Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixers in Brum

Hi there just signed up to the forums and wondered if there are any fixed riders out there who live in or near the Birmingham/West Mids area.
I've recently built up my first fixie from an eighties Raleigh frame ebay find. Have been surfing the net looking for any fixie related stuff to educate myself but most of it seems US based. Would be good to chat with some UK based folks and also find out about the UK fixie scene (Fixie friendly shops, events, rides etc.) If anyones interested in helping out this fixie virgin then get in touch Cheers.

I'm UK based, but in Southampton. I don't know if you've found it, but Hubjub http://www.hubjub.co.uk/
is a great source for fixed stuff here. I don't know what else I can tell you, but PM me if you like - nice to have another UK rider here (there are a couple of others)

Hey there,
I've been riding fixed for a while now and will be moving back from Paris to Brum in a few weeks, so I'll look you up when i get back if you like? Best bet for parts is a trip to London I'm affraid. Condor Cycles, Brixton Cycles and Brick Lane Bikes (although I'm not a Londoner, these are the one's I've found helpful). I think Brick Lane sometimes have old frames and nice parts, and condor do some super-nice new fixies...oh and the Brixton shop does Surly frames and fancy track parts. Also hubjub.co.uk and one-one.co.uk online have some useful stuff. I used to get my bike fixed at Sprockets on Allison Street in Digbeth because some of the folks down there ride fixed and so are used to fiddling with fixed gears. I've been told Harborne Cycle Surgery are helpful, but i've not been there myself. With the exception of a new chain or sprocket I've never found any useful track parts in Brum. What sort of help/parts are you looking for?

Thom

Hi,

I'm a fixed rider from Reading, again not sure what help I can be, but another vote for Hubjub as a great online source of fixed parts.

You have velodromes in both Halesowen and Wolverhampton, so they are worth a visit if you fancy riding fixed with lots of others. I mainly ride fixed on the track, and can recommend it as a great way of spending an evening biking. If your bike is a conversion, then you will need to use a true track bike, but most velodromes have rental bikes available, for free or a small fee for training sessions.

I think I've only ever seen two people riding fixed since I've been back in the West Midlands. I ride gears myself.

Fred Williams in Wolverhampton do some track stuff to service the local velodrome at Aldersley.
http://www.fredwilliamscycles.co.uk/FWC/index3.html

Wolverhampton Wheelers run various nights at Aldersley, including a track league on Wednesday evenings through the summer
http://www.wolverhamptonwheelers.co.uk/html/track.htm

I'm hoping to have a track bike sorted (and have my fitness up to snuff :rolleyes: ) in time for next years league.

Wow cool!

I just joined from birmingham UK too!

I dissapointed that this seemed so heavily US based.

Well.. Im in the process of building up a fixie

Do you come to critical mass? theres a few fixed peeps who come to that.

I came to every critical mass from April 2005 until September 2006 when I moved to Paris, so maybe we crossed?...I was a cycle courier, with a white fixie...? Anyhow, if you go to Critical Mass I'll be at the July one, what should I look for? If all goes well - should be on a blue F.Moser fixie. Ciao!

Hi guys,

Haven't been on the forum for a bit then saw in my email box that my post had a few replies, good to hear from you all. When's critical mass in Brum then? and where does everyone meet time etc.

Thanks for all the advice on shops etc. Getting the bike repaired isn't really a problem as I used to own a bikeshop myself in Digbeth at the Custard Factory (anyone heard of 202426) we specialised in full sus Mtn bikes and BMX mainly though. I asked about shops etc. mainly as a starting point to meeting like minded riders. Thom is sprockets the shop by the friends of the earth cafe ? never been in but heard about it. Anyhow hope we can get a little fixed scene going in Brum even if it's only meeting for the odd coffee and discussing gear ratios LOL hope to hear from any of you soon Dan.

There's loads of fixed gear riders here in manchester. And this guy: http://www.myspace.com/messengerofdoomblog, Lee is a messenger in Birmingham. He writes this blog/ (http://messengerofdoom.wordpress.com/) which is pretty good.

THOM

dude!!

Its shamim!

Hows it going man...

I think im all sorted now anyway,

got me a flip flop wheel,

a nice lugged old frame with horizontal drops,

just need a front wheel and some seating and im sorted!

Oh and you owe me some toe straps mister!

- get me something nice from paris and well call it quits.

202426

was a cool shop!

shame you closed up before i could afford a mtb jumper,

would be a regular loiterer if you were still there,

you should consider reopening somewhere,

all these little kids on £1k bikes - the scenes big now!

theres no other specialists in Brum either,

Bike pro sell a bit, but they are twats and overpriced (as everyone in Brum knows)

The BMX/4X track at Wheels is growing , also theres word of Cocksmoor making a come back -
after all... BMX is an olympic sport now!

there are some useful links in my friend's (brummie) blog http://messengerofdoom.wordpress.com/

wtf... i thought there were only 2 posts on this thread, (must have been because of the adverts underneath post number 2). i see someone's already mentioned the blog

soulstealer, thom, sku11s: do you fancy a ride around the outer ring road (no.11 bus route, A4040) one sunny weekend? its a nice ride, not very hilly, no idea how long it is but it took me about an hour and a half maybe (i wasnt watching the clock). cant be more than 15 miles im sure.

perhaps maybe rompom.....

thom is in france still I think.

the 11 route really?

cant imagine that's be awfully exciting! lol

ive never been to the far ends of that route though so perhaps...

the birmingham to stratford upon avon canal which backs up onto Birmingham univeristy halls is pretty idyllic, I deiscovered it getting to kings norton skatepark

ive never been to the far ends of that 11 route though so perhaps it could be interesting...

Well, I didnt choose it for its idyllic-ness, I chose it because it was a nice short ride (26 miles if my mate is correct) that I could do at a fairly fast pace early on a saturday morning and get a few miles in my legs before i do whatever else i've got planned for the day

Because the a4040 goes through the outskirts of brum you have the option of turning off to go to loads of places, like sutton park, sandwell valley park, woodgate valley park, canon hill park and others

Alternatively there's the No. 5 national cycle route to stratford which has some nice scenery, but there's a massive ****-off steep hill along the way which certainly isn't good for going up on a fixed bike. And I don't like to get off and push. Needless to say, my legs were ****ed afterwards, and the rest of the ride was uncomfortable

Anyone fancy doing this 69 mile ride for charity? http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=133 birmingham to oxford. It's for a worthy cause.

fuk yer then :mad:

hey i ride in bham, road conversion fixed gear. lets ride!

hey i ride in bham, road conversion fixed gear. lets ride!
check http://fixuplooksharp.wordpress.com/