I got the new inner tube fitted on Saturday. The old tube had split next to the valve. It wasn't a pinch, so either I over-filled it or it was a manufacturers fault. Tubes aren't too expensive, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Even though the new tube is a really cheap Raleigh tube, it seems better than the old Vittoria one. It supposedly has the same dimensions, but it's not so tight to the rim, making it a lot easier to fit.
I decided to take the bike to the end of the street and back, to see if anything needed adjusting. The first adjustment was to tighten the nuts on the rear wheel, as I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to move forward in the dropouts upon pedalling. :P The second adjustment was to the cotter pins, which I hadn't had an opportunity to hammer in, due to a sleeping toddler. I'd brought a hammer along for just such an occasion, although I hadn't expected the pedals to go so far out of alignment. Pedalling with the pedals at 12:20 was a very strange sensation!
Something else that hadn't felt right were the handlebars, but the distance wasn't enough to get a good feel for what was right. I made that adjustment this morning, on my journey to work. I haven't ridden a racer in years, so I couldn't remember how the bars were supposed to be set up. I'd put them on so that the bottom of the bars were horizontal, and the top of the bar was at an angle. That wasn't right - I couldn't reach the brakes at all, so braking required going into the racing position. That's not too condusive to rapid stops!
With the bars in the correct position, I continued on my journey, taking it quite slow just in case something fell off or broke. oh, and also because cycling felt WEIRD! I've been used to a mountain bike for years now; big handlebars, big tyres, front suspension, and quite a high perspective. Now I've got narrow handlebars, tiny tyres, no suspension, and I'm closer to the road. I could feel every little bump, and I didn't feel very stable at all! I guess it must be like driving a racing car after having gotten used to the comfort of a normal car.
As I still wasn't sure if I'd tightened the cotter pins enough (the drive side pin looks too far out to be properly seated), or if the chain would hold out, I originally intended to get off the bike for the one and only big hill on the journey; a valley coming out of Stockport on the A6. In practising for singlespeed, I'd been sticking to 6th gear on my MTB, and going up the hill usually meant standing up on the pedals, which I thought might be a bit too much of a risk for a relatively un-tested bike. But I don't like stopping if I don't have to.. and there was a geared road bike ahead of me, with a lycra-clad rider, and the oval tubes and ludicrous paintwork of a bike that must've cost at least twice as much as my bike.. a bike that I was gaining on at quite some speed, even though the rider was really going for it..
So I didn't get off and walk. I pedalled, surprised at how easy it was. Still wary of putting too much power down, I breezed past the roadie so quickly and easily, I thought that maybe he was having bike issues! He didn't look like he wasn't trying.. it must've been horrible to be passed by a guy on a 35 year old bike, with brakes at two different positions (the brake levers still need a bit of adjustment, it seems), wearing massive baggy shorts and a huge rucksack with an adjustable wrench and a hammer poking out of it. Maybe this is the magic of singlespeeds? Maybe he was just a really crap rider? I also overtook a singlespeeder later on, but I didn't count him because he looked like he was in some sort of work clothes, and he only had one brake, despite not riding a fixed, as far as I could tell (I'm sure I saw him coasting).
All in all, the first ride on my singlespeed was pretty good! The ride feels weird in a few ways, though.. the bike feels too small, even though my leg is fully extended when the pedal is at it's lowest point. The brake levers also seem to be in a weird position, which I think might be due to the handlebar adjustment - it's made them higher up the curve than before. That might also be the cause of the short feeling, come to think of it. Last of all, the gearing might be wrong. It's currently 48/18, which should be a 5.2 gain ratio, but I think I might need a higher ratio - that uphill was too easy, and I ran out of revs going down the hill. I'll wait for a headwind and see how it goes. It could turn out to be a blessing!
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