fixed gear
 

Ok, I've been reading the entire Fixed Gear tirade/rant/debacle over at CR and
while I'm no fan of butchering a frame (removing derailleur hangers, braze ons etc.) I
do appreciate seeing the conversions.

In an effort to counter some of the criticisms, how about a post pictures of
your conversions here. What I don't want is a debate on fixed gear culture there's
enough about that to be found elsewhere.

Marty

Here was mine, a gaspipe Olmo with much patena. I sold it to a hipster in Portland. I like coasting. (Sorry Marty, I had to put in my .02 :D)

http://www.h3odesign.com/Misc_Images/Olmo%20002.jpg

http://www.h3odesign.com/Misc_Images/Olmo%20012.jpg

I've posted this before, but here's my Le Champion that I built up fixed. This bike is an absolute blast to ride, but I'm thinking of putting a Nexus hub on it.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/DSC03287.jpg

Here's my "Made For" Puch conversion. Nothing special, put it together pretty cheaply with mostly stuff laying around, but very fun to ride. It's become my daily commuter, saves the wear and tear on my nicer bikes.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...43/fg_001a.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...43/fg_002a.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...43/fg_003b.jpg

here's one i built then sold. wish i woulda kept it and put gears on it. the kid i sold it to crashed it and kinked the top and downtubes...

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...g?t=1196264351

Here's a previously shown px10 procured from neighborhood junk store for $5. Derailleur hanger already chopped off. Before and after pics.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...7/P8130001.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...7/PA140002.jpg

I've converted nearly a zillion single speeds in the last few years, but only a couple of fixies. Here's a 1971 Raleigh Super Course, which was a fine candidate as it had no dropout hanger to chop off. Note the cottered crankset from a Raleigh Sports!

Neal

http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bi...ourseFixed.jpg

Here is my Colnago Sport that has been through many changes over the years but I initially purchased it as a fixed gear project. It is a pretty nice frame, a bit noodley, made of Columbus Aelle tubing but I don't really think this is a true Colnago, hence the "Sport" affixed to it. My guess is that it was an out-sourced frame from a smaller bike company during the bike boom. It is now my rain/snow bike and I think I will be down-sizing the fleet in the spring, so this will likely get sold as an SS ride. I liked riding fixed enough to buy a track frame, there are more pictures in my sig.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...z/IMG_2664.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...Ez/colnago.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...auction003.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...Ez/Work004.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...z/Trip1041.jpg

The whole thing reads like a group of super market shopping-cart collectors discussing the antics of the homeless!

Here's a page of some of the conversions I've done for re-sell:

http://otisrecords.com/fixedgearconversion.htm

Every one of them was a resuced bike that would still be sitting outside with rotted tires, frozen cables, and a rusted solid chain If I hadn't converted 'em to something useable.

Motobecane Mirage - 70's
 

I still have all the original(?) parts that came with the purchase of this bike, but for me - a daily commuter in a fairly flat city - it made sense to go single speed and then very shortly it will be 'fixed'. Braze-ons and whatnot still on the bike along with original paint. BTW Otis, nice bikes - esp. that pinstripe Centurion.

Before:
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...evelospace.jpg

After:
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...After001sm.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...After009sm.jpg

And a couple of my keepers:

http://otisrecords.com/legbt1.jpg

http://otisrecords.com/ralrain1.jpg

Wow, those are all so nice, do you make the wheelsets yourself? I see the worst POS's going for north of $300 lately on eBay, none of them are as nice as any of the ones you have made. This one is my fav:

http://otisrecords.com/images/raysport1.jpg

As long as conversions don't involve hacking important bits off of one of the great frames, I'm all for this singlespeed thing. I've tried it (see my '72 Italvega, below, built as a freewheel singlespeed) and I like it. I keep it in a storeroom in my office to catch a quick ride at lunch, or to run errands when it's not raining.

Terrific conversions, Otis! Definite style points all around.

Neal

My Trek 660 set up as a commuter/rainy day training bike:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...ruary07025.jpg

Also: My Gazelle Champion Mondial. I don't consider it a "conversion." I just wanted to be able to ride it while I slowly collect the period-correct Suntour Superbe Pro group.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...ugust07006.jpg

I chimed in on the CR thread. I have two conversions of my own.

86 Schwinn Peloton:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/...ab9a681d49.jpg

84 Schwinn Le Tour Polo bike:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/...50dd998b9b.jpg

The rest of the pictures are all bikes I built up fixed and then sold:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1005/...4b3d512d1d.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/...17cad3c78d.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1029/...7aecde0fa2.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1178/...2e0af6c6f7.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/...01910c8893.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/...629cba256c.jpg

A few more I built and sold
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/...d1a2e13a90.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1250/...58d9394d84.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/...3c9e5e9a91.jpg

Here's mine - entirely unbutchered.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...2/P1260005.jpg

Heres mine, it has open wounds (i'll get around to finishing filing off those shifter bosses one of these days, but they were added when the bike was repainted in the 80s anyway. It's a 1975 Jeunet with 531 mainframe and rejected corky decals, how is that for blasphemy?:
http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/d/...+Nov_+2007.jpg
http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/d/...2/IMG_0846.JPG
I thought I had another one of a nice lack gardin I built with pantoed stem and black deep Vs (i was getting rid of the non-period parts that came on my pista) but I built it to order and never took a photo because I didn't have to advertise it, it was a nice bike though....

I no longer have either bike, but I have done conversions in the opposite direction:
1) Armstrong Sturmey-Archer 3-speed to hybrid 3x4 drive w/ Cyclo 14-20 cogset, Campag. Gran Sport derailleur, and drop bars;
2) Avanti inch-pitch track bike to 4-speed, machining a SunTour claw to work backward on track dropouts and removing the outer cog from a Regina freewheel.

Sometimes I just wished I lived in a flater land. :( But I imagine it's tough to top 40mph on a fixie. :rolleyes:

Growing up in Campton NH I got sick of destroying derailleurs on the salted roads of winter and started riding fixed in 1985. With a 42X18 I've not quite hit 40, but 35 is doable. Brakes are essential. The flatter land thing manifests itself as rides that tend to follow valleys rather than cross ridges between. Right about when I got sick of riding river roads, the snow would melt and I'd get to ride derailleur on the Kancamaugus (sp?), Kinsman, and Franconia notches and points beyond.

Where you at?

Is that a Cinelli SC with a Varsity decal?

Holy crap, I didn't even see that. It sure looks like it... anti-theft device?

One of my favorite bikes ever!
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/9...imediumwb0.jpg