Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - conversion rant public service announcement...

I know.. i used to post all sorts of stupid opinions on this forum.. but i gave it up.. honestly its like talking to a wall most of the time.. that being said.. you're most likely now asking.. "then wtf are you doing here now?" .. good question.. thanks for asking...

Im here now because this needs to be said..and please dont dig some old quotes by my saying the exact opppsite.. 'cause i'm sure they are out there.. ive had a change of heart.. so here it is..

all you people buying nice old steel road frames.. shaving all the brazeons off.. then selling them on craigslist because you finally realized a conversion with no braze-ons is still a conversion....

PLEASE (im asking politely) STOP!

before you get all huffy.. i have nothing against conversions.. whatever.. i dont really like them personally.. but I think people should ride whatever makes them happy.. bikes are about fun..if your connversion is fun.. then you rule...

but what i do like is old steel road bikes.. and theres nothing more depressing then finding that perfect frame that one of you goofballs have dremmled.. and realized it didnt magically turn into that track bike you really wanted..

im sure there are exceptions.. a frame for life? go for it.. track ends installed? yea.. at least you finished the project..but if i find that 52 cm '84 ciocc ive been looking for.. and i have to zip tie the brake cables? im going to cry.. really..

so..lets stop this sillyness..

go ahead with your disagreements.. i can take it.. someday youll thank me

Awesome.

thank you. here here. conversions ARE great for many reasons but dont grind the stuff off. then again.....a lot of us cant even pony up to the "light" price tag of a new pista and the market for anything fixed/track in major city's is over the top. URK!

+ eleventy-many

thank you sloppy

ba da ba ba ba - i'm lovin it.

I agree wholeheartedly don't mess up a nice frame, BUT on the other hand if you find a crappy old steel frame that's cheap or free, feel free to do whatever you like to it. After all the world is full of decent quality road frames that nobody wants. If it makes a better conversion without brazeons, I don't see the harm in cutting on it. I regretted not grinding the rear brake brazeons off my conversion every time I carried it up the stairs. That bike made a nice solid conversion, and no one was ever gonna want to "un-fix" it.

true, and i think the distinct line is drawn above by the original poster. he makes an allusion to a particularily nice bike that might fall victim to this "fixing". a ciocc. i'm sure there is an implied openness to fixing for the (sadly) lesser bicycles beneath a ciocc. the peugeots, schwinns, raleighs, nishikis, etc etc.

yes.. i agree.. theres plenty of cheap dumpster frames.. do whatever to em.. and i also agree that not everyone has the money for a track bike.. id hate to think someone took this as a "ride a track bike, or else..." id get excited seeing someone riding a big wheel in the bike lane.. i was specifically talking about nice frames.. colnagos, 3 renshos, ciocc. etc.. all of which ive seen butchered

What about nice modern road frames being turned into conversions? Any issues with that?

ha.. i like being asked like my opinion matters.. thanks dave.. do what you have to do.

People said I was crazy when I had derailleur hangers brazed onto my 3rensho track bike. How else was I supposed to put my 27 speed campagnolo gruppo on the darned thing?

ha.. i like being asked like my opinion matters.. thanks dave.. do what you have to do.

hahahahaha good.

What about nice modern road frames being turned into conversions? Any issues with that?

Trick question.

Not that i condone cutting anything off of any frame, but why are you using zip ties when things like this (http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi?c=Cable/Casing&sc=Clips/Stops/Guides&id=391739712294) exist?

I know lots of people who could teach you to braze....

just kidding, but seriously, how many times have you actually seen this happen to a classic frame? Most conversions I've seen/done/owned have been beaters for beater purposes. Somebody would have to have a serious fetish for 30lb fujis or american raleighs with 80's-ass paint/decal schemes and the stiffness of your average longboard to be pissed about most of them. The classic frames I've seen done have all been labors of love by people who knew what they had and knew what they were doing.

Anybody want to buy a 5 speed freewheel? $3 a pop or $20 per milkcrateful :p

I dremmeled everything off of my Benotto. I have no regrets and don't feel bad about it, because I plan on riding it until it falls apart. It was my first fixed and with all of the work i've put into it, including dremmeling, i feel a strong sentimental attachment to it. Sure nicer bikes will come along, but I'll always need a beater.

I propose Dremels be banned from all the land.

et voilá (http://www.gaerlan.com/bikeparts/frame/brazeons/brazeons.html)

Any complaints about a mid 80's Schwinn Circuit?
(BTW, if anyone has any brochures from Schwinn about such bike I would be very interested to see one)

I concur. However, the vast majority of the old frames I'm interested in have such minimal braze ons that I would be pissed if I found one with braze ons added, as well. I'm just so hard to satisfy.

165: "other people's trash doesn't have to be your conversion"
vs.
OP paraphrased: "for the love of God don't ruin a good roadbike"
There's no winning huh?

There's always rebrazing. Wait why are you wanting to ruin a perfectly good fixed gear bike? (edit: it's a JOKE, laugh)

Any complaints about a mid 80's Schwinn Circuit?
(BTW, if anyone has any brochures from Schwinn about such bike I would be very interested to see one)

Ask in the Vintage forum- there's a guy who has scans of every Schwinn catalog since the Reformation.

...BUT on the other hand if you find a crappy old steel frame that's cheap or free...

define "crappy" ... as in bad quality or dime in a dozen, solid, and heavy

No, what you're going to do is pony up 25 dollars for a set of campy cable clamps. <--personal experience

Although that frame didn't have braze on's to begin with.

edit: whoops, beaten to it, and apparently beaten in price.

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/

Not sure if what you're looking for is in there, but there's lots of catalogs

Even though I don't have a nice frame for my conversion, I'll leave on the braze-ons just for you, Sloppy Robot. ;)

Ask in the Vintage forum- there's a guy who has scans of every Schwinn catalog since the Reformation.
Much love!

True, sawing the extra metal bits off doesn't make you a messenger or track ninja. But as for conversions in general, I think they're fine. I ride one.

There are plenty of road frames out there suffering from neglect: rusty chain, battered steel wheels, rotted tires, rusted cables, etc. If some didn't come along, see potential and strip down the old frame, where would these bikes be? Few people are gonna drop the $ it'd take to get a low / midrange 80s road bike rolling again-- their money would often be better spent on something new (or at least that's the prevalent additude).

I agree that killing the bosses / stops / hanger is stupid-- esp if you ever sell the frame or upgrade to a new fixed-specific one. So don't do that.

But converting an unloved bike can still make something average into something that'd at least novel...if not fun.