Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Need your help.

Hi all,
Just bought an old time trial frame for fixie conversion, with the intent to shave all the braze-ons and change the fork to 622 one:
http://allegro.pl/show_item.php?item=39505439
The seller didn't know the make, but this steel frame shows beautiful craftsmanship.
My surprise was that the frame and fork both come from a bike stamped with Gianni Motta name and logos all over the place. I have two other roadies and I do not need a third one. Good weather one has vertical dropouts and can not be converted, the bad weather one can not be substituted with this one as it would not accept wider tyres.

Would you destroy this beauty to build a fixie?? (Yes I know it is fixie forum :-)

That is like asking Cheney if he would invade Iraq for Oil to make his fat buddies richer at the expense of US Soldiers lives and families, as well as the lives of Iraqis.
In short - it's your call.

if you put a 700c fork on there, you're going to drastically change the frame's geometry. i would leave the 650c fork on there.

if you put a 700c fork on there, you're going to drastically change the frame's geometry. i would leave the 650c fork on there.

Can play with the rake to compensate, was asking more about shaving braze-ons.
I guess I will leave the frame as is down tube shifters support and all, I just setup it as fixe.

Cheers,
v.

is it me, or does that geometry seem a little stretched out for a fixie?

I have comapred it with my other frame (700C), is is just the head tube is short because of forward sloping top tube. It doesn't look like Motta changed the regular geometry much going for 650C front :-)

I guess I will wait for more comments here, you gang are really useful.

Cheers,
v.

Build it into a fixie without cutting off the braze-ons.

I would keep the geometry the same.

If you want a dual-700c bike, why get a frame like that? Seems sort of silly.

I would grind down the shifter bosses when you get the chance. It would make a nice fixie.

i second BlastRadius's suggestion.

I would keep the geometry the same.

If you want a dual-700c bike, why get a frame like that? Seems sort of silly.

I would grind down the shifter bosses when you get the chance. It would make a nice fixie.

Guess so, seems silly. There is not much choice over here and that was not my fist one. I had nice track Wicher frame dating from sixties, yet some a#$#%^ forced 27.2 seatpost down the seat tube. The frame broke near the place where seatstays join the tube on 2nd day of removing the seatpost :-(.

some a#$#%^ forced 27.2 seatpost down the seat tube. The frame broke near the place where seatstays join the tube on 2nd day of removing the seatpost :-(.
hmmm, that *can* be fixed, how depends on how its broken. if you still have the frame you could take it to a welding shop and get either a patch TIG welded/brazed or a fillet brazed in after reforming the seat tube, depending on severity and tubing type, or if the seatstays are loose, you could just get it re-fitted and re-brazed, or both depending on the severity of course. without pictures/inspection, i can't tell you.

']That is like asking Cheney if he would invade Iraq for Oil to make his fat buddies richer at the expense of US Soldiers lives and families, as well as the lives of Iraqis.
In short - it's your call.

brialliant 165. f'in brilliant.

hmmm, that *can* be fixed, how depends on how its broken. if you still have the frame you could take it to a welding shop and get either a patch TIG welded/brazed or a fillet brazed in after reforming the seat tube, depending on severity and tubing type, or if the seatstays are loose, you could just get it re-fitted and re-brazed, or both depending on the severity of course. without pictures/inspection, i can't tell you.
I was toying with this idea, just was not sure repaired will be strong enough. I will give it a try, thanks.
So, good and bad weather roadies stay what they are, red Ginno Motta 650/700 goes on the wall as a piece of art and repaired Wicher becomes a fixie as intended :-))

Cheers,
v.

one quick thing about tubing type,
if your frame is butted tubing, i'm not sure about wichers tubing types, make sure the welder/brazer knows, it will change how they heat the tubing and how much power they can use on the TIG torch.
a proper fillet braze is almost as strong as the material surrounding it, due to brazing rod being an alloy of lower melting temp metals, ie brass, gold, silver, etc
a proper TIG weld is stronger than the material surrounding it, but can damage the surrounding metal if its extremly thin or heat treated,
i would find an excellent welder with alot of brazing expirence, and ask him to make a judgement on it, ask him how he's going to fix it, make sure he knows what kind of tubing is on the bike, etc.
don't let him near it with a MIG or stick welder what ever you do, that'll burn right through a thin wall tube