Just thought that while you guys were poncing around and crashing your racer bikes, you should know that I spent the weekend riding around on my "new" fixte, made up of:

$5 tipshop Peugeot frame (lugged steel, reasonably light [under 3kg, IIRC]green, had greenie stickers on it, no fork, nuthin else). Acquired about two years ago with intention of either making it a fixte or a rando bike. First task was getting ride of the greenie stickers.

Fork, bars (cut and inverted), stem, brakes (Shimano 600s) and headset from a Gitanes frame bought for $30 (it had a broken right chainstay, and might just be salvagable with a guy who is learning about frame building)

Wheels (Alex cr@p rims) rebuilt from my rando/tourer (which now sports Velocity rims, OC on the rear, and I really like 'em)

Seat and post from another tipshop bike that will eventually become a seven-speed commuter (single ring up front, seven-speed on rear)

Rear hub from a wreck (guy came to me with cr@p MTB, said can you fix it; car had run into it in garage; I said no, but kept the bent wheel for the steel hub)

17T cog from another old tipshop bike, plus BB lockring from an old MTB bike.

180mm cranks from a tipshop MTB (Mongoose, built up as a separate project for some female who treated it like *****, so I got it back)

Pedals are my Time Atacs off another bike.

38T Biopace cog from a tandem (that also was refurbished, but now doesn't work coz I've taken the good parts off it to put on other things).

Chain came from the timing chain on the tandem, too.

32mm half to 3/4-worn Conti TT2000 tyres from the wall.

BB -- the only new thing in the project. Even the bar tape, cables and outers were recycled.

All up, cost me about $70.

There's toe overlap on the front wheel, thanks to the rake on the Vitus fork, but with the wide Conti TTs on board, the ride is surprisingly good and handling stable. I'll probably swap out the original stem for another longer one that originally was fitted to my Merida. I'd like to go with 160mm cranks, but they aren't quite so easy to find at the tipshops. I haven't grounded the pedals yet.

38 x 17 might seem a bit wimpy, but the hills are good enough around here to be a regular test for around 60 gear-inches, at least until I build up a bit more strength. Then I might go for a 40T.

The Biopace ring, despite the shape, actually doesn't upset chain tension. I like the quietness of the ride. Seat height has to be right, so that transition from seated to standing is smooth (and vice-versa). And you can't just coast and stand to adjust the chamois in the ol' @rse-crack. I'm a high-cadence rider anyway, and I am spinning out around 45km/h which for me is fast enough.

It's a lot of fun to ride. I'm not quite up to a metric century on it, but it's not far away.

Oh yeah, I acquired an old Brooks saddle bag about six months ago. The seat has plastic loops on it, and the bag looks really cool -- really retro. I'll probaby fork out the $$$ with StK Cycles for a new B17 seat to go on.

Better than that carbon stuff that scratches so easily