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Thinking of building an ultralight fixed

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Old 03-13-07 | 07:43 AM
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$1000 budget for a light fixed... whats my options

Im throwing around the idea of a ultralight fixed, but seems it's hard to find carbon or titanium frames exclusively for fixed/ss, anyone have any suggestions?

Last edited by nickf829; 03-14-07 at 05:58 PM.
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Old 03-13-07 | 08:05 AM
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Is it for track or street?
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Old 03-13-07 | 08:22 AM
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Bikes: Gary Fisher Montare, 1973 Bottechia, IRO Jamie Roy,1998 Cervelo Eyre Tri, 1982 Peugeot Sport fixed gear, and some kind of red bike hanging in the rafters

I would think the Cannondale Capo frame would be a good start. Or a Van Dessel Drag Strip Courage. Aluminum is usually lighter than Ti. For carbon you'll be looking fairly high end ... think Corima, Look, Cervelo P3 Track if you want a pursuit style. Or go with a Calfee. Ruegamer could certainly build you a very good frame as well. Price is pretty reasonable I think for custom carbon.

edit: also if you must have Ti, Spicer has some.

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Old 03-13-07 | 08:24 AM
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Get a Calfee Pista, or a titanium DeSalvo, or put an eno on a Cervelo R3.
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Old 03-13-07 | 08:27 AM
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Man, people must have money to burn
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Old 03-13-07 | 08:33 AM
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The Langster Comp and Bianchi Pista Concept are both light frames.
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:26 AM
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Exactly how ultralight do you want it to be? In other words, what's your budget?

Frame is the most problematic bit as track frames are pretty burly, and ultralight road frames have vertical dropouts. If a lightish Al track/fixed frame is good enough for you, you should have no problem.
If you want something under 1300g, or even around/under 1000, I dunno.
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:28 AM
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:30 AM
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:50 AM
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this would be for street, and wow alot of input already, keep it coming thanks alot... my budget id like to keep under 1000, which now makes me realize, "ultralight" is out of reach, but at least pretty light would be nice, considering this is more to toy around on then anything
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:51 AM
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bianchi pista concept
syntace stem, carbon road bars
any lightweight seatpost
lightweight saddle
lightweight road cranks 3/32 and an external BB
road chain
alloy cog, gigas or campy

wheels depends on how much money you have, but a american classic front hub 16 spokes, and a 20 spoke phil rear 20 spokes laced to some zipp 202 rims or something like that, with dt revolution spokes.

then some lightweight tires, tufo lightweight elites come to mind.

report back after the build is finished.

should put you in the 13lb range, probably lighter.
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:52 AM
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WTF 1k are you joking for 1k your looking at 20lbs, get out of here, come back when you have a tie, desk job, and a 60,000 salary.
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Old 03-13-07 | 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by nickf829
Im throwing around the idea of a ultralight fixed, but seems it's hard to find carbon or titanium frames exclusively for fixed/ss, anyone have any suggestions?
I built a 23lb BMX bike back in 2002, when "light" bikes averaged 30+ lbs. I did it as a project for a BMX magazine who ran it as a story. I gathered parts from about 10-15 different "best of breed" manufacturers.

What I learned was:
- Crap gets real expensive, real quick. Especially when you are talking Ti crank spindles, Ti spokes, Carbon Fiber frame, and all of that jazz.
- Light parts tend to be a bit more delicate with a shorter lifespan.
- It definitely wouldn't be worth it if I were spending my own cash. (The product manufacturers donated the products in order to be part of the Mag's story)

Unless you are planning on using this bike to make money (i.e. racing and winning), I'd say set your sights on a Light Fixed instead of Ultra-Light.
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Old 03-13-07 | 10:00 AM
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You can get a Trek T1 for about 1K. It's light.
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Old 03-13-07 | 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by nickf829
this would be for street, and wow alot of input already, keep it coming thanks alot... my budget id like to keep under 1000, which now makes me realize, "ultralight" is out of reach, but at least pretty light would be nice, considering this is more to toy around on then anything
In cycling a 1k build != light bike.

a 10k build sure but if your looking for a sub 15 pounder good luck at your current budget. Sub 20? No problem
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Old 03-13-07 | 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by recneps
bianchi pista concept
syntace stem, carbon road bars
any lightweight seatpost
lightweight saddle
lightweight road cranks 3/32 and an external BB
road chain
alloy cog, gigas or campy

wheels depends on how much money you have, but a american classic front hub 16 spokes, and a 20 spoke phil rear 20 spokes laced to some zipp 202 rims or something like that, with dt revolution spokes.

then some lightweight tires, tufo lightweight elites come to mind.

report back after the build is finished.

should put you in the 13lb range, probably lighter.
Thats all good except I think it would be lighter and cheaper to search around and find an older high end road frame instead of the Bianchi and do it as a conversion
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Old 03-13-07 | 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by nickf829
Im throwing around the idea of a ultralight fixed, but seems it's hard to find carbon or titanium frames exclusively for fixed/ss, anyone have any suggestions?
Light weight road frame+eno hub. Much easier to find a used light road frame in good condition.
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Old 03-13-07 | 10:29 AM
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Last edited by bonechilling; 03-13-07 at 10:35 AM.
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Old 03-13-07 | 11:19 AM
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my old bridgestone keirin is 15 pounds even with steel risers and velocity aeroheads. I'm kind of puzzled about this fact, but I like it. frame cost me 350
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Old 03-13-07 | 11:22 AM
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I'll take one of those Cinellis built up with the parts off the Pinarello.

Where do I send the $1000?
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Old 03-13-07 | 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by LóFarkas
I'll take one of those Cinellis built up with the parts off the Pinarello.

Where do I send the $1000?
to, uhh, me. What size are you?
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Old 03-13-07 | 12:35 PM
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DA hollowtech cranks are probably the lightest readily availably cranks. You can easily get carbon stems and posts, and if you can live with it, carbon road bars. Easton track bars, if you want to $pend. eggbeater ti, 2t1, or wahtever. tubular wheels and tires will save you a bunch of weight. Carbon saddle - take your pick. All that and a decent aluminum frame will get you light, and for less than a carbon track frame.
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Old 03-13-07 | 12:38 PM
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what materials is the cinelli vigorelli made out of?
also, what does "vigorelli" mean? because i've noticed a few companies have frames called the vigorelli
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Old 03-13-07 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Kilgore_Trout
what materials is the cinelli vigorelli made out of?
also, what does "vigorelli" mean? because i've noticed a few companies have frames called the vigorelli
Here's a link for it.

https://www.businesscycles.com/cinell...elli-track.htm
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Old 03-13-07 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Kilgore_Trout
what materials is the cinelli vigorelli made out of?
also, what does "vigorelli" mean? because i've noticed a few companies have frames called the vigorelli
vigorelli = velodrome in milan, in which several hour records were set, under which Faliero Masi build his frames
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