+1 A nice bike is a nice bike, for someone. Junky wheels are just so last year.

Ok,

I don't ride fixed, but I like looking at pictures. Some, and only some of the conversions reach a high level of aesthetic achievement. Far too many are purely terrible. I'm personally against drewing, but not against conversions. As long as they avoid the all too common "Ronald McDonald" color palette. I wish that the average fixed gear builder would reach higher.

I've got a couple of future road three speeds in the basement that wont be getting their Deraileurs back for a long time, but they never had cast hangers or any other braze on's to speak of.

Nice work!
To the OP - vintage bikes are old frames with many potential uses, including restoration as well as conversion. What's so wrong with tailoring one to fit the needs of its owner? There are plenty of bikes to go around, and many (heaps) of original examples out there for those of us who desire to have one. I don't think the world's supply of vintage frames is going to dry up.
I'll post pics of my Marinoni here -I'm assuming an S3X qualifies- when it's done (2 weeks out). I'm fabricating a SS bracket for my porteur rack this evening (waiting for my 12V dremel battery to recharge - ugh).

As long as the original frame is still there, I don't see anything wrong with customizing a vintage bicycle. I think it's a bit like restoring a classic car and upgrading the brakes, tuning the engine etc. The essence of the original is still apparent, but customized to suit the owner. For a fixed-gear conversion, you could convert it with components of similar age, but it's just more convenient and practical to use modern parts.

It's an alright conversion. Whats the big deal? Its not like were looking at an early Masi/Bianchi or Hetchins chopped up.

There are fewer tight A$$ed haters this time than I would have expected.

I guess we've become a reasonable bunch.

I hate the tight-a$$ed haters.

Neal

It's my early new years resolution, plus I'm trying to get my blood pressure down. So I'm really trying to get my inner A-hole under control.

Sure sign of age and/or testosterone lose. I personally have to get monthly A-hole injections from Dr. Bennibooba to keep from painting peace signs and doves all over my bike and sticking daisies down the bullhorns.

i wonder what doctor deltron would say

I'm really torn on the subject since I ride a fixed gear and have my 930, which I never will consider converting. If an older bike getting converted to a fixed gear means it is one less bike going to the dump and will be ridden. That said, I've seen some conversions done with absolutely no taste and it does bother me. While I've seen some beautiful conversions as well.

I plan on doing a conversion in the future and am planning on doing it right, leaving the bosses on it and using box style rims and with just the right amount of chrome.

I converted a cheap MTB to an SS for my commute, then I drewed and converted a '74 Favorit to an FG with some of the parts from a '76 gas pipe Nishiki Custom sport. I recently picked up an '88 GT Karakoram K2 to replace the cheap MTB SS. It's been converted to SS but so far the frame has been left as is.

This is really what the issue boils down to. It's an aesthetic measure, and what you have are two of the cyclist subsets with the strongest aesthetic senses in the fixed gear crowd and the C&V crowd. When they collide it's always a bit overheated.

But then again, so is the garish tackiness of many FG conversions.

That is an aesthetic judgement. I'll gladly express an aesthetic opinion, but ultimately it is their bike and they can do what they want with it.

I will say the FG crowd has a ways further to wander into the forest of tacky. They have yet to equal the garish hideousness of many roadie jerseys, for example. But many roadies appear to have no aesthetic sense at all, otherwise they wouldn't buy Cervelos . Perhaps the Cervelo people surgically remove their buyer's aesthetics along with their wallets. The FG crowd does have an aesthetic sense, it just ain't mine or that of most of the denizens of this board.

Fixy conversions make me so angry!!!!!

I'd rather see such a frame decked out in a Super Record derailleurs, but that's just me. I don't have a problem with fixie conversions, but it can be a bit annoying to see hipsters riding carelessly around on beautiful classic Italian frames when you know some of them don't really know what they've got. Then again I'm sure some of them do.

I raced for a few years in the 1980s (still have my 1988 Pinarello with Campy Super and C-Record), and some of my teammates converted their bikes to fixed gear for Winter and early Spring training. My main problems with fixies are that I live in a very hilly place where gears are very useful, and that fixies are just so trendy. Don't get me wrong - I do like seeing a beautiful frame whether it is running fixed gear or not, but I will really stop to admire a vintage frame with vintage components (including derailleurs).

Sheldon Brown, the departed patron saint of FG conversions, made the case that old bikes that otherwise would have been scrapped could become useful bikes again. In that spirit, the bikes I've converted have been mid to low end yard sale and sparkle day recoveries. If the bike needs major repair and overhauling, and when you're done it will still be a mediocre bike, why not convert it?
On the other hand, if it's a viable, good bike that just needs freshening up, it would be a shame to butcher it. I can't imagine what kind of knucklehead would take a bike like a Colnago or Paramount and turn it into a clown bike.
I used to enjoy the Fixed Gear Gallery, but the bikes have all become embarassing self-parodies. One hipster toy after another "rockin'" deep V wheels, ugly paint, goofy riser bars & grips, and a Brooks saddle. PBR's, piercings & tats, plaid shirt, skinny jeans, horn rimmed glasses, short brimmed hats, messenger bags. What a cliche'!

I usually don't care, but that Zunow really pisses me off.

Removing things like derailleur hangars seems unnecessary. You're not saving much weight, and it's ten times more of a pain in the ass if you ever decide to put a derailleur back on. What's the point?

aesthetics, in my case. My conversion utilizes an IGH and I have no intention to put a derailleur on it, so the hanger is unnecessary and aesthetically disruptive. Same for the left shifter boss and FD hanger - both are now absent from my frame. I retained the right shifter boss for the IGH shifter. Of course, my conversion is pretty high end, not a quick n dirty project, so I probably would not go to the same extent if I was doing a cheapie conversion.
It looks CLEAN.
If I suspected a later conversion back to a standard drivetrain, I'd have retianed those things.

For others, the reasons may vary.

Before and after frame pics for reference - much better to my eyes:

Well, I still don't see the point but I'm going to have to trust you on it because that after pic is one beautiful looking frame.

Hehehe

He he - thank you .... I tend to agree ..... the build is almost done. Here's a sneak peek of the partial build: Brakes should arrive any day now (Paul Racer Medium) and I'm swapping stems for a Nittto Technomic, and the replacement cranks (there was a slight deviation on the spider on the first set) should be in next week. Finally, Elkhide bar wrap, and she's ready to roll.


I'd like to get the original build sheet for the frame (the serial # is pretty clear on the BB shell) - the presence of eyelets and a pretty long wheelbase suggest that this was a one-off build from the tighter "club racer" style of other "special" models I've seen. It took a little bit of customization on the front fender (some minor cutting where the fender fits under the crown), but I fit 43mm Honjos and 32mm Paselas on there. The wheelbase at the current rear wheel position is around 40.5" and the fork has more rake than a more racing oriented setup. These attributes were the main catalyst for my chosen conversion. Otherwise, I'd have gone the club racer route with it. with Super Record and 35mm Honjos

I did the mother of all fixie hack jobs. Sawed off the rear derailleur hanger, shifter bosses, top tube cable guides, and the brake bridge!