Search results for:

Looks nice to me. But then I am used to the finer things in life and appreciate that cheap and high quality do not go together. Some compare it to some eBay tat, others see the worth in it.

I think the rant says it all :-)

I just use the self adhesive patches, rub the tube with sand paper to clean/make better contact and press it on. Put back in the tyre, pump up and ride away.
Glue does make it a bit messier.
Although I do just stick a new tube in and fix it when I get home generally as it is quicker.

Buy a frame from Bob Jackson and then sell on eBay for more than list price?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Bob-Jackson-Brand-New-56cm-Vigorelli-Track-Frame_W0QQitemZ200246159797QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200246159797&_trkparms=72%3A1121%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318

I had better get my orders in :-)

Might be worth a look at this http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/trail-fork-rake-and-little-bit-of.html

If you want under 1kg then easily possible but not when using deep rims. And as the rim weight is the thing that matters then agree than Open Pro would be a better choice. Unless you go for some carbon deep rims but you haven't said how many $'s you want to spend!

I recently got a set of DP18s from Wheel and Sprocket. Arrived in 3 working days and didn't get caught by customs. The build seems fine and quality looks okay for a set of £110 wheels but the wierd blue colour and the massive weight don't do it for me so eBay here they come.
Just ordered a set of 'normal' wheels from Webbline for £100 using Mavic rims so will save 600 grams!
On one are doing a brilliant deal on Truvatic Omnium cranks, £90 with BB (external). Other shops are selling these for £160. Bit above your budget but nice chainset, mine arrived this morning :-)

£800 doesn't get you that much when you start adding it up though does it, which is surprising. Even spending the following typical prices it soon gets close to £800.
Frame 300
Wheels 150
Tyres 40
Chainset + BB 100
Bars 20
Stem 20
Seat 30
Seatpost 20
Sprocket 20
Chain 10

Clincher means for 'normal' tyres, i.e not tubulars. I had a set of these but not for long before selling a bike. They are fairly light for deep rims and couldn't find anything wrong with them.
Luckily the stickers peel straight off...

I would go Mercian. This is the one I had a few years back. It is the only bike I wish I never sold! It rode so smoothly, nothing else has come close.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/jan/chris.htm

Could have just stuck to it being an MTB and have a fixed, rigid mtb? That's what I use and it gives me a much more versatile bike. I can ride, on road or off, and I prefer the ride position and handling of an mtb to a track frame. Especially if you put short forks on it.

Chainline was no problem as all, I am getting 43mm from an XT front disc hub and bolt on cog combined with the chainring being on the left hand of the spider rather than the outside. And that is on a 135 OLN frame.

http://www.fizzypeach.co.uk/bike.html

In theory you should measure the distance between the edges of the bony bit of your shoulder blades and get bars that width.
Decent chrome should not tarnish that easily so the Nitto's should be okay, but like you say they are noticeably heavier than alloy.

I think you need to actually try riding one of the crappy MTB type cruiser Swobos. As I said above, I can fairly compare it to any other Single Speed MTB I have had and it rides just as well off road and on road as any of them. It also looks to be a well made frame.
Whether you like the style or not is subjective (for example the ubiquitous track bike, narrow risers, aero front wheel does nothing for me), I am talking about the build quality, weight and more importantly the handling and ride. You need to do more than look at some pictures to know this.

It's not working out to well. Made bad assumption that a 10mm axle would replace the axle in a non Shimano disc front hub only to find my hub is 9mm so the cones won't fit on the new axle. Have ordered some 10mm cones but now worried I will have a ball bearing mismatch, nasty.
If that fails then sod it, I'll just get a wheel made up on a track hub and pretend I didn't just spend 60 quid trying to use a front disc wheel, so the conversion will definitely work out. just a week later that planned...

I currently ride a Swobo Folsom. The MTBish one with the coaster brake. I have owned many much more expensive bikes (a Colnago Pista sold 2 months ago and a high specced Dialled Bikes single speed last year) and can honestly say the Swobo is easily as much fun to ride as either of them. Okay it may be overpriced but when a whole bike costs less than I have spent on a frame then it just seems cheap. The frame looks well made and the parts are not too bad either.
Changed a few since the photo (risers and mtb stem to remove the unecessary BMX stem/bars)
http://www.fizzypeach.co.uk/bike.html
It comes up pretty light and handles very well, again comparable to any other rigid single speed I have had (Santa Cruz Chameleon, Orange P7 and Dialled)
Can't say the coaster is a great thing though so changing to fixed this weekend using a London fixie bolt on cog. I have missed fixed since selling the Pista. I tend to swap between fixed road and single MTB so maybe once this is fixed I will stop swapping as I have best of both worlds, well maybe...