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just found out this was a uo8.

any ideas or recommendations? I'm in Los Angeles

I converted my uo8 about 3 years ago.



There are definitely cheaper options out there for just fixed gear bike, but i enjoyed converting this. What are you looking for?

I polished my up... put on some new bar tape and cables... and hung it on my basement office wall like art. But it rides pretty decent too.

How difficult is it to shift ?


websterrr that bike looks clean and sleek. What kind of restoration cost more fixed gear or a bike with speeds? Also how bad do u folks think that rust damage is near the stand/serial number?

I thought about doing that to this one I just picked up, but it is in too good of shape to convert. Heavy frames, but very solid bikes.

Upgrade the wheels and crank to alloy and you will have a bike that curbs out at around 28 pounds, stops better, and makes for a much nicer ride.

My step son's UO8 was mint when it was given to us, I upgraded it as it is his daily driver and needed to be a little better for a big guy who rides hard and fast. Replaced the Simplex drive parts with Suntour and Shimano as these are less prone to catastrophic failure and shift nicer.

It shifts fine. Not like my modern road bikes indexed brifters... but OK. Actually I think the stem mounted shift levers are easier to use than the down tube mounted levers. Of course I am an older dude.... and felt very lucky to have bicycle with gears back in 1964. So the friction shifters aren't a problem for me. An afternoon of shifting and listening to the sounds of the chain... and you'll have it mastered too.

Hard to guess rust damage... particularly from a picture. But a little really soapy slick water and some crumpled up aluminum foil knocks off surface rust without damaging metal or (if your careful) even paint.

The UO-8 would be a decent conversion. They have a reputation for a pleasant ride and they're ubiquitous enough that nobody will get on your case for desecrating a classic bike. The metric thread bottom bracket and steer tube are probably the most significant conversion issues. If the headset and BB cups are ok, keep them and just source a BB spindle for whatever crank you decide to use. Otherwise, metric thread replacements are available but may cost more than you're willing to invest in the project.

French and Swiss square taper cartridge units can be had on the cheap now. The IRD QB-55 has interchangeable rings and the set costs about $30.

Velo Orange sells a nice French headset for less than $30 as well.