Okay...I've had my fixed built up for the last three weeks. It's been quite a blast. I love riding it. I could ride it all day. Way more fun than my SS mtb.

Anyhow, I'm getting to the point of frustration with my frame. It's a 1988 Bianchi Strada LX road model. Formerly junked and quite rusty. What's wrong?

First, it's a bit too small for me; at maximum stem/seatpost height, I'm cramped.

Second, it's got kinda-short semi-horizontal dropouts-- and my chain is currently a little too loose for comfort (wants to fly off at high rpms!), but just out of reach of that next pair of links-to-be-removed. So I'm stuck with floppychain. Getting an ENO wheel would be pricey. A half-link would only work until the chain's stretched again. Feh.

Lastly...the two coats of primer/four coats of Rust-Oleum "High Performance Enamel" just aren't holding up. The slightest of daily contact brings the finish down to the primer. That's some sucky paint, lemme tell you...


I'm incredibly tempted to just buy a friggin' Steamroller frameset and move my parts over! Hell. Froogle lists them below $300!

I might just cash this here unemployment check and buy one. But then the guilt sets in....

Don't give up on it - change your ratio.

If you change the frame, you can do better than a Steamroller for less money.

Yeah, but ugly as Steamrollers are, they last for aeons and are reliable. Still, if it's not TOO rusty and the geometry is right I'd have it sanded and painted. I actually prefer bit smaller frame for city use, if this is a prob fit longer stem/bullhorn combo and a bent seatpost. Some semi-horizontal drop outs have spaces for small bolts to keep the hub in place, if the frame does not have 'em, get proper bolts

I like a smaller frame for winter, because it's going to be moving on you more. I think a tooth or two change on the front or back might help with the chain movement...

Surlys may be good, but you can do better. I wouldn't put it at the top of my list of frames to buy. I like their hubs, but wouldn't put it at the top of my list for frames.