This bike fears nothing...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...iefixdrop2.jpg
1987 Kuwahara Cascade mtb / tourer, fixed gear with 40:16 (65 GI)

Off road constant purple single track machine! 32T/18T
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...cture010-1.jpg

Ha Ha!!! I just did the same rear-rack to front wheel mod to my main commuter this past weekend.
This is my MTB fixie before the mod:
http://www.jz63.com/cycle/images/iron_horse_04a.jpg

i really want to try out a ss mountain bike, or do a conversion of my own.

Thanks for all the replies!
I'm loving my fixed mountain bike on slicks!
Eventually I will definitely get a fixie roadie.

Since I'm still new to this forum, I am wondering if you all know if there is already an "official thread" for a collection of pictures of converted mountain bikes, with slicks or otherwise. (I have searched, but might have missed this thread.)

If not, I would like to start one.

Thanks!

There is a thread about all SS FG bikes, but no MTB dedicated one. I just converted my old Haro into a SS and looks like its going to be what I get the gal into mountain biking with. Or try to at least.

Sounds like a good idea, actually.

East Hill

hows the 29er workin for u? ive been thinkin of gettin one

You had a question about road vs. mountain bike efficiency?

Road bikes usually have skinnier tires that inflate to higher pressures. Both of these things affect rolling resistance. The less rolling resistance, the easier it is to go fast and sustain that speed. Many road bikes have a geometry that puts the rider into a hunched over, aerodynamic position, but most mountain bikes are designed to put the rider in an upright position. Weight may also play a factor. These things make road bikes faster on the road.

It's great that this thread just turned into people posting pictures of their mountain bike conversions. I love it.

My Kuwahara weighs 26 pounds with double racks and fenders which is a pretty typical weight for heavy duty touring bikes and still rolls out pretty quickly on it's 26 by 2 Schwalbe Hurricane Sport tyres when they are running at 65-70 psi. The drop bars made a huge difference in my road speed and comfort level and whereas I am always having to dodge crap on the roadies the mtb just rolls right through and over pretty much anything.

My rigid ss mtb is also going to get a set of Hurricanes since I really love these tyres on everything but mud which I don't like riding in anyways due to the damage it does to our trails.

I have also ridden fixed off road and that was fun... but not as fun as running an ss.

@Ken wind A couple of tyre points because I am a b@stard ;)

I can't remember where the report is but maybe someone can help me out. Wider tyres at lower (not low) pressure have actually been found to offer lower rolling resistance than skinny high pressure tyre. Racing bikes have narrow tyre because of weight, and tryre weight is very important due to it's position on the outside of a wheel. Racing bikes also benefit from narrow tyres is because of the higher speed wind resistance is more of an issue so narrow = good. One final point on tyres is that a racing bike can get away with having a narrower wheel iin terms of grip because it is a larger diameter and hence for the same width tyre has a larger contact patch than a mtb tyre.

As for position on the bike I think that depends on bar setup as cross country mbt tend to have quite long t.t and a stretched out position, although this is very personal as to how you setup your bike of course.

How is that drop bar fixed mtb project going anyways ?

I would say cause most people ride on the road.

Riding SS offroad is hard enough, having to coordinate pedal rotation with obstacles on a fixed would be tough. Alot of times I trackstand and ratchet back my freewheel for better positioning when coming up to a switchback or obstacle. I would miss doing that, personally.

I've decided to convert the Sachs ;) .

East Hill

That's interesting about the rolling resistance. If you can find the article, I'd like to read it. Aerodynamics does depend on the specific bike and rider preference. I was just generalizing.

I ride around a fixed gear roadmaster (walmart bike) running a 42/16. I ride it to school every day, about 10 miles. Its a beast.

in the process of converting my old pacific bike to fixed. it is currently single speed. this is on a VERY limited budget as i don't know what the hell im doing :P.

Schwalbe did a good deal of research on rolling resistance (off road) and found that wider tyres at lower pressures actually rolled faster than skinnier tyres and got better traction UNLESS you were a fairly lightweight rider (which I am).

I found that running a 1.75 tyre off road was better as the higher psi at the point of contact gave the tyre better bite while on wider tyres I found that I was floating / drifting a little.

I don't run anything over a 2 inch off road and run my cross country / touring bike off road and on the singletrack and it runs some very nice 700:35 Schwalbe CX Compe tyres.

I prefer a 622:25 or a 630:25 on the road as that little bit of extra volume makes for a better ride and rarely will run them at their max pressure as that just makes them skippy and less responsive.

to the OP
road bikes are sexier

Hey,

Shouldn't sexi-ness of my bike match my sexi-ness? ... That means my MTB bike is a match for me. Stubby, Short, Short-legged (26in) ... Did I tell you I am wide-footed?

I really don't care in truth. I just find all frames with track-end sexy. ... Lately, mama-chari started look attractive ... Geez my track-end deprived. Ive only got semi-verticle. :(

T

I feel like your question is posited in a slightly backwards manner. It's not really that fixed gear bicycles are a category in themselves, it's just a style of drivetrain that is found on just about every kind of bicycle (except recumbents...I think). The style of your bike is directly related to how you're going to be using it.

Are you asking about "urban" mountain bikes with slick tires and stuff to make it street worthy? Or are you asking about riding fixed off road? If it's the latter I think you would want to ask some mountain bike people why more aren't riding fixed.

You made a good point; I overlooked the latter. My question is the former -- more about "urban" mountain bikes with slicks and with fixed gear. It is what I own and on which I commute. (I hadn't thought about mountain biking on a fixed gear, nor can I imagine it! :)).

Thanks. The thread to which you refer can be found here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=413712

Maybe check out the winter bike threads. I don't remember the names of any but I definitely remember seeing some cool fixed cross and mountain bikes built for the city! You'd like them.