If I wanted "road" geometry I'd take a classic steel road race frame over any of the generic TIG'd Wabi/IRO/Kilo/Steamrollers.

Cheaper, cooler looking, and able to run gears if you want. Probably lighter too, particularly if you swap to a threadless headset setup.

The best frames are made using Hephaestus forged tubing that is tack welded and placed on a pyre nest to be simultaneously fused and heat treated during the end life of a phoenix. Afterwards the frames are dipped in a bath of unicorn tears for corrosion protection before being sent backwards through time for final prep and paint by Michelangelo himself.

Once painting is complete they are placed in a secure location to cure for no less than 500 years where they are then picked up in the present and sold online for $599 with free shipping.

I do not know if anyone has mentioned it but besides the fact that there is absolutely no cashe/ prestige with a WABI bike, the bikes do not have even have built in chain tensioner screws. (seems really low end and overpriced) If you want nice, think Colnago or Pinerello track bike.

^^ Kinda irrelevant, IMO. I've never owned a bike with chain tensioner screws, nor would I really want to. They're like the vestigial appendix of the track bike.

Someone should tell Nelson Vails he needed a chain tensioner. (You can google him. Lots of photos of him on fix gears. I don't recall ever seeing a tensioner.) Of course, most of today's hipsters are a lot stronger than he was and need those assists. :(

This thread is about road fix gears. Why on earth would you want a tensioner to have to undo ever time you flat or want to flip a wheel? And have to adjust to deal with that different sized cog. Oh, that's right, no one flips wheels.) Way too old-fashioned a concept. Gone are the days when guy's rode 3000 miles and for three weeks to get to the cafe. And flipped his wheel every time he started up yet another mountain. Google the early Tour de France editions. Ridden on real road fix gears. No tensioners. (Actually, you don't even see tensioned chains at velodromes. In fact, you can see the chains hang slack on the bikes of the best riders from clear across the track. The BF'er I quoted probably should visit any velodromes close by as a public service and get that crowd on board.)

I've seen tensioners at the Velodrome. But no on the vast majority of bikes.

Ben

My chain tensioner is wedging my knuckles between the seatpost and rear tire.

I can tell how tight the chain will be based on the intensity of the pain and it is surprisingly repeatable.


-Tim-

I remember like 6 years ago I could have had a pick at any IRO model in my size just on my local used listings. Their all tapped out now though from what I've saw lately. Those and Leader's used to be the bikes I saw the most 2nd hand.

It seems like I haven't seen a leader in a long time.

I converted my old De Bernardi steel frame to a fixed gear. I committed the frame to its new role by removing the shifter bosses and derailleur hanger. Phil Wood track cups on Mavic Open Pro rims, Campagnolo everything else, TTT bars and stem. I run 28mm tires at ~80 psi, as the fixed is less amenable to unshipping my weight off the saddle going over rough road surface.[IMG]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...psak6hz0vm.jpg[/IMG]