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how about a bike related charity? London courier emergency fund?

Cg5154, thats a really lovely story. I wouldnt mind being on either side of that scenario actually, although I can bareley afford a bike for myself!

Its pretty sweet of you to condsider a charity too, I may have a suggestion.

No one wants to donate a substantial amount of real cash to a bunch of crusties with rich parents who want to live out some kind of "hardcore" lifestyle pootling about the streets on a bicycle and failing to get a *real *job.

May I suggest, CHILDHOPE - UK

A lesser appreciated charity who work mainly with street children vulnerable to violence & prostitution. They do work in many places, but they do a lot in South Asia (Bangladesh etc) in parts where these problems are completely ignored.

Ive been without a fast fixie wheel bicycle for a couple of weeks now.
It doesnt feel good, Ive ended up glued to the computer hunting parts for a new build while I envy the damp/sunny weather outside and all the possible skidding fun.

I have also been spouting a lot of nonsense on here, driveside leg still rolled up of course. I am stuck here pretty much all summer catching up with uni coursework, so am desperate to get a bike together quick!

I was planning to put together a high quality full build this winter, after becoming a 'seasoned' fixed rider over this summer. But as my bike gave up, Im trying to rush it now. I considered an off the peg for a moment but then saw sense.
Ive got wheelset sorted (£100) and parts should cost me no more than £70.

This leaves me with £100 MAX to spend on a frame, at £270 for a complete bike is lot for me considering I usually spend £15 on my bikes! I like classy lugged frames made out of nice steel. But anything singlespeed/track specific is waaay out of my price league thanks to fashion and such. Good quality steel road frame seem pretty easy to come by though, I have found a very nice looking columbus SL tubed frameset for £95 with campagnolo foward facing adjustable dropouts.

My only option for a single speed specific frame being a Archie Wilkinson Cycle Speedway frame. £100, probably way overbuilt, heavy plain gauge 4130 tubing. Plus id need to buy a raked fork to work with 700c wheels. Archie seems a nice fella though, a charming luxury to be able to get an affordable frameset direct from builder, but is it really suitable ? I dont really like the way they look, and I like lighter bikes.

I am leant toward getting the 80's road bike frame which is pretty gorgeous, and will not lose value if I need to resell (I hope)

My local bike shop mentioned all the fixed riders regularly coming in with trashed BB's etc, but I always dismissed it.
But as my conversion snapped at the driveside chainstay, might the stresses of urban fixed riding be too much for a old skool road bike?

thanks if you got to the end, any thoughts? Experiences of your conversions?

if the wheels are 700c then you should be ok.
the peugeot rear hub spacing is 126mm, you may have to spring it out for a 130mm hub..

carbon forks:

you need some with a 1" steerer and will have to change the headset.

by playing about with a few headsets it is possible to use a 1 1/8" fork in a 1" frame.

I thought carbolite was really rough economy tubing with a fancy name to give a faux sense of technical superiority.

I mean, "carbolite" can only at best mean , lightweight carbon steel. Which is the very minimal grady of metal youd want to make any bike out of unless you like a bike made out of anvils.

I dont know about london, but here in the midlands that bike is worth about £15, £25 if your lucky.
Ebay is an upredictable place, you can easily get a colnago frame for a £100, and theres heaps of highly kitted out (all 105 etc) 531 reynolds bikes that go for around a £100, or if its a badly listed around £40.

I sold a 100% shimano 105 equipped, 531 peugout, with a really nice imacculate pink and black paint job and good wheelset & spare kevlar tyres a couple years ago for £150.

I included loads of freebies as I felt so lucky and a little guilty for taking so much money for it.

If you make an excellent listing, and really tidy up the bike - as your in london, some one *might *be led into paying £80 for it. But I would feel guilty if I sold it for that much.

You can get some of the lower end track cranks for about £40 with a sealed BB and chainring supplied. Things like FSA etc.

Dr Tynan
Whats the best way to strip down already colored rims (Deep V's) to base metal and clear coating?
I want to avoid stracthing or pitting the metal and leave just a shiny finish, then clear coat.

One word,

Nitromors.

1. Put on some gloves and goggles!
   
   

then as follows:

Be very careful, apply small amounts with a paintbrush (the kind you paint a picture with)

The powder should bubble of in a minute, if it doesnt , DONT scrub it, just apply a little more.

When it all seem loose, scrape it all off with a credit card. And wash it down with some water.

Whenever I have stripped anything before in the past, I have found the metal to be damn shiny polished underneath, in which case it might be nice just to clear coat it.

But as they are rims, they will probably be a dull machined kinda finish!

Those boys and girls have HTFU a little too much.

Really some people need to CTFO

Ride it bitch.

Tynan, I think that attitude is wholly uncalled for and does not benefit this web forum.

I think you need to lose the attitude and ride.

have kind of given up,

its just that I was desperate to be back on a bike quick and he was conveniently close and had a decent off the peg to sell (not great but as good as the others) which I had been contemplating importing myself at much hassle, because there were many things I liked about it.

There are full details and link Billa, but I put it in the private thread because I sound like a winging idiot in all the messages I sent him.

Feel free to grab the link, and send him some abuse because he is very much lying out of his face in the listing.

NSFW

that is ssoo safe for work.

It's a custom frame built by Mike Terraferma out of Florida. Old school columbus SL tubes w/no holes, henry james lugs, everest track crown, round fork blades and chainstays, steep 76 degree head, 75 seat tube, full dura ace group, nitto track stem and "dove" handlebars, mks pedals, izumi chain, sun venus rims, and inner-tube
lock-up protection. Noice.

that is absolutley completely the dream bike I have had in my head for the past couple of years! Ive tought about all sorts of ways to build something similar, but anything I can afford would turn out crap. Even thought about using a cycle speed way frame. Its amazing to see it all together with french style bars just like I pictured!

Very inspiring! Is it yours?

This is so nice. Clean lines, not over the top in any way...and super tight. Classy.

Is this higher level sarcasm or something?

The is sooo almost awesome, but them FAT tyres & FAT rimes destroy any hint of nimble lean track looks the bike has.

You sure they're not 9mm? HubJub have track nuts (DuraAce) in 9mm for front and 10mm rear.

nope, measured preciseley it is actually just UNDER 8mm.

If you want something with distinguished riding position, and classic looks while still being pretty fast and well handling.

I would reccommend you pickup a Vintage road bike with 27inch wheels. There are many of these about which looks awesome. They have a long wheelbase and are very comfortable to ride. There steering is very relaxed usually, so I would reccommend changing the handlebars to wide town bike style ones. Then put on a sprung comfortable saddle to keep your posterior in comfort as most of your weight will be there if sitting upright.

You can pickup something really nice for £80. Buy a saddle, some handlebars, maybe a basket and get some bloke to help you tidy it up. Total not more than £150 and will serve you well for a lifetime.

Ello,

I have a Kryptonite Keeper 2515 Armored Cable which is great, but way too big for me to keep carrying around:

Anyone fancy trading it with me for something smaller but as tough? I'm after something like the HardWire 2085 or 2510.

Cheers

these are rebadged generic locks sold under a whole variety of names.

They are all the same inside where they are held together by a 7mm steel cord which can easily be cut with a pair of brake cable cutters or even a small pair of basic pliers.
The casing has no effect as in addition to it being piss weak, you can prise it open by twist the lock with your hands.

These locks are horribly misleading, and the branded ones like kyrptonite are horribly overpriced. I had a pair of those locks, and a really basic bike got pinched a a very safe area while locked up. My confusion was cleared up when I carefully had a look at what it was made out of. There are many reviews of the kryptonite version on the net and even a video or two of them being easily lopped on yout tube. They are exactly the same as mine, which are completely worthless.

Track forks are very 'tight' there is usually a shallow inset part on the underside of the crown where the tyre passes through.

Road forks have more clearance, and more swept legs. The 'racier' the fork is, the less youll notice of course.

Remember that the one-one , ones do not come with a lockring or sprocket. After budgeting for that & postage they are not so much cheaper than other places.

Theres a bike I want on ebay,

heart set on it and all that.

But the seller is making up all this jazz about how the bikes super upgraded and how he paid a fortune for it.

I cant tell if hes for real. But I would appreaciate if some people to tell him to remove the dubious information from his listing as its unfair to unknowledgable bidders. I still want a crack at buying it so dont want to offend him. I have already mentioned it in a very lengthy set of ebay messages trying to be tactful, but I dont think it worked!

Full details in the private thread.

Freewheels have their benefits, as does relaxed touring geometry.

You could easily send a text message doing 35mph downhill for example.

However yes I agree, fixies (especially those with racey geometry) definetely feel a lot more fun and responsive.

Ive found something else now I think too, so my 4th dibs actually got me the bike, but I dont want it anymore! haha.

Ill let you know if anything changes, im sitting out a few things on ebay.

Late 80's , early 90's skatey punk does the job for me.

Makes me want to ride something or other quite fast and pull some radical manouvres or something.

Oh and that song, "motorbreath" by metallica.

Although I most often listen to something a little more mellow like the Byrds as im not usually in a supercharged kinda mood.

Only reservation is about getting off at the lights sharpish like, no-one seems to have answered that one, is it obvious somethnig needs to be sacrificed to have a high powered fixed wheel? A slow start? Is this also why fixers are more likely to cruise up to and then jump lights?
andries as tombola

I built my bike 52-19 , 72.5 gear inches I think. It was my first fixed wheel bike and second road bike.

I could within a couple days achieve optimum speed within one crank revolution simply thanks to the responsive efficent nature of the fixed wheel. This obviously made me quick off the lights, and my best time for my commute went from 25minutes (freewheel road bike) to 11minutes.

Fixed wheel has made me loads loads faster, im a seriously non-athletic person and it has been incredible to be able to ride so fast and in such control too. I can actually overtake car traffic and feel confident to use all road lanes etc , its has been a bit of a revelation. However, I snapped my frame recently, and have been left sulking without access to this joy. Im trying my best to put a bike together fast, life feels wrong without a fixie.

these are older 50's style hubs when the front drops had smaller dropouts ;)

thats odd, because my hubs are new. I dont even think they are NOS. They look 100% fresh made, shiny shiny polished.

Im a painfully honest person, whenever I see that people have overpaid on an innapropriate bike (or any other thing) Including overpriced bike shop service. Or have just setup their bike in a really illogical way. I have to tell them, I ease it to em in real life yeah, but on this forum I sometimes just drop. - Your bike looks shit. - Sorry if I offended anyone!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BIANCHI-KRONO-TIME-TRIAL-FRAME-FORK-53CM-COLUMBUS_W0QQitemZ120279331999QQihZ002QQcategoryZ98084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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