Looks like great riding weather Wes. It’s been raining for the last 2 weeks here. I miss the sun :/

CS, raining for two weeks?!! They’d have to talk me down from a bridge or building ledge.

@wes… Why not start a message board? I thought this was suppose to be a comments section for My fixed gear. Are you trying to kill the recent comments section? If so, this is a great way to do it.

Yes, I understand. Again, I think it doesn’t work for this site. Its four people monopolizing the whole Recent Comments area (“with our mindless prattle”). Hey, here’s an idea. Why not start a new site? I would be happy to follow your “message board” and even contribute. Or, reach out to the webmaster (who ever that is) and ask for it.

arn’t there tons of free message board forum sites? just add a link to it under “recent comments”…

Racing cancelled due to Pugs bottom bracket coming loose. I suspect an oval lockring. Mikey is planning a sealed insertion. Ooh, nasty! To remedy the prob. Maybe next week we’ll see how slow I really am. Went to see Dick Morris in hospital. He’s had a stroke and has lost the use of his right side. Very frustrating for a man who would spend hours filing and cutting lugs into fancy shapes. We chatted for about half hour. He is confusing the doctors because they don’t expect anyone in thier 90s to be sitting up in bed reading and chatting after a serious stroke. Not only a frame builder, he was a lifelong cyclist and racer. That may have some bearing on his recovery. He smiled when I told him I was still riding 1 of his frames. 94 and the flame is still there. Maybe there is hope yet for the rest of us. Cheers.

Pug took a standard bb fine. Had a happy tinker when I got in today. Replaced cups & bearings on Pug with sealed unit, swapped chainset for a shitty 44t off an mtb and old steel pedals, until I get my new Suntour 44t single and new MKS (or similar) pedals in a few days. Could probably do with new freewheel while I’m at it.
Also rebuilt Wasp as paint is done and I’ve bloody well missed racing around on it, so now got a nice bike for pleasure and a shitter for commuting. Cheers

Slo, the suntour is a bargain price (£20), but the LBS that has it only stock it with a 44t ring. Pug is just a cheap build just for going to work on. Plus I often have to lug my chef kit (box of knives, steel toe boots, whites and huge folder) around on the rack, so an easier gear kinda makes sense on Pug. I’ve been pushing it with a 46/17, using the wheels off Wasp for over a week and I’ll admit it’s been tough. The bonus of the suntour is I can get a bigger ring if I get bored or find it too easy (it’ll be my first crank with bolt on rings)

I must admit I like the occasional blast from John Thompson.

Why not start a message board? I thought this was suppose to be a comments section for My fixed gear. Are you trying to kill the recent comments section? If so, this is a great way to do it.

Yes, I understand. Again, I think it doesn’t work for this site. Its four people monopolizing the whole Recent Comments area (”with our mindless prattle”). Hey, here’s an idea. Why not start a new site? I would be happy to follow your “message board” and even contribute. Or, reach out to the webmaster (who ever that is) and ask for it.

27 inch rims without rust may be worth 50 if you find a buyer. many new bikes only take 622 rims and no room for the 630 from the old 10 speed road bikes. My trek 400 and Raleigh competition only have enough room for the 622 rims.

It seems John thinks Luftie vomits too much ! JT may be too busy to submit his bike pictures or does not care to be criticized. I have not submitted pictures either and some may think I am full of crap also. JQnyc or one of us has to figure a way to avoid taking up the recent comments spot with chit chat, can’t say it bothers me at all. Some comments are better lost .

I vote JT for MFG “angry clown”. A while back I encouraged all the people who visit this site to join the comments party. There’s plenty of room for everyone.

Yeah, Johnny boy. Where’s his bike again? I sure love to talk crap but have some clue as to what I’m talking about (I have a bike I built, after all). WSB–thanks for the rims tip. They’re dirty and rusty, too, so not sure if they’re worth cleaning to sell. May have a lead in the UK on some lesser known freestyle straps, still searching for the perfect set, have twenty dollars in change saved up (not kidding). cheers fellas.

I would but the only straps I have are the F.U.B.A.R. doubles I’m currently using. They’re amazingly secure but even harder to get back into which drives me nuts. I wish I had some MKS’s again. These all-cityish ones that came with my power grips really suck.

power grips are eh… my buddy broke his after 1 week of riding, metal kept bending til it snapped, I would recommend Aurora straps for normal pedals, or Hold Fast straps for big bmx pedals.

sorry but power grips are horrible

day in the life of spokley
2:30am strip club, 8:00am ride/road bike, brunch, 4:00pm ride/fixed + food shopping, 7:00pm ride/fixed downtown, post on mfg, nap, latenite bbq house party. such a fresh day

Woody; Caged need not mean trapped. I find they do make me feel much more connected to the bike. It is surprising how much extra Oomph you get spinning up inclines when there is the clips to kick against. Even half clips with no straps help.

I recently got a set of Christofe plastic clips. The type with the double loop at the top for the strap to go through. The design keeps the straps open allowing better access for the feet. I’ve ridden with a similar set up on my old shimano pedals for years.Always easy to flip my foot in, never had them slip out when I didn’t want them to and usually no problem with my foot being stuck in them when I wanted to get it out. The only times my foot has stayed in when it could have done with being out have usually been caused by me being a complete knob.The double loop type is also more comfortable om the foot than the old single loop style. Even with the straps pulled tight. It spreads the pressure more evenly around the foot.

I know we’re talking cages and straps but honestly the best setup I’ve ever ridden fixed (and what I ride with now) are spd-sl’s. You’ll never get more connected to your bike than those or a set of look pedals. Of course they’re not cleats that you can hop off of and walk around in a store in. As far as clips go I’ve always just grabbed a generic pair of metal clips and decent straps (I do like the christophe straps) but I also don’t stop with my legs as much as I do with the brake so I’m not needing that extra grip to skid with. I like the metal clips better than the plastic personally b/c the plastic ones get ate up by the road after a while.

CS – i’ve been wanting to ride clipless… but the cost of it for me is too much. but i’m hoping to get my friend’s Look Carbo Max’s before the summer, because in the summer, im going down to SD velodrome.

wes if you’re going clipless just for the velo the looks are fresh. but if you’re riding everyday and if you’re clipping in and out often. i prefer i mtb pedal and shoe. you can walk in them and the pedals are dual sided easier/quicker clip in/out. i use eggbeaters “c” as a kick around pedal they are cheap $35-50 bucks or try craigslist i last month i sold a pair of shimano mtb pedals in nice shape/cleats for $20 and an old pair of diadora shoes for about the same.

Hahahaha. Luftsmensh you should be a daredevil because you just made a HUGE jump from clipless shoes to a weekend warrior rider. If you’re willing to completely write off clipless pedals for commuting and suggest that it equates you to a weekend warrior rider then you don’t really know enough about clipless pedals in general. You’re willing to invest money into your bike for single speed on the street riding but when it comes to pedals the wallet closes? Aside from the fact that the cost isn’t really that big compared to the rest of bike parts clipless pedals are BETTER for fixed riding especially if you skid to stop. You can get shoes for spds or egg beaters that look and walk just like regular shoes. If you don’t think its worth debating that’s fine stay out of it instead of being a dick about it.

Wes freshher right about the egg beaters. They’re relatively cheap and with the right shoes very inconspicuous. Spd’s are the same but just a bit more expensive. If you ever for any reason come through st louis write me first. We sell used but good spd’s for super super cheap (normally around 20-30 bucks). Look pedals are rad. They created the first large cleat pedals that have become the standard for most road and track racing. I highly endorse them if you’re looking to ride at the track. I’m glad to hear about you going down to the velodrome. It’s an amazing sport that’s completely understated in the US. Our track season started two weeks ago. I’m looking forward to heading out to watch and jump in a couple of races. It’s a hell of a challenge and a lot of fun.

i rock a full lycra kit when i’m on my road and the ladies love it.

I’m just searching for some good cycle shoes, literally now.
I’m happy with my pedal/ clips & strap combo atm, but I just want proper shoes for general cycling cos I destroy trainers quickly enough anyway. Can anyone recommend anything? I need size 10 or 11 (UK), and will most likely use for a bit of walking around. I’m planning on going clipless too, but need to save cash first.

Yeah, I know I do. Only saw a couple of cages when we marshalled the tt a couple of weeks ago.
I’ve found a site that does pretty nice shoes, and does a good deal if you buy clipless pedals with them- £75 for carbon soled shoes and pedals they’ll fit. VERY tempting.
And btw, I’m kinda fond of lycra for just about any cycling *perverse grin* ha ha ha

Sup: they sound cool- may be worth an investment. What brand/ model are they?
I’m currently looking at these as a possibility: http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/Products/Lightracer_Carbon_Road_Bike_Shoe.aspx
Depends if I can find some I can try on first

MJ those look like nice shoes. Diadora makes great soccer (football) cleats. I’ve never tried their road shoes but if they’re anything like they’re other cleats they should be good. The only thing I see about them that I’d maybe speak against them on is that they have all velcro and no ratchet straps. This isn’t a big deal at first but over the years the velcro degrades and they don’t hold as well. I can’t find a pic of the road shoes I have but they’re similar to these:

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=14366&src=froogleUS&currency=USD

The ratcheting strap at the top does most of the holding so even if the velcro on the bottom starts deteriorating the grip holding the shoe closed will still be pretty solid.

diadoras are nice just sold a pair a little too small but i’ve had them in the past. cs is on point about the ratchet my 2 y/o sidi’s have them but then you spending more money the lake’s i have are kinda old school in that they tie and have a velcro strap as well. i don’t think they make them any more in retrospect they be more like 5/6 y/o but the newer versions are the mx-85 not sure if you can get them super cheap though. trying to get my mitts on a pair of these though.

http://hypebeast.com/2010/04/brooklyn-machine-works-adidas-eddy-merckx-shoe-preview/

question – Wolber Gentlemen 81 Super Champion wheel. Mallard Helico Matic hub. 13 – 28 cassette unknown brand. Mallard skewer. bontrager tire/tube. untrue but no rust except for one spot on spoke. How much can i get for it? pics later.

an apiphany this morning.Forget the 27″ers on Mongrel.WSB was correct with his measurements,they totally do not work on this frame.The front tire comes within 2mm of the fork,the rear all but hits the seattube.I am so disgusted.A long night finalizing the rear build for naught.It looks bitching,too bad it won’t work.It was like the frame didn’t want cruizer wheelset.TO top it off the axle on the back was 110 spaced,the flip/flop on there is a fat 120(and the threads for the cog are not standard so I would be stuck with the 18t thats on there.A real mess.What was I thinking?So it’s back to the Bontragers for now I guess until something lighter comes along.Sorry to be so long winded but it’s been a long night and venting helps a lot.thanks

Today, afterschool, my friend was talking about getting a Hed (jet or 3, i don’t know) to another friend. I respond with “you don’t even deserve a hed” he retorts “yes i do” and then we engage in conversation on how he thinks he deserves one because he does tricks. i tell him that if anything, i deserve a Hed because i’m a fast rider and that hed’s weren’t intentionally made for doing tricks on. he disagrees. really made my day right there

Wow. That’s why I stayed out of the speed pedal debate because I really don’t give a damn. White noise. Lycra? One word: lube. Ewwwwwwww. PASS.

well my mornings work here is done.Time for a cup of coffee and then spread cheer to the rest of the world.Later ya’all.

Oh boy. This clothing debate could go on for a bit.
My view is this: people who just ride can wear anything they want; Cyclists have either certain clothes that they will always wear (like the slim fit combats and high-vis jacket I usually do for a general bash about), or full lycra that they always wear no matter what.
I can’t really give a particular viewpoint though, as I just got myself new lycra stuff that I’ll always wear whenever I ride, along with specific shoes with stiff soles (I’ve been told that cross-country running shoes with removable spikes are ideal if you don’t want to go clipless as the soles are practically solid)

lube your seat? wtf.

The seat of your suit, like the seat of your pants. I don’t know. Maybe some incompetent tourer didn’t know what he was talking about.

@Wes: 5. Chain link bracelet. 6. Pointless loop of keys. 7. Gauged earrings. 8. Porkpie hat. 9. Tattoo sleeves.

flannel shirt, american apparel zip-up hoodie?

i’m starting an mash/nwa look this summer riding in cut off dickies, raiders snap back, chucks, no shirt and “loc” sunglasses.

I wear lycra under my cargo shorts a lot when I ride some of my road bikes. Good saddles do a lot but depending on the length of the ride you still need some additional padding. The only bike I can really get away with long trips with no extra padding on is my commuter b/c it has an old school mattress saddle on it. That thing is the most comfortable saddle ever. Hands down!

Went down to Performance Bicycles today, asked the employee what clip-less pedals he would recommended for me. He lectured me about how my knees would get messed up if i got clip-less pedals… thanks man, i needed to know that, not what pedals you would recommend, but my knee health.

CS: nice geared rides. I’ve been thinking of getting a geared bike for a change of pace, figuratively and literally. Maybe some cheap road bike or mtb.

Geared bikes ? When I coast it feels gay. (may I use that word ?) Yep !

do not get a MTB.lots of older pugs and herons ect.out there.or basic new bike-everyone should have one new ride in their life $500 or $600 will get you on a Trek or Giant if you shop.

Has anyone seen or tried System EX track drops? My LBS just got some in, they reckon they’re pretty good and would suit Wasp. I’m undecided so far

Got some shoes to ride in : Chrome Kursk shoes in Grey Cordura, very comfortable and stiff

CS, I picked up on ebay a 69 Raleigh Twenty non folder with the narrow 451 rims a ST. Archer 3 speed and the previous knuclehead host most of the bottom bearings in the headset, the top is a nylon bushing. I had taken apart trashed pedals from a Raleigh 10 speed Marathon and used the saved ball bearings from these pedals for the Headset of the Raleigh Twenty 24 of them, worked fine. I had them in a 3 inch top off the grease container and hooked them with the spatula and dumped half on the basement floor and found all of them. Tideous work at times but rewarding if done well. Original condition is nice not everything new is better. I put back one of my Puch 20 inch bars etc. even if it looks dorky , not the main ride anyway and some resale possibilities are more bucks if original. Nice that you keep dad’s and grand dad’s bikes in an honored condition. My daughter’s don’t quite get that yet. Trendy tops tradition for twits. Maturity comes too late for the masses. It was strange getting used to the noise the self adjusting Raleigh brake levers make when first drawing up the slack. I have one on a 76 Raleigh with the coaster 3 speed which only came with the front caliper and the coaster hub brake was not always there especially in 3 rd gear. St. Louis is about 250 miles from me, may get there sometime. My parents lived in Mt. Home Ark. and st. L was on the way down route 44 etc. Hot and humid usually in St. L in the summer and yes hilly and beautiful terrain.

@WSB – Thanks for the compliments. The Vitus is by far my favorite bike at the moment and I’m sure for a long long time to come. The vitus is a 14 speed. The gearing has been kind of a pain in the ass. The cassette is a dura-ace uniglide cassette which was only made for a brief period before they moved to hyperglide which is now the standard. Finding a replacement dura-ace uniglide cassette for anything less than an arm and a leg is next to impossible. When this cassette finally gives out I’m going to try transplanting a hyperglide cassette onto the hub. I know its possible with some dura-ace/shimano hubs but I’m not sure of the exact year of the hub so it will be an experiment for sure.

The frame itself is all french. The DA components of course are all japanese. Yeah the bonding on the bike is pretty awesome as far as providing stiffness to the ride as well as making the frame lighter. The bike is almost as old as I am and is lighter than most modern aluminum road bikes.

I think its important to keep at least one geared bike (in st louis that is) to deal with hills or long rides. Honestly where I live in stl its impossibly to ride in any direction without having to deal with hills for miles and miles. I love riding fixed but sometimes you can’t get around gears. I’m sure its easier to ride single speed all of the time in a flatter city. One of the the bikes we had in for a while was a salsa with a dingle speed (or double) rear wheel. For the most part you were in the cruising gearing but you had the option for one lighter speed. It was a fun bike for sure.

Yeah my dad is really big on passing down awesome stuff. A lot of my outdoor gear is stuff my dad gave me over the years. My one man tent is an old north face pup tent that my dad has used since he was in his 20′s and he gave me when I was in my teens and its still in near perfect condition. He more recently gave me his Hoyt recurve bow and I’m psyched about taking it out and shooting. It’s nice getting this stuff that I’ve learned to appreciate over the years to the point that I fully understand how special it is and will take care of it like it should be. Also it seems like the quality of things made has declined dramatically in the last 20 years so getting all of this quality gear is awesome.

We have a couple of coaster raleigh’s in our shop right now. Those and the 3 speed internals sell like crazy at our sales. A lot of women around the tower grove area want a cruise to the store or around the park bike and those 3 speeds are perfect for that.

It’s a purpose built road circuit for bikes?Cool.Once in a while they “let” riders onto a motor track over here for a charity ride or whatever.usually an oval track(NASCAR charities)but rode Bridgehampton once back in the ’70s.I was into car racing too at the time.The hills were bigger on a 10 speed!Go figure.

nice pic,good call on the freewheel.too bad about the traffic

This is a 6 minute vid taken shortly after the course opened. It’s a bit greener and more established now.

It doesn’t want to work properly. Bleeding technology. Bah!
Anyone who wants to see what we have to play with in the U.K type C.C Sudbury Hog Hill training day into your browser and it should come up with the youtube vid. Cheers.

Hog Hill also goes under the name of Redbridge Cycle circuit.

SORRY.Thought this was the message board,to keep comments on bikes reasonable.Your immature rudeness is excused only because as an ex-NYer I feel your brain damage.Bugger off.

Nah! They ARE big… All 3 of them. hahaha.

i drew a frame yesterday… inspired by Rebirth Driftcycles and motivated by boredom. i’ll upload a picture on photobucket soon or something else…

I’ve found a link that shows just what I have to contend with every day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA_Crc67SAM
this is at 4x normal speed, but it is taken from literally just outside my work (the first left you can see leads to where I park my bike). This is why I run a front brake and always wear a helmet. Cheers

you need to chill jq. seriously. who cares. cool sketches, wes.

under negra modelo luft

luft you taught me something man parrish did some research wasn’t familiar w/ him which i hate to admit because i love that era and that late seventies early eighties downtown scene. thanks

No idea, ng. JQ probably knows but he does not use this site as a message board. LOL

Ha! I hear ya…he gets pissed! Personally I don’t see the msg board(s) as a problem. They just come and go thru the recent comments section…

@wsb – yeah my mattress saddle is coming apart a bit around the rivets right now. It’s still rideable but after a while I’m going to switch it out. Luckily I came across another brooks mattress saddle at the shop recently so I have a backup.

@ng – I don’t normally pay attention to threads per inch when I pick tires and I don’t know more than just the general stuff about it. Most of mine are used from our shop so its more finding ones that are the least balled out. The only times I’ve heard people worry about tpi is when they’re buying racing tires and normally the racers only hang on to them for one or a couple of races (depending on how well they’re paid by their sponsors ). Other than that I don’t know that it matters for the general tpi count (which I believe is around 120 but don’t quote me on that). I wouldn’t buy a high tpi tire for commuting though because you’re going to get flats a lot more often.

As a brand I like Vittoria’s tires, but they’re not usually my first choice. It’s less because of bad experiences with them and more because I swear by gator skins and michelins. Those have been my longest lasting tires overall.

NP ng. If you don’t already go to chain love I’d suggest keeping your eye on it.

http://www.chainlove.com

The blue hutchenson tires I got and put on matilda were from chain love and I got them for 14 bucks a tire. They’re definitely nowhere near as durable as the gatorskins, but 14 bucks for a decent tire with a bit of color on it isn’t too bad. The used tires we sell at the shop are normally around 10 bucks so it wasn’t too far off what I normally pay. Chainlove tends to have a decent number of deals pop up. A lot of crap but there is a gem or two from time to time.

Nice drawings Wes…you obviously dig the funny frames too. Maybe you should look into a metal work/welding class..

ng: I wouldn’t go for a high tpi tyre for rugged riding if I were you. Yes it denotes higher ride quality and feel, but it also means thinner tyres. Thinner means lower weight and less rolling resistance, which is why racers opt for them, but it also makes the tyre more susceptible to damage from on-road debris. Hence a high tpi tyre would normally be used on tracks.
Hope this helps (although I admit I read it on sheldon brown a few months ago).
My tyre choice depends on the bike and how I plan on using it. I run schwalbe luganos on Wasp for commuting and racing, as they’re pretty tough yet light (and I had to have the black/yellow pattern to match the frame colours); specialized all-condition armadillos on Pug cos it’s my commuter and I want to avoid flats; and Deli (real cheap brand) knobbly tyres on my geared mtb with 700 wheels cos they give decent off-road feel and ride quality

Well, if you cant beat ‘em join ‘em I always say. Okay, say goodbye to the RECENT COMMENTS and say hello to MFGMB #2! Yes nice hot rod sketches the tubes seem oversized though… *sniff*. Love Gators but they are a bit boring. Panracers come in colors but I find them to be a tad slow. Even at 100 ips. Love Gators. o-pine away! Am I being a good sport? Now about the Vittoria Rubino Pro III… fast, light tire reputed to be delicate but that hasn’t been my experience. I run at 120 for the mean streets. *sniff* Im trying.. *sniff* sniff* oh how I miss RECENT COMMENTS. @ Allen I cant see your video is everything okay? Can you post it again… again and again…. and again? Or was it CS with the video? Anyway, repost!!

i’ve heard of pedalmafia. fun lil’ thing to do. doesn’t have much variety though.

recently submitted my new bike, Paper Rider (literally)

I like that crank, Wes…it’s purdy. I looked at it and it made me want to start another build. Uh oh….here we go again. I need a tranquilizer of some kind.

enough with the cutsy names though.Brewtal.really.A rose and all that I guess but still.

Back shortly. Off to put the kettle on for a nice hot cup of Tal. tee,hee.

Looks like the deepest of deep Vs on that drawing Wes.

URGENT: how much should i sell this wheelset? what you see is what you get. http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/iRideFixed/Sale%20Parts/IMG_1124.jpg

http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/iRideFixed/Sale%20Parts/IMG_1123.jpg

http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/iRideFixed/Sale%20Parts/IMG_1122.jpg

http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/iRideFixed/Sale%20Parts/

how much can i get for my wheelset? no major damage, just not true

MJ,did you ever get those System bars?Like ‘em?

You drinking sloe gin, sloman?

Never got round to getting the system bars. Been trying to save for some proper cycle shoes and clipless pedals- Shimano R086 shoes and Shimano R540 or 105 SPD-SL 5610 pedals are on my shopping list.
I’m also saving for a new project as the dream frame I found has been sold already, so I’ll have more time to save and do it properly this time round.
I’m spending some time tinkering tomorrow, I’ve decided to restore Pug to geared and use it for road racing, and have a few bits I want to do to Wasp. Night all

It’s obvious I need a more “mature”place to lurk.Picking on my life,wife and art is way over the line.enjoy

I GOT A SUMMER JOB! woohoo! I’m working at a local bike shop, Irvine Bicycles. They pay me $7/hour, store credit, logging my hours there rather than giving me a free something everyday. also…… i got some shoes, SPD style. used but still, it was free.

btw next time i’m in cali can i get a hook up @ your shop just need a couple of things omnium crankset, new set of deda drops maybe a kashimax saddle?

Nice one Wes. You’ll learn a lot while you’re there. I’m trying to find some work in any of my local bike shops, but I can’t fit it round my current job. Hope the spds work out for you, clipless makes an incredible difference. I’ve just got my specialized bg sport road shoes, and my shimano r540 spd-sls fitted to Wasp and took it racing last night- 10mile tt at redbridge cycle centre (hog hill on YouTube) in 32mins 6secs, with a wind that slowed everyone by at least 2 or 3 mins overall. Was running 48/18 free with just front brake, but only used it twice

@wes, i too got my first job wrenching at a bicycle shop when i was 14 and it was the best thing that could have happened to me. now im running a bike depot/bike shop. with the help of my dad, we opened the shop when i was 19..im 23 now and our shop is going strong. i havent talked to you before but i see your posts and can see you have a ton of passion for cycling. keep it up and you could go far in the cycling world! best of luck mate, and keep those ears and eyes open!

Finally fell over clipped in – with one foot. Was going to happen sometime….

Well done Wes. Hope the bike shop works out for you. I still fall off my bike strapped in. Still makes me laugh like a drain. I’ve finally got my globe frame on the road with a pair of suspension forks off a dumped Trek mtb. Had to put a side pull brake through the hole in the fork brace cos the canti bosses were too low for 700s. Still a work in progress.Can’t seem to get comfy on the bars no matter which way I flip them. They are a set of ally risers that were on the Trek. Had to buy a really long seat post for it as its a smallish mixede aluminium frame, and nothing I had lying around would fit. Chain tension is another issue with vert dropouts. Will shoot it and post for the usual advice or derision soon.

anyone been watching the Tour de’ France lately? Lance Armstrong is GONE! he’s crashing like nothing.

What an amazing day on the tour. Those 4 climbs were a wonder to see and the work done by Contador and Schleck to catch the runaway group was something else. This is far and away my favorite stretch of the Tour, no matter how much fun the sprints are.

yikes!!hope you get good pain killers anyway.

Wow – that made me cringe. It’s awesome that you have a separate thread discussing a build and positions for riding with casts! Big up Wes!!
–
Separately, has your injury meant that you could watch more of the Tour? It can be a nice consolation prize of summer injuries. Today was a really exciting day. Climbs and sprints and groups and chases. Great stuff with lots of drama & lead changes. Really ripping day. I thought Contador had actually caught Rodroguez and Schleck by surprise with his charge and I thought it was going to not only give him the stage (which was one of the best so far, I thought) but could even make the overall situation really interesting with Schleck. I generally check out Eurosport for my coverage when I can’t watch – http://www.eurosport.com or through a free iPhone app. Who do other people check out? Who’s got sweet coverage or worthwhile analysts? Get well soon dude

I feel your pain,lost a thumb nail when I was 6,stuck it in a spinning back wheel,the worst part was forgeting about it when i had a bath,hot water on raw nerves yyaauuwww.side topic,I don’t really watch the tour cos ain’t into pro roadie stuff but got to watch 2007 tour as I was home with only my 2yr old boy on holiday while rest of family were away,we camped out on the sofa bed for the entire tour and loved it

HOLY SHIT! I’m glad your finger didn’t get chopped off. Sorry to hear about yours Ryan. Hope you heal up fast.

CS owns a chromed Vitus I believe, nice bike he linked to it on a message board.

Check out Chain reaction cycles. That’s where I got my Vitus ally forks from. They have a bit of blurb on there about Vitus being used on the Tour. MJ thinks there is a link from there to the Vitus site too.

@fab co-sign w/ you on the climbs i really love the mountain stages seperates the men from the boys. been checking results on espn.com but haven’t been watching as much as past years (doping thing kinda made me lose intrest) plus i had some burn out after the cup, but i’m on it now (final 5 days) all futbol jerseys in wash cycling jerseys in rotation, been riding the roadbike for 3 days now, and most importantly found a tour friendy bar. as for lance all good things must come to an end i miss the glory days of usps but for all he’s been through he can still kick ass and did a bit since your post.

you’re welcome guys
http://www.fyxomatosis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:fyxomatosis-version-30&catid=55:bicycles&Itemid=93

That’s nasty Wes!! Hope you’re doing okay.
I saw this comic while searching for nishiki’s for inspiration, and thought you folks would like it. http://www.yehudamoon.com/images/strips/2008-03-29.gif

53MPH! i beat the speed limit: 50mph. working at the bike shop is smooth and fun but i’m also learning a lot. Wheelset Project: Campagnolo Vento wheelset. Josh (bike shop main mechanic) will lace the back wheel to a 32 hole hub (16 spokes). My new wheelset…

Just a general query to the masses-what are your opinions about the best budget, mid range and high end cranksets?

Hi wbizbot,

You might want to try posting that question on http://www.pedaljunction.com as well (see my previous post).

Cheers,

My Fixed Gear Team

re cranks – I like the Paul cranks. they are in that mid-high end but not crazy. The Paul stuff feels nearly custom made sometimes.
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btw guys – is this little logo on the top new (the little biker with the thought balloon)? New or am I nuts.

I like it Wes – big up. H0w do you add a profile pict?

Yo CS – thanks for the help bud. I am slightly confused though. The username FabFive was already used so I had to pick FabFiveFede which is fine. When I then posted here with my usual FabFive with the email that i registered, no avatar. Should I now start posting with a username identical to what I picked at Gravatar? And was the result instant? Sorry I can be rather thick about these things.

Oh – and – once it gets approved from moderation – there will be a question here that I got answered so don’t worry about it.

Thanks dudes. It is 2010 after all.

Gravatar Thanks now to choose a pic.

@WSB – On my picture – that was actually the last picture I took on a dive in Sudan in the Red Sea of schooling hammerheads. I then managed to basically have my right arm torn off as I was flung overboard during a storm tethered to 5 steel scuba tanks. I was lost at see, AT NIGHT, knowing that all those sharks were beneath me for 2.5 hours before being rescued and brought to the war hospital of Port Sudan. Long long long recovery story ensues from there… I keep it up there to remember just how lucky I was. It’s an amazing picture too…

Yeah the voting system is weird. You can vote more than once at different times and also different computers.

Crazy story. Was this a recreational or professional outing?

Because I love food and it’s happy food. I have Jewish blood but I don’t go to Temple.

It was purely pleasure. One day I will upload some of the picts that I took – never ending schools of hammerheads, tiger sharks, oceanic white-tips, mantas, lovely corals…as Sudan is a war torn country, no one is diving these reefs and as a result, its probably what Egypt was when diving first happened (now the largest fish you are going to see in Egypt, especially off of Sharm, is a fat German…
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Since the accident though, I have only been diving once – in Mozambique two years ago this January. And I was decidedly spooked from my accident and just didn’t feel right. And for good reason – after my operation to completely rebuild my shoulder – I was on ordered bed rest for *1 year* as a result of concern re: vascular pressure and my rebuilt artery. You would not believe how hard that was.

I would be shitting bricks if it were me in the water,altho I have an amazing ability to just sink so i wouldnt be very good at serviving which is strange as I am an aquarius and love smashing into and getting smashed by waves,yer im a freak I guess

Guys and gals – today I had the pleasure of going to the NY Design and Arts museum to check the exhibit -Bespoke: The Art of the Handmade Bicycle: on show were bikes from Sacha White – Vanilla Bikesbin Portland, Mike Flanagan from Ant, Jeff Jones doing amazing Mountain Bikes, Richard Sachs and Dario Pegoretti. The link has all the bikes – for my money the Vanilla and Speedvagen by Vanilla track bikes were insane, as were his two bikes for his daughter including a trike with Phil Wood hubs and other amazing touches, and her new vehicle which resembles a WWII BMW motor bike; then the Dario Pegoretti road bikes were works of art; and two Richard Sachs fixies were stunning:highly recommended. REALLY – the regulars here will be receiving a take home exam in the mail!!!
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http://collections.madmuseum.org/code/emuseum.asp?emu_action=advsearch&rawsearch=exhibitionid/,/is/,/516/,/true/,/false&profile=exhibitions

YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
Ha, that has to be the most expensive tricycle I’ve ever seen
I Like the ant bikes a lot. I hadn’t really heard much about them until the whole bsnyc/ant bad joke debacle earlier this year (or was it late last year). Whenever that was going on I went and looked at the ant site. I’m really into his philosophy and his bikes are def rad.
Good link, thanks for the share Fab.

Now THAT’s a tricycle. I’ve been dying to do a fixed gear trike!! But there’d be so much frame altering involved though to lower the center of gravity and probably widen the rear to reduce the risk of rollover. Imagine skidding that!!

Some really nice bikes at the Museum Fab. I like the child’s utility with the saddle at the same height as the rear wheel. Something fishy going on lately with the downward voting. Some oldies are resurfacing. Interesting anyway.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PORTLAND, OR. I need to trade my Armadillos (brick color) for a pair of used black tires. My rear tire has medium wear but there’s plenty of tread and rubber left, front tire is 90% (ie put the front on back and it’s basically new). i need black tires to complete the Tank (for now) but have ZERO dollars as a budget.

so the girl can’t stop herself-and thats a problem?I crack myself up sometimesLOL

@punch yeah it was def scary she told me this as we were approaching an intersection. we live in nyc and i am truly afraid to let her ride on her own.

Guys – as a quick disclaimer before I proceed – #1 I will not make an markup of this *score*; and #2 as a result of 1 – No bullshit will bet tolerated as I can’t be bothered to try to be a nice guy and then have aggravation:
–
SO for my birthday present (last monday) a bit of misfortune for a good family friend (has been a stroke of luck for me – and I hoping for a few of you). My uncle’s best mate in Milano has decided after nearly 25 years to close down his bike shop and liquidate inventory. So my uncle asked me what I needed and I naturally said ANYTHING. SO I am getting a 2x shipments in coming weeks of some vintage Campy parts at absurd discounts (taking 10-20% of COST not even retail price). I have gotten shipment 1 and have realized that I am going to be in “lovely” parts paradise. However since greed turns into the grinch I am hoping to help our a person or two here. Especially if the know what they are getting and they are going to use the parts.
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SO I am going to use what I can but I would love – my mates – to get some “love” from all this as well. So of interested – drop me and e-mail and I will do the best I can one I have both packages in hand:
– drop me an e-mail like as I am looking to have some extra parts
-various seat posts (4x) (27.2, 25.0, 26.8mm) – Super Record, 1 Chorus and 1 Athena so far. WICKED polished. This order was all 27.2s but he suggested that there are more on the way
-a couple (2x) Record headsets (1″ threaded – didn’t have any unthreaded, doh) Expecting more.
-a set Record Delta brakes (those are MINE – hopefully there will be another set in order 2 (I asked for as many as he had – since they were last built in 1993-4. It’s THE most beautiful brake set I have ever seen: Check it -http://www.flickr.com/photos/72602548@N00/558147240
-a set of the Campagnolo Pista wheels (expecting at least 1 maybe 2 other sets) Jenson sells them – but to give an idea Jenson is selling new at $1000+. From Marco – the packing lip shows that he sold at Euro 150-200.
-and more – pedals (this next one doesn’t apply to us) but Record shifters and derailleurs, lovely brake leers for racing drop bars, etc.
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Only rule of the competition is that I get to choose where they go and please don’t get offended if things run out different. fedecrib@gmail.com . Oh and for the record – AGAIN I am not out to make a PENNY here so I will not tolerate any crap or accusations. The prices any of these will go at makes it impossible to think its a scam. Anyway from me a line in the next week or two and we’ll see what is left.
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ALSO – NO PROMISES. I am trying to spread some of the little good that came out of one Milano’s oldest bike shops closing. If that only benefits one person such is life. Just please don’t get me if it doesn’t work out for you.

Definitely sloman.

awesome to here you enjoyed it so munch, sorry about the poison ivy(the face, sounds rough). also i’m always looking for new music any suggestions? btw i listen to literally everything so it doesn’t have to be any particular genre.

anyone know of a bike maker in London in the 50s(maybe early 60s)that started with W—,London,England?Very rusty frame here only W on head.VERY heavy,no way to tell brakes,looks maybe a SA shifter on top tube(?)cable wheel by seat post.AF,any ideas?

@cs i like that song. cee-lo green is a soul machine

came across this from the 60′s lookslike a track bike and i don’t see brakes?

http://hypebeast.com/blog/kinfolk/2010/08/diggin-in-the-crates/

Cool Sup. Super Jedi powers that hopefully never expire or an emergency brake for the best of both.. Then again…I think in an environment like NYC it’s just a matter of time until impact no matter what.

the front wheel “hand” brake seemed a bit dubious to me too. well you could stop at least twice using that method.

@CS I would say its where you ride as you say,in the centrol city I would ride my SS and would beat a geared bike all the time but in the burbs I would get hammered by a geared unless they were amatuer/recreational riders,I settle for middle of the road setting,I chose 3 cogs(14,16,18/w42) to suit downhill/fast,flatland and uphill riding and use a shaved shortcage deraileur,this was an experiment after riding 16/42 for awhile and would say in raining/windy winter is working better,alltho riding in winter is fine for me I tend to wana get to work quicker than on an ss until summer anyway,so I ride geared for the worst weather,it just gets me there quicker,like overdrive for a ss,hay at least 3 cogs is closer to 1 than 14

http://spf.fotolog.com/photo/63/43/55/pikaisimo7/1244154275773_f.jpg

@Ryan, That sounds like a pretty decent set up. I wish our city was more densely packed (more for other socio-economic reasons than cycling). Even where I live in south city there is a decent amount of sprawl. It’s not nearly as bad as it is in the county suburbs, but its still there. We had a dingle speed salsa in the shop for a while that had a large and small chainring (I can’t remember what sizes) and that was pretty nice and versatile. I don’t mind the 14. I’d much rather my main road bike be geared for more than just city commuting. I love single speeds and fixed geared bikes, but personally I find more challenge in riding (and working on) a multi gear bike. Not saying that there isn’t challenge or skill involved in single speeds, it’s definitely an art, I just think there are more areas to master with a multi geared bike. It’s a different type of skill.

@ng, I hadn’t seen the pic in the second link before. That’s HILARIOUS.

well done fucktards for rating this pos in the top 10.

@bill – it doesn’t look top ten to me. I agree it shouldn’t get a high rating. The whole point is just to have a makeshift forum. It would prob be a good idea for everyone to vote it down. It will still show up on most commented so it doesn’t matter what its rated.

@ng that shit is hilarious

@CS-its my bike but the wife wont let me sell it,Im 6’2″,all I know is it was built by a frame builder who went on to or worked for Avanti bikes,made of butted tubeing,nice and light,bloody nice and smooth to ride,very responsive

I know we all are tolerant of all things but how can skeets bike be voted so high?,I understand the laugh and kick out of posting it but please IMO it should have stayed out of voting,the log was more real than this

yes, it was.

ahh gee,Wes,sorry to hear that,or is that a good thing?what bike is it for?Campy hub or rim or both?

voting is good.voting for the wrong reason(not the wrong side)is bad.motive is prime.

yet something else for me to droll over

http://hypebeast.com/2010/08/kinfolk-for-wallpaper-magazine-brooks-saddle/

@sup – nice. Is that design carved in or painted on?

Hey im trying to Trade my Thomson Seatpost and Stem… I have a Thomson Elite Setback Seatpost in black (31.6 i think) and a Thomson X2 90mm Stem.

Id like a straight seatpost and a shorter stem. Let me know…

kevine17@hotmail.com

put the drops on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50681249@N06/4949877212/

just cap the ends then so you don’t add extra holes to your bod.some wrap is better then none if thats where you use it,cool.enjoy

Hey sup- so I just went through my collection to find some more obscure recommendations – mostly non-hip hop:
- Latin Playboys – Latin Playboys, Dose – the alternate project of David Hildago w/ Mitchell Froom and Chad Blake. Two alternative Latin projects. Insane. I interned on Dose
- Slint – anything they did. The core of the Louisville – Chicago alternative connection of the early 90s. The EP is probably my fav
- the Beastie Boyz – was listening to Ill Communication on a ride today and it blew me away
Much love Fab5Fede

the beasties are awesome,listen to them all the time,sure shot and root down I play the most

Paul’s Boutique…probably my favorite Beastie Boys album. I grew up with this stuff. License to Ill is classic and Check Your Head(which to my understanding was put out when they were “getting clean”) with more guitar and instrumental tracks is also awesome………..who am I kidding they’re all really good.

loke couldn’t decide if i love or like it

Skeeters at 6.66.quick,please vote him down.the world as we know it is at stake!

just had a 7.4 earthquake in Christchurch here in NZ luckly it was at the other end of the country,still a bad one for us but no deaths reported yet

@sloman,yer I sussed that out I mean within this site tho,like on the nz mtb site Vorb you can click on a members avatar and it will bring up the posts he/she has started so you have a better idea of who posted what and when including pics and replies but a bit more indepth,like a profile page

just wait. Admin probably didn’t update in a while?

Lovely lovely lovely. And I don’t like Felts in general. That one is a beauty. Thanks for the advice re the post. Will do but I am skeptical – at least 25 new bikes have posted since the first attempt. We’ll see…

Oh boy – I tried 3 times in total over the week – same name but one less picture each time (in case size was an issue). I *really* hope they don’t all post… I will send them an email. Sorry in advance boyz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVELTxKRoHA

I want it….maybe
http://www.fixkin.it/joomla/montaggio-lock.html

I would guess we’ll be seeing Luft again – we are way too interesting for him to leave for good It is admittedly nice to have someone who is willing to cause rather constant drama. And I did appreciate that he was trying to be a little less salty. But there were moments when I wanted to clock him – the one that stands out the most was his diatribe against poor Amy over the Bob Jackson build. http://www.myfixedgear.net/bob-jackson – None of us are perfect and we all have our moments (mine are rather frequent…). As such, he was a member of our little community and I would be sorry to see him leave.

Haha!! Thanks Fab… Amy’s my wife. I remember when Luft went off about her comment on Bob Jackson and suggested that her bike was a piece of shit. The funny thing was that he had already said something positive about her bike…and that as you know is/was rare. I admit when I first found this site Luft got on my nerves big time. It took a while but eventually he grew on me. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the “fights” here sometimes…but it does keep things entertaining. All in all I think we have a pretty well rounded, fun crew. Luft…where are you? Are you working on the Nishiki?

@ryan – that lock video is pretty interesting. I’d be interested to see the inside of the hub’s cups look like after the drilling. It doesn’t seem like you’d have all that much room to drill in before you break through the cup and you’re exposing the bearings and grease, though when he took the lock back off it didn’t look like he punched a whole completely through. I’d just be worried about the bearings rolling smoothly against the inside of the cup if there are weak or exposed points on the inside. I wonder how much room he has where he can screw the lock down into the threads and cup and how much it would hold up under the stress of riding fixed. it’s a really interesting idea though. I’d like to see more on it. Also I guess a lot of the wheels that you’d do this to would be pretty old and if they fail who cares. Most of our wheels that take freewheel cassettes we sell for 10 or 20 bucks so if it fails who cares. The part I’d worry about is it failing while riding. Cool vid. Also yes I want that frame too! That rear triangle is freaking AMAZING!!!
I could deal with luftsmensh except for the drastic hypocrisy. If you’re going to be hard nosed about stuff that’s fine, I know I sure am sometimes, but don’t be a hard nose jerk and the flip flop on yourself (the amy/bob jackson comment along with a couple of other choice comments is what really set me off about him too). I have a hard time reading stuff like that and not saying something about it.

sounds like a good bunch of guys
http://www.stijncycles.com/
@CS-I would hope the bolts that lock it into place would be aircraft or super grade,I dont think you would drill too far in and I would be measureing the lengh of bolt pertrution(shit thats a big word for me,did I spell that right?)so I know to put a mark on the drill bit for the right depth,self tapping screws?I also was thinking that after long term use would it start stressing and stretching the holes that were drilled?(prolly a lot of torque?,at the end of the day if the price is right it would be a good poor mans fixie,at least if you try fixed and dont like it you havent blown $$$ on a proper setup?