My Peugeot had gears. [fixed conversion] I stripped that shit off, threw a flip flop wheelset, profile horns, ect. It's like and aggressive.
My IRO is a track frame [proper track bike] - it too is a fixed gear, but it has a classic frame geometry.
Pixel, i'ma get a smaller headset / stem. The Nittos on it now are too tall. Chartreuse champ grips and a white / chartreuse frame pad with silver Champion tyres should have that bitch looking fast.
My Peugeot had gears. [fixed conversion] I stripped that shit off, threw a flip flop wheelset, profile horns, ect. It's like and aggressive.
My IRO is a track frame [proper track bike] - it too is a fixed gear, but it has a classic frame geometry.
Pixel, i'ma get a smaller headset / stem. The Nittos on it now are too tall. Chartreuse champ grips and a white / chartreuse frame pad with silver Champion tyres should have that bitch looking fast.
Wow, it does look like a 24" 26" wheelset doesn't it?
haha
No, they're 700c velocity rims with IRO hubs and double butted spokes. My tyres and grips are in transit from Philly.
It's name is Dom-ino [after Maison Dom-ino] - my other bike is Corb, so I continued the tradition - So I don't want to have anything on it but the essentials, as a diagram for a bike in a sense.
So whats the deal with fixies? Are the faster, how does it work on hills and other up and down roads? Is it a bit like riding your first Huffy? Do most people buy regular and convert to fixies? I am interested, I would love to test one out before I jump on to the fixie band-wagon.
Also, what is the deal with no brakes...I would assume the soles of your shoes are extremely worn down!
the concept is that the pedals do not freewheel. Remember that solid-tyred front brake only push-bike you had as a child? It was probably fixed-wheel. The one that your parents gave away without telling you. In metallic green, with tassels on the end of the handle bars. The one from which you fell and got nasty cuts on the palms of your hands that had to be scrubbed to get the grit out. That was your first taste of a fixie.
Perhaps it's something to do with the pleasure of waiting for your back tyre to mature enough to make the lock and slide less bouncy. Perhaps it is, as Kentique said, something to do with MANLINESS.
Ok, so when you push back on the pedals does it lock up the rear wheel, acting as a brake, like my first metallic green bike did?
And you know any good websites where I can order so "bull horn" handle bars for my roadster. I got my dads only custom and am going to put a few mods on it, maybe even covert this b to a fixie one day.
Ok, so when you push back on the pedals does it lock up the rear wheel, acting as a brake, like my first metallic green bike did?
And you know any good websites where I can order so "bull horn" handle bars for my roadster. I got my dads old custom and am going to put a few mods on it, maybe even covert this b to a fixie one day.
Anyone familiar with the Giant Bowery messenger bike, it has the ability to be set up as a single speed freewheel or fixie? I like this option because it allows both styles of riding in one bike. Any input or knowledge on this bike or this type of setup would be great.
I had the same thoughts and bought a flip flop hub. I've never flipped or flopped since learning how to ride fixed. Once you learn fixed, it is highly likely you wouldn't use the freewheel... no need.
Thanks for the advice, this seems like a good option for someone like me who is intersted in learning fixie, but needs a little time for the learning curve to kick in.
Another option is the rolhoff (sp?), used with hub gear systems. It is a non-centred bottom bracket (i.e. depending on how you fit it it has a different distance to the rear sprocket). With one of those in, and a fixed wheel you don't even need the vertical drop-outs to ride fixed.
I have a Suzue Pro-Max flip-flop and have never bothered putting the freewheel on the other side. Like mrudolph I've never bothered with it since learning to love fixed. However, my next ride will be fixed/fixed so I can keep a "commuting" sprocket on one side and a "racing" sprocket on the other.
Just got a new Windsor 'The Hour' fixie that has a stock gearing of 48/16. This bike is made for the track and I heard a concern of stripping the track cog with road riding. Anyone face this problem, should I buy a new beefier cog like a Surly or something, (any suggestions?). Thanks for the input.
hello, since there are so many bikers here i want to raise a question about my bike. i gota problem while pedaling, the chain skips a couple teeth on the gears...(where the pedals are located) and every 2.5- 3 revolutions of pedaling, it skips. i dont know whats wrong.
last week i switched to the lowest gears and then back to the highest gradually...ever since then the chain seemed to skip and its annoying! just asking here for help first
how could i test if the chain is loose? because it doesn't pop out when i pull on it. yes the teeth seemed worn half way down but on several around the rings. i saw on other bikes they had the same, but they ride well.
With the chain on, look at where it meets the front cog, on top and at the bottom. Do the teeth of the cog sit nicely in the chain, or is the chain kinda riding over them? If it's the latter, you definitely need a new chain, however there is a good possibility that the chain will have eaten away the teeth on the cogs so a new chain will fit, but also slip, necessitating new chainset (the cogs).
I'm riding my fixie 120 miles from London to the East coast next Saturday, through the night. Google the Dunwich Dynamo. Come along.
thanks...i was testing it out...i ran the pedals w/ my hand and saw a niche in the chain, it kept poping out near the shifters and it seems that the chain is so tight in that area that i cant even bend it. thats weird, i guess i have to change out the chain now. glad i found out the real problem!
but are all chain sizes standardized? or do they vary
The Limacon:
Custom built by Circle A Cycles.
(Dedacciai zero tubeset, DuraAce cranks & BB, DuraAce hubs, Mavic tubular rims, Chris King headset, 3ttt quill stem, Nitto bars, Campy seatpost.)
ps. to check chain tightness: give the cranks a turn. then with your axel wrench, gently tap on the chain. there should be just a little bit of chain vibration, not a lot: notice the sound. also, there will naturally be a tight and a loose spot as the chainring completes a full cycle... the chain should not be so tight that the tension prematurely stops the chain motion at the tight spot.
warning: beware of fingers near your chainring... i have seen the consequences and they are not pretty!
I heard track cogs can strip the hub threads if vigorously ridden on the street. (ie. skidding, etc). Anyone have this problem? What brand of cog is beefier and suitable for street riding?
asauer-
i ride hard and it never happened to me. maybe if you have cheap junkie hubs?
make sure you have a lock-ring on that cog, tho (and make sure it fits the hub - there are several different sizes)... there are some people that ride without them, but then you're unthreading whenever you brake.
i suggest the shimano track cog... it's standard, hardy and cheap ($15).
last, you CAN strip your hub if you install yourself and forget that the lock ring threads in the opposite direction as the cog.
Full Chrome-moly Dura-Forte Frame and fork; with Alex Aluminum rims, Shimano 2200 14-speed der's with stem indexed shifters, Maxxis 130 PSI 700c tires, quick release wheels front and rear, aluminum alloy hubs, SHIMANOaluminum crank, Aluminum alloy pedals including toe clips with straps, aluminum stem, aluminum handlebar, aluminum seatpost, ProMax aluminum side-pull brakes and levers, plus a very nice Velo Road bike seat.
asauer-
i hear you... i don't do skid-stops, but they wear your tires out too fast for my taste. the real trick (that i suck at) is popping your back wheel up in the air and freezing your crank mid-air. but tried and true is the method of gravitation force - get out of your saddle, and let the dead weight of your legs fall in the back half of your stroke (as the cranks are forcing your feet back up). let your body move as a unit, so that knees thighs hips and torso are all dead weight. fast stopping, that is. have fun, be safe.
"Just got a new Windsor 'The Hour' fixie that has a stock gearing of 48/16. This bike is made for the track and I heard a concern of stripping the track cog with road riding. Anyone face this problem, should I buy a new beefier cog like a Surly or something, (any suggestions?). Thanks for the input."
Its debatable if the the Windsor is a considered a true track geometry, I think its a bit more slack making it more suitable for road riding. The hubs are generic and aren't exactly the best, so I'm pretty sure thats where the stripping issues come from. If you want to play it safe, bring your bike into a fixie-friendly shop and have them properly torque down on your cog/lockring to make sure its not going anywhere and be careful with the back-pressure you're putting on it - or if you want to do it yourself, carefully rotofix the cog on so you don't strip anything out and then put on the lockring. Personally, if you're not comfortable skidding/skipping you should absolutely have a brake on there (don't recall if they come stock with one or not) until you get your speed control down.
limacon: please tell me you're entering the Circle A into the bike porn contest at Revolution on Friday - that thing is hottt.
we'll see... i'm not in boston yet, but i'm gonna be there this weekend to apartment-hunt. i'll have the dog, though, so it may be a no-go...
thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for the info on The Hour. When I received it in the mail the rear wheel was bent so I sent it back and they sent me a better rear wheel and hub. I now have an Alex rim with a formula track hub and Dura-Ace cog and lock ring. Hopefully, it will be fine. I really like the bike, it is my first fixie and I have easily grown to love fixie riding.
I think I am going to put on front brake, I have a good caliper but no brake lever. Any suggestions on front brake lever? Thanks.
bicycles
Also, does size matter (on bikes), if so, i'm 5'10"...any estimate of size?
maybe about a 55-57 cm frame... depends on the bike geometry...
These are my favorite bikes - Mike makes them by hand... they're so beautiful.
http://www.antbikemike.com/images/lrsteps.jpg width=400>
Check out the other ones he makes: A.N.T.
i love the way americans make a "scene" out of everything!
the bike building scene!
in many other places it's just an old guy with a workshop...
put your NJS badge on man!
speaking of which, anyone coming to critical mass on friday in london? i mught be able to sneak away from studying for a coupla hours...
I'd like to ride in London.
My Peugeot had gears. [fixed conversion] I stripped that shit off, threw a flip flop wheelset, profile horns, ect. It's like and aggressive.
My IRO is a track frame [proper track bike] - it too is a fixed gear, but it has a classic frame geometry.
Pixel, i'ma get a smaller headset / stem. The Nittos on it now are too tall. Chartreuse champ grips and a white / chartreuse frame pad with silver Champion tyres should have that bitch looking fast.
NO BRAKE PIXEL. you snob.
Gangsta Grillz you bastard.
I'd like to ride in London.
My Peugeot had gears. [fixed conversion] I stripped that shit off, threw a flip flop wheelset, profile horns, ect. It's like and aggressive.
My IRO is a track frame [proper track bike] - it too is a fixed gear, but it has a classic frame geometry.
Pixel, i'ma get a smaller headset / stem. The Nittos on it now are too tall. Chartreuse champ grips and a white / chartreuse frame pad with silver Champion tyres should have that bitch looking fast.
NO BRAKE PIXEL. you snob.
Gangsta Grillz you bastard.
JP
is that a (now illegal on the track) 26"front 28"back wheelset? Brakeless, very very tasty.
I highly recommend cycling London, it is akin to snowboarding some awesome piste (or off-piste), particularly if you ride brakeless.
We have a couple of North Americans, and several Architect-types (current studentx2, drop-outx2, part-qualified) at Creative Couriers
Wow, it does look like a 24" 26" wheelset doesn't it?
haha
No, they're 700c velocity rims with IRO hubs and double butted spokes. My tyres and grips are in transit from Philly.
It's name is Dom-ino [after Maison Dom-ino] - my other bike is Corb, so I continued the tradition - So I don't want to have anything on it but the essentials, as a diagram for a bike in a sense.
the spoke card adds 5 horsepower.
Fixie folks....
So whats the deal with fixies? Are the faster, how does it work on hills and other up and down roads? Is it a bit like riding your first Huffy? Do most people buy regular and convert to fixies? I am interested, I would love to test one out before I jump on to the fixie band-wagon.
Also, what is the deal with no brakes...I would assume the soles of your shoes are extremely worn down!
Yoda say:
"Do, or do not... There is no try"
However,
the concept is that the pedals do not freewheel. Remember that solid-tyred front brake only push-bike you had as a child? It was probably fixed-wheel. The one that your parents gave away without telling you. In metallic green, with tassels on the end of the handle bars. The one from which you fell and got nasty cuts on the palms of your hands that had to be scrubbed to get the grit out. That was your first taste of a fixie.
Perhaps it's something to do with the pleasure of waiting for your back tyre to mature enough to make the lock and slide less bouncy. Perhaps it is, as Kentique said, something to do with MANLINESS.
Ok, so when you push back on the pedals does it lock up the rear wheel, acting as a brake, like my first metallic green bike did?
And you know any good websites where I can order so "bull horn" handle bars for my roadster. I got my dads only custom and am going to put a few mods on it, maybe even covert this b to a fixie one day.
Thanks.
Ok, so when you push back on the pedals does it lock up the rear wheel, acting as a brake, like my first metallic green bike did?
And you know any good websites where I can order so "bull horn" handle bars for my roadster. I got my dads old custom and am going to put a few mods on it, maybe even covert this b to a fixie one day.
Thanks.
That was a coaster brake. It takes a lot of leg power to lock up your wheel. Especially if you have new tyres.
I buy all my parts of either Amazon or eBay.
Here is my fixie, when she was living...
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/oct/MichaelRudolph.htm
...she passed during high speed turn through a red light. I am looking to build up a new frame, trying to find that perfect lugged frame to convert...
wow. that sucks. i'd pop a ball over that.
Any of you guys attend any of the UBI framebuilding courses? If only I had time and money...
Anyone familiar with the Giant Bowery messenger bike, it has the ability to be set up as a single speed freewheel or fixie? I like this option because it allows both styles of riding in one bike. Any input or knowledge on this bike or this type of setup would be great.
Anyone givin' a Biomega Bike a spin? very interested in the Copenhagen.
Asauer...
I had the same thoughts and bought a flip flop hub. I've never flipped or flopped since learning how to ride fixed. Once you learn fixed, it is highly likely you wouldn't use the freewheel... no need.
Thanks for the advice, this seems like a good option for someone like me who is intersted in learning fixie, but needs a little time for the learning curve to kick in.
Another option is the rolhoff (sp?), used with hub gear systems. It is a non-centred bottom bracket (i.e. depending on how you fit it it has a different distance to the rear sprocket). With one of those in, and a fixed wheel you don't even need the vertical drop-outs to ride fixed.
late 80's budget road bike, 10 spd, mostly aluminum. $25 at thrift store. fork's bent now. :-)
I have a Suzue Pro-Max flip-flop and have never bothered putting the freewheel on the other side. Like mrudolph I've never bothered with it since learning to love fixed. However, my next ride will be fixed/fixed so I can keep a "commuting" sprocket on one side and a "racing" sprocket on the other.
UM. I got hit by a cab yesterday. Cool.
Just got a new Windsor 'The Hour' fixie that has a stock gearing of 48/16. This bike is made for the track and I heard a concern of stripping the track cog with road riding. Anyone face this problem, should I buy a new beefier cog like a Surly or something, (any suggestions?). Thanks for the input.
hello, since there are so many bikers here i want to raise a question about my bike. i gota problem while pedaling, the chain skips a couple teeth on the gears...(where the pedals are located) and every 2.5- 3 revolutions of pedaling, it skips. i dont know whats wrong.
last week i switched to the lowest gears and then back to the highest gradually...ever since then the chain seemed to skip and its annoying! just asking here for help first
thanks
worn teeth on the cogs i suspect... or the chain is stretched and you need a new one.
how could i test if the chain is loose? because it doesn't pop out when i pull on it. yes the teeth seemed worn half way down but on several around the rings. i saw on other bikes they had the same, but they ride well.
i'm pretty certain you probably need a new chainring or chain or both. your chainring shouldn't be missing any teeth.
you can measure the chain to see if it's stretched look up directions online.
With the chain on, look at where it meets the front cog, on top and at the bottom. Do the teeth of the cog sit nicely in the chain, or is the chain kinda riding over them? If it's the latter, you definitely need a new chain, however there is a good possibility that the chain will have eaten away the teeth on the cogs so a new chain will fit, but also slip, necessitating new chainset (the cogs).
I'm riding my fixie 120 miles from London to the East coast next Saturday, through the night. Google the Dunwich Dynamo. Come along.
psyarch, it looks like its fitting nicely. i cant make it to that ride...bike sucks and have papers to write...
thanks...i was testing it out...i ran the pedals w/ my hand and saw a niche in the chain, it kept poping out near the shifters and it seems that the chain is so tight in that area that i cant even bend it. thats weird, i guess i have to change out the chain now. glad i found out the real problem!
but are all chain sizes standardized? or do they vary
About to make their debut in Cambridge...
The Plainsman: '74 crome Itala
The Limacon:
Custom built by Circle A Cycles.
(Dedacciai zero tubeset, DuraAce cranks & BB, DuraAce hubs, Mavic tubular rims, Chris King headset, 3ttt quill stem, Nitto bars, Campy seatpost.)
Sorry, boys... track girls rule.
damn, what's up with the image-linking?
see site instead...
ps. to check chain tightness: give the cranks a turn. then with your axel wrench, gently tap on the chain. there should be just a little bit of chain vibration, not a lot: notice the sound. also, there will naturally be a tight and a loose spot as the chainring completes a full cycle... the chain should not be so tight that the tension prematurely stops the chain motion at the tight spot.
warning: beware of fingers near your chainring... i have seen the consequences and they are not pretty!
I heard track cogs can strip the hub threads if vigorously ridden on the street. (ie. skidding, etc). Anyone have this problem? What brand of cog is beefier and suitable for street riding?
asauer-
i ride hard and it never happened to me. maybe if you have cheap junkie hubs?
make sure you have a lock-ring on that cog, tho (and make sure it fits the hub - there are several different sizes)... there are some people that ride without them, but then you're unthreading whenever you brake.
i suggest the shimano track cog... it's standard, hardy and cheap ($15).
last, you CAN strip your hub if you install yourself and forget that the lock ring threads in the opposite direction as the cog.
limacon24-
Thanks for the insight. I ride only as hard as a can. I am still a beginner and only wish I could do a skid stop.
Full Chrome-moly Dura-Forte Frame and fork; with Alex Aluminum rims, Shimano 2200 14-speed der's with stem indexed shifters, Maxxis 130 PSI 700c tires, quick release wheels front and rear, aluminum alloy hubs, SHIMANOaluminum crank, Aluminum alloy pedals including toe clips with straps, aluminum stem, aluminum handlebar, aluminum seatpost, ProMax aluminum side-pull brakes and levers, plus a very nice Velo Road bike seat.
for 200. just wanted some opinions
chulito-
score for $200.
asauer-
i hear you... i don't do skid-stops, but they wear your tires out too fast for my taste. the real trick (that i suck at) is popping your back wheel up in the air and freezing your crank mid-air. but tried and true is the method of gravitation force - get out of your saddle, and let the dead weight of your legs fall in the back half of your stroke (as the cranks are forcing your feet back up). let your body move as a unit, so that knees thighs hips and torso are all dead weight. fast stopping, that is. have fun, be safe.
cool beans, what color? red or silver? just want other opinions :P
"Just got a new Windsor 'The Hour' fixie that has a stock gearing of 48/16. This bike is made for the track and I heard a concern of stripping the track cog with road riding. Anyone face this problem, should I buy a new beefier cog like a Surly or something, (any suggestions?). Thanks for the input."
Its debatable if the the Windsor is a considered a true track geometry, I think its a bit more slack making it more suitable for road riding. The hubs are generic and aren't exactly the best, so I'm pretty sure thats where the stripping issues come from. If you want to play it safe, bring your bike into a fixie-friendly shop and have them properly torque down on your cog/lockring to make sure its not going anywhere and be careful with the back-pressure you're putting on it - or if you want to do it yourself, carefully rotofix the cog on so you don't strip anything out and then put on the lockring. Personally, if you're not comfortable skidding/skipping you should absolutely have a brake on there (don't recall if they come stock with one or not) until you get your speed control down.
limacon: please tell me you're entering the Circle A into the bike porn contest at Revolution on Friday - that thing is hottt.
thanks, pixelwhore! he he... *blush*
we'll see... i'm not in boston yet, but i'm gonna be there this weekend to apartment-hunt. i'll have the dog, though, so it may be a no-go...
thanks for the suggestion!
Limacon:
Put some SomaFab Major Taylor bars on that thing and it would complete the retro look it has w/ the Brooks saddle.
If you're bored and wasn't aware:
Boston Bike Porn on Friday
Legend of Zelda Alleycat on Saturday (I'll be working a CP)
oooh, those major taylor bars are NICE... i want some! if i come, i'll make sure i rock my old-school wright's saddle...
keep an eye out for me...
Pixelwhore-
Thanks for the info on The Hour. When I received it in the mail the rear wheel was bent so I sent it back and they sent me a better rear wheel and hub. I now have an Alex rim with a formula track hub and Dura-Ace cog and lock ring. Hopefully, it will be fine. I really like the bike, it is my first fixie and I have easily grown to love fixie riding.
I think I am going to put on front brake, I have a good caliper but no brake lever. Any suggestions on front brake lever? Thanks.
man, this thread really makes me want a fixed gear
here's mine
not exactly adapted to my daily commutes but a lot of fun free-riding down the slopes of the Alps.
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