Are Fixies and SS ruining nice old road frames?

[Bigbananabike]

I've seen some really nice, classic road frame made into 1 speed bikes.
I guess its ok as long as the owners don't cut the shifter bosses etc off or ruin a classic paint job/decals - but some do for the look.

What do you think? Is it blasphemy or ok?

Do you think these classics are likely to go back to being as they (should) be - covered in age appropriate derailleurs etc?

 

[Meek One]

I've seen some really nice, classic road frame made into 1 speed bikes.
I guess its ok as long as the owners don't cut the shifter bosses etc off or ruin a classic paint job/decals - but some do for the look.

What do you think? Is it blasphemy or ok?

Do you think these classics are likely to go back to being as they (should) be - covered in age appropriate derailleurs etc?

I think it is ok. The old beat up Raleigh (1972) I salvaged would most likely have never ever seen the light of day again if it weren't for me turning it into something I would ride (read fixie). I think it is pretty cool since most of these bikes were sitting in garages waiting for the dumpster and now they have been given a second lease on life...

 

[garage sale GT]

It sure is jacking up the prices of nice old bikes.

 

[Bigbananabike]

I think it is ok. The old beat up Raleigh (1972) I salvaged would most likely have never ever seen the light of day again if it weren't for me turning it into something I would ride (read fixie). I think it is pretty cool since most of these bikes were sitting in garages waiting for the dumpster and now they have been given a second lease on life...

I agree with you - if its just an old frame (like a homemarket model bike) that wouldn't be used or worse - thrown in the steel recycling bin....it might as well be a F/SS.
To a large degree anything that gets people on bikes = Good.

 

[kzenmce]

I agree with you - if its just an old frame (like a homemarket model bike) that wouldn't be used or worse - thrown in the steel recycling bin....it might as well be a F/SS.
To a large degree anything that gets people on bikes = Good.

i agree with the "anything that gets people on bike=good" part but i was pedal cabbing the fireworks event in my city the other night and i saw a ******* *****IN' old Bottechia converted to fixed and i was kinda annoyed. i talked to the guy and he said something to the extent of he couldn't ride a pedal cab because it has gears. it hurt to hear him say that cuz i was under the impression that, and apparently i'm wrong and that's ok, fixed gears were training for bikes with gears (mtb's, roadies, etc). i wanted to kinda gently slap the kid on the top of his head and say you're an idiot. lol. those are the kind of kids i see on them tho. i had an old trek 720 conversion and an old centurion le mans conversion but when i got accustomed to my track bike, i felt bad for the way i treated those things. not high end bikes but still, i guess its just respect for the bikes natural state? that's just me tho. i could see converting an old schwinn or something not worth much over $100 otherwise tho cuz yeah, every bike should be showed some love. i guess.

 

[fixedgear14]

well im new on the forum (and pretty much biking) and ive got an old puegoet (please pardon my most likely incorrect spelling) that was sitting in the shed with a blown out derailur (spelling, sorry) and some wretched tires and tubes, needed a new drivetrain. it wouldnt have ever gotten back on the road if i didnt make a SS fixed out of it... now i ride it everyday (till both tires blew out and the bottom bracket crapped out...) hey, im on a bike thats finally back on the road, whats wrong with that eh?

 

[kzenmce]

^ yeah i know what you mean. imo tho, peugot's are worthy of such a project but bottechia's, torelli's, etc. are not. things like peugot, centurion, schwinn, trek etc, are. that's just me tho.

 

[garage sale GT]

...till both tires blew out and the bottom bracket crapped out...

Veloorange.com has French thread cartridge bottom brackets: http://www.velo-orange.com/grcrufrthbob.html

 

[joblue]

718 Cyclery, Inc

 

[joblue]

i agree with the "anything that gets people on bike=good" part but i was pedal cabbing the fireworks event in my city the other night and i saw a ******* *****IN' old Bottechia converted to fixed and i was kinda annoyed. i talked to the guy and he said something to the extent of he couldn't ride a pedal cab because it has gears. it hurt to hear him say that cuz i was under the impression that, and apparently i'm wrong and that's ok, fixed gears were training for bikes with gears (mtb's, roadies, etc). i wanted to kinda gently slap the kid on the top of his head and say you're an idiot. lol. those are the kind of kids i see on them tho. i had an old trek 720 conversion and an old centurion le mans conversion but when i got accustomed to my track bike, i felt bad for the way i treated those things. not high end bikes but still, i guess its just respect for the bikes natural state? that's just me tho. i could see converting an old schwinn or something not worth much over $100 otherwise tho cuz yeah, every bike should be showed some love. i guess.

Here's my 1968 Bottecchia
718 Cyclery

The conversion work my shop does is always 100% non-destructive....I tell my clients that someday, you kid will find that bike in the basement and want to "convert" it to a 10-speed again.

I feel that its wrong to castrate these old frames

 

[Bigbananabike]

When I Single speeded my steel Bauer (bought new by me 15 years ago) I cut off the cable guide on the chainstay and the cable guide bosses on the downtube (left the d. hanger just in case) as I wanted a clean look to it. Being SS and not fixed it still has the brake cable guides. I then had it sandblasted & I resprayed it.
They're not rare frames and if worst came to worst I could have the guide/bosses put back on.
I would hate to see this done to a rare / more interesting frame or worse - one with the original paint job still on it.

BBB

 

[joblue]

Nice use of "single-speeded" as a verb....

 

[fastrnb]

1) If they don't chop/grind it, then no.

2) I'm sure by the time ten-speeds are all the rage, somebody will have come up with an easy conversion kit for adding wires all over my bike.