What better place to kick-off a SS build than Truth Coffee in Cape Town? Well, maybe not the best as I left my meeting with the brothers from Velobrien with a completely different bike in mind than the one I arrived with. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start somewhere around the beginning.
There’s the classic look of this bike that has almost by itself inspired me to do a SS project.
I’ve been wanting to do a single speed build for quite a while, but there was always something else that came up that I was wanting to be build first. Also didn’t want to do a single speed just for the sake off it. It needed to be functional and, maybe above all, sexy! This time the delay wasn’t so much timing, but rather what ‘look’ to go for as there are so many beautiful examples out there.
Image credit: www.production-privee.com
On the wilder side of the scale I have found inspiration in the Privee Shan’s 917 Gulf “livery”. I’ve always been a fan of the Gulf racing colours and for the longest time this was the look I was going to go with. But then Patches got the jump on me with his Morewood Makeover thread.
Next up was another long-time favourite of mine. The SingleBe Street-Killer. I’m a big fan of simplicity and elegant beauty and this bike ticked both boxes. It’s uncluttered look brings the sexy back to bike porn.
SingleBe Street-Killer complete with gorgeous Lefty-style rigid fork // Image credit: www.singlebe.com
And this is where I was before going to the meeting with the guys from Velobrien. I was pointed in their direction when doing a search on The Hub SA for custom saddles and stumbled upon this saddle recover thread.
I made contact with them and we met up to discuss ideas. Creative juices where flowing, along with some good coffee, and by the time I left there I decided to change direction with the look of the bike. This was settled and put in the bank when I stopped at Vespa Waterfront and saw an old restored Vespa in a beautiful “celeste” colour. So what I’ve finally settled on is something like in the pic below.
The rest of the build I’m busy ironing out, but at least I’ve settled the most important issue: what will the bike look like! Next up is what I’ve got to work with.
Check out the other installations: The build kit part 1, The frame part 1, The frame part 2
wow !