Well, we had a nice snowstorm here, which finally gave me the excuse I've been looking for to put this little monstrosity together. Those of you who hate fixie conversions can close your eyes for this next part:


Okay, now that that's over, here's what it is: a tankish, pink Schwinn Marada, with a handbuilt rear wheel (Nashbar fixed hub, Sun CR18 rim) and a track cog repurposed from a tossed out fixie wheel I found in the alley. The chain runs onto the small chainwheel, giving a ridiculous 26/16 drivetrain. The studded tires came from a bike shop closing sale.

It moves very well thru the ice and snow, though it has issues with deep snow and slush. However, out riding it about the last day or so, I saw plenty of stuck cars and absolutely no stuck bikes, probably because if you get stuck on this thing you just get off it, pick it up, and move, where in a car you just sit there spinning your wheels and smoking your cigarette (at least this seems to the representative behaviour of the marooned drivers I saw on my rides). I've been thru my neighbourhood, the above street is pretty much par for the area. I don't think this bike can even make ten miles an hour, but it sure is fun. I left the brakes on, but have yet to touch them-- way to easy to control this thing via the drivetrain.

I'd really like a Surly Pugsley, so those of you who hate what I've done to this bike can paypal me some cash. Once I get enough for the Pugsley, I'll return this bike to it's geared form.