vik 

I know the wise and wonderful Walter L... rides a fixed gear Tikit...does anyone else ride such a beast?



I've been riding a fixed gear Surly 1x1 and have really enjoyed the simplicity of a fixed gear and not missed the shifting at all...



It seems to me a folder would benefit even more from the simple bombproof drivetrain you get with a fixie.

SesameCrunch

I live in the San Francisco area. A fixie would limit me to 5% of the roads I regularly ride
I went the opposite direction and added a Sclumpf Speed Drive to my Tikit.




I do agree with you about the simplicity of a fixie. It's surprisingly fun not to have to mess with gears and such. Being an old fart, though, the closest I come to a fixie is the Sachs Duomatic 2 speed kick-shift hub on my Moulton MK3. Same kinda simple elegance. Plus, no cables going to the back wheel.

feijai

Okay, I'm calling you on the mat for this one. You rebuilt a Moulton MK-3, custom paint job, decals, and everything, then stuck Bike Friday's crummy stock seat on it? What the...?

law4jba

what is the rear OLN spacing on the one way tikit? If its 120 mm, the new Sturmey archer S2/S2C should fit. That would be a sweet set up for winter riding

SesameCrunch

Gulp! You caught me...

You'll be happy to know that a Brooks saddle has replaced the BF one.

On that point, I have been wondering how Vik has fared with the stock BF saddle that I see in his pictures. I can't get used to the stock BF saddle. Makes my arse go numb really fast....

vik 

Funny thing is I'm normally a saddle snob and slam a Brooks B17/Flyer or a Selle Anatomica saddle on all my bikes....but the stock Bike Friday saddle has lasted on my Tikit for nearly 3 years because it's one of the extremely few stock saddles my butt doesn't mind. I wouldn't ride 100kms+ a day on it, but my Tikit generally sees short 1-10km rides...although I did fine on one 25km ride with that saddle.

Saddles are personal which is why most bike companies don't spend a ton of $$$ on stock saddles since even a $200 saddle won't make a lot of people happy and it's better to provide a lower cost saddle and let folks put on whatever saddle makes them smile.

vik 

Schlumpf?...nice...I haven't found a hill in town I can't climb on my fixed gear so in these parts the lack of gears doesn't seem to be an issue.

How does the kick shift hub work?

SesameCrunch

The Duomatic kick-shift hub has 2 speeds internal to the hub, plus it has a coaster brake. You shift between the two gears by pedaling backwards a little, hence the kick-shift term. When you pedal backwards fully, the brake engages. It's cool. I've had the hub open to play with the innards - it's made like a tank.

The Schlumpf on the Tikit is very nice complement to the stock 8 speed gearing. It's gives me a 65% higher second gear in the front. Very nice range now. Tikit to ride anywhere!

GeorgePaul

Is is a simple, easy install? Did you do it yourself or have a bike shop do it? I'd love to have a bit higher gearing on my Season Tikit.

vik 

Read this Schlumpf article...given the cost and the req'd modification to the BB shell I'd let a knowledgeable LBS handle this unless you are a hardcore DIY type. Keep in mind many LBS will have never heard of a Schlumpf so pick your bike mechanic wisely.

BTW - depending on how much more gear range you need Shimano is coming out with an 11 speed Alfine IGH for late 2010/early 2011. Going with it would be lighter and cheaper than a Schlumpf as well as making shifting easier. You'd also get to keep your current IGH wheel as a spare or for another bike....however you don't get as much range as a Nexus 8 /Alfine 8 and a Schlumpf.

SesameCrunch

What Vik said....

Schlumpfs are not the most value-oriented gearing solution out there