NOW COMPLETE!!!!! Fixed gear bike build thread.

[nitroairplane]

Today while riding my bike around W1 I noticed how worn out it felt its been ridden pretty much daily for 4 years putting in thousands of miles around London and Brighton and everywhere in between
So I thought it was time to retire that bike and build up that frame I've got lying around.
It's a full aluminium track frame and it's light.
Here what I've got so far.

Total weight so far is 3.278kg I am shooting for sub 10kg final weight.
And incase you guys don't know, I only ride fixed gear.
Not sure wether to put a from brake on this one or not.
I will keep this thread up to date so you guys can see the progress if you want.
Modelling will be slightly compromised while this is being built but will be back under way shortly after.
Completed, decided to go with a steel frame instead!

[John Goddard]

Fixed gear?
Just say no.
If you want kkuffed knees by the time you're 40 keep riding it.
Otherwise for goodness sake get a freewheel.

'part from that it looks great.
What groupset you using?

Is that weight including the forks, pin and stem?
Feathery if it is.

[nitroairplane]

Fixed gear?
Just say no.
If you want kkuffed knees by the time you're 40 keep riding it.
Otherwise for goodness sake get a freewheel.

'part from that it looks great.
What groupset you using?

Is that weight including the forks, pin and stem?
Feathery if it is.

I love fixed gear for me it's the most practical and most fun way to get around.
I have heard things about knees and fixed gear.
I enjoyed reason this
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-knees.html
Great website!
The weight given includes everything pictured.
Frame, forks, seat post, stem, headset and shims.
A lot of parts have/will be scrounged due to lack of cash, wish I could get lovely high quality light parts but not always.
I don't know exactly what I'll use yet, it depends what my mates down at the bike shop have at a low price or used an what I can get from friends,
Got some charge deep dish wheels heading my way and some unknown cranks and chain wheel.
They have a retry wimpy gearing of 46t and 18t so that will most likely get changed some time.

[nitroairplane]

Oh and did I mention, of I'm lucky I might have a nice used aerospoke coming my way.

[RknRusty]

What's "fixed gear," is that like what we used to ride to school in the 2nd grade, with one sprocket in the front and rear, and rear drum brakes?

[JPvelo]

Fixed gear means no freewheel mech which means no coasting. Very fashionable right now. So much so you can even buy one at wall mart
Here's a little before and after of my latest bike project:
https://i.imgur.com/Pu2Eu.jpg
And after:
https://i.imgur.com/TonVl.jpg

[John Goddard]

Fixed gear?
Just say no.
If you want kkuffed knees by the time you're 40 keep riding it.
Otherwise for goodness sake get a freewheel.

'part from that it looks great.
What groupset you using?

Is that weight including the forks, pin and stem?
Feathery if it is.

I love fixed gear for me it's the most practical and most fun way to get around.
I have heard things about knees and fixed gear.
I enjoyed reason this
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-knees.html
Great website!
The weight given includes everything pictured.
Frame, forks, seat post, stem, headset and shims.
A lot of parts have/will be scrounged due to lack of cash, wish I could get lovely high quality light parts but not always.
I don't know exactly what I'll use yet, it depends what my mates down at the bike shop have at a low price or used an what I can get from friends,
Got some charge deep dish wheels heading my way and some unknown cranks and chain wheel.
They have a retry wimpy gearing of 46t and 18t so that will most likely get changed some time.

Goodness me he even 'advises' short throw crank arms/more strain
On the joint.
I think this must be either a spoof or perhaps he's an Orthapaedic
Surgeon trying to drum up business.

[Ivanhoe]

Sorry to tell you this, Indra, but it will never fly! I mean, where are you going to mount the Cox?

[nitroairplane]

Fixed gear means no freewheel mech which means no coasting. Very fashionable right now. So much so you can even buy one at wall mart
Here's a little before and after of my latest bike project:
https://i.imgur.com/Pu2Eu.jpg
And after:
https://i.imgur.com/TonVl.jpg

Very nice, looks like a huge frame though!

[nitroairplane]

Fixed gear?
Just say no.
If you want kkuffed knees by the time you're 40 keep riding it.
Otherwise for goodness sake get a freewheel.

'part from that it looks great.
What groupset you using?

Is that weight including the forks, pin and stem?
Feathery if it is.

I love fixed gear for me it's the most practical and most fun way to get around.
I have heard things about knees and fixed gear.
I enjoyed reason this
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-knees.html
Great website!
The weight given includes everything pictured.
Frame, forks, seat post, stem, headset and shims.
A lot of parts have/will be scrounged due to lack of cash, wish I could get lovely high quality light parts but not always.
I don't know exactly what I'll use yet, it depends what my mates down at the bike shop have at a low price or used an what I can get from friends,
Got some charge deep dish wheels heading my way and some unknown cranks and chain wheel.
They have a retry wimpy gearing of 46t and 18t so that will most likely get changed some time.

Goodness me he even 'advises' short throw crank arms/more strain
On the joint.
I think this must be either a spoof or perhaps he's an Orthapaedic
Surgeon trying to drum up business.

Ok short cranks do sound a bad idea for someone with knee problems!
I used to get knee pain a lot then it pretty much completely stopped once I got on fixed gear (maybe coincidence idk)
But you need a fixed gear if you want to go to the track something I haven't done at all in the past 2 years but plan on doing in the near future if I have time.

[JPvelo]

Fixed gear means no freewheel mech which means no coasting. Very fashionable right now. So much so you can even buy one at wall mart
Here's a little before and after of my latest bike project:
https://i.imgur.com/Pu2Eu.jpg
And after:
https://i.imgur.com/TonVl.jpg

Very nice, looks like a huge frame though!

http://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=38

[JPvelo]

Fixed gear?
Just say no.
If you want kkuffed knees by the time you're 40 keep riding it.
Otherwise for goodness sake get a freewheel.

'part from that it looks great.
What groupset you using?

Is that weight including the forks, pin and stem?
Feathery if it is.

I love fixed gear for me it's the most practical and most fun way to get around.
I have heard things about knees and fixed gear.
I enjoyed reason this
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-knees.html
Great website!

Frame, forks, seat post, stem, headset and shims.
A lot of parts have/will be scrounged due to lack of cash, wish I could get lovely high quality light parts but not always.
I don't know exactly what I'll use yet, it depends what my mates down at the bike shop
have at a low price or used an what I can get from friends,
Got some charge deep dish wheels heading my way and some unknown cranks andchain wheel.
They have a retry wimpy gearing of 46t and 18t so that will most likely get changed some time.

Goodness me he even 'advises' short throw crank arms/more strain
On the joint.
I think this must be either a spoof or perhaps he's an Orthapaedic
Surgeon trying to drum up business.

Ok short cranks do sound a bad idea for someone with knee problems!
I used to get knee pain a lot then it pretty much completely stopped once I got on fixed
gear (maybe coincidence idk)
But you need a fixed gear if you want to go to the track something I haven't done at
all in the past 2 years but plan on doing in the near future if I have time.

Shorter cranks cause less stress on the knee due to the fact that the knee bends less with a short crank. The longer the crank, the more bend in the knee at the top of the pedal stroke. Shorter cranks are advised on a fixed gear to lessen the chance of a pedal strike whilst pedaling around corners. Dedicated track/fixed bikes address this by being designed with a higher bottom bracket.

[nitroairplane]

Got a sadle

[SuperDave]

The ergonomic saddle should keep your "buns" happy but fixed gearing makes no sense at all for riding in traffic.

[nitroairplane]

It makes a lot of sense to me, greater control at slow speeds, thinner profile and really light compared to a normal commuter and they are just do fun to ride, I enjoy my commute and I'm in so much better shape now.

[Mark Boesen]

The ergonomic saddle should keep your "buns" happy but fixed gearing makes no sense at all for riding in traffic.

Ditto!
Sorry Nitro, I just don't see it, other then on a track.

[nitroairplane]

It's ok guys I know it's hard to imagine but I like riding fixed in traffic and have done so pretty much daily for the pat 3 few years. If you get the chance you should give it a go, once you get used to it you will never want to go back to a free wheeling bike I don't put my foot down from NW6 to W1

[nitroairplane]

Scrounged cranks and wheels today
Charge dish wheels and Halo twin rail tires.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/TG3zj.jpg[/
A bit heavier than I wanted but can't complain as they are ex display ones I got for nothing.

[Cribbs74]

Scrounged cranks and wheels today
Charge dish wheels and Halo twin rail tires.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/TG3zj.jpg[/
A bit heavier than I wanted but can't complain as they are ex display ones I got for nothing.

I hope the finished project is what you are after! Looks like fun. Now I know why you haven't sent my kit yet

Just kidding pal! Had to say it

Enjoy the bike.

Ron

[andrew]

A bit heavier than I wanted but can't complain as they are ex display ones I got for nothing.

I've always found it less expensive to step away from the table to save weight than to pay for ultra-light components.

I admire cyclist commuting -- cheaper, many times just as quick and fuel friendly. I have to admit that I don't think I would care for fixed gearing since I have some hill climbing and long flats on the way to work. Keeping up with pedal spin on the downhills would be difficult.

I've been riding almost daily since 1967. Longest trip was from western KY to Anchorage, AK.

[SuperDave]

If you are traversing flat or nearly flat terrian fixed gearing might make sense but not for touring applications where hills and downhills are encountered. This based on extensive touring experience both in the US and abroad.

At one time I cycled over 4K miles on Honshu (Japan) using my eighteen speed Raleigh touring bike. That never would have been possible with fixed gearing. If you believe Honshu is flat island think again.

Ever heard of the Japanese Alps?

[nitroairplane]

If you are traversing flat or nearly flat terrian fixed gearing might make sense but not for touring applications where hills and downhills are encountered. This based on extensive touring experience both in the US and abroad.

At one time I cycled over 4K miles on Honshu (Japan) using my eighteen speed Raleigh touring bike. That never would have been possible with fixed gearing. If you believe Honshu is flat island think again.

Ever heard of the Japanese Alps?

My commutes only about 5 miles and just a few tiny hills but mostly flat, furthest I went on a fixed gear was to Brighton.

[Kim]

If you are traversing flat or nearly flat terrian fixed gearing might make sense but not for touring applications where hills and downhills are encountered. This based on extensive touring experience both in the US and abroad.

At one time I cycled over 4K miles on Honshu (Japan) using my eighteen speed Raleigh touring bike. That never would have been possible with fixed gearing. If you believe Honshu is flat island think again.

Ever heard of the Japanese Alps?

My commutes only about 5 miles and just a few tiny hills but mostly flat, furthest I went on a fixed gear was to Brighton.

That's nothing !!! I once straight-pulled the Olmsted Hill on my J.C. Higgens single speed, with a bag full of GRIT Newspapers, and Neely's German Sheppard hot on my tail !!!!!!

Made it almost to the river before I looked back. He was a big dog !

[andrew]

That's nothing !!! I once straight-pulled the Olmsted Hill on my J.C. Higgens single speed, with a bag full of GRIT Newspapers, and Neely's German Sheppard hot on my tail !!!!!!

Bet that bike weighed almost as much as you did.

[nitroairplane]

That's a nice bike Kim, had hub brakes right?

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