Fixing an old bike

I remember when I took my track bike on the road - going great as I
headed up to the roundabout - no brakes, fixed wheel - bloody thing
accelarated, then I saw the car. Super tight sphincter!

How is the cornering clearance?

Alan

Suzy Jackson wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>Well 'tis done. My new Suzue track hubs arrived, so I laced the back one to
>an Open Pro rim and bunged the 19 tooth sprocket Sheldon had sent on it.
>
>Next I took an old Campy Athena crankset, took off the rings, and plonked a
>49 tooth TA ring (which I often use on my race bike) on the inside position,
>with shorty bolts (again thanks to Sheldon).
>
>Finally I pulled all those awful unnecessary derailleurs and shifters off my
>old roadie, bunged the new back wheel in, stuck a chain on, fiddled for a
>few minutes with chain tension, and went and had a play in the street.
>
>It's certainly different to ride. I've already lost count of the number of
>times I've unconsciously tried to coast, only to be reminded quite
>forcefully that it's fixed. Going down hills is a challenge - though I've
>not worked up the courage yet to wear cycling shoes (just joggers on the
>back of the pedals).
>
>Next challenge is to ride to work
>
>Cheers,
>
>Suzy
>
>
>
>

"Alan J Bishop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I remember when I took my track bike on the road - going great as I
> headed up to the roundabout - no brakes, fixed wheel - bloody thing
> accelarated, then I saw the car. Super tight sphincter!
>
> How is the cornering clearance?

Not too bad. I use 170mm cranks. FWIW, it still has a pair of brakes.

Regards,

Suzy

"Alan J Bishop" wrote
> I remember when I took my track bike on the road - going great as I
> headed up to the roundabout - no brakes, fixed wheel - bloody thing
> accelarated, then I saw the car. Super tight sphincter!

Two of my brothers rode track bikes on the road all the time. Their
technique was, to slow down back up on the pedals, to stop quickly
pull the back wheel off the ground momentarily, stop the pedals and
slide to a halt with the back wheel locked up. Lots of kids with fixed
wheel bikes did that. I never mastered it myself. I had the luxury of
a freewheel, and a rear only brake. My freewheel was the envy of my
street (until some rich kid got a Sturmey Archer three speed hub).

Theo
Lived in a country town with 6000 people, and a velodrome.

"Suzy Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:nEccb.120579$bo1.14266@news-
> Finally I pulled all those awful unnecessary derailleurs and shifters off
my
> old roadie, bunged the new back wheel in, stuck a chain on, fiddled for a
> few minutes with chain tension, and went and had a play in the street.

Bikes look really sweet without all that clutter, don't you think?

> It's certainly different to ride. I've already lost count of the number
of
> times I've unconsciously tried to coast, only to be reminded quite
> forcefully that it's fixed. Going down hills is a challenge - though I've
> not worked up the courage yet to wear cycling shoes (just joggers on the
> back of the pedals).

Any idea of your maximum cadence? I've never had a cadence computer
that worked (Vetta C-20 cadence never worked from new!). I've only
ridden briefly on the 'drome so hills are still foreign to me.. but I don't
have dem brake fings...

> Next challenge is to ride to work

I'd love to do that, but no brakes means no commute.
Although, I think I'm almost stupid enough to try it.. "almost".

How far away is your nearest velodrome?
Are you using a track chain?

hippy

Theo Bekkers wrote:

>"Alan J Bishop" wrote
>
>
>>I remember when I took my track bike on the road - going great as I
>>headed up to the roundabout - no brakes, fixed wheel - bloody thing
>>accelarated, then I saw the car. Super tight sphincter!
>>
>>
>
>Two of my brothers rode track bikes on the road all the time. Their
>technique was, to slow down back up on the pedals, to stop quickly
>pull the back wheel off the ground momentarily, stop the pedals and
>slide to a halt with the back wheel locked up. Lots of kids with fixed
>wheel bikes did that. I never mastered it myself. I had the luxury of
>a freewheel, and a rear only brake. My freewheel was the envy of my
>street (until some rich kid got a Sturmey Archer three speed hub).
>
>Theo
>Lived in a country town with 6000 people, and a velodrome.
>
>
>
>
Could be any number of places in Victoria or Tasmania....

Quoth Suzy Jackson:

> It's certainly different to ride. I've already lost count of the number of
> times I've unconsciously tried to coast, only to be reminded quite
> forcefully that it's fixed. Going down hills is a challenge - though I've
> not worked up the courage yet to wear cycling shoes (just joggers on the
> back of the pedals).

Not a good idea, in my opinion.

I consider riding fixed without some positive pedal connection (either
step-in or clip/straps) to be an _advanced_ fixed gear skill, definitely
not recommended for someone new to the cult.

Sheldon "SPD" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| I still feel that variable gears are only for people over |
| forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength |
| of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? |
| We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear! |
| --Henri Desgrange, _L'Equipe_ article of 1902 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

"hippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Bikes look really sweet without all that clutter, don't you think?

They sure do. It's tempting to lose the rear brake, too, except that I like
to ride the hoods, so having only one brake lever would be odd. It's turned
my old clunker into something really lovely.

> Any idea of your maximum cadence? I've never had a cadence computer
> that worked (Vetta C-20 cadence never worked from new!). I've only
> ridden briefly on the 'drome so hills are still foreign to me.. but I
don't
> have dem brake fings...

Maybe 160rpm? I have no speedo or anything on this bike - it's sort of
minimalist. Dem brake fings are a good look though. I'd be a bit worried
trying to stop quickly with just my legs, and it does make it a lot easier
going down steepish hills, knowing that you can lose speed easily.

> I'd love to do that, but no brakes means no commute.
> Although, I think I'm almost stupid enough to try it.. "almost".

We need to start a "road fork for hippy" fund.

> How far away is your nearest velodrome?
> Are you using a track chain?

Tempe, I think. About 20-25km. I have no car, so would have to ride over
there. I imagine I could set up a pair of bars with just one brake lever,
and only partially taped, so I could ride over with the brake, then take it
off when I get there. I'm just using an old (but unworn) Sedis 8 speed
chain, complete with powerlink thingy. That seems to work quite nicely.
The chainline worked out really well without fiddling - just the track hub
straight to the inner chainwheel position of a road double.

Incidentally, my presumed 126mm frame actually wasn't. When I pulled the
old back wheel out (126mm seven speed) it sprang back to about 122mm.

Regards,

Suzy

"Sheldon Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I consider riding fixed without some positive pedal connection (either
> step-in or clip/straps) to be an _advanced_ fixed gear skill, definitely
> not recommended for someone new to the cult.

I shall amend my ways and use my cycling shoes, tho I'm afraid this is an
SPD free household, so I'll just have to use my Looks.

Regards,

Suzy

"Alan J Bishop" wrote
> Theo Bekkers wrote:

> >Lived in a country town with 6000 people, and a velodrome.

> Could be any number of places in Victoria or Tasmania....

Northam, WA.

Theo

Suzy Jackson wrote:
> I shall amend my ways and use my cycling shoes, tho I'm afraid this is an
> SPD free household, so I'll just have to use my Looks.
>
> Regards,
>
> Suzy

I'm glad I don't have to rely on my Looks.

&roo

: > SPD free household, so I'll just have to use my Looks.
: >
: > Regards,
: >
: > Suzy
:
: I'm glad I don't have to rely on my Looks.
:

Boom-tish.

Suzy Jackson <[email protected]> wrote:
: Hi all,


: It's certainly different to ride. I've already lost count of the number of
: times I've unconsciously tried to coast, only to be reminded quite
: forcefully that it's fixed. Going down hills is a challenge - though I've
: not worked up the courage yet to wear cycling shoes (just joggers on the
: back of the pedals).

Congrats on the fixie. It certainly is a different ride and I'm still getting
used to mine. After the first 25k ride I was completely trashed. That was a
few months ago. Now I put in similar times on it to my multi-geared bike.

There's some kind of purity in riding a fixie - it takes a different approach to
getting down the road. There's more committment if anything and once you get
in the zone, spinning along can be psychologically freer than other types of
riding. You don't have to worry about selecting the right gear for the
situation - make the most of what you have - and you know you have to keep
pedalling no matter what else is happening.

Swapping between the two modes means the fixie often reminds me I have
no choice about pedalling. On the last ride I hesitated for a split second
in contemplation of jumping a significant dip in the road. I got a belting
from the cranks and rode throught the dip anyway. If anyone knows how to
bunnyhop a fixie then I'm all ears.

I use Look pedals on mine so I can wear the same shoes on my other roadie.
I've not had any sort of problem and anyway, I'd rather have the security
of clipping in and I can take advantage of circular pedalling too.

Getting down hills can be exciting and yes, I avoid developing dramas by
have both front and back brakes. I've heard tales of people quickly getting
out of control - even with brakes - because they couldn't keep their cadence
up.

I'm using about 76 gear inches (14 x 40) which seems a good compromise at
the moment. I also have 165mm cranks and have no cornering issues either.
The next 'upgrade' may be to 42 chainring (Biopace!) and 170mm cranks.

My max at this time is about 45kph with around 125rpm cadence - that's
pretty modest compared to track riders, but I'll keep plugging away at
lifting it. When I can spin to do 65kph I'll be able to stay with most people
on local rides. Mind you, it will probably take a cadence of about 180 or
something - imagine what that will look like!

Keep sharing your experience.

Cheerz,
Lynzz

"Lindsay Rowlands" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Congrats on the fixie. It certainly is a different ride and I'm still
getting
> used to mine. After the first 25k ride I was completely trashed. That was
a
> few months ago. Now I put in similar times on it to my multi-geared bike.

Thanks. I rode it to work and back today, and had an absolute blast. It's
turned an old bike that I only rarely rode into something totally fun. It's
_so_ quiet, and smooth. The feeling is kinda hard to explain. You just
pedal, and go.

The tricky bits were riding down Mowbray Road - perhaps a 3% grade. At
first I tried to "keep up" with the bike, and got up to a ridiculously high
cadence. When fear kicked in, and I tried to slow down, my pedalling motion
(which was actually pretty smooth while I was pushing the pedals) went all
to hell, and I started bobbing on the seat like an idiot. A quick dab of
the brakes slowed me back down to a rate where the neurons could keep up
with the pedals, and I was fine. On subsequent hills, I simply didn't let
the cadence get up to the silly ranges in the first place, and found it was
much smoother.

On the way home, there's a nasty bit where you have to let yourself through
a gate, then go up a short very steep bit. Usually I do that in one of my
lower gears. Today I had no choice but to give a mighty heave and clip in
with my other foot _instantly_. Perhaps in future some sort of track stand
while I clip in might be a good look.

The steep bits coming home weren't terribly hard - I just got out of the
saddle and pushed hard.

What a hoot!

Regards,

Suzy

Lindsay Rowlands wrote:
<snip>
> On the last ride I hesitated for a split second
> in contemplation of jumping a significant dip in the road. I got a belting
> from the cranks
<snip>
> Cheerz,
> Lynzz

Could you please explain to those of us who have never ridden a fixie
what getting "belted by your cranks" is? Doesn't sound like fun...

&roo

P.S. Are you the Lindsay who rode a single-speed at the Waratahs for a
while, before getting a "gearie"?

Andrew Swan <[email protected]> wrote:
: Lindsay Rowlands wrote:
: <snip>
:> On the last ride I hesitated for a split second
:> in contemplation of jumping a significant dip in the road. I got a belting
:> from the cranks
: <snip>
:> Cheerz,
:> Lynzz

: Could you please explain to those of us who have never ridden a fixie
: what getting "belted by your cranks" is? Doesn't sound like fun...

It's no big deal to resist the rotation of the cranks, but it's something
else to try to just stop pedalling entirely - as you do on a freewheeling
bike. The cranks/pedals violently throw your feet/legs around the circle
they are compelled to move. I trust that gives you the general idea.


: P.S. Are you the Lindsay who rode a single-speed at the Waratahs for a
: while, before getting a "gearie"?

Sorry, that's not I. I'm Lindsay of Armidale, NSW.

Cheerz,
Lynzz

Lindsay Rowlands <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> It's no big deal to resist the rotation of the cranks, but it's
> something else to try to just stop pedalling entirely - as you do on a
> freewheeling bike. The cranks/pedals violently throw your feet/legs
> around the circle they are compelled to move. I trust that gives you
> the general idea.

And if you get it *really* wrong, it hurts. Lots.

In the UK, it used to be pretty common to ride fixed during the winter, so
the salt on the roads didn't eat your expensive aluminium transmission
components. This was in the days of horizontal dropouts - going fixed on a
modern road bike would be a bit of a pain, I imagine.

I'd just switched from geared to fixed for the winter and was riding home
from the bike shop where I worked. It was raining slightly, so the roads
were wet. Approaching a red light, I forgot I didn't have a freewheel,
attempted to coast to a halt while standing with the pedals horizontal and
was just *spat* off the bike - or not quite as I was well strapped in. I
went sliding down the road on my **** in a deeply undignified manner.

Fortunately I managed not to damage more than my pride and acquire some new
bruises and a couple of days walking stiffly.

John

"Suzy Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We need to start a "road fork for hippy" fund.

The Raleigh fork that I have here is about an 1" to 1.5" longer
than the track fork. It has almost the same bend shape but
extends that extra bit. The steerer might looks a bit longer
too.

> Tempe, I think. About 20-25km. I have no car, so would have to ride over

I would like to have no car too.. but I still use it sometimes.. 600k's to
see
my folks is not something I'm up to riding just yet and I don't have the
time
to spend 9hrs+ on a bus getting there. So it sits in the garage costing me
much more than I would like. It does get occasional bike transport duties
though. Blackburn's track is about 16k from me (20min by car I think).

> there. I imagine I could set up a pair of bars with just one brake lever,
> and only partially taped, so I could ride over with the brake, then take
it
> off when I get there.

What about rigging up some kind of quick release clamp?
I don't know how levers mount but I guess you could use
pipe clamp or similar and clamp it over the bar tape.
Loosen it to slide brake lever off...?

Do velodrome rules require no calipers, no levers or no brake
components at all?

I'll have to contemplate the same thing if I make mine
a road/track bike...

hippy

"hippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Raleigh fork that I have here is about an 1" to 1.5" longer
> than the track fork. It has almost the same bend shape but
> extends that extra bit. The steerer might looks a bit longer
> too.

Sounds like it'll be perfect for taming the crazy head tube angles that
track bikes seem to have.

> I would like to have no car too.. but I still use it sometimes.. 600k's to
> see
> my folks is not something I'm up to riding just yet and I don't have the
> time
> to spend 9hrs+ on a bus getting there. So it sits in the garage costing me
> much more than I would like. It does get occasional bike transport duties
> though. Blackburn's track is about 16k from me (20min by car I think).

My parents are about four hours drive away. Doesn't make much difference
whether they're in the next suburb or the next state, I still don't really
see them. It's better that way.

> Do velodrome rules require no calipers, no levers or no brake
> components at all?

Dunno. I've not done track, except going to Dunc Gray to watch the Oceania
Champs, and they all had very shiny bikes. I figure like anything, as long
as there are plenty of others in the same boat, nobody will bat an eyelid.

Regards,

Suzy

"Lindsay Rowlands" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> from the cranks and rode throught the dip anyway. If anyone knows how
to
> bunnyhop a fixie then I'm all ears.

From http://www.63xc.com/mikeb/mikeb.htm
<quote>
You're cruising along, up ahead you see an obstacle and you want to hop
the
bike. Don't! Go around it if you can, or better yet keep pedaling--like
you've
got a choice--and raise yourself off the seat. This works for a lot of
situations,
especially if you took my advice and put some good sized tires on the
bike.
You can still hop, of course. It takes practice and you have to get in
the habit
of keeping those feet moving. Over time, you will start to take on the
obstacles
by hopping over them, but I'm certainly not the one to ask.
For something like that, you need to ask someone who's Goode. Meanwhile,
enjoy your new fix, and let's be careful out there!
<end-quote>

> I'm using about 76 gear inches (14 x 40) which seems a good compromise
at
> the moment. I also have 165mm cranks and have no cornering issues
either.
> The next 'upgrade' may be to 42 chainring (Biopace!) and 170mm cranks.

Why Biopace? Is that what you've got lying around?
Also, why the longer cranks? I thought 165mm was the standard for a
reason - i.e. you really _don't_ want to hit a pedal into the ground
going around a corner...?

> My max at this time is about 45kph with around 125rpm cadence - that's

I would like a cadence sensor, just for an idea. I'm no good at counting
and looking at a watch at 3.5million RPM (at least, that's what it feels
like!)

hippy