ink1373

I love my track bike. I surely do. It is a fast, beautiful steed...but I have a major psychological block. Knowing that my pride and joy is limited to the domain of one of man's foulest creations; pavement.

Call me hippie if you want, but I'm sick of open spaces turning into parking lots and freeways, thus I am building a fixed-all-rounder/tourer, based on a cross-check frameset. Does anyone else roll this way?

I feel like there's so much going on at the poles (track and ATB) with fixed gear, and not much middle ground.

jitensha!

i'm currently building up a 26" wheel dirtjump frame to try and recapture my BMX roots. i spent most of yesterday evening watching le Tour and reading old issues of BMX Action.

dolface

i'm looking to build a cross bike and start racing this winter. (i also run, and i almost never run on pavement anymore; i much prefer trails.)

bostontrevor

I think there's more going on in the middle than you might realize, people just aren't talking about it.

As for me personally, my fixed rides are track, classic tri, and mtb, so nothing that really fits into the CX or touring category. On the other hand, all I need to do is swap out my knobby offroad tires for some more modest Town & Country's and perhaps replace my riser bar with a set of drops and I've got something that's pretty comparable.

The modern mountain bike frame is a remarkably versatile platform, well suited to a wide variet of conditions and riding styles. Then again, so is CX. There's a lot of overlap there.

beppe

Well, I do like to bike down Shady Lane.

/ducks

EnLaCalle

beppe - fyi, I can't speak for anyone else, but I get the joke. thought you'd appreciate some positive reinforcement. I know I crave it a little when I make moderately obscure references in my jokes.

j

HereNT

Not entirely it's *****, but I don't get onto any singletrack or anything. But if the people I'm riding with head down some ped path that's dirt or mud or something, I'll follow on my track bike. I'll also cut across fields and stuff. But I do need to get myself a MTB, which may or may not have gears...

Paul And Pista

Same...

I'm thinking my next bike is either going to be a roadie or a single speed mountain bike. I know that those two things are basically the exact opposite of each other.

jim-bob

My freakish little red bike is the ideal city bike for me. Big fat 26" slicks, cantis front and rear, nice wide riser bars, and a fixed gear in the mid sixties.

anarchocyclist

I ride a fixed Crosscheck with 38c Interwolf tires, and while I rarely take it on singletrack, I think it's perfect for touring-style stuff. I ride a lot on the canal paths around here, and many of them are like rail-trails type dirt paths. Many of them are bumpier and gnarlier than that as well. And others are paved, and the Interwolfs seem to handle that just fine.

Check out Matt Chester's site or google Rudi Nadler. Those guys know what they're doing with fixed gear bikes offroad.

Ira in Chi

Right now my favorite bike has 700x37 tires and flatbars. I love to ride it over rough stuff when ever possible. The thing is, Chicago is way too big. You can ride out of Minneapolis and be surrounded by trees pretty easily, but try that around here. I hate it. I like living in the city and all, but 360 degree pavement is depressing. Right now I MTB in the forest preserve every weekend, but that is not enough. I gotta do some long rides this summer...

weed eater

I've been enjoying the fast smooth ride of my fixed gear, partly due to the stark contrast to my other, previously only bike, a 21spd MTB used for city and cargo cycling. But i'm fast realizing the limitations of the fixie's 25mm tires, thanks to the the crumbling road surfaces in Oakland. I've gotten much better at zipping around potholes that I used to just crash over/through, but there are a lot of them. Some roads feel more like obstacle courses.

Meanwhile the MTB has lost 14 speeds and 10mm of crank length, and there are some more changes in its future. I can see where both of these bikes will begin to resemble one another, or at least resemble jim-bob's bike(s).

My sense is that with the coming fuel shock, roads are going to crumble even more than they have recently, as support dwindles for our unsustainable infrastructure. Wider, toothier tires will come in handy, as will simple, easy-to-maintain bicycles.

In other words. Heavy-duty fixed gears are the bicycles of the future.

deathintransit

Fixed gear, skinny tires and gravel? Sweeeeeet. Take that one rails-trails route west to hopkins and Minnetonka where it turns into some crushed limestone. It's heavenly. Just get ready to politely encounter families riding their bikes.

It's really nice seeing Ma and pa with some kids out riding around together. Makes you glad they don't spend all their time hangin' out in SUV's.

BostonFixed

w00t! I already got it covered: (clicky to make biggy)




If you convert a old touring frame to fixed, you can use it for fixed around town and touring as well, understand?

44x18, QR rear, 27x1-1/4" touring tires. Sweet.

Pic is from last week's escapade.

ink1373

right on BF. thats exactly the type of bike i've been digging lately. moreso than the fancy pants track bikes even (most of the time).

ink1373

in fact, my favorite bike of all, lately...



FGG #1053. lovely.

weed eater

or this one...

https://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/july/BillBurns.htm

silly tires

weed eater

i shoulda mentioned...my fast/smooth/lightweight fixie is a converted trek touring bike. seems like a racing bike to me after all these years! anyway, great road feel, and i've been thinking about...just touring with it.

crust & crumb

speedblends, stem height, frame pump, non aero brake levers, noodle bars, saddle bag... *cough* heavily influenced by the rivendell cult *cough*

s2sxiii

those tires make me want to vomit blood all over the rider. seriously. If i saw him, i'd probably try and punch him in the face. i'm under a lot of stress lately.

edit-- the brake cable looks like it was run by a mentally handicapped monkey. looking at it makes me want to go WHEEEEEEEEEEEE. take off th pedals and saddle and throw the rest of the bike in the street.

double edit -- i could fold that chainring in half by looking at it. Have fun on your first skid when it tacos into your calf, or better yet your achilles.

weed eater

Jesus. I just liked that it was touring-friendly. is there something wrong with frame pumps?

weed eater

ok, attempting to redeem myself/etc

https://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/july/AllenLane.htm

HereNT

Awfully clean bike considering the apparent locale. Must have carried up a bunch of hand towels with him or something.

Really, that bike just looks like it should be covered in mud and dirt...

weed eater

ok, wait, lemme go find another...um...uh...never mind.

weed eater

I think it's actually one of those fake backgrounds like at a photo studio.