new fixie!

Benjamin Lewis

I've been working on building up a fixed gear bicycle from scrounged parts
for a while now, and I finally got it ride-able the other day. The frame
was rusty when I found it, and the rear triangle was bent.

Here's what it looks like now, after I finished painting the frame (old
paint and rust cleaned off with a wire brush wheel on a drill):

http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie1a.jpg
http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie2a.jpg

It still needs bar tape, and probably a back brake (it's got just a regular
freewheel hub with the cog and a BB lockring screwed on). The gearing
seems to be okay, if a little high for some hills; it's a 40x14 with 175mm
cranks (yeah, I know they're long, but I couldn't find any shorter ones I
liked and pedal strikes don't seem to be a problem -- the pedals strike at
just a bit shy of 45 degrees lean.)

I've got some toe clips waiting for it, too.

The brakes barely fit with the top of the pads shaved off -- the frame was
evidently made for 27" wheels.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of
Congress. But I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain

Mike Kruger

"Benjamin Lewis" <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote in message
news:yy7osmfc9vix.fsf@css.css.sfu.ca...
>
>
> The brakes barely fit with the top of the pads shaved off -- the frame was
> evidently made for 27" wheels.
>
There are such things as "long reach" brakes, where the arms are longer. I
scrounged a pair off a bike abandoned at the curb -- but I'm keeping them in
case I need to convert my 27 incher to a 700 some day due to parts
availability.

Sheldon Brown, master of the workaround, has a solution you might be
interested in.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

Ryan Cousineau

In article <yy7osmfc9vix.fsf@css.css.sfu.ca>,
Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote:

> I've been working on building up a fixed gear bicycle from scrounged parts
> for a while now, and I finally got it ride-able the other day. The frame
> was rusty when I found it, and the rear triangle was bent.
>
> Here's what it looks like now, after I finished painting the frame (old
> paint and rust cleaned off with a wire brush wheel on a drill):
>
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie1a.jpg
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie2a.jpg
>
> It still needs bar tape, and probably a back brake (it's got just a regular
> freewheel hub with the cog and a BB lockring screwed on). The gearing
> seems to be okay, if a little high for some hills; it's a 40x14 with 175mm
> cranks (yeah, I know they're long, but I couldn't find any shorter ones I
> liked and pedal strikes don't seem to be a problem -- the pedals strike at
> just a bit shy of 45 degrees lean.)
>
> I've got some toe clips waiting for it, too.
>
> The brakes barely fit with the top of the pads shaved off -- the frame was
> evidently made for 27" wheels.

That thing looks really nice! Makes my similar Apollo conversion look
like junk.

Now I just have to check the gearing on mine; I think I'm using like a
50x14, which may explain why I find it a pain to ride.

--
Ryan Cousineau, rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

Mike Latondresse

Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca> wrote in
news:rcousine-13F959.09024310042004@morgoth.sfu.ca:

> That thing looks really nice! Makes my similar Apollo conversion
> look like junk.
>
> Now I just have to check the gearing on mine; I think I'm using
> like a 50x14, which may explain why I find it a pain to ride.
>

Ryan, I ride mine a lot and use a 42x16 which seems to be just about
right for the average hills around the city although it would be a bit
of a grind up SFU hill.

Jacobe Hazzard

Benjamin Lewis wrote:
> I've been working on building up a fixed gear bicycle from scrounged
> parts for a while now, and I finally got it ride-able the other day.
> The frame was rusty when I found it, and the rear triangle was bent.
>
> Here's what it looks like now, after I finished painting the frame (old
> paint and rust cleaned off with a wire brush wheel on a drill):
>
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie1a.jpg
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie2a.jpg

That's a nice looking bike! Can you share a little about how you did the
painting? (It sounds like you did it yourself?)
I am interesting in painting some frames I have scrounged, and would be
very happy with those results. I am wondering about primers, brands of
paint, topcoats etc.

Ryan Cousineau

In article <Xns94C76E1BF546Bmikelatshawca@64.59.144.76>,
Mike Latondresse <mikelat@no_spamshaw.ca> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca> wrote in
> news:rcousine-13F959.09024310042004@morgoth.sfu.ca:
>
> > That thing looks really nice! Makes my similar Apollo conversion
> > look like junk.
> >
> > Now I just have to check the gearing on mine; I think I'm using
> > like a 50x14, which may explain why I find it a pain to ride.
> >
>
> Ryan, I ride mine a lot and use a 42x16 which seems to be just about
> right for the average hills around the city although it would be a bit
> of a grind up SFU hill.

I did some tooth counting today...The current gear is a 52x16. I'm going
to try something more in your range. I even have a fresh set of 165mm
cranks to install on that bike, so maybe the fixie will get a little
more work this year.

--
Ryan Cousineau, rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

R15757

Benjamin Lewis wrote:

<< ...175mm
cranks (yeah, I know they're long, but I couldn't find any shorter ones I
liked and pedal strikes don't seem to be a problem -- the pedals strike at
just a bit shy of 45 degrees lean.) ...>>


I would stick with the 175s unless you have real short legs and would use
shorter cranks anyway.

Robert

Gooserider

"Benjamin Lewis" <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote in message
news:yy7osmfc9vix.fsf@css.css.sfu.ca...
>
> I've been working on building up a fixed gear bicycle from scrounged parts
> for a while now, and I finally got it ride-able the other day. The frame
> was rusty when I found it, and the rear triangle was bent.
>
> Here's what it looks like now, after I finished painting the frame (old
> paint and rust cleaned off with a wire brush wheel on a drill):
>
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie1a.jpg
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie2a.jpg
>
> It still needs bar tape, and probably a back brake (it's got just a
regular
> freewheel hub with the cog and a BB lockring screwed on). The gearing
> seems to be okay, if a little high for some hills; it's a 40x14 with 175mm
> cranks (yeah, I know they're long, but I couldn't find any shorter ones I
> liked and pedal strikes don't seem to be a problem -- the pedals strike at
> just a bit shy of 45 degrees lean.)
>
> I've got some toe clips waiting for it, too.
>
> The brakes barely fit with the top of the pads shaved off -- the frame was
> evidently made for 27" wheels.
>

Nice save! Are those rack/fender eyelets I see? You've got the makings of a
nice commuter there, I say. Have fun with it...

Gary Smiley

I went to Sheldon's site. Look at the picture- Is that bike made of wood?

..
>
> Sheldon Brown, master of the workaround, has a solution you might be
> interested in.
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html
>
>

Benjamin Lewis

Mike Kruger wrote:

> Sheldon Brown, master of the workaround, has a solution you might be
> interested in.
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

Yeah, I was thinking I might do something along those lines. I remember
seeing that before and thinking it looked scary, but now that I see the
details it's doesn't look so bad.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.

Benjamin Lewis

Ryan Cousineau wrote:

> Now I just have to check the gearing on mine; I think I'm using like a
> 50x14, which may explain why I find it a pain to ride.

Ouch. The 40x14 seems pretty good for me so far; I originally thought I
might want it even lower, but it's been fine where I've ridden it so far.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.

Benjamin Lewis

Jacobe Hazzard wrote:

> Benjamin Lewis wrote:
>> I've been working on building up a fixed gear bicycle from scrounged
>> parts for a while now, and I finally got it ride-able the other day.
>> The frame was rusty when I found it, and the rear triangle was bent.
>>
>> Here's what it looks like now, after I finished painting the frame (old
>> paint and rust cleaned off with a wire brush wheel on a drill):
>>
>> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie1a.jpg
>> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/personal/bike/fixie2a.jpg
>
> That's a nice looking bike! Can you share a little about how you did the
> painting? (It sounds like you did it yourself?)
> I am interesting in painting some frames I have scrounged, and would be
> very happy with those results. I am wondering about primers, brands of
> paint, topcoats etc.

First I stripped the frame, and took off all the old paint and rust with a
wire wheel on a hand drill (I found it was better to brush perpendicular to
the direction of the tubes).

I left the fork on, and covered the headset with masking tape; I also put
rolled up bits of newspaper in the various braze-ons, etc., and taped the
inside of the BB shell. I hung the frame outside from a rope (through the
BB shell).

I used a bottle of spray paint by General Paint advertised as "Marine
hi-gloss rust resistant enamel", which cost about $6 Canadian. This
provided enough paint for the frame (two coats). The instructions say no
primer is necessary, so I didn't use one.

General Paint has a website (www.generalpaint.com), but after a cursory
look I didn't see the paint I used there. They appear to be Vancouver
(Canada) based.

The first coat I did was a little sloppy, and I got a few drips, so I
sanded these down before applying the second coat.

There are a few spots that I partially missed, and since the frame was
hanging upside down these ended up being more obvious than I would like.
I'll probably buy a second bottle and touch it up at some point.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.

Benjamin Lewis

r15757@aol.com wrote:

> Benjamin Lewis wrote:
>
> << ...175mm cranks (yeah, I know they're long, but I couldn't find any
> shorter ones I liked and pedal strikes don't seem to be a problem -- the
> pedals strike at just a bit shy of 45 degrees lean.) ...>>
>
> I would stick with the 175s unless you have real short legs and would use
> shorter cranks anyway.

I'm about 6'2", so my legs are fairly long. I would only consider getting
shorter ones if I thought pedal strikes might be a problem. They haven't
been so far ...

--
Benjamin Lewis

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.

Benjamin Lewis

noway@schwinn.com wrote:

> Nice save! Are those rack/fender eyelets I see? You've got the makings of
> a nice commuter there, I say. Have fun with it...

At the moment I think I want to keep it fairly minimalist; that's one of
the things I like about it. I have the luxury of being able to bring my
bike into my office where I'm working at the moment, so I commute on my
touring/randonneur bike:

http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~bclewis/perso...vitali1crop.gif

Fenders and rack have been added since this photo was taken.

I also don't think I'm ready to commute to campus on a fixie yet; the very
end of the ride involves something like 350 meters of elevation gain over 4
km, and that's *after* a 10 km ride involving a number of smaller hills.

I'll definitely have fun with it, however.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.