Hey guys! Got my bike today. Coming from riding a 70's steel 10spd road bike to this is like going from driving an 18 wheeler to a corvette.

Will post some pics and comments tomorrow, but so far, this thing is a beassstttt.

Glad to hear you are having fun on it. Now... ...pics or it didn't happen.

I *******ized my Messenger by respacing the rear triangle(s) and throwing on a SRAM S7 IGH hub.

It sucks being unable to ride fixed gear for now but the IGH is awesome and should be perfect for a charity ride through the foothills of north and south carolina at the end of the month.

Pics:

Before:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0427.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0428.jpg

After:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-3.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-2.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-1.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-4.jpg

I like the red.

holy crap. i just scrolled through like 10 pages of this thread and its the same people carrying on a whole goddamn year long conversation throughout the thread. we get it, you like this bike, but srsly, shut up and just let people post pictures.

i dislike the geometry.

does anyone else agree that skidding on is harder because of the geometry?

You didn't post a picture. Now to avoid looking like a tool you have to go back and edit your post to either include a pic or delete it all together since it is a part of the [perceived] problem and not the solution.

Not that I don't like seeing other peoples bikes; but once you've seen 10 pages of them, nothing on page 11 will be especially shocking. Oh wow... different colored bar tape and a new saddle! Ooooooh... Deep V's and a colored chain! These bikes are all so shockingly different and unique.

Picture to justify posting this message:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...enger7-3-1.jpg

its got to be the geometry!

Hello I have ordered a Messenger. What tools will I need to put it together? I see these bikes dont come with quick release hubs, what size is the bolt? I have a full set of allen keys, is that all I will need?

Thanks

P.S. Any tips or tricks I can use for assembly or setup? Im planning on using the saddle and pedals from my other bike at first.

4mm, 5mm, maybe a 8mm hex. 15mm wrench, lots of grease.

Also might want to grab a crank extractor and bb tool. not too expensive, but its a good idea to grease the BB threads right off the bat. there was no grease on mine, but it looks as if the quality of these bikes has gone up in the past couple of years, or at least they give you a threadless set up now....

also to attest to the quality rising, i remember on my 06 the lockring was literally on hand tight. Now i read of people having a hell of a time taking the stock cog/lockrings off of a BD bike. this is a good thing. looks like they sprung for a bit of thread lock.

now, what kind of BB tool did you need for this?

i did a lot of upgrades to my bike all at once on sunday night

ive been slowly saving up parts so i could put it on all at once

pix will come soon but i have white cork tape on pursuit bars, mks cage and white leather straps, white race saddle, white wall tires and white knog frogs front and back =P

before this the bike was all stock til now bwhaahhaha

Ok a 15mm wrench thats the one thing I dont have. I DO have Park Tools bearing grease though, its green in color! But what am I going to put it on if my BB is already tight? There are the pedal threads but I don't know if Im supposed to grease them.

How do I tell if I have a threadless fork? I guess they are shipping them out with both types of forks. It says (1 inch threaded or threadless NoChoice) And what will the difference be?

The lockrings are referring to the bottom bracket lockrings?

Who can recommend bullhorns that will fit on this bike?

a threadless fork is easily spotted by a beefier looking stem, and a simpler looking headset. I don't think that they make them threaded anymore, but they might go back to that one day (probably why they say NoChoice)

lockrings i believe refer to the track lockring on the wheels,

as for bullhorns, unless a 26 diameter handlebar can fit the 25.4 stem on my bike without a problem, i can' help you. They might be all in different sizes though.

So I got my Messenger. Its very nice I got it in 58cm Blue.

1. Are others noticing the top tube is long? Im 5'10 with a 33 inch inseam and I have a 3 inch seat to handlebar drop, which is fairly high so the frame height is good if a bit small. But the reach was like WAY out there with that long stem they send. I even have my seat all the way forward on the rails.

I put on a 90mm, 16 degree rise Specialized Pro Set stem I had from my MTN bike. And I purchaced smaller handlebars (compact?) and that has helped but the bike is still kinda longish. Just wondering if others feel the same.


2. Fixie, fixie, fixie. Well my dear friends you and I have to part ways. Sorry but for the 10 miles of death defying riding I did, I aged 6 months. I would let myself get used to it, but I wanna Mtn Bike too, and my reflexes are just too conditioned. Not to mention I wanna go fast down hills. So a quick screw and a flip and Im Single Speeding it! Weeeeee. Now Im actually having fun.

3. Whats a good freewheel to get that will be a noticable upgrade (weight and smoothness)?

4. Can I remove fixie gear from hub?

5. Finally, these stock tires arent very good at 110psi are they?

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-2.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ssenger7-4.jpg[/QUOTE]

what is on the bar end?

Shifter.

Rockadile, the fixed cog might have Loctite on it making it a pain in the ass to take off. Why do you want to take it off?

Weight, I guess Ill just leave it on.

How much did that modification cost you?

since i don't want Ryan to have a monopoly on photos in this thread.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QBptkJ4RRvw/Sd...0/P4080003.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QBptkJ4RRvw/Sd...0/P4080004.JPG

the stock tyres are the most awful thing ever on this bike

@timebandit. wtf, whyd you bother to read anything if you just wanted to see pictures?

also, im 6'3almost4 with a 58cm and it feels too big. either something a bit iffy about this or i have weird body proportions. probably both.

i took off and replaced the fixed gear on the hub. it took a lot of work with a lockring wrench but i eventually got it. the gear itself was harder to get off than the lockring though. i replaced the lockring too though, as this bike comes with some pretty cheap-o components.

i tried the freewheel out and the chainline gets all whacked. im not well versed in the way of spacers so i just switched back to fixed.

^This.^

I replaced the fixed/freewheel rear wheel with a 7 speed SRAM internal gear hub.

If you are talking about the IGH conversion-

SRAM 7 speed hub ... $150ish
Rim ... $35ish
Spokes and build labor ... $80ish
Shifter ... $35ish
Custom shifter mount ... $Free [home made]

Lookin' good.

I'm trying to find a suitable road frame to swap the IGH wheel to so I can convert the Messenger [back] to a fixed gear.

i got my chainwhip today, and i think i just discovered that i've been running a 1/8th chain and cog, and a 3/32 chainring. I'm going to have to get that rectified.

2 questions:

1. What bars are those?

2. Is there a reason you have a front wheel that costs twice as much as your complete bike?