pompino being released but I guess Covid put paid to it :-/

My single speed Charge Cooker. I ride a fixed gear Pompino daily and on club rides.

What an horrific situation to be put in. It’s incomprehensible.

Remarkable effort @Cougar, great work.

Give Woody a shout at bigwoodys.co.uk. He’s been selling skateboards for longer than I remember and also runs girls only skate nights at Ramp City in Blackpool. A nicer chap you will not find :-)

Thank you chaps, that’s really very much appreciated. I’ll only really need to put one bike in regularly, but I’ll put a tow bar on to carry a rack if I need more. It’ll also be used for the usual camping holidays, karting kit around type of thing.

Have you found yours reliable?

Thanks chaps, lots to consider.

@reluctantjumper – when I fitted the chain the .5 gauge didn’t go in, so it has certainly stretched a bit. I measured it with a steel rule as per Sheldon and it’s just a touch over the 12″ mark, not much at all.

@nickjb – I hope it was genuine, I got it from Wiggle. I bought one for my singlespeed MTB at the same time but I’ve not used it as much.

You’re right, @Saccades, it doesn’t matter as much as geared I guess. It just seemed an alarmingly quick rate of wear.

So all things being equal – chainline good, chain not too tight – what could cause wear that quick?

Edit to add – @Klunk, they’ve been on about 1000 miles ish.

That’s what I thought. It’s a KMC z1 chain (I think) and the crankset is a Stronglight Track. 19t cog and a 48t ring.

I’m at a loss. Maybe the lube is rubbish, it’s the first time I’ve tried it.

Thanks chaps, much appreciated. That’s as far back as I’ll need it to go because the chain is stretched pretty much to the limit so I’ll swap it soon.

I missed the entry cutoff @tazzymtb – I was awaiting the terminal nature of a fault with my van and now it’s too late.

Charge Cooker picked up off eBay last week. Steel, rigid, singlespeed – what’s not to like?

Thanks very much chaps, it’s appreciated – 16t Halo cog on order!

Over the bearing there’s a plastic conical seal, then a washer, then a knurled 15mm nut. How tight should that be? I’m guessing it has no effect on preload?

Thanks very much @qwerty . Isn’t that a bit of a nightmare when it comes to servicing? Normally if a freewheel dies it can be replaced – Does this need a new hub?

Thanks chaps, I appreciate the replies.

However, it’s not as straightforward as I hoped. I took the back wheel off and it appears that there is a freehub with a locking holding a single cog on, not the freewheel I’d expected. Has anyone seen this set up before?

I’ve had a Kaffenback and still have a Pompino. No problem at all with either the bikes themselves, or indeed customer service from Planet X. I wish I still had the Kaffenback come to think of it.

I’ll second @yourguitarhero , got the same Tortec rack from Wiggle on my Pompino. I use the Ortlieb gravel packs because the size is just right (potential for heel strike on the Pomp). I had to add a couple of spacers to clear the V brakes but it’s good and solid.

You’re limited somewhat with regards to tyre width on V1 and V1 forks, certainly the standard Al ones – I had a WTB Venture 47mm on the front of mine and it’s tighter than a gnat’s chuff. I’ve just swapped back to 700c wheels and 40mm Nanos.

Having said that, the 47mm Byways were ok.

SKS Bluemel 53mm with 47mm WTB Byways.

Actually love it and aiming for a local 50k Ultra in June, which I’m sure will involve walking!

Is it the Llangollen 50k? I’ve signed up for that myself. It’ll be my first Ultra.

I use Alpkit Jekyll on my Camino and they work remarkably well. The flat side is only used for school runs and quick stuff, clipped side for longer excursions. Having to flip the pedal to get the right side occasionally is a small price to pay for the versatility and convenience.

The only bearings I’ve used that made a noticeable difference is Bronson. They held speed very well. Everything else was much of a muchness. Minilogos were pretty good for the money.

@tall_martin

Thanks chap :-)

What do you have on a front rack that beefy? Can you get a weeks shop on it?
Why a front rather than rear rack (I’ve had a rear rack for commuting and the odd tour for 20+ years).

During lockdown last year I used it for combining the grocery run with daily exercise, so the rack and panniers worked really well. It carries loads for camping too. No particular reason for a front rack other than when I was looking for a rack I’d seen that one being used with my panniers so knew it’d work ok.