Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Anyone done anything substantial with their bikes lately??

With so much *****ing about unrelated things recently, I thought we might want to try talking about bikes again.

#1: I recently tore my Bianchi Pista down as far as it could go, took the wheels out to be trued, cleaned every piece, greased everything up that deserves greasing, and put it all back together with new tires/tubes, a new chain, and some new bar tape. It looks really nice now, which may offend some of you who don't like new bikes, but it rides so smooth and tight now too. It was decent before, but it definately feels refreshed now.

#2: (This is so I can have some credibility with the old school fixie conversion people.) I have this old Schwinn frame, cranks, track wheel, bars, etc. etc. I have put everything together from old parts that were laying around, or parts that have been given to me. Only thing I've had to buy is tires. I was a little discouraged because I wasn't sure if my rear wheel was going to work out, the stem was giving me a hard time, etc. Well, I gave it a little more effort and now everything seems to be coming together nicely. So that's cool. This is going to be a bike to ride in foul weather, for bike polo, etc.

#3: I've been putting together the pieces to my shiny track bike project for a while now. Got the Miche group, Ambrosio rims, wheels built really nice, Nitto bars and stem, semi-old-school Rolls saddle, etc. Everything was pretty inexpensive too. Now I just need a frame! I have a Miyata track frame that I am thinking of cleaning up, but new frames seem to be continually calling to me as well. I would like to hear everyone's opinion on whether or not it is worth it to shell out for having the old frame stripped and repainted (I want it to look nice), or if I should just put that money towards a new frame to go along with new components.

:)

-Jason

Ah, yes, a bike topic. I'll post pics later but yes I've been reviving the dead. Patient: 1962 Huffy Sportsman (built by Raliegh) Now named, the beast.

Stripped everything off save the bottom bracket and primed/repainted. Installed threadless headset with old 700c steel fork. Fork was threaded and long so was able to still use the threadless headset and a spare 3T stem. Still using the old cottered cranks along with the 46t c-ring (no choice as they are 1-piece) Installed 16t Surly cog and bottom bracket lockring on cheapy freewheel hub and rim. Installed new seatpost and used old Flite saddle. Nice and fun. Now we get to the sick stuff. Chopped off the old semi-hirizontal dropouts and welded in a set of horizontals off a junker bmx. Wheelbase with 700x27c cross tires is within 1cm of my Habanero ti road bike. The changeover effectively reduced wheelbase by about an inch. With 700x23c road tires, the wheelbase is the same between the beast and the Habby.

In all an absolute blast to ride and get the feet wet in the fixed realm. Enough so that a true fixed/track is in the not so distant future.

Dave



With so much *****ing about unrelated things recently, I thought we might want to try talking about bikes again.

I have a Miyata track frame that I am thinking of cleaning up, but new frames seem to be continually calling to me as well. I would like to hear everyone's opinion on whether or not it is worth it to shell out for having the old frame stripped and repainted (I want it to look nice), or if I should just put that money towards a new frame to go along with new components.

:)

-Jason

as soon as i get a job, i'm going to get a street cruising frame and set it up with some old BMX hubs, and some newer parts....i've got my eye on an old monark frame at a salvage place here...maybe toss my old 180mm BMX cranks on there or something. just to make a really crazy looking single speed....i'll probably get some nice MTB rims if it's a 26" frame, or nice 700c road rims or something.

lately i've been focusing on making all of my bikes run as well as they can. tune-ups, cleaning everything, organizing my tools, inspecting everything...

jasonyates

On your Pista... Don't the BB & hubs use cartridge bearings? What did you do about greasing those? I have a Pista too and have been thinking of giving it a bit of TLC.

#3: I've been putting together the pieces to my shiny track bike project for a while now. Got the Miche group, Ambrosio rims, wheels built really nice, Nitto bars and stem, semi-old-school Rolls saddle, etc. Everything was pretty inexpensive too. Now I just need a frame! I have a Miyata track frame that I am thinking of cleaning up, but new frames seem to be continually calling to me as well. I would like to hear everyone's opinion on whether or not it is worth it to shell out for having the old frame stripped and repainted (I want it to look nice), or if I should just put that money towards a new frame to go along with new components.

:)

-Jason


YES!!! GET A NEW FRAME!!! might i suggest a nagasawa keirin track frame?! they're quite expensive, but also quite worth it, IMO.

I'm trying decide between hacking my bars or getting some new bars...

jasonyates

On your Pista... Don't the BB & hubs use cartridge bearings? What did you do about greasing those? I have a Pista too and have been thinking of giving it a bit of TLC.

Well, when I spoke of greasing, I was basicly talking about the headset and various threads of the nuts/bolts on the bike. I inspected the bottom bracket and ended up just wiping it off and putting it back. Same for the wheels, just wiped off the exposed side of the bearings. In my skateboarding days I learned that with sealed bearings it is best just to leave them alone or replace them. (A long time ago before I understood that WD40 was a solvent I tried cleaning some bearings with it. They were quite loud after that. :))

-Jason

Finally decided to quit being a wuss and put my toe clips on. I've been riding just flats since I got my bike put together and it was probalby just as well. Threw my feet off a few times. I think I'll be cool now and I was looking for something to do. With several laps up and down the driveway I'm really happy with the increase in controll and feel on the bike. I can actually skid now! (my driveway is dirt, but still) Also broke down and ordered a brooks. I got the champion flyer because spring seats rock! Since I was a kid I always thought they were cool. I know they're heavy and some people hate them but they don't have to ride my bike now do they?
Oh, and when skidding today I discovered that my lockring wasn't absolutely super tight. I kinda freaked out when the cog loosened about 1/8 of a turn. Tightend it all down and it's cool now. That's about all.

My fixies go thru complete makeovers annually.

Future fixed (Old Raleigh road frame) is currently dripping paint stripper in the corner of the basement. Sometime tonight I'll get to the scrubbing and sanding...

Nice old lugged frame: $25
Hours to finish building it up: Countless. :)

im in the final stages of my Motobecane Super Mirage single speed convert. all im waiting for is a pair of old school bmx brake levers i bought off ebay. ill have pictures posted as soon as its finalized.

pdxmark, you can carefully remove the seal with a pick and pack grease in there and then stick the seal back in. However most carts are pretty cheap and it is easier to knock them out and press new ones in when they get sloppy.

I just put a new fork on my fixed. I had a threaded carbon Profile straight blade sitting in the closet. It was for a road bike I ended up selling and I figured what the heck it has been sitting there for two years may as well do something with it. It has less rake and quickened up the bike a bit. It is a lot stiffer as well. I was concerned about the appearance but it turned out to look good as well.

substantial..

well, i sold my steamroller frame/fork and bought something else i think i'll like a lot better. i'm keeping it under wraps until i get it built up though, which may take a couple months given my current financial situation.

i think that may qualify as substantial.

The ol' fixie hasnt' seen any substantial changes recently. A complete overhaul sometime this winter.
Other than that, I've been looking at a new frame myself. Nagasawa's are purty sweet, but too rich for my blood at the moment. I'm thinking a nice 3Rensho might come my way.

[QUOTE=familyman]Finally decided to quit being a wuss and put my toe clips on.

Hi Folks...

When I got back into riding earlier this year I went the powergrip route and liked them. I recently put toe clips on my errand ride and love them. I think the powergrips are a good way to get into the 'foot connected to the pedal' thing but I doubt if I'll ever go back to them now. Toe clips are not as scary as I thought they'd be.

As for other bicycle projects? My girlfriend has seen the light....or atleast saw how happy I've been riding singlespeed so decided to make the switch. That was our weekend project. She actually did most of the work herself....She's the coolest. Anyway that's about it.

Thanks
Jimv

The ol' fixie hasnt' seen any substantial changes recently. A complete overhaul sometime this winter.
Other than that, I've been looking at a new frame myself. Nagasawa's are purty sweet, but too rich for my blood at the moment. I'm thinking a nice 3Rensho might come my way.


milwaukee, ey?

whereabouts?

Got a nicer rear wheel for my De Bernardi. Used Suzue Pro Max hub, black spokes, Velocity aero rim. Replaced the axle, messed around with cone wrenches for a while, trued it up. It's stiffer and lighter than my old Suzue basic - Sun rim wheel. Put the old wheel on the old frame and sold it the same day I posted it. I miss the old bike but there is only so much room in my apartment (and my girlfriend has 3 bikes too).

The only other substantial thing I've done with my bike lately is critical mass, which was awesome. I usually don't go but this one was huge... coming through Times square was great, going over the 59th st. bridge was amazing. I think the drivers were more forgiving because it was halloween.

I don't understand the question. mY fixes are always in a state of flux. I like a handlebar and stem on one bike, and I'll try it on another that I like the frame and fork combination. I am always changing things up with the fixies. But because the change in the weather is here I've been working on getting an old frame ready for winter riding, done up with semi-slicks for winter riding. I did a century on this bike last January, but it really seemed slow this summer so I moth balled it, now I've got a new Surly hub for it with Mavic MA3 rim, built it up and trued it last night. I've busted two chain whips trying to get gears off the trashed hubs I have, so I've got to invest in a new gear for the rear. Then I'm ready to ride this winter.

Am pondering the details of how to have my Vanilla fixie frame built, beginning in mid-December. I am riding a Binachi Pista as my commuter, but want the Vanilla to be suited for fixed/single-speed rides of all distances in all weather.

I rode a one-week tour this year on the Pista, including a century day and a 7500' climbing day. The big climbing days made me realize that a single-speed would be nice for descending a few thousand feet a day.

I'm thinking this new frame would be good for riding brevets too, which have long one-day distances of 125-250 miles in early Spring here in the Pacific Northwest.

So here is my current thinking... Room for full fenders, front & rear canti brakes. (Would like discs, but not sure how a rear disk would work with the rear drop-out... and I don't want an elliptical bottom bracket.) And, my latest weird twist, a rear derailleur hanger so I can choose to ride the bike multi-gear for some brevets, if I think I'm not up to riding 250 miles single-speed.

Comments? Ideas for improvement?

"milwaukee, ey?

whereabouts?"

On the east side of downtown, by the art museum, at the moment. Looking at buying a house in bay view sometime soon.
How about you?

On the east side of downtown, by the art museum, at the moment. Looking at buying a house in bay view sometime soon.
How about you?

i forgot about this thread.

near south side. right around 19th & national. what sort of bike(s) are you on, perhaps i've seen you around.

i just finished building my van dessel. Chris and i built the wheels up from scratch. i really enjoy the process of building a bike up from nothing. its do fun to see something come together like that.

Amen. I finished my Fuji last week and my first ride was around an icy parking lot at 2am Saturday morning. It was just what I remembered from riding fixed on the track. Got up Saturday and braved the mall traffic on the fixie to do a little Christmas shopping. A gret weekend.

My current project:

'72 Rixe english 3-speed w/stainless steel fenders I'm converting to singlespeed. Frame and fork painted flat black (to deter theft!) with a Binks 2001 spray gun (no can jobs!).
New wheelset: Sun AT18 rims 26" EA-3 36h
Rear hub is Shimano high-flange with freehub body that accepts 3-speed/coaster brake type cogs and hog ring. Ft. hub is (for now) Mallard Diablo bolt-on, radial spoking. Cannondale aluminum road 700c fork. Older Dura-Ace headset and Dura-Ace standard-reach ft. brake caliper. Wienmann 750 rear centerpull caliper. Dia-Compe old-school mtn bike brake levers. Black riser mtn h/bar and Kalloy stem. Brooks B72 saddle.

Tomorrow.. I shall do what I did last year.. Do my Christmas shopping from my bike...After I get to my doctor's appointment with my bike on a bus; I will ride to Solana Beach and get a coveted gift for my wife at a shop down there and return home. Round trip probably 50 some miles.
Closest I will get to santa on his sleigh..Panniers are all empty waiting to be filled.
As to next year, see what tour comes along. Hope to put 3,000 plus miles on my bike commuting to work.
addendum...sorry for the misunderstanding of the thread. Did not take it in a physical overhaul sense. Sort of related. Thinking of converting to a Bob on my touring bike?

I took my ss mtb to a frame builder to see what it would cost to get horizontal drop outs put on. I do not have a clue on how to weld.

He told me $50 with parts and labor. I said do it.

So I will soon have A mtb that I can flip/flop ss and fixed for the price of a singulator. Merry Xmas to me!!! :D