Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

itboffin

My steel SS has so many dents now i've lost count, it clicks and groans like a WWII battle ship - then again it could be my knees

I'm assuming your bike is Aluminium in which case i'd be inclined to be a little more worried about a dent.

Feltup

Yep aluminium. I think I will end up epoxying a doubler plate over the top of the dent as reinforcement and risking it like that. Short of replacing the frame I can't see I can do anything else.

biondino

So, if I were to replace my Paul finger brake and/or Tiagra calipers, can people suggest alternatives for a) comfort and b) efficacy? Brake pads would be Koolstop Salmons as I'm very pleased with them on the Focus.

Secondly - and I know this is anathema - if I'm not riding on the track, I guess the lovely Nitto track bars I currently have are going to be all style and no practicality? Please argue for or against bullhorns or - shudder - some flat bar option, or tell me I'm an idiot and I should keep the Nittos.

wgwarburton

biondino wrote:

So, if I were to replace my Paul finger brake and/or Tiagra calipers, can people suggest alternatives for a) comfort and b) efficacy? Brake pads would be Koolstop Salmons as I'm very pleased with them on the Focus.

Standard drop bar levers should do fine- you then have hoods to ride on.

Secondly - and I know this is anathema - if I'm not riding on the track, I guess the lovely Nitto track bars I currently have are going to be all style and no practicality? Please argue for or against bullhorns or - shudder - some flat bar option, or tell me I'm an idiot and I should keep the Nittos.

You are an idiot, and should keep the Nittos.

Assuming you can fit normal brake levers to them, that is, and ride on the tops & hoods. If the drop on the track bars is so deep that the tops are uncomfortable, then it's probably worth getting normal road bars.

Cheers,
W.

itboffin

WGWarburton wrote:

You are an idiot, and should keep the Nittos.

Cheers,
W.

Get off the fence

Sorry biondino that was funny and you know he's right.

itboffin

Today I will be mostly riding single speed

toshmund

One of the first times I rode my bike as a fixed, forgot and proceeded to stand on the pedals and stop pedalling for a "sleeping policeman" - must have been an interesting sight, the car behind seemed a bit amused when they overtook.

Greg T

WGWarburton wrote:

You are an idiot, and should keep the Nittos..

Buns always knows best. FACT

biondino

Agreed, with the exception of helmet wearing. But I'll forgive him for that one lapse...

wgwarburton

biondino wrote:

Agreed, with the exception of helmet wearing. But I'll forgive him for that one lapse...

Hah! You know I'm right.. you're just not prepared to admit it!

:-)

Cheers,
W.

[Tim]

vorsprung wrote:

itboffin wrote:

A quick, simple & cheap SS conversion

Cheap?
You seem to have used a SS converter kit. That's at least 10 british pounds
Please do again using a couple of knackered 8 speed cassettes and an angle grinder

A couple of cassettes? An angle grinder? that sounds a lot like effort :shock: ; here's my version.

vorsprung

[Tim] wrote:

A couple of cassettes? An angle grinder? that sounds a lot like effort :shock: ; here's my version.

Here's mine. Two cassettes taken apart and the spacers used to give a good chainline.
Two cassettes worth are needed to get enough spacers
The sprocket is the suitable one from the cassette. The smallest spocket is also used coz the lockring screws into it

vanquished

It's gloomy and murky out there, so I was forced to ride in on the Vanquish today, rather than the Bowery, because the Vanquish currently has lights.

Well, I have to say that after a fortnight of riding fixed, riding a bike with a freewheel feels just plain wrong - and it's certainly more effort on the token bumps I have to accept as hill substitutes on the ride in.

All of which is to say, really, that you get used to fixed amazingly quickly, despite the initial terror you might experience on the first ride.

lost_in_thought

Alright kids, MTf**kingFU.

Riding fixed is not a terrifying experience. FFS. My first ever FG ride was up Davies Street onto Oxford Street, and back to Liverpool St Station... even people who don't live in London may have heard of Oxford Street.

I stopped pedalling all of twice, and have been fine since then.

Seriously. If an eejit hipster with louvred glasses can do it, so can you.

And Blondie, keep the Nittos. Buns = always right about everything, especially helmets

itboffin

Ahhhh! I can't bare the crunchy grinding from my rear hub any more I just have to admit that it's DEAD :?

Are the system ex hubs that bad? I know they're the same as ambrosio / formula / zenith just re-branded

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/7 ... -Hubs.html

vanquished

lost_in_thought wrote:

Riding fixed is not a terrifying experience. FFS. My first ever FG ride was up Davies Street onto Oxford Street, and back to Liverpool St Station... even people who don't live in London may have heard of Oxford Street.

Heh - tbh, I actually feel safer riding in London than I do in Hull... Oxford Street and Vauxhall Cross included. Srsly - Hull's not pleasant for cyclists.

But point taken - I'm just observing that even if the first experience was unnerving, you adjust very, very rapidly. And I much, much prefer fixed to geared, now.

itboffin

vanquished wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Riding fixed is not a terrifying experience. FFS. My first ever FG ride was up Davies Street onto Oxford Street, and back to Liverpool St Station... even people who don't live in London may have heard of Oxford Street.

Heh - tbh, I actually feel safer riding in London than I do in Hull... Oxford Street and Vauxhall Cross included. Srsly - Hull's not pleasant for cyclists.

But point taken - I'm just observing that even if the first experience was unnerving, you adjust very, very rapidly. And I much, much prefer fixed to geared, now.

Hull's not very pleasant full stop :P :roll:

vanquished

itboffin wrote:

Hull's not very pleasant full stop :P :roll:

Harsh... but fair ;-P

itboffin

vanquished wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Hull's not very pleasant full stop :P :roll:

Harsh... but fair ;-P

I've had many fun times and many many more bad times, that comes with having friends from there and spending years contracting in and around Hull - shudder!

wgwarburton

lost_in_thought wrote:

Alright kids, MTf**kingFU.
Riding fixed is not a terrifying experience. FFS. ...
I stopped pedalling all of twice, and have been fine since then.
Seriously. If an eejit hipster with louvred glasses can do it, so can you.

My experience exactly- even down to the number of times I stopped pedalling (Once turning onto Princes Street (Edinburgh), and once on a rural open road). After that I found the pedals "reminding" me every so often, but no heart-stoppers.

And Blondie, keep the Nittos. Buns = always right about everything, especially helmets

You're too kind :oops:

Cheers,
W.

gtvlusso

Latest incarnation of the Barron:









Specs are:

Barry Barron (Stowe, Lincolnshire) Reynolds 531 SL TT frame built for Barry Frow in 1982 - 22.5" - has had a re-spray at Argos Cycles in Cambridge Blue and track fork ends fitted.

Nitto RB018 Bars
ITM Goccia Stem
FSA "Stars 'n Stripes" bar tape
Dia Compe Aero brake lever
Shimano Tiagra Front brake
Xero xsd 30mm deep v rims on Formula flip/flop track hubs
Specialized Armadillo tyres
Sugino BB
Sugino RD2 chainset 48T
Miche 16t sprocket and carrier
KMC track chain
Laprade fluted seatpost
Charge Spoon saddle
MKS Sylvan pedals
MKS Toe clips (1/2 clip size L)

All braze ons have been removed except for the rear brake brazes on's - just in-case it gets run as an ss.

[Tim]

Nice!

How's the charge saddle? My saddle is in need of replacement and I'm tempted by the spoon as it is cheap, looks good and seems popular.

gtvlusso

[Tim] wrote:

Nice!

How's the charge saddle? My saddle is in need of replacement and I'm tempted by the spoon as it is cheap, looks good and seems popular.

Fine - no worries with it. I would not like to do Uber distance on it.......but it is fine for the fixie/fixie distances. Anything above about 30 miles in one hit, I would use something else......

biondino

That's a beautiful bike but omg the bar tape is just awful! It's not even a design that works in the context!

(I like the stem tho)

gtvlusso

biondino wrote:

That's a beautiful bike but omg the bar tape is just awful! It's not even a design that works in the context!

(I like the stem tho)

It goes with my winter gloves........Honestly! I was gonna use Cinelli white, but I had this stuff in the shed - matches my road bike! I think it stands out well, but agree, it is a little ott!

biondino

Coo - can you shoot webs from those gloves?

gtvlusso

biondino wrote:

Coo - can you shoot webs from those gloves?

Only when I have matching bar tape ;-)

My dream is too look like Captain America.....except with the decorum of a Cambridge Blue bicycle......

edhornby

here it is, after a long wait for the frame to be sprayed, I'm back on the fixed !

I think 48x16 is a bit big for everyday riding tho, I;ll probably step down to a 17t cog, but here's a question for you arbiters of fine biking.....

what colour saddle ???

white, black or tan - should I be a eurotart and get a white one ????!!!!

Greg T

edhornby wrote:

should I be a eurotart and get a white one ????!!!!

We need more data.

If you are on your own, no-one around and a set of lights that you know take ages to change turn red do you:

a) Trackstand in splendid isolation
b) Put your foot down
c) You can't trackstand

If A then you might not be a tart - you are a fundamentalist

If B then yes brother you are a tart

If C then this needs more discussion, all trackstanders are tarts but not all tarts can trackstand.

Christophe3967

Greg T wrote:

edhornby wrote:

should I be a eurotart and get a white one ????!!!!

We need more data.

If you are on your own, no-one around and a set of lights that you know take ages to change turn red do you:

a) Trackstand in splendid isolation
b) Put your foot down
c) You can't trackstand

If A then you might not be a tart - you are a fundamentalist

If B then yes brother you are a tart

If C then this needs more discussion, all trackstanders are tarts but not all tarts can trackstand.

Well I'm b on that - I only trackstand if I know the lights are going green in the next 15 seconds or so. Any more is counterproductive and I think makes you look a bit of a fakenger. Having said that, I would describe my trackstanding abilities as intermediate.

A white saddle is the answer btw.