Singular Switch-Up: Part 1

Okay, now that BRAN is in the rear view I can get back to more varied topics here. The first order of business is to catch up on a project which hit the porch just before BRAN happened. 

I posted about this early in the month HERE, so I am not going to go over the "how" this is happening again now. Go hit the link if you want to refresh your memory or find out how this switcheroo came about. 

The sizing of bicycles in stock runs sometimes leaves one as a "tweener". I've experienced this before. Salsa Cycles in the 2000's was a prime example of my "tweener" status as I could ride their Medium or Large El Mariachi bike. Fisher was another brand where a 19.5" or a 21" could work for me. 

Singular seems to be my next "tweener brand" as the size Large Peregrine Mk4 was a tiny bit too small. I never would have ordered a Size XL, but here I am. The modern bike buying experience seems to be shooting in the dark, to a degree, when trying on a bike for size, and sometimes you miss slightly. That's just the way it is for many of us these days. 

The new XL Peregrine also offers me a chance to switch up my set up. I've been contemplating a few changes and one is to go single speed. I know.....I have single speed gravel bikes. It's just that I like single speeds. What can I say? 

But first, I needed to mock up where this bike was going to set me. Literally, as in how I would sit on it. To get there, I needed to swap over the fork from the old one and the head set, of course. This meant I got to use the Park Tools cutting and facing tools I have. This does not happen often anymore!

Once I had the head set in, the fork installed, and a stem and bars installed, I needed to find a placeholder seat post and stem. Digging around, I found this short, carbon fiber two-bolt seat post which for the life of me I could not remember where it came from. Anyway, that was set up with an ancient WTB SST leather saddle, None of this will likely be final choices, but these will help me gauge where I am at with fit on an XL.

Using my Irwin carbon wheels which are set up with 700 X 45mm Continental tires, I found the top tube is going to be a wee bit cozy in terms of stand over. 

But the rest of it looks far better. It is a similar set up to the old Twin Six Standard Rando. Longer top tube by a little, but the stack height is better. I got rid of an inch and a quarter's worth of spacers by going with the larger frame. 

So, now I have to get the old frame stripped down and sent back to Singular. Then I can contemplate how this one will be built. I already have made a switch to a silver Luxy Bar. 

Stay tuned....