Folding Bikes - Mod Downtube IXFS to a Fast Road/Tourer

Almost all the UK warehouse 2007 IXFS stock is sold, which means that soon, we'll be selling 09 stock. Since I also have an 09 IXFS making its way to me, which will be the new demonstrator, there seems no reason to keep my 07 bike stock any more.

So, what I'm thinking is, I'll convert it to a faster road bike. I'm thinking as cheap and simple as possible; being a vintage bike fan, I have lots of drop bars with 25.4 mm clamp diameter, so those can go straight in to the existing stem. I've also got Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap to match my honey Brooks saddle, so all I'd need is Tektro levers for V brakes on drop bars. Of course, I'd also need something for shifting, but I have an old Suntour bar end shifter (and I never liked indexed shifting anyway). Finally, a pair of Marathons for quicker rolling, and a 52t chainring, and I should have a bike that whistles along. I would go for cross-top levers too, but I can't find any for v-brakes, and I'm not sure they wouldn't interfere with my bar bag.

So whaddyall think? Good plan?

Sounds like a great plan.

I used the Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap on my Surly reconfiguration (Pictures at http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=45560 . Just be careful of how thick you make the wrap. I placed cables under mine and some plastic bar wrap to keep it in place and the elkhide bar wrap wasn't wide enough to go around. I had to add another piece to make up the difference. With that said the wrap has a great feel and with a little oil added matches my Brooks saddle.

-Jim

Almost all the UK warehouse 2007 IXFS stock is sold, which means that soon, we'll be selling 09 stock. Since I also have an 09 IXFS making its way to me, which will be the new demonstrator, there seems no reason to keep my 07 bike stock any more.

So, what I'm thinking is, I'll convert it to a faster road bike. I'm thinking as cheap and simple as possible; being a vintage bike fan, I have lots of drop bars with 25.4 mm clamp diameter, so those can go straight in to the existing stem. I've also got Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap to match my honey Brooks saddle, so all I'd need is Tektro levers for V brakes on drop bars. Of course, I'd also need something for shifting, but I have an old Suntour bar end shifter (and I never liked indexed shifting anyway). Finally, a pair of Marathons for quicker rolling, and a 52t chainring, and I should have a bike that whistles along. I would go for cross-top levers too, but I can't find any for v-brakes, and I'm not sure they wouldn't interfere with my bar bag.

So whaddyall think? Good plan?

I have it on an old Raleigh Gran Sport I did up, and it's nice on there, but I didn't put anything else underneath, just bars and cables.

So whaddyall think? Good plan?

Stop tantilising us Sammyboy, please finish the Moulton Midi fast road bike and give us the pictures, then you can start to think about the IXFS Supersport !

The Mini (and it's a Mini, not a Midi) has a long way to go. Apart from anything else, I need a rear hub and rims before I can even start. The IXFS I can do in an afternoon, pretty much for the cost of brake levers and cables.