Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - a fine day goes south

Skipped class this afternoon to head across town on the bike and do some shopping. Sun was shining, a few clouds, so I slip the seat cover off my brooks thinking I'll be back before any rain might start. HA. Then i lower the seat post a bit to try and allieviate the wrist pain i've been having, and the cheap bolt on the clamp strips out. Awesome. But nothing will lower my mood, its gorgeous, no wind, and i'm going riding. In fact, about a mile out i was stopped at a light and even got props from a (road??) biker on the other side of the street for riding fixie. I only noticed he was on a bianchi, but he was like "fixie, nice!!" and all was right with the world.

I don't know what it is about Columbus, but all the beautiful women can be found outside running or in stores shopping in the middle of the afternoon. It's an unbelieveable phenomenon. Every time we skip class we see more beautiful women than any time we're out at a bar. I think i'm missing something about the ohio social scene.

So while i'm in the store, I can sorta see that its starting to get a little dark. No big deal, i'll be fine, it won't rain that hard and i'll be out on the road before the worst of it hits. I'll just cover the seat with a plastic bag. Wrong. I go up to pay and its pouring. And there's my bike, locked up outside, with rain puddling up on my brooks. Awesome. I'm going over how many coats of proofide it has in my head....

As soon as i get outside and unlock it, the sky unleashes hell. Welcome to april in ohio and random thunderstorms. AND now something's rubbing. My back brake (i know everyone's solution to that problem already). So i'm tearing ass home cause i'm worried my seat is soaked and ruined, trying to figure out how i'm gonna dry it, and knowing i can't take the seatpost out cause the bolt is stripped. Suddenly, all the sunshine and props from the road biker don't make this a better day. Getting splashed by all the traffic, getting cut off at every driver's opportunity, sliding to stop all the time... At least i didn't get a flat.

But on a lighter note, it really is fun to ride in the rain, as long as it's a warm near-summer rain like it was today. This was the langster's first soaking, and my first fixie rain ride, and i'm still loving every second. Off to clean all the grass clippings, grit, and mud off myself and the bike, and maybe remove that worthless back brake....but it just makes stopping so much easier on the knees....

AND THEN LIKE A MORON, i took the cog and lockring off to clean them up and re-grease, and managed to tighten the lockring too much, stripping the hub. FARKING FIXIE NOOB. THERES A REASON THEY DON"T LET IDIOTS LIKE ME WORK ON THEIR OWN BIKES.

worst. day. ever

confirmed by my crappy LBS, the cheap ass rear hub on the langster is stripped out, and have to be replaced and the wheel rebuilt, otherwise i can only ride it with the freewheel. Fantastic.

Thats why I switched my wheels before that bike left the shop. Well maybe not for that reason.

yeah i feel like the biggest moron ever. The mechanics at the bad lbs are standing me telling me i threaded the lockring on backwards, and i know for a fact i was doing it teh right way. It rolled right on, no way i cross threaded it. I think its just a cheap hub that specialized threw on there, and the metal just wasn't quality. I wish i'd just gotten the a pista and the good LBS down the street.

Any estimates on what i should pay to have a new surly (black) hub put into my wheel?

I would think you should go with Iro or maybe some used phils. If you went with Iro you could save money and still get sealed hubs and then invest remaining into something else you want to change.

The shop I take my wheels to charges 35 bucks to build the rear wheel.

Oh and sure it's a shameless plug but they are called Community bikes and they are in Boston. Damn good wheel guys.

Oh and sure it's a shameless plug but they are called Community bikes and they are in Boston. Damn good wheel guys.

I don't know how cool the shop would be if i brought in a hub and asked them to lace it in. I'm sure they'd rather that i bought it there. I'll ask them in the morning. I'd love a phil hub, but it might be too nice for that stock rim...Have to search ebay for one

The way I see it, A sho kind of wants buisness. That might just mean that they charge you for spokes and labor but thats kind of why they are there. I think they just want your money and would be more then happy lacing that wheel up for you.

My next set that I want built are based on the hubs I already have. I am just going to buy the rims and have them lace them in.

thanks for your help hamm...no one else was reading my sad story ;). I'll just be riding the freewheel till i find a nice used phil

just so frustrating to f up like that. drives me nuts thinking that i screwed up my most valued possession

I sold the wheels from mine to a guy who has a langster. A day after he had bought it he hit a pot hole and destroyed his. I don't know why he didn't just talk to the shop but whatever. I used that money and bought my wife a Van Dessel CRb frame with some suspension forks and it will indeed be a single speed. I think it's so I can have a second bike.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36144&item=3672587370&rd=1

what do we think of this hub?

I have seen this one and think why not? I would bid maybe 55 or so, but then again you may just want to be off the freewhell and ride the good ol' fixed. If that thing spins like my old one did when I sold it. I would say hell yeah, buy it.

not worth more than what Hammye recommended. I am curious to see the spoke holes...from the cog-side the top ones looked grooved. May just be the pic though.

so why'd you sell it?


and i'm mildly creeped out by the thought of paying full price for a "vintage" hub when i could get a new surly for like 60

Because I sold it with my super cool basso when I wanted to stop doinig messenger work. I had grown upset with cycling for some silly reason. Same thing happened to me and Bmx, I stopped for awhile and in the process of that I went and sold a Bike that I really miss now. But later I did get a set of these Zipp track hubs and buils those up with some junkie rims I had around. I put those on this clanky old Schwinn. Hated that bike and bought a Langster(secretly really wants a steel frame again, may have to sell this one to do so) and then found out how expensive my hubs were. Half heartedly tried to sell them on ebay and now wants to lace them up to some very swanky rims and try to do the stylish wheels thing. I regret selling that damn Basso.

I think i feel the same way. Love the look of my langster, not too cool on the parts, stiff aluminum ride. Thinking about selling it picking up something older, fancy steel, nice parts...I dunno. Maybe i'm just pissed at it and myself today. Just sitting here agonizing about everything i'd rather have than the crappy part i ruined.

junkie rims
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that's a quickie photoshop if ever i've seen one. But you had that bleeding finger, so it was probably hard to move the mouse or something ;)

Hammeye -- You were right on...Despite my fears about taking internet parts into my LBS to have them installed, they were completely cool on it. The guy at Baer was totally cool putting the aero levers in my new bars, and even offered to try and fix my hub rather than rebuilding the wheel with a new one. On top of it all, he gave me a nice low estimate cause i was getting it all done at once.

Next question is, do i have them put black nipples on the spokes if it has to get rebuilt? Then i can *eventually* get a black crank and cog, and turn the whole Langster into a stealth machine. Ahhh aesthetics, the never ending possibilities....

Any estimates on what i should pay to have a new surly (black) hub put into my wheel?Hub should be around $60 but you need to figure the build and spokes (current spokes probably won't work) and beware, most shops won't relace a used rim. You could do it your self though, it's not that hard. Especially a fixed wheel with no dish.

Short term you could use a fixed cog on the freewheel side w/ Loc-tite and a BB lockring (it's not reverse threaded), just might want to use your brakes as the primary stopping device.

Surly hubs are bomber and the price is right.

that's a quickie photoshop if ever i've seen one. But you had that bleeding finger, so it was probably hard to move the mouse or something ;)

Hammeye -- You were right on...Despite my fears about taking internet parts into my LBS to have them installed, they were completely cool on it. The guy at Baer was totally cool putting the aero levers in my new bars, and even offered to try and fix my hub rather than rebuilding the wheel with a new one. On top of it all, he gave me a nice low estimate cause i was getting it all done at once.

Next question is, do i have them put black nipples on the spokes if it has to get rebuilt? Then i can *eventually* get a black crank and cog, and turn the whole Langster into a stealth machine. Ahhh aesthetics, the never ending possibilities....
I love to see the ninja bikes. better for night riding.

s2sxiii, are you getting things repaired at Bikesource? Overall, I think Baer seems like a much more friendly place. I am sure they would be willing to build up a nice wheel for you. I have a feeling at Bike Source you will be getting one of the younger people doing it that doesn't have a ton of experience.

s2sxiii, are you getting things repaired at Bikesource?

I get the regular maintenance done at Bikesource, cause its free since i bought my bike there. But i go to Baer for everything else, parts, other maintenence, etc. They're fixing my hub and installing new brake levers right now as a matter of fact. David that works there's pretty quiet, but a nice guy. There's a tall red haired mechanic who is awesome, was a ton of help to me. Everyone in there is really cool, even the customers. Clintonville's a nice part of town.

Hy if any of you colombus folks are going to that alley cat this weekend , be on the look out for a dude about 36 or so shaved head and goes by the name of Hazard, if you see him or his friends(both on langsters i think) tell them hammye says hello. I miss those folks.