Hip's Next Machine - Road Fixie

hippy

flyingdutch wrote:
> and what's the bracket-bitty underneath the seattube down near the BB?


Mount for the kickstand? There's also cable guides all over it

hipp


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EoinC

Hippy, I read the piece in Sheldon's blog on track bikes not bein
suitable. Hmmmm, not sure that I agree...I've been using a $500 tracki
on the road for about 5 years now. It has a hole drilled in the for
crown and (after a few years of riding brakeless) a front brake a
required by swmbo. I ride on a set of old Mavics with old-style 165m
Dura-Ace cranks. This became my favourite road ride so much that
haven't ridden my roadie since I pulled this one off the track. In th
chaos that is Kuala Lumpur traffic, a fixie works just fine. Much bette
control for when you're bouncing off cars, scooters, potholes, in-lin
gratings..... Being able to back-pedal when you're track-standing give
you a little bit of flexability at the lights (and there's plenty o
those). I make a point of not touching the ground (falling off excepted
from when I head out the gate until when I get home. The 165 cranks fee
like you're riding a circus bike, but I've only ever touched down on
corner once when I was already been way out of shape and haven't ye
(touch wood) dropped it just from clipping a pedal. One thing to mak
sure of, when you ride a fixie, is that your cleats are not gettin
shagged out. When you pull a foot off the pedal on a fixie, all hel
breaks loose. I've done it myself, but I'd much prefer to watch someon
else do it - any volunteers? I ended up with a squeaky voice and go
thrown over the bars while all the other holeshotters at the lights wer
trying to drive over the top of me. More a spectator sport kind of
deal. I'm an old fart, but I like my fixie

Regards, Eoin


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hippy

>Originally posted by EoinC I read the piece in Sheldon's blog on
>track bikes not being >suitable. Hmmmm, not sure that I agree...I've
>been using a

If I came across one super cheap I'd probably snag it anyway, but I want
to use a road frame for my first street fix. It would depend on the
ability to drill it for brakes. I am usually well against doing frame
mods like that, so I'd buy it and then feel bad about drilling it :-)

>Being able to back-pedal when you're track-standing gives you a little
>bit of flexability at the lights (and there's plenty

I can do little roll backs using the road's camber but no real back
pedaling... yet.

>One thing to make sure of, when you ride a fixie, is that your >cleats
>are not getting shagged out. When you pull a foot off the pedal on a
>fixie, all hell breaks loose. I've done it myself,

I've done it on the track.. i just clipped back in after a couple of
revs. I had just started a time trial, so while I wasn't going that
fast, I wasn't slowing down either.. Mind you, I only use SPD pedals,
i.e. small clipped mtb pedals.. upgrade planned.. Why did all hell break
loose for you? I guess if you are really moving and unclip it could be
tricky slowing down/putting foot back in.. the trackies just kick their
leg out until they can clip back in.

>but I'd much prefer to watch someone else do it - any >volunteers?

I wont put my hand up but I can bet it'll happen

>I ended up with a squeaky voice and got thrown over the bars while all
>the other holeshotters at the lights were trying to drive over the top
>of me. More a spectator sport kind of a deal.

I did that about three times on the singlespeed before I decided that I
really DID need a chain tensioner! My 'nether regions' really appreciate
the cheap derailer I now have tightening the chain..

hippy



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EoinC

>It would depend on the ability to drill it for brakes. I am usuall
>>well against doing frame mods like that, so I'd buy it and then >fee
>bad about drilling it

Mine's got a road fork on it

>I can do little roll backs using the road's camber but no real bac
>pedaling... yet

With a fixed wheel you don't need to rely on using a camber or th
brakes for resistance

>I've done it on the track.. i just clipped back in after a couple o
>>revs. I had just started a time trial, so while I wasn't going tha
>>fast, I wasn't slowing down either.. Mind you, I only use SPD >pedals
>i.e. small clipped mtb pedals.. upgrade planned.. Why did all hel
>break loose for you? I guess if you are really >moving and unclip i
>could be tricky slowing down/putting foot >back in.. the trackies jus
>kick their leg out until they can clip back in

I was waiting at the back of a line up of cars at a red light. I starte
my roll-up when I figured we were leading up to a green light. Put th
hammer down in time to grab the holeshot on the light change and wa
doing a stand-up chainbreaker sprint when I got thrown. I got tw
revolutions of nut-banging before going over the bars. My Trackie-Leg
just weren't listening to what my Roadie-Brain was trying to tell them
Funny as all buggery.....some time after

Eoin


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hippy

I think SuzyJ asked how much it weighs..

Using the supreme accuracy found only in $20 bathroom scales, th
estimated weight of the Apollo Fixie frame and fork (no headset) i
3.7kg

The frame clocks the Kitchen scales which puts it at approx. 6.5lb
(no fork)

hipp
- more photos in a minute..


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hippy

Update..

Here's some shots of Stage 2 - "Removing da icky gear shifter cabl
holdy thingies"

http://server103.penguinhost.net/~s...ling/ApolloFix2

Ignoring all the smart people's advice (that's you, SJ) I started al
these off with the angle grinder (Aw come on! At least I filed some o
it! I could've broken a nail or something.. sheesh!). I started slow an
checked the frame temp nearby every now and then. It didn't seem to ge
hot at all - there is a LOT of metal in this frame to act as a heatsink

It's not totally done - I still need to get rid of that huge kickstan
mount under the chainstays. I stopped grinding though because th
neighbors were readying their pitchforks (no, I wasn't doing it at 2am.
crapsicles!! 2am.. i gotta get up in 4hrs for the daily "sog"!). adios

hipp


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suzyj

Looks very classy hippy. Want some "Little Fish" decals for it

3.7kg huh. That's impressive..

Cheers

Suz


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flyingdutch

suzyj wrote:
> Looks very classy hippy. Want some "Little Fish" decals for it?
> 3.7kg huh. That's impressive...
> Cheers,
> Suzy


Whoa! 3.7kg!!

I gotta old Hillman mtb frame (Sherpa model apparently. late 80'
vintage) made out of what must be straight guage wrought iron

Solid as a rock. very laid back angles like an armchair and stays s
long you can look back and see the wheel behind you!:


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hippy

flyingdutch wrote:
> Whoa! 3.7kg!!!


Yeah.. to verify the weight, I weighed it again AFTER filing off th
cable guides and it weighed in at 4kg!!

The scales couldn't be wrong... It's GROWING!

hipp


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EoinC

hippy wrote:
> The scales couldn't be wrong... It's GROWING!!
> hippy

Hey, Hippy, I put it down to Solar Flares (a remnant of the 70's). I'
living on a semi-fluid diet - 95% beer + 5% peanuts (fresh, of course
I'm very health conscious) - and my scales are doing the same whack
thing. Between El Nino and El Nono, it's very hard to get good empirica
data these days. Mmmmmmm, beeeeer! In an effort to stay slightly on
subject, I had several close calls last night whilst out fixie-ing m
way around downtown Kuala Lumpur - Oh, what fun. It's a bit of a bugge
when you line yourself up to get a holeshot on the lights and the bu
you are going to take out blows a cloud of unburnt diesel smoke that'
so dense you can no longer see the road in front. See how long you ca
hold your breath whilst sprinting

Eoin


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hippy

Update...

I have a nice, new, Miche track groupset on the floor at home. Also, a
threaded 1" headset, as the Miche one was threadless.

Finally filed off the last of the cable guides and kickstand
mounting bracket.

The frame is at the powdercoaters getting blasted and coated with gloss
black. Result will not be as nice as paint, but probably tougher and
definately cheaper (discounting the DIY option).

I emailed Vegemite regarding stickers - they don't have any, but they
sent me some 80th anniversary labels for my troubles!!

hippy



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suzyj

Originally posted by hippy:

> The frame is at the powdercoaters getting blasted and coated wit
> gloss black. Result will not be as nice as paint, but probably toughe
> and definately cheaper (discounting the DIY option)

I shudder to think how much money I've blown in painting my fixed gear
Let's see... Compressor, hoses, spray gun, air brush, really expensiv
Iwata airbrush because the el-cheapo one wasn't up to the job, enormou
quantities of emery cloth, primer, activator for primer, colour coat
activator for same, reducer, clear coat, more activator, respirator
lacquer thinner for clean-up..

Oh, and then the stuff to make the decals..

Did I mention time

Cheap DIY???!!

You'd better put up a photo of the final result. www.fixedgeargallery i
a suitable place

Cheers

Suz


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hippy

>Originally posted by suzy
>>hippy: definately cheaper (discounting the DIY option)

>I shudder to think how much money I've blown in painting my fixed gear
>Let's see... Compressor, hoses, spray gun, air brush, really expensiv
>Iwata airbrush because the el->cheapo one wasn't up to the job
>enormous quantities of emery cloth, primer, activator for primer
>colour coat, activator for same, reducer, clear coat, more activator
>>respirator, lacquer thinner for clean-up... Oh, and then the stuff t
>make the decals... Did I mention time

... and people were paying me out for taking the $70, no-effort option!
haha.. in your face(s)!! :

>Cheap DIY???!!

I was thinking along the lines of aerosol paint.. $2/can stuff :

>You'd better put up a photo of the final result. >www.fixedgeargaller
>is a suitable place

You really think a postwhore with as much camera gear as me _wouldn't
post the results, good or bad?! ;-

I know about fixedgeargallery. It's a great site. I emailed one of th
guys on there who owns an Apollo. I'll be the third one up unles
someone beats me to it.

I've still got to get stem, bars (bullhorn or moustache), build som
wheels, etc.

hipp


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hippy

>Originally posted by flyingdutch How come you go OS and come back wit
>MORE money

I work :

>Did you sell the GF

I wish :

>Assist someone called Pedro with importing some marching >powder to hi
>'grandma'

I own it, I must read that book... right after the other 20

>I want your secret

Then it wouldn't be a secret. :

Hint 1: Get friendly with a bike shop

>must buy more bikes. Just one more to enter double figures..

I stepped away from that goal when I started giving bikes away an
selling them. Speaking of which, do you want to buy a

- Planet-X Zebdi trials bike $160
- Intense M1 DH bike $230

Either one and you hit double figures... :

You've gotta post pics of them all for it to count! :

hipp
- Still wants a dual-susp mtb for enduro-type-rides-n-stuff


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