Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - [rant]

Okay.
So I'm not normally one to ***** about other people's bike setups (it's your bike, do what's most comfortable, yada yada), but this is going too far:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/RobertEberhardt_2-1.jpg

I mean, why? Take one low-end, ultra-lax road frame, spray it with "Make It Stone" faux-granite finish, slap on some primo parts (Paul Racers?!), but don't bother to remove your 53t chainring, get some brake cable clips, or even inflate your rear tire.

What the hell?

[/rant]

I agree, this bike makes no sense. Even has a threaded to unthreaded adapter. Absolute silliness. This frame should not have gone past stripping and a loctite cog.

You forgot to mention the bastardizing of that Storika saddle. Also, the housing should be running down the other side of the headtube and fastened to the TT with ZIPTIES!

maybe it's what the rider had available for a build. don't yall get quite so FGGforum on us now...

questions of taste aside, the bike just isn't finished

questions of taste aside, the bike just isn't finished

there have been a generous amount of bikes on fgg that don't even have chains on them.

i can't exactly blame people for putting together a build that they're excited about and not being able to wait to get the camera out and send the pictures in. they're that psyched! more power to them!

i agree about the tire and the zipties, i guess, but if you imagine that somebody is just that psyched about their build... cool beans, man, cool beans.

It's as if the person was having a siezure in the midst of the build when someone grabbed a camera to document it for archival purposes, but the person wriggled out of frame before the picture was taken.

wacky

Man alive, those Storikas look nice.

m.

at least he's not riding unwrapped drops?

at least he's not riding unwrapped drops?

swish.

maybe it's what the rider had available for a build. don't yall get quite so FGGforum on us now...

i can't exactly blame people for putting together a build that they're excited about and not being able to wait to get the camera out and send the pictures in. they're that psyched! more power to them!

i agree about the tire and the zipties, i guess, but if you imagine that somebody is just that psyched about their build... cool beans, man, cool beans.

including this guy:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/mar/NathanFabian-2.jpg

from today's FGG (http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/mar/NathanFabian.htm)

okay, i'm cranky today.

I thought of you when I started this thread ;)

I always save the bar wrap for last when I do a build, so if I'd built it, that bike wouldn't have wrap yet either

now that were on the FGG tip:
It bothers the hell out of me when people take pictures of their bikes in f'd up positions. This is a perfect example...
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/AaronRosenbluth_3-4.jpg

i mean, id like to be able to see a regular picture of this bike but every single picture of this bike is way 'tarded.

but don't bother to remove your 53t chainring,[/rant]

The bike has pretty long dropouts - maybe the chain can be repositioned between the two chainrings by sliding the rear wheel forward.

whatever. if i ever submit to fgg you'd better skip my submission, 'cause all those photos are gonna be wacked the **** out.
and i like that he has a keirin work bike.


also, I like the OP granite paintjob. I've considered using that myself (though i'd prefer the 'green marble').
but: 2 chainrings? no cable binders? flat tire? inexplicable and inexcusable. but then i don't actually care.

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:
1. precariously close to a large body of water
2. in front of graffiti mural
3. leaning against pleather couch with beer cans on coffee table in the background
4. hanging from street sign
5. x-treme closeup of chainline

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:
1. precariously close to a large body of water
2. in front of graffiti mural
3. leaning against pleather couch with beer cans on coffee table in the background
4. hanging from street sign
5. x-treme closeup of chainline

how about "low gear for hills" or "brake for my commute" or other way to make excuses for not being hardcore?

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:

2. in front of graffiti mural


thats my #1 favorite

I totally agree about the upside-down bikes, totally disagree about the weird component, oddly set up bikes. As to the former, it's annoying to look at bikes in messed up positions. It just is. As to the latter, let people share their love of whatever weird bike they want - sometimes you find yourself with some fancy wheels and a crappy frame and all you want to do is ride, already.

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:
1. precariously close to a large body of water
2. in front of graffiti mural
3. leaning against pleather couch with beer cans on coffee table in the background
4. hanging from street sign
5. x-treme closeup of chainline

Heh.. I just did a FGG photoshoot last night.

1 - CHECK
2 - nope
3 - nope
4 - nope
5 - CHECK

I did get some trains in there though.

Call me crazy but the rear tire looks flat. Say it aint so.

Ops, already called by the OP. But daing who posts a non rideable bike. thats terible. I had to ride mine a few hundred miles before deeming it worthy.

Tough crowd. I liked the bike, but I'll take original over nice any day. The cable thing was a little weird, I'm betting he's trying to figure out a way to tack it down without it rubbing the crap out of the fauxstone finish. As for the chainring, I've been known to have similar ghettoness on conversions for a while before tracking down some short chainring bolts. As for all the other parts, y'all just jealous your parts bin isn't deep enough to build up something like that.

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:
1. precariously close to a large body of water
2. in front of graffiti mural
3. leaning against pleather couch with beer cans on coffee table in the background
4. hanging from street sign
5. x-treme closeup of chainline

haha, these are similar to the band promo photo cliche of standing in front of a brick wall or train tracks.

oh how could you miss these hot lugs

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/JoshMichtom_2-2.jpg

i mean, id like to be able to see a regular picture of this bike but every single picture of this bike is way 'tarded.

tada

The bike has pretty long dropouts - maybe the chain can be repositioned between the two chainrings by sliding the rear wheel forward.
No freaking way. Un-possible. Going from a 53t to a 46t would require and equal (or probably greater) drop in teeth in the rear. Unless he's pushing a 21t cog (not bloody likely), it's not going to happen.

but don't bother to remove your 53t chainring[/rant]

I'm thinking of doing that myself. It's a built-in bashring/pants shield.

now that were on the FGG tip:
It bothers the hell out of me when people take pictures of their bikes in f'd up positions. This is a perfect example...
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/AaronRosenbluth_3-4.jpg

i mean, id like to be able to see a regular picture of this bike but every single picture of this bike is way 'tarded.

I must have that front wheel!!!!!!!

yeah i know. thing is sick as F.

Yeah, that bike overall made me happy

boy, I can't wait to post my conversion up here/FGG. The only nice components on my bike will be the new flip-flop hub and rear wheel. I'll have the 52, if only because the crankset on the bike is sh*tty and the outer ring won't come off. Overall, I'd love to have a conversion that looked like that to put me on the street, although since I know mine is a pice of crap, I'm not bothering with the faux paint... STICKERS all the way! (stickers help the rust, ya know)

haha, these are similar to the band promo photo cliche of standing in front of a brick wall or train tracks.

i was thinking that too.. anybody know the url of that site that rips on band photos? super funny... i love the one where the commenter starts freaking out because the band hits the holy trinity of brick wall, train tracks AND chainlink fence.. that is a lot to squeeze in

when i get around to submitting mine, i'm going to hit all the fgg cliches:
2. in front of graffiti mural

Yeah! They go to the hood to shoot the photo then haul azz back to the burbs. :D

boy, I can't wait to post my conversion up here/FGG. The only nice components on my bike will be the new flip-flop hub and rear wheel. I'll have the 52, if only because the crankset on the bike is sh*tty and the outer ring won't come off. Overall, I'd love to have a conversion that looked like that to put me on the street, although since I know mine is a pice of crap, I'm not bothering with the faux paint... STICKERS all the way! (stickers help the rust, ya know)

See... I wouldn't have a problem with that. I rather like the ghetto-conversion look, just not when it's with legitimately nice parts. Between the crankset/bb, saddle, brakes, and bars, he's got several hundred dollars worth of componentry on what looks like a thrift store frame.

It all boils down to a simple equation in my head:

Nice parts for nice frames.
Cheap parts for cheap frames.

Mixing confuses me, and that bike just makes my head asplode.

oh how could you miss these hot lugs

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/JoshMichtom_2-2.jpg

That's my bike, and all I have to say is, "Hell yeah." In your heart, you know that electrical tape is the new powdercoat.

That's my bike, and all I have to say is, "Hell yeah." In your heart, you know that electrical tape is the new powdercoat.
dude, what's up with that brake cable?

dude, what's up with that brake cable?

Do you mean the fact that it's way too long and coiled around itself to keep it out of the spokes? Or the fact that it's all crooked-like?

As far as the length goes, I just hadn't yet bothered to cut it yet - I figured I might swap in a different brake lever with a different cable already in it, and I wanted to save that one's length, 'cause it's long enough to work for a rear brake. In the end, I did swap in the other lever, which has a much shorter cable.

As for the bendy crooked weirdness, I dunno. I build up ghetto conversions and everything I use (except the sweet sweet electrical tape) is thoroughly used. Old, used cables get bent, but they still work.

That's my bike, and all I have to say is, "Hell yeah." In your heart, you know that electrical tape is the new powdercoat.


ya i was doing that with my old bike before i sold it......electrical tape rocks!

I must have that front wheel!!!!!!!


word. i didn't even notice the bike was upside down

I must have that front wheel!!!!!!!

Those Aerospokes are _heavy_. One front wheel weighs nearly as much as a good spoked wheel set.
http://www.aerospoke.com/weights.html?id=532

Aerospoke: "Energy is being stolen away from you with each little flex of a flimsy wire spoke."

hahahaha. Gotta give them credit for trying, though.

oh how could you miss these hot lugs

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/JoshMichtom_2-2.jpg

HAHA. holy crap i almost fell out of my chair when i saw this pic. ******** amazing!

See... I wouldn't have a problem with that. I rather like the ghetto-conversion look, just not when it's with legitimately nice parts. Between the crankset/bb, saddle, brakes, and bars, he's got several hundred dollars worth of componentry on what looks like a thrift store frame.

It all boils down to a simple equation in my head:

Nice parts for nice frames.
Cheap parts for cheap frames.

Mixing confuses me, and that bike just makes my head asplode.

Mmm... I see...
That which confuses you must be wrong.
Or does it bother you that someone has stuff in their parts bin that is nicer than yours?

When I see some clueless person riding past my house on a department store bike with the bars on wrong, the seat way too low, and half the stuff out of alignment I know that he has no concept of what any of the individual parts of his bike are. But he's out riding the damned thing, not sitting and looking at it or asking other peoples' opinions of it.

See... I wouldn't have a problem with that. I rather like the ghetto-conversion look, just not when it's with legitimately nice parts. Between the crankset/bb, saddle, brakes, and bars, he's got several hundred dollars worth of componentry on what looks like a thrift store frame.

It all boils down to a simple equation in my head:

Nice parts for nice frames.
Cheap parts for cheap frames.

Mixing confuses me, and that bike just makes my head asplode.

Agreed. I was thinking about a new Sugino crankset for my cheap old Schwinn conversion, but i said noooo...65 bucks is more than i paid for the frame! It just seems silly to put one or two hot components on a bike that just won't ever be hot.