After lurking this subreddit for a long time, finally found a reasonable deal! Excited to see how I like the single speed. Might sell my road bike if I do.

New bars, bullhorn. New ratio, went up to 47, now 47x16. New seat, Ascent. Everything is dialing in.

It's moving season around here. I was walking around in my neighborhood and found that bike in the trash, air in the tires and everything, so I rode it home!

What can I do with this frame
I want to do something fun n cool
Without gears

I would like to present single speed bike I've built for my fiancée. I took the frameset from an old Wheeler 4800 road bike. I cleaned and painted it myself. The rest of the parts are new.

I really like my bike frame but it has veritcal dropouts. I've been using an old derailleur for a chain tensioner but it just looks so bad. What are some of the downsides of the magic ratio solution?

Also, do y'all have any chain tensioner recommendations that aren't expensive? I'm thinking like <$50. I was going to get a singleator but I'm interested to hear about alternatives.

Thanks!

Sella italia xbow MTB seat for a road bike because I don’t wear bib shorts and this has just the right squish for me
Orange bar tape, brake cables and frame bag (jango rolls, definitely recommend)
Marathon plus tires because there’s a lot of glass on the ground where I live
Replaced the little brake levers with drop bar levers.

Second picture is with the bike of a cute kid at my church who wanted me to ride round the park with her this afternoon 🥹

Sella italia xbow MTB seat for a road bike because I don’t wear bib shorts and this has just the right squish for me
Orange bar tape, brake cables and frame bag (jango rolls, definitely recommend)
Marathon plus tires because there’s a lot of glass on the ground where I live
Replaced the little brake levers with drop bar levers.

Second picture is with the bike of a cute kid at my church who wanted me to ride round the park with her this afternoon 🥹

Full ridged, like the single speed gods intended

I swapped out the factory drop bar for a flat. I’m running one brake at the rear. I understand the most stopping power is at the front, hasn’t been an issue for me.

I used to ride bmx race bikes in the 90s that only rocked a rear brake and since then it’s all I ever used for the riding that I do. Neighborhoods, creek trail (paved), coffee shop runs, occasional surface streets.

Cheap frame, painted, flip flop fun.
Any suggestions or opinions?

Hi, I purchased an Elops 500 a few months ago. It mounts a 44x18 gear ratio. It is quite good on flats, even though for flats i'd prefer it to be heavier in order to go faster. However, I am planning 3-4 days bikepacking this year and i'll do some hilly areas near a lake. It is not strictly mountain, but there will be some hills.

I find that the 44x18 is too tight for going up on hills. what would be a good compromise for bikepacking and weekend rides? I was thinking about 44x20 (maybe changing the free wheel will be cheaper , i guess.

Will the 44x20 be good enough without sacrificing too much speed? Or should i just keep the 44x18 (and eventually upgrade to 44x16/17) and walk and push on hard hills?

I’ve always wanted a single speed, so as I’ve been getting back into cycling after a 20 year hiatus, here it is. Really enjoying it so far, haven’t done any major distance yet, but that’s mostly heat related.
Went with the riser bars, but bullhorns may be in the future.

I’m looking for a single speed commuter that is an upgrade from my fixed gear. I’d like something that is a bit safer with disc brakes. Still want an aggressive frame/ style…and maybe even with a carbon belt drive to reduce maintenance. Any ideas?