Tokyo Fixed Wide Open (2012)
Rostropovich
Posts: 22
I just had this built up as a commuting and bad weather trainer - excuse the poor quality kitchen photos - I believe crank and [nasty blue] skewer positions break certain rules! I wasn't thinking. Also the steerer hasn't been cut yet, I'm still trying out a few different positions...
2012 Tokyo Fixed "Wide Open" frame
Difosi Carbon/Alloy Fork
M-Part Elite Headset
Shimano 5700/6700/6600 mixed group.
PMP hubs/Velocity A23/Sapim Laser wheelset.
Ritchey EA50 finishing kit.
Size 58cm and it's 9.7kg built up w/o pedals.
Tokyo Fixed Wide Open by Ross_Greening, on Flickr
Internal cable routing:
Wide Open internal routing by Ross_Greening, on Flickr
The 2012 version of this frame is £475 and comes with a matching steel fork with eyelets for a front pannier and 'guards. I asked that the fork be removed in favour of a Difosi fork with carbon blades & mudguard eyelets - this brough it up to £600, although you get to keep the original fork
.
The "Wide Open" name presumably refers to the fact that the frame and original fork can run up to 28 tyres with guards although the jury is still out on whether the Difosi fork will take the 28s - I haven't had a go. I'll certainly get 25s on... A bonus is that I've kept the original fork so this can always go back on when I start to slow down in the winter.
I believe Tokyo Fixed shortened the wheelbase of the 2012 Wide Open over the 2011 version, which was given 4 stars in Cycling Plus, to tighten up the handling. They've achieved just that: For a supposed "do it all" bike this frameset is very lively and the geometry feels quite aggressive.
I am running 36 spoke handmade wheels for commuting duties, these seem well paired to the frameset, accentuating what is an amazing ride; a buttery smooth experience with an eagerness to be ridden hard that I last experienced on a fixed gear - there is something mechanical and direct about it. I would gladly ride this in a sportive and will be taking it on group training rides, it's no slouch.
The overall weight compared to my best bike (a 2011 Cervelo R3) is noticeable when accelerating away at lights although not much is given away in terms of stiffness in the bottom bracket - there is some noticeable flex if you stamp on the pedals but nothing compared to the elasticity of some older 531 frames I have ridden. This is all completely irrelevant because the bike wasn't purchased to win races, it's just hard not to start comparing the two bikes, especially when the Wide Open turned out to be unexpectedly nimble for a "do it all" bike.
I'm running new 105 5700 shifters and a 5700 RD. These seem to perform better than the last generation Ultegra 6600 shifters & RD on the Cervelo even when it's had new cables, a cassette and a chain fitted. There's something more positive and direct about the shifting. So much so that I may consider swapping them onto the Cervelo. On the downside out of the saddle efforts feel a little less comfortable on the underside of 5700 hoods as my fingers partially cover the exposed workings of the levers. These are completely covered up on the 6600 Ultegra hoods.
The freewheel on the PMP hubs is awesome, it's so loud. It's certainly not stealthy but somehow this helps add a classic feel to the bike and I certainly won't be mowing down any pedestrians on it. It's silly to say it but the whole build reminds me a bit of those E-Types you can buy reconditioned with ABS brakes etc; a modern take on a classic. The racing green paint job helps with this. It's beautiful, but then I would say that because I bought the thing...
I can't recommend the Tokyo Fixed Wide Open enough. The whole team were great to deal with.
2012 Tokyo Fixed "Wide Open" frame
Difosi Carbon/Alloy Fork
M-Part Elite Headset
Shimano 5700/6700/6600 mixed group.
PMP hubs/Velocity A23/Sapim Laser wheelset.
Ritchey EA50 finishing kit.
Size 58cm and it's 9.7kg built up w/o pedals.
Tokyo Fixed Wide Open by Ross_Greening, on Flickr
Internal cable routing:
Wide Open internal routing by Ross_Greening, on Flickr
The 2012 version of this frame is £475 and comes with a matching steel fork with eyelets for a front pannier and 'guards. I asked that the fork be removed in favour of a Difosi fork with carbon blades & mudguard eyelets - this brough it up to £600, although you get to keep the original fork
.The "Wide Open" name presumably refers to the fact that the frame and original fork can run up to 28 tyres with guards although the jury is still out on whether the Difosi fork will take the 28s - I haven't had a go. I'll certainly get 25s on... A bonus is that I've kept the original fork so this can always go back on when I start to slow down in the winter.
I believe Tokyo Fixed shortened the wheelbase of the 2012 Wide Open over the 2011 version, which was given 4 stars in Cycling Plus, to tighten up the handling. They've achieved just that: For a supposed "do it all" bike this frameset is very lively and the geometry feels quite aggressive.
I am running 36 spoke handmade wheels for commuting duties, these seem well paired to the frameset, accentuating what is an amazing ride; a buttery smooth experience with an eagerness to be ridden hard that I last experienced on a fixed gear - there is something mechanical and direct about it. I would gladly ride this in a sportive and will be taking it on group training rides, it's no slouch.
The overall weight compared to my best bike (a 2011 Cervelo R3) is noticeable when accelerating away at lights although not much is given away in terms of stiffness in the bottom bracket - there is some noticeable flex if you stamp on the pedals but nothing compared to the elasticity of some older 531 frames I have ridden. This is all completely irrelevant because the bike wasn't purchased to win races, it's just hard not to start comparing the two bikes, especially when the Wide Open turned out to be unexpectedly nimble for a "do it all" bike.
I'm running new 105 5700 shifters and a 5700 RD. These seem to perform better than the last generation Ultegra 6600 shifters & RD on the Cervelo even when it's had new cables, a cassette and a chain fitted. There's something more positive and direct about the shifting. So much so that I may consider swapping them onto the Cervelo. On the downside out of the saddle efforts feel a little less comfortable on the underside of 5700 hoods as my fingers partially cover the exposed workings of the levers. These are completely covered up on the 6600 Ultegra hoods.
The freewheel on the PMP hubs is awesome, it's so loud. It's certainly not stealthy but somehow this helps add a classic feel to the bike and I certainly won't be mowing down any pedestrians on it. It's silly to say it but the whole build reminds me a bit of those E-Types you can buy reconditioned with ABS brakes etc; a modern take on a classic. The racing green paint job helps with this. It's beautiful, but then I would say that because I bought the thing...
I can't recommend the Tokyo Fixed Wide Open enough. The whole team were great to deal with.
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Comments
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now with the photo links working...0
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Good post.
I have a (metallic blue) '13 or '14. Looking forward to building it up when funds permit.0 -
Great description and a lovel bike, enjoy it and look forward to seeing it once it's been tweaked for fit and in summer guise?0
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2014 frame finally built up:
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Loving the look of these bikes.
Am i missing something with the name? Tokyo fixed... it has gears!0 -
Nope, you're quite correct. I believe the first bikes they made were indeed fixed, and right on trend. I can only guess that the brand name was chosen without too much thought for what might lay ahead.
They're still going, but they seem to have dropped the actual bikes:
"Tokyo Fixed was founded in 2007 as a blog selling Japanese bike parts from a spare bedroom in a Tokyo apartment more than a few years ago. The brand has represented many things since then but at the core has always been our love of cycling and good design, with a heavy influence from Japanese culture.
Right now we run Tokyo Fixed as a passion project. We are a small group of cycling enthusiasts with an aim to produce high quality, unique cycling kit and to work with some of the most interesting cycling brands and creatives from around the globe."0
