Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Built up my fixed gear!

New to riding fixed, but i'm loving it. weighs in at a whopping 17 pounds, Lotus frame made of Champion steel, Velocity Deep V's,Dura-ace cog and lockring,Nitto World Olympiade bars, generic platform/SPD pedals,Vittoria Zaffiro tires,older Selle Italia Flite. I'm thinking of switching to bullhorns, any other ideas for modifications? Sorry for the bad picture, all I have is a cameraphone.

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/3428/0908071852pl7.jpg

put a brake on

put a brake on

put a brake on til you get a better feel for things. i've ridden with and without brakes and gone back and forth and they're both fine, but you should get more experience under your belt to really decide and know what's up.

but a prake on

put a cake on

First brake, then cake!

take off the decals on your rims. brakes so you can eat cake while riding!

http://online.qbp.com/6SPsvm45/prodl/PD4011.jpg

And some toe clips. You're going to kill yourself on that thing.

Brakes, cake, pedals, clips... in that order.

Hard to eat cake when sliding off seat?

Love the chrome!

Nah nah nah, brakes, pedals, clips, cupcakes.

Cupcakes are easier to eat while riding.

...to OP: looks nice, very classy. That seat angle looks plenty uncomfortable, though...and brakes + toeclips/straps are a necessity.

Cupcakes (http://ubu.wfmu.org/sound/365/07/365-Days-Project-07-14-omason-terry-cupcake-introduction-cup-cakes-1960.mp3)

Cupcakes (http://ubu.wfmu.org/sound/365/07/365-Days-Project-07-14-omason-terry-cupcake-introduction-cup-cakes-1960.mp3)

"just like his mother's"?


naaaasssstttyyyyy.....

Brakes, clips, straps, and...

If you have English threading- scones

If you have Italian threading- biscotti

If you have French threading- éclairs

And if you are into the whole NJS thang- namagashi

Okay, that was fun. Time to shoot up some insulin.

And I'll be Nancy Nitpicker.....

Ex nay on the ater way ottle bay age ca.

I say skip the cake and just get a container full of frosting. It's more gooder. And some funions for your dipping pleasure. Mmmmmm!

And I'll be Nancy Nitpicker.....

Ex nay on the ater way ottle bay age ca.

I say skip the cake and just get a container full of frosting. It's more gooder. And some funions for your dipping pleasure. Mmmmmm!

He's gotta keep the cage so he has somewhere to hold the frosting.

I think what most of them are trying to say is put a brake on until you're comfortable, especially considering you're riding platforms.

Here's one:
LEVEL YOUR SADDLE

I like turtles.

That's an "older" Flite?!? Yikes. I've got a couple exactly like that. (Of course mine are level. Ahem....)

I think i'm gonna run a cross lever when I install the bullhorns,with 105 or similar front brake. I DO definitely need toe clips. I'm gonna remove the bottle cage when I get my new bag. I'll remove the rim stickers though, thanks for all the responses! and the saddle position is strangely what's comfortable for me. but for the few miles of done on it, I like it alot more than my geared bike. what struck me was how quiet it was! I heard that it was silent, I just never thought it was like this!

And I'll be Nancy Nitpicker.....

Ex nay on the ater way ottle bay age ca.

I say skip the cake and just get a container full of frosting. It's more gooder. And some funions for your dipping pleasure. Mmmmmm!

i'll be nacy nitpicker, but pig latin does not involve the breaking up of words into two parts. you simply move the first letter + "ay" to the end of the word. also, it's "ixnay" and not "exnay." :)

to the op: get some cookies with that frosting and have some mondo dunkaroos.

i'll be nacy nitpicker, but pig latin does not involve the breaking up of words into two parts. you simply move the first letter + "ay" to the end of the word. also, it's "ixnay" and not "exnay." :)

Fine then, I'll be Pete Proofreader. It's Nancy, not Nacy. :)

If this guy really wants cake while he rides, he'll eat Pop Tarts.

What is wrong with having bottle cages? Am I the only one that drinks water while riding?

yeah, seriously.
must be one of the "man, i rode a whole ten miles yesterday-- killer!" crowd.

yeah, seriously.
must be one of the "man, i rode a whole ten miles yesterday-- killer!" crowd.
that's what I was thinking, I thought it was like a fixie faux pas or something, I figured might as well take it off, I can save like 5g in weight :D

yeah, seriously.
must be one of the "man, i rode a whole ten miles yesterday-- killer!" crowd.

If you build a bike for looks, which I fully assume is the story on this bike.... you don't put a water bottle cage on it. It's like sandals and socks. Let's debate on socks now. Cotton socks kick ass. Discuss.

Edit: Now I'm Keith Keep the thread alive.

If you build a bike for looks, which I fully assume is the story on this bike.... you don't put a water bottle cage on it. It's like sandals and socks. Let's debate on socks now. Cotton socks kick ass. Discuss.

Edit: Now I'm Keith Keep the thread alive.
yeah I get what you're saying, which is why i'm taking it off, it looks much cleaner without it anyway; I just don't have any other way of carrying water until I get my new bag

So keep the cage on there and stay hydrated. You're going to look a lot less hip when you show up panting like a dog and showing serious signs of cotton mouth.

Plus, any idiot willing to discredit you because you have a bottle cage on there is not worth anyone's time.

So keep the cage on there and stay hydrated. You're going to look a lot less hip when you show up panting like a dog and showing serious signs of cotton mouth.

Plus, any idiot willing to discredit you because you have a bottle cage on there is not worth anyone's time.

Yeah, because the ONLY place to carry water is on your bike. This isn't a functional issue... this is based PURELY on the look of the bike. Want a clean looking bike? Carry water in your bag. When I'm thirsty, I buy a little thing of bottled water for .99 cents at the nearest liquor store. And then when I'm thirsty again... I stop at the next liquor store. They're everywhere! $2-$3 a ride aint bad.

Yeah, because the ONLY place to carry water is on your bike. This isn't a functional issue... this is based PURELY on the look of the bike. Want a clean looking bike? Carry water in your bag. When I'm thirsty, I buy a little thing of bottled water for .99 cents at the nearest liquor store. And then when I'm thirsty again... I stop at the next liquor store. They're everywhere! $2-$3 a ride aint bad.

That's absolutely terrible advice. So you could spend upwards of $1000 per year on bottled water, then swiftly dispose of the bottles in the trash, or you could use the bike the way it was designed, keep the cage on, and spend the few cents per years that it cost you to fill a water bottle from the tap.

To the OP, ignore this blather and keep the cage on there. Drink lots of water and forget about having a "clean looking bike."

It is not a track bike, and it never will be a track bike.

The seat tipped forward puts more strain on arms, hands, shoulders. You gotta holdyerself form sliding forward all teh time.

Much harder to get cookies out of ur jersey and dunk frosting froms ur frosting cup cage.

When I'm thirsty, I buy a little thing of bottled water for .99 cents at the nearest liquor store. And then when I'm thirsty again... I stop at the next liquor store. They're everywhere! $2-$3 a ride aint bad.

I didn't realize that Popov was making bottled water, now....

That's absolutely terrible advice. So you could spend upwards of $1000 per year on bottled water, .

my guess is he spends $6-8 a year during his biannual rides.

my guess is he spends $6-8 a year during his biannual rides.

Zing!

To the OP: Use 2 brake levers to one brake for symmetry!

you need a beer helmet and then you can loose the cage. just fill it up with water on the way to work and some brrrr for the ride home. plus you'll look steezin!

I keep beer in my panniers. I usually stop to drink though because I'm afraid of a BUI (bicycling under the influence).

you need a beer helmet and then you can loose the cage. just fill it up with water on the way to work and some brrrr for the ride home. plus you'll look steezin!

why would you want to "loose" the cage?
then it would rattle

he has a nice bike.

it has spd pedals so as long as he uses his shoes it shouldn't be a problem.

as for how often he rides, maybe he just needs some encouragement.

yeah I get what you're saying, which is why i'm taking it off, it looks much cleaner without it anyway; I just don't have any other way of carrying water until I get my new bag

camelback anyone? Don't leave home without mine.

keep the cage... looks are for posers; which probably explains why my bike looks like crap... ok fine I'm just lazy.

my guess is he spends $6-8 a year during his biannual rides.

Touche.

keep the cage... looks are for posers; which probably explains why my bike looks like crap... ok fine I'm just lazy.

Looks aren't for posers. Aesthetics are important. They're not the end all and be all, and function should always come before fashion, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to make your bike, or anything else attractive. One can make a very good looking bike without compromising the performance; imho, many extremely good looking parts, are also very high quality. examples: Phils, most NJS frames, Nitto stems/bars, Tashis, Brooks, Selle Italia saddles, and many more.

Looks are for posers, in a sense.

If function is your main goal and the looks happen to come along with it, like with the products you mentioned, then your main goal is still function. But if your main goal is Aesthetics and you just happen to buy quality parts but your main reason for buying them was the look, well then arguably you are a poser.

I dont subscribe to that belief, but it could be argued.

Though I pretty much hate the talk of posers and hipsters. If you do it for looks, great. If you do it for function, great. Just dont hate on other people for their reasons to ride.

Looks aren't for posers. Aesthetics are important. They're not the end all and be all, and function should always come before fashion, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to make your bike, or anything else attractive. One can make a very good looking bike without compromising the performance; imho, many extremely good looking parts, are also very high quality. examples: Phils, most NJS frames, Nitto stems/bars, Tashis, Brooks, Selle Italia saddles, and many more.

Your point is totally irrelevant.

... not really? Responding to a statement I didn't agree with. If I had started talking about the delicious chili I had for dinner, or the Phillies game I went to this afternoon, that would have been irrelevant. But most of this thread is about the guy's water bottle cage and whether he should take it off for looks, or leave it on so he can drink. AESTHETICS. Yes, what I said did not respond directly to the issue of the water bottle cage, but it did reply to the blanket statement that "looks are for posers."

well i'm not building for looks, I built this baby to ride, but if I can make it look good without really having to go out of my way, why not right?

well i'm not building for looks, I built this baby to ride, but if I can make it look good without really having to go out of my way, why not right?

Touche'. I really can't believe people still say that.

Touche'. I really can't believe people still say that.
I think you're one of the few :p

Touche'. I really can't believe people still say that.

Dude, everybody in my fencing club says it. What do they say in yours?