Whats the deal?

[whitty]

I just realised today that I have a fixed gear bike in my shed. I scored it on a training stand for free (I wanted the stand for my pushy with an alternator on for a generator. It worked, but I haven't got it setup properly).

Whats the deal with these things. Are they meant to have no brakes? Is it legal to ride them on the road?

It's got 48 teeth on the front and 17/18 on the back. Also it has some strange valves on the tyres. The guy I got it from gave me a handpump for the valve but I'm wondering if it's better/worse than the std valves on my other bikes and if its worth getting tubes with those valves.

It's pretty old, a bit rusty and I guess it might be better off back on the training stand, I'm just a bit curious.

[mikesbytes]

There are people who ride them with no brakes, but I don't recommend it.

It was probably a track bike.

If you upload a picture somewhere and PM me the link, I'll post it.

[sogood]

RTA rules requires at least one set of brake.

[mikesbytes]

Pictures of the bike are here

Here's one of the pictures

[whitty]

Well I got the beast going. I bought some new tubes and tyres for the other road bike I have, so i bodged up a mix of tubes and tyres to get it rolling. I don't think I'll be riding it to work anytime soon, between having trouble getting it up my driveway (uphill) and being scared to ride it towards the house (lack of brakes).

I'll get a front brake for it once I've got the brakes working properly on the road bike, then I might be game to go for a ride/walk it up the hills.

[HappyHumber]

Nice old machine Whitty.... I like the Gordonson brand being that it seems to have some WA History. I don't know whether any/many frames were actually fabricated here in WA but you still see the odd 80s 10 Speed Racer frame around on the streets up here - though increasinly they're less upright and on kerbside collections instead.

I know the Gordonson shop on Hay St. only closed down about 3 or 4 years ago. Anything branded Gordonson then I think was just cheapie generic taiwanese imported frame & parts assembled and shop branded - Similar to The Bicycle Entrepeneur's "TBE" brand.

K

[singletracking]

They're just normal presta (French) valves aren't they?

Post some pics of the bike once you remove all the rust and exterminate all the spiders?

What hubs is it rolling on?