WOO HOOOO........



Ride that thing up to Vermont and let me check it out !!!

Some pics!

Couple of more!

Ni i i i i i i i c e......
And Im not the slightest bit jealous........... dammit !



Report to follow ?
Gearing for MA hills ?

Very nice indeed! My next commuter was definitely going to be an internally geared Cross-Check, but now I don't know. I'm definitely tempted by this one. And the low price is especially appealing...
There's a dealer seven miles from me! I'll have to see if they have any in stock .

Thanks! I took it for a brief ride tonight, just because I HAD TO

It really feels great. Like I mentioned before, this is my first Single-speed bike since childhood, so the real test has yet to take place. But compared to my old ride (Trek MTB) this thing is CAKE.

A few questions have arisen (and many more to follow as I break it in) - - since this is a single-speed, while there is a quick-release on the front wheel, there isn't one on the back. Best to carry a ratchet in my seat bag in case I get a flat, no? How do you guys handle that one?

Also - since this is a cromoly frame (steel,) a buddy of mine said I should really look after it in the event the paint gets scratched, so I don't get any rust. Anybody know where I can get a tube of matching touch-up paint?

Definitely will be writing a full report soon. And no, no gears! This is the only bike I own. For now.

I think Redline has a real winner with the 925. Nice package. They even thought of fenders...and good ones too. The moustache bars are classy.

I carry a 15mm combination wrench with me.

In reality its far less to worry about than you might think. My steel frame has bits all over it that have a tad bit of surface rust in scratches and what not. If you are really worried, get some automotive touch up paint, or just some black finger nail polish. Or clear works too.

EDIT: I was so intent on answering your questions that I forgot to say- CONGRATS! Welcome to the wonderful world of single speed and fixed gearhood! The 925 at first glance a very well built bike, the components are top notch too. You'll really like the formula hub, its very nice. I have one on my bike. Let us know how you like the moustache bars!

15mm box end wrench (you gotta torque those little uckers down to keep the wheelfrom slipping so i think a box end wrench is really ideal to pervent stripping of the bolts)


if your really worried take it back to the shop and getthem to put frame saver in the tubes. this will prevent rust from the inside (which is more critical to a steel frames well being, i hear). as far as scratches and paint chips go... it's a cheap steel frame, treat them as character marks. it won't get rusted out in the years your riding it, even with no preventative maintenence. on my crosscheck i neither frame savered nor am i planning to fix any scratches and chips. i figure by the ime any of those things get critical i'll be more than ready to try a new frame anyway (maybe 10-15 years if i am unlucky, i'd guess). i don't think i'll have it for that long...

Thanks Rykoala, appreciate the feedback! Did you get your 15mm combo wrench at a bicycle repair shop?

The nail polish thing sounds like a great idea.

How do you feel about the bicycle inner tubes that have the green globby stuff in them that is supposed to help prevent flats?

I think most people here won't reccommend them. I'll go ahead and tell you, if you have trouble with flats, get some nice kevlar belted tires. Specialized Armadillos and Continental Gatorskins are popular suggestions around here. I haven't used either, but I hear the Gatorskins have a smoother ride. Do a search for tires in the commuting form. You will come up with numerous threads.

The best portable solution for the rear nuts is a Craftsman stubby 15mm combo wrench from Sears. Its half the length of a traditional wrench, cheap, fairly light and very effective. The bike specific wrenches I have seen are either very expensive, or cheap pedal wrenches that are not up to the task.
Also I doubt you will be able to fit any studded tire on the 925 with fenders. You maybe able to fit the studded tires without the fenders. I like the long-reach caliper brakes on the bike but they don't have quite as much clearance as a canti.
Craig

Congrats on your new ride.

I got the wrench at sears. Use the closed end only. Should only set you back a few bucks. If they won't sell it individually, try one of the big box stores that have tools (ie home depot, lowes etc not *mart) and they should have their brand individually. Also check pawn shops. Great tools deals can be had!

I've tried just about every tire/tube combination I could think of. DO NOT run slime tubes. They are very heavy. In my case I ran thorn resistant tubes with slime in them. Ugh. Talk about a performance killer. HEAVY. Anyway the slime and other things don't generally work any better than a patch kit, and if you DO have to patch it, you have a gooey mess to clean up before you can apply a patch. Like others have said, if you're worried about flats, get kevlar belted tires or some of the other recommended tires.

Its noteworthy that I haven't had a road debris induced flat all winter. I did have a pinch flat, my own fault (gotta keep tire pressure up!). I was having lots of flats at one point, but I changed how I ride. Stay out of the road grit and watch out for stuff on the road. I run $7 performancebike.com slick tires and they don't have any extra flat protection. No kevlar, nothing. Just your riding technique can make a huge impact on flats. It did for me, at least

I bring a crecent wrench with me when I ride my fixed gear. A little bulky, but it does the job. I use MKS chain tensioners which have bolt ends, so I can use it for those as well. I like the chain tensioners because they allow me to get the wheel aligned just right in the track ends in one try instead of honking down on the axle bolts only to find my chain is too tight or too loose.

Tube slime is a pain in the @ss. I've been happy with Vittoria Randonneur tires in 700x28. Even with no tire liners they have done very well for me. My current commuter has tires with Mr. Tuffy liners.

Igloomaster, congrats on the new bike!!!

When you go fixed... remember the when walking the bike, the pedals still move!!!

If your going to flipflop, remember when your go freewheel. I freaked myself out that way. Riding fixed then jump on my SS mtb. Went to slow down, so I start putting back pressure. I started thinking "sh the lockring/cog are toast" then quickly switched to "DRRRRR freewheel grab brakes".

Thanks for the replies folks - - all great ones. Much appreciated!


Does this "frame saver" stuff add weight to the bicycle? Is it something that I can buy and spray in there myself?

dude, if you got a redline, stop worrying about weight or you will soon not be able to sleep...

but i can't imagine it adds more than a couple ounces.

this here is the stuff:



JP Weigle's Frame Saver
Modern steel frames have thinner tubes and often develop internal rust problems. Left untreated, rust can rapidly degrade an expensive frame from the inside. Frame Saver is easy to apply and will protect your frame from internal rust. Simply spray into open tubes and let dry. Designed for steel or cro-moly bicycle frames but widely used for general rust inhibiting on road and marine equipment, yard machinery and household items. Quickly gets into enclosed areas and prevents rust from forming. Will not harm painted, clear coated, or bare metal finishes. A 4 ounce (132 ml) aerosol can provides 3 to 5 frame applications. Ideal for use on all old or new frames. Safe to apply over light rust. We recommend it as inexpensive insurance for all steel frames. Proudly made in the USA.




i'd bet the bikeshop would do it for next to nothing since you just bought the bike there...

I did it myself, but I used a Penzoil product intended for rustproofing internal parts of marine engines. It was $3 for a 12 ounce can in the automotive department at Menards. Removed the seat post and water bottle screws. Inserted the small plastic straw in the spray can nozzle. Sprayed some in all the opennings including the drain holes in the chainstays. Turn the bike upside down and slosh it around.

I'm not one to disagree usually as I generally feel that everybody is allowed their opinion. However, I must disagree about using a crescent wrench to tighten track nuts. The force required to tighten them enough is more than a crescent (adjustable) wrenche is made for. The tolerances on all but the highest quality ones are just terrible. I tried loosening a track nut on my bike so I could flip the wheel over for a long hill climb (I had forgotten my 15mm wrench at home, that's another story) and I wrecked one of my track nuts completely when I tried to use an adjustable wrench I had on me.

I feel that a closed ended 15mm wrench will work perfectly, and that there is no substitute for it.

Mine is a high quality model. Also, with the chain tensioners in place I don't need to crank down on the track nuts quite so hard to keep the wheel from slipping. I do plan on getting a dedicated wrench eventually though.

this may sound really stoooooooopid, so bear with me
why is it that most of the singlespeed bikes i've seen do NOT have a quick-release thing on the back wheel?

I would assume its because skewers can be overpowered on
big hills etc, and the backwheel might torque to the left slightly over time ??

When it comes to fixing a flat, 99% of my flats have been fixable
without removing the wheel. Save alot of time just leaving on the
bike, just in case that was one of your concerns about no rear quick release.

Actually, it's really mostly fashion. A quick-release hub is quite capable of holding a fixed-gear or singlespeed wheel in place. However, track bikes use these big ol' nuts to hold the wheel on, so that's what's popular. Add to that the fact that too many people don't know how to adequately tighten a QR, and the belief that a QR somehow won't hold a fixed wheel tightly enough was spawned.

So, in sum, the answer is: fashion and a misguided belief that a QR isn't good enough.

i hear you grolby... but when i am pedal breaking down a steep-@ss hill on my fixie i like the security of knowing i got some thick tracknutz holding my wheel in place as oppose to some plastic new-fangled shimano qr

and igloo - lost of new SS hubs come with fun-bolts that use an allen bolts as opposed to the 15mm nuts. thats what my paul and on-one hubs use and they seem fine so far, but you really have to crank em down... and this torqueing actually seems better suited to nice replacable track nuts IMHO.