AIRFARE TO CHARLOTTE

After researching singlespeeds and fixed gear bicycles for about two years I finally took the plunge in to the singlespeed world with a 2007 Raleigh One Way. As a new bicycle commuter I was debating on buying an older steel lugged bike off Craigslist or buying a new bicycle that I knew would be more of a "production" bicycle. The One Way caught my attention because it seemed to bridge the gap of finding the style of a vintage road bike and the price point of a modern production bicycle. The following are my thoughts on some of the key features of the One Way.

Steel frame - Finding a steel frame with relaxed geometry was top on my priority list. All of the fixed gear track bikes are cool to look at but a little too upright for commuting in my opinion. In today's aluminum saturated bicycle market it's refreshing to see companies like Raleigh re-introducing steel frames at a competitive price point. Personally, I don't think the ride quality of a steel frame can be beat for commuting purposes. With respect to the fork I liked the lugged crown which added a nice vintage detail and the curvature of the fork also added to the retro look I desired. One of the other frame design features I liked was the horizontal dropouts and the front and rear fender braze ons. Interestingly I noticed a second pair of braze ons on the front forks that I'm guessing allows for a front rack to be easily mounted. Details like horizontal dropouts and fender braze ons can make or break that beautiful 1970s $50 Craigslist frame you had great intentions of converting only to find it wasn't realistic when you brought it home. The One Way avoided the post-Craigslist blues altogether with attention to detail on the design.

Tires - I've heard good things about Vittoria tires but I was concerned on the front end that the tread pattern would be a little too aggressive for street use. After riding on the stock Vittoria Cross tires I was very impressed not only with the speed but also the width. The width of the stock tires is perfect for commuting and I don't think I would change this spec on my next set. After these wear out I will probably switch them out to a more true road tire like the Vittoria Randonneur or a Schwalbe Randonneur tire.

Brakes - The cantilever brakes allow for fenders (which come standard) on the One Way but also allow for a wider tire and, in my opinion, better braking power.

Weight - I was shocked at how little this bike weighs.

Chain - Big manufacturing mistake here. Thanks to Richard I was given a warning that the chain might be too short when the rear wheel is taken off and flipped on the freewheel side. I had my local bike shop set up the One Way as freewheel and thankfully it was in their hands for this procedure because sure enough the chain was too short and they had to add an extra link. If you are considering the purchase of a One Way please keep this in mind. Quite possibly I received an earlier production One Way and this minor detail could have been addressed by now.

Fenders - Love the fenders! I'm by no means a fender expert and, in fact, this is my first experience riding a bike with fenders. I was surprised at how light the standard SKS fenders are and the overall aesthetic achieved with the silver color adds to the beauty of the One Way. I might later upgrade to some Honjo fenders that have a more chrome appearance but for now now the SKS will suffice.

Bars/Stem - The bars are perfect for commuting. Nothing too extraordinary in the bar tape/bar combination but it does the job comfortably. Of particular note is the chrome bar end detail that Raleigh added (very nice!) With respect to the stem there are five or six spacers that I'm not quite sure are necessary. Maybe Raleigh's thought was to add versatility depending on the owner's riding position but personally I would like to have seen a taller stem so as to avoid the unsightly spacers.

In conclusion, the Raleigh One Way fills a unique niche in the commuter market. Raleigh says on their website, "The Raleigh One Way is our idea of the perfect single speed commuter." I would take this another step and say that it is THE perfect commuter. If you live in an incredibly hilly area then you too can benefit from a One Way thanks to the technology of an internally geared hub like Shimano's Nexus. The One Way easily transforms in to a classic French randonneur look simply by adding chrome fenders, rear/front rack, a Brooks saddle, and Brooks bar tape. If the classic look isn't your style simply remove the fenders and rear brake and you've got the clean and simple messenger style. For the money I cannot find a better commuter elsewhere. Happy commuting!

Needed a way to properly mount the amazing Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS throttle and stick.

4 hours including shopping and paint drying.

2’x 4’ particle board base—4" black ABS (cheap black plastic pipe) end cap bolted down, insert 4" x 14” pipe and screw in place, sand pipe lightly and paint. Attach joystick to unpainted removable 4" ABS plug (you need four new M4 X 16 or longer screws), insert...and now your joystick is between your legs where it belongs. ;-)

One gripe: the removable plug I found (YMMV) has a recessed lip so there's a 1/16" gap between the ABS plug and the base of the joystick. If I can find thick 4" o-ring it will solve that problem.

Only tricky part is properly drilling, counter-sinking, and aligning the holes in the particleboard base and the ABS removable plug.

Next project is a retractable mount for the throttles, so they're down by my thigh where they belong, but can be slid back out of the way under the desk when I'm not flying. Some kind of modification to a prebuilt top mount drawer, I'm guessing, maybe a keyboard arm.