Another fixie

[adam85]

I bought a track bike last week. Steel frame origin unknown, velocity aerohead clinchers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23699506@N00/112184793/

Have to rig up some sort of brake for the front for road rides, maybe a bmx style lever for the tops and a road caliper, something I can take off quickly for track use. I've only done one short session on a track bike before on a velodrome so it's liking learning to ride again for me! Good fun though

Adam

 

[Tamyka Bell]

adam85 wrote:
>
> I bought a track bike last week. Steel frame origin unknown, velocity
> aerohead clinchers.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/23699506@N00/112184793/
>
> Have to rig up some sort of brake for the front for road rides, maybe a
> bmx style lever for the tops and a road caliper, something I can take
> off quickly for track use. I've only done one short session on a track
> bike before on a velodrome so it's liking learning to ride again for
> me! Good fun though

Awesome dude, when do we get to see it?

Wait, aren't you about my size? Woohoo!

Will you train at Chandler?

I loved the feel of the fixie, I loved slowing down with my legs. I'm
scared of heights too, so got a huge rush from being up high on the
velodrome. (The velodrome also looks cool from up in a plane, I noted on
Sunday arvo.)

Tam

 

[TimC]

On 2006-03-14, adam85 (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> I bought a track bike last week. Steel frame origin unknown, velocity
> aerohead clinchers.

Gah! Send some of them down here, already!

--
TimC
An engineer is someone who does list processing in FORTRAN.

 

[adam85]

Awesome dude, when do we get to see it?

Wait, aren't you about my size? Woohoo!

Will you train at Chandler?

I loved the feel of the fixie, I loved slowing down with my legs. I'm
scared of heights too, so got a huge rush from being up high on the
velodrome. (The velodrome also looks cool from up in a plane, I noted on
Sunday arvo.)

It's about 54cm square (TT/ST), and I have a adaptor for it so I can swap stems/bars easily so it will probably fit you if you want to borrow it.

Yeah hopefully do a bit of track stuff at Chandler or Caboolture and enter a few races but it's end of track season i think now.

Adam

 

[NoZX6R]

adam85 wrote:
> I bought a track bike last week. Steel frame origin unknown, velocity
> aerohead clinchers.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/23699506@N00/112184793/
>
> Have to rig up some sort of brake for the front for road rides, maybe a
> bmx style lever for the tops and a road caliper, something I can take
> off quickly for track use. I've only done one short session on a track
> bike before on a velodrome so it's liking learning to ride again for
> me! Good fun though
>
> Adam
>
>

Nice. There's a slight problem with the rear wheel - the tyre label
should be opposite the valve stem

For the brake, the best option is probably a CX lever. A BMX lever will
do the same job, but the CX lever will most likely be smaller, and a
better position relative to the bar and more aesthetically pleasing.

--
Nick

 

[Andrew]

> For the brake, the best option is probably a CX lever. A BMX lever will
> do the same job, but the CX lever will most likely be smaller, and a
> better position relative to the bar and more aesthetically pleasing.

I agree, I have a Tektro 'cross lever, and it's awesome. Also has a
hinged clamp, so it's really easy to take off.

How much did you pay for it? Got those backwards circles down pat yet?

Bring it along on Friday morning and increase the LA fixie count to 2
(perhaps 3 if PeterMc comes along)

Also, meet at the QUT side of the goodwill bridge at 6am on Saturday if
you're free and come for a ride with the rest of us. Destination
unknown as yet, possibly a southside jaunt.

Actually, just had a closer look at the pics, that's a pretty big gear,
how many inches? I find ~70 to be nice for Brisbane, 42/16 all the way.
If you don't have any other rings/cogs it'd be a monster to ride on the
streets.

AB

 

[adam85]

> For the brake, the best option is probably a CX lever. A BMX lever will
> do the same job, but the CX lever will most likely be smaller, and a
> better position relative to the bar and more aesthetically pleasing.

I agree, I have a Tektro 'cross lever, and it's awesome. Also has a
hinged clamp, so it's really easy to take off.

How much did you pay for it? Got those backwards circles down pat yet?

Bring it along on Friday morning and increase the LA fixie count to 2
(perhaps 3 if PeterMc comes along)

Also, meet at the QUT side of the goodwill bridge at 6am on Saturday if
you're free and come for a ride with the rest of us. Destination
unknown as yet, possibly a southside jaunt.

Actually, just had a closer look at the pics, that's a pretty big gear,
how many inches? I find ~70 to be nice for Brisbane, 42/16 all the way.
If you don't have any other rings/cogs it'd be a monster to ride on the
streets.

AB

I wouldn't take it on a group ride with roadies, for one I don't know how to ride it properly yet and two I don't reckon it's very safe mixing fixed and road bikes in a tight bunch. A fixie ride sounds ok sometime though. It came with a couple of cogs but it's got 50/15 on it at the moment, about 88 inches I think. Thanks for the tips about the brakes, I'll see what I can dig up.

Adam

 

[Andrew]

> I wouldn't take it on a group ride with roadies, for one I don't know
> how to ride it properly yet and two I don't reckon it's very safe

Don't stop pedalling, don't try to hop kerbs, that's about it!

> mixing fixed and road bikes in a tight bunch. A fixie ride sounds ok

I haven't had an issue, only problem may be coasters taking a tighter
line around a corner if you're on the inside.

We usually ride every 2 weeks from QUT/goodwill, email me if you want
to be added to the list.

> sometime though. It came with a couple of cogs but it's got 50/15 on it
> at the moment, about 88 inches I think. Thanks for the tips about the
> brakes, I'll see what I can dig up.

Yeah, that's pushing 90", not streetable, and I wouldn't hit the roads
without a front brake. Depending on the BCD you could get a 40t for
72", or an 18/19t for 75/71"

AB

 

[NoZX6R]

adam85 wrote:
> Andrew Wrote:
>
>>>For the brake, the best option is probably a CX lever. A BMX lever
>>
>>will
>>
>>>do the same job, but the CX lever will most likely be smaller, and a
>>>better position relative to the bar and more aesthetically pleasing.
>>
>>I agree, I have a Tektro 'cross lever, and it's awesome. Also has a
>>hinged clamp, so it's really easy to take off.
>>
>>How much did you pay for it? Got those backwards circles down pat yet?
>>
>>Bring it along on Friday morning and increase the LA fixie count to 2
>>(perhaps 3 if PeterMc comes along)
>>
>>Also, meet at the QUT side of the goodwill bridge at 6am on Saturday
>>if
>>you're free and come for a ride with the rest of us. Destination
>>unknown as yet, possibly a southside jaunt.
>>
>>Actually, just had a closer look at the pics, that's a pretty big
>>gear,
>>how many inches? I find ~70 to be nice for Brisbane, 42/16 all the
>>way.
>>If you don't have any other rings/cogs it'd be a monster to ride on
>>the
>>streets.
>>
>>AB
>
>
> I wouldn't take it on a group ride with roadies, for one I don't know
> how to ride it properly yet and two I don't reckon it's very safe
> mixing fixed and road bikes in a tight bunch. A fixie ride sounds ok
> sometime though. It came with a couple of cogs but it's got 50/15 on it
> at the moment, about 88 inches I think. Thanks for the tips about the
> brakes, I'll see what I can dig up.
>
> Adam
>
>

The problem I've found is that people riding freehubs slow down and
speed up a lot, so they tend to be unpredictable. Riding fixed usually
means that you make more gradual speed changes. It's ok if you know who
you're riding with and you have a brake within easy reach.

50/15 is a huge gear for the road, unless it's dead flat and never
windy. A good all purpose gear would probably be something around 70-74
inches, depending on your strength/fitness and the gradients.

--
Nick