Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - whats with the pads on the top bars?

i've been seeing this a bit lately and it reminds me of my first bmx bike (a huffy?) which had a similar pad which i aussume was for the protection of my "tea bags"
is it the same idea on the fixies?

eg
http://us2.pixagogo.com/S5!bRz4QtUrC-!35BlLET8i-PYm7E09eZpKzGFF93bI22m4ATIyQ7O638gqfBpPlGYDITgNWMs723c5FTbnifzuHScM!v2GSZMY2G1NMMPZCk_/fullbike1.jpg

ooops
dp

I have one on my blue bike, although it will probably migrate to the new bike. I use it for protecting the top-tube from the mtn bike @ssholes on the train who don't give a rat's ass about anyone else's bike.

i use a hand-knitted toptube cover to protect paint during lock-up.
that and to keep my bike warm and cosy in the winter, when she might get cold. a good parent has to pay attention to things like this.

i've been seeing this a bit lately and it reminds me of my first bmx bike (a huffy?) which had a similar pad which i aussume was for the protection of my "tea bags"
is it the same idea on the fixies?



I wish I had a photo of Justin's top tube. he has a frame pad now, but before he did he wore off the paint on both sides of the top tube in front of the seat from skidding. Your knees grab your top tube most times. They are also nice to sit on. They are also good for locking your bike up and saving the paint. oh, and carrying your bike up stairs on your shoulder. what am I forgetting? ramblinwork.com thefreewheel.com reloadbags.com roach pad too.

r-dub has a superfly Pedal Express logo toptube protector on his Masi...I wonder if they sell them to civilians.

you guys are too damn fancy. i just wrapped an innertube around my top tube.

you guys are too damn fancy. i just wrapped an innertube around my top tube.

You're too fancy. I just let mine rust :P

e-tape for me!

I've heard of people hitting their knees on the top bar when skidding (sounds like too much float on the clipless or too loose straps) and putting the pad on to remedy the bruised knees...

I give Moody my lunch money to protect my top tube.

i'm not seeing them at those other sites, except the roach one

i'm trying to find a red one without a logo (or an easily removable logo)

eg
http://us2.pixagogo.com/S5!bRz4QtUrC-!35BlLET8i-PYm7E09eZpKzGFF93bI22m4ATIyQ7O638gqfBpPlGYDITgNWMs723c5FTbnifzuHScM!v2GSZMY2G1NMMPZCk_/fullbike1.jpg

I'll take both wheels. Thanks.

i use a hand-knitted toptube cover to protect paint during lock-up.
that and to keep my bike warm and cosy in the winter, when she might get cold. a good parent has to pay attention to things like this.



dude, that's a great idea. I haven't knitted anything in ages. How did you join it around the tube? You didn't knit it around the tube did you?

I've heard of people hitting their knees on the top bar when skidding (sounds like too much float on the clipless or too loose straps) and putting the pad on to remedy the bruised knees...


I posted this somewhere earlier. But sometimes when I skid and don't want to get out of the saddle I just pinch the top tube with my thighs (with my left knee wedged below the top tube). The pad is my best friend then.

update - i had to use the innertube so i replaced it with some old cork wrap. gave her a nice topcoat of electrical tape so i don't have a giant sponge on the top tube.

I posted this somewhere earlier. But sometimes when I skid and don't want to get out of the saddle I just pinch the top tube with my thighs (with my left knee wedged below the top tube). The pad is my best friend then.

thats sounds like your asking for trouble

you guys are too damn fancy. i just wrapped an innertube around my top tube.

i did that--coiled a tube around the TT--and i think it looks neater than fat pads. if i had time, i'd split an mtb tube, wrap it around the TT, and finish up with some phatty heavy stitching... would look tres cool

dude, that's a great idea. I haven't knitted anything in ages. How did you join it around the tube? You didn't knit it around the tube did you?
Nope. Knit a long (tight, ribbed) rectangle, and sew it on later.

But I actually just won a reload cover in a race, for the surly, and i have one from Under the Weather for the rensho, so i'm no longer handknit.

thats sounds like your asking for trouble


Yeah, it's not something I do often. Fun for rainy/icy situations where it doesn't take much force to start the skid.

...Just noticed that I'm mentioned here a few months ago by weed eater. Yeah, I've got one for a few reasons:
1) Mine is an old team bike and I like to cover up all the logos
2) Protect the nibblies when skidding and playing around (it's a 62cm frame...not a lot of clearance.)
3) Protect the bike when locking it up, dropping it, throwing it a people. (Just kidding, I don't do those last two.)
4) I wrap my zefal up with it and it looks harder to steal...haven't had any takers in 6 months of leaving the pump otherwise unsecured on the bike.
5) My company uses them as adverts. Logo and phone number on all of our oversized TT pads. They're hot!

Anyone ever tried to fit one of the Re-load frame pads over the TT on an IRO? It's seems a little larger than normal. I want one but don't want to waste my time if it isn't going to fit.

I give Moody my lunch money to protect my top tube.

Linderman kicks Moody's ass

Anyone ever tried to fit one of the Re-load frame pads over the TT on an IRO? It's seems a little larger than normal. I want one but don't want to waste my time if it isn't going to fit.

hey -- i do think that the iro top tubes are a bit oversized. you should just measure the circumference and tell the people at reload that you need yours a little "wider" than normal. i always buy pads longer than the standard 19" and they don't charge me extra. i don't see why adding a half-inch or whatever to accomodate your ridiculous top tube would be a problem, since they are made on per-order basis.

hey -- i do think that the iro top tubes are a bit oversized. you should just measure the circumference and tell the people at reload that you need yours a little "wider" than normal. i always buy pads longer than the standard 19" and they don't charge me extra. i don't see why adding a half-inch or whatever to accomodate your ridiculous top tube would be a problem, since they are made on per-order basis.


HAHA Ridiculous is right. Thanks. I will email them. They owe me one anyways. I ordered a shirt from them a while back and it took about three weeks before they told me it was out of stock. They were courteous about it. So no hard feelings.

Anyone ever tried to fit one of the Re-load frame pads over the TT on an IRO? It's seems a little larger than normal. I want one but don't want to waste my time if it isn't going to fit.

Yup; I've got one on mine. It fits, but just barely. If you've got the Mark V Pro (without the rear brake braze-on) it'll probably fit better, since the brazeo-on sticks out even more.

Two years ago, when I bought my ReLoad pad, most of them were hand made to order. That's probably still the case, so try requesting a wider pad. 1/2 an inch should make it golden. For extra $$$ I believe they'll even stich anything on there you want (if you send them a design/pattern/text).

Excellent. I don't have a Pro. I'll still request the extra 1/2" though. The extra pattern/design is tempting.

OT: Nice Gorey avatar.

i'm not seeing them at those other sites, except the roach one
i'm trying to find a red one without a logo (or an easily removable logo)

The reload ones come in whatever colours you want and the logo is very easy to pick off (mines 4 years old and going strong).

See http://reloadbags.com/bags/list.php?t=accessories - look for frame pads.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned this so...

The top tube pads are also used to protect the TT from dents caused by your track drops in the event that the wheel swings around. On a road bike the brake cables and bar wrap usually prevent this from happening. Sometimes you'll see a track bike with an inch wide pad on the TT, right where the bars would hit. Also some will have an extra layer of metal (check out the vanilla track bikes) for this purpose.

OT: Nice Gorey avatar.

Thanks; you're the first person to have recognized it!

I made my own out of some styrofoam pipe insulation from the hardware store, and then I went to a local fabric store and got some waterproof tent fabric, sewed on some velcro, and I was all set.

If ya don't care about looks to much, you can just stick the pipe insulation on there and be done with it. Maybe two zip ties just in case.

This photo doesn't really show it, but there are slits up the side of them so you can just slip em on the bar.
http://www.nmc.be/iso/bilder_UK/sanflex.gif