Well, actually, he was talking about converting it. It could be because he wants to ride it, not just look cool.


At least that's why I converted a classic (and rare!) road frame to a fixed gear, I wanted to have a fixed gear road bike to ride.


Remember folks, some people ride fixed gears because they like them, not because they're an (out-of-date) style prop.

Ok gentlemen, you all know how much I hate putting on my Moderator Tone with ya'll, but this thread is getting a bit out of sorts. I know that conversions are a hot bed topic for many of us here in C&V, and that there is a SS/FG forum that may be better suited for such threads. Some of those threads posted in here in the past about conversions are/were likely attempts at trolling, and should be brought to the mod's attention so that we can handle them. In regards to this thread, if you can not participate in this thread in a respectful tone, I will have to ask you from refraining from participating in it at all.

Now that is out of the way, my two cents: Reversable conversions are one thing. Drewing up a frame that can not be put back to original is another. How big of a "crime against cycling" it is, depends greatly on the quality and the rarity of the frame. Was it a lower to middle range Centurion or was it a 78 Paramount or Masi? I'll admit I resprayed a "bike boom" mid 80's lower end Centurion and rebranded it as my own. I stripped off the nearly unused Centurion ARx shifters and put on a NOS Shimano 105 Golden Arrow group. By the end of it (which included drilling the fork and brake bridge for recessed brake mounting) the bike could not have been put back to "original", though it was still a geared bike. However I doubt many people would look upon a Centurion Sport DLX as a loss to the collective vintage cycling history. A 92 Paramount is a slightly different story, as while it does carry the Paramount name, it's not the same bike of the 60's - 80's. Simply put, we've seen lots of GOOD bikes forever stripped of their gears, and any time we hear of a decent bike going down that road there is a chance that the owner will one day add an even nicer bike to the Drewed ranks. So we get defensive due to those fears, jaded by past experiences and examples. I'm not going to stand in anyone's way of a conversion if it means they are going to ride the bike, treat it with some respect and hopefully keep it in a form that can one day be restored to geared ability. I'll go as far as to recommend not breaking out the grinder on even a mid range frame, and probably would risk the wrath of my wife to make an offer to save a high end frame from the grinder wheel. A conversion on the street is better than an original in an attic if done right.

As I stated earlier I was asking the original question to get your viewpoints on me making my Paramount SS. I have been accused of trying to start something by asking a simple question. The reason I asked it here and not SS/FG forum is because I new the SS/FG forum would simply say go for it. I asked here because I respected the thoughts and opinions of those who could talk with me in a rational and decent way. I certainly respect the fact that you may not want me to SS my Paramount. It's your love for the name that made me value your opinions on the subject. Perhaps given your viewpoint I may even deicide that the love of the Paramount name may persuade me to find another bike for this project. The people who had to be nasty about this simply made me wonder what type of immature people I was dealing with. I am not a person who is trying to fit into some new found fad. I actually thought the bike would make for a sleek and lightweight singlespeed road bike. The reason for singlespeed is because of fitness not a fad. Using only one gear would help in making me a stronger rider. I am sorry for those who are so paranoid about someone posting about a SS conversion here that they have to call someone a troll, or a drew or whatever.

Maybe so, but perhaps if you had waded through every post in this thread, you might have seen that amongst the general complaints were a number of courteous, respectful replies to you which answered your original question quite well.

If I were you, I would not attack the entire group. The entire group did not attack you.

-Kurt

And you are right cudak888. To those who responded respectfully, thank you. But the statement was about "the people who had to be nasty about this".

In all honesty the initial question/statement came off a bit rough to me. Read like you were trying to get a rise out of people. I have a 1983 Nishiki I converted to a fixed gear and love the ride. The way I see it is if you're on a bicycle that's good enough. Do what you want with your property. You can do what you want and I can feel how I want.

The discussion really took a few turns that involved "Drewing" a frame, but I don't believe that was your original intent. It's just what the discussion evolved into.

.
its your bike , but please dont ----------->

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/...e0ac56c700.jpg

and cut, smash, or pound anything off it . geared bikes are geared bikes :)

Yes, it is. It happened from it conception. Instead of getting a new wardrobe, how about getting a clue.

Oh, never mind, this is off-topic. In fact, its so far off-topic, it's off-forum.

??

You don't have to be a socialist to do whats in the common good. Even capitalism can exist (must exist) in a social world. The social body can organize a capitalist system (or system of capital), but its bad news if we forget that its still a social world. I believe in capitalism. I think its the best system on paper, because it simply means converting goods to something of universal value (the dollar), and streamlining barter. Its too bad our representatives game that system with preferential policies that benefit those who have already benefited enough to have the resources to "purchase" or lobby for more benefits. Nice little vicious circle there. Probably a natural tendency in a system where universal currency eliminates the necessity of being local to the items of trade, but the purpose of government should be to prevent that (hence checks and balances. the whole design of our government was shaped around it in a variety of ways, but it still doesn't work as it should), and provide stewardship so the social body is not undermined by the capacity for swift personal gain that consolidates power and necessitates a losses to others (not all gain necessitates loss, and a responsibly run version of a capitalist repiblic would be possessed of enough social stewardship to take steps to ensure that deals where only one person wins and the other loses aren't the norm. That's not capitalism, after all, but feudalism. People are self preserving, and they only trade at a loss if/when either the deck is stacked against them - i.e., not pure capitalism, which should be an even playing field - or the market is wrong for their products/services. I just don't see how the market could be wrong for the product/services of %95 percent of the people, and right for the other %5, so it must be deck stacking that's going on). This is what perverts capitalism and gives it a bad name. On paper is just a system of trade.

But to say that a capitalist nation is not still a social body, and that social values and collective value for actions and objects of social meaning is unimportant, is to mistake our purpose on this earth. That's the closest thing an atheist (technically an agnostic, but who's counting) like me comes to seeing as turned away from the light.

I've seen this sentiment a few times in this thread, and I don't agree.

One of the best reasons for deciding to use a nice handbuilt frame for a conversion is that it is a nice handbuilt frame. If you honestly can't tell the difference in ride and handling between your average cromo bikeboom frame and a nice handbuilt, I can see why you wouldn't bother converting one, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I have a conversion that I'm very fond of, built around a 3rensho. It was a great bike when it was geared, and it's great as a fixed gear. Nothing about the ride or handling has changed, they still kick all kinds of ass, the only difference is in the drivetrain.

A garage sale univega, while lugged and steel, doesn't feel anywhere near the same to me. That's why I convert nice bikes : because I like nice bikes.

Well said.
And to the OP, forgive me if I fall under your nasty comments distinction. I simply just get annoyed when people try to incite their ideas of ultimate right and wrong on other people. My tongue (or fingers in this case) can get sharp.
-Gene-

Certainly wasn't speeking of you Amani. Thanks for your replies.

Looks like I came here way too late. I'll chip in anyway.

Why?

Dead souls.

Many a long dead master craftsmen are turning in their grave,
wondering what wrong they must've done to deserve this hellish
punishment lashed out by the legion of Drewsters.

They search in their soul, day and night.
They find small sins but, nothing befitting this unbearable torment.
All the care. All the attention to detail. All the hard work: their life work.
Its undone, ruined, belittled. The work they've poured their soul into.
Horribly mutilated, brutalised with a file, garishly spray bombed and
thrown in velocipede hell alive. All without a thought. Without hesitation.

The soul-wrecking goes on, no end in sight.
All the while, clowns rejoice in the atrocity exhibition.
Rolling idiocy roams the street. Business as usual, world without end.


Gosh, I sux at writing...
Anyway, nothing personal. Absolutely no offence intended.
I'm in a bit of pessimistic mood today. So, the thought of
another C&V beaut getting her raison d'etre denied and dumped
into the hipster kettle makes me more depressed is all.

<rant>
I find fixie conversion a rather disrespectable and tasteless thing to do.
But, ultimately, its the owners call. Nothing I can do.
The horrible thing is, I know in my heart, that if I were 20something
I'd probably be part of the scene not giving a darn about anything and
totally unwilling to listen to others with different views.
I'd be Drewing, and be getting a kick out of those who get offended.
I'm now way past that stage. Maybe sense comes with age. Maybe not.
There is just no use expecting good from people(me included). </rant>

I agree with all of it. It's like you've been peering into my brain.

Twins separated at birth?

Funny, when I was in my 20's I was appreciative of vintage things. Not a collector by any means but aware that some of the old stuff was still pretty nice. Old cars were always a favorite of mine and vintage rock 'n roll from the 50's and 60's. It was the 80's that seems to be the dividing line. My buddies and I were listening rock 'n roll and cruising in our Camaros, Trans Ams, and Mustangs or trying to keep vintage 60's muscle cars rolling (back when you could buy one for under a grand and nobody made a complete line of reproduction parts for them) and the younger guys were moving to hip hop and rap and hotrodding imported Japanese cars. I'm pretty sure those are the guys that are drewing all the frames today ;)

Oddly, most of my cycling friends have fixies but they are all modern bikes that were purposely built as track bikes or fixed gear bikes. I haven't seen any home made Drew-style fixies at all around here.

What, seriously?

can we lock this thread so I don't have to be unnecessarily provocative any more?