Beginner fixie/SS

enigmatic
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Beginner fixie/SS

Postby enigmatic » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:50 pm

Hey guys

I've been eyeing of a fixie/ss for a while now. The use would be for something nice and cheap to lock up at the gym/pool (triathlon is my thing, so I go there fairly regularly :P ), as well as using for training (especially ON a trainer as I hear it's very good for pedal technique?) as well as farting around :)

I keep hearing really good things about the Cell Messenger, and for $249 delivered I guess I can see why. The few threads I looked at here seemed to recommend them with regularity.

My other option and one I would like to explore and get more information on is building on myself.

Is it best to get the Cell one, a nice cheap option, to see if it's something I would be interested in pursuing? I would love to build one as well, I guess it's just a matter of finding parts and some know how? Would love some opinions :)

Cheers!
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mikesbytes
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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby mikesbytes » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Depends how keen you are. If you just want something to ride then just buy a fixie such as the one you have been interested in.

But don't buy a track bike and put brakes on it. I can vouch that modern track bikes are horrible to ride on anything but the track.

If you want to build one then you get exactly the parts you want, but expect to pay a lot more than the cell bike price, perhaps double
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Mulger bill
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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby Mulger bill » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:43 pm

Good starter bike to see if you can handle FG. Forget the freewheel and you'll really learn how to spin.

I'd also suggest the Reid Harrier as worth a look, my shopper/errand bike and intro to the whole Joy Of Fix. Not that light but that won't hurt in competition... :wink:
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HLC
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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby HLC » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:05 pm

Cell. Would recommend all day, everyday.

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby Calvin27 » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:21 pm

Sorry to hijack but I'm in the market for one too.

Currently tossing up between a cheap reid/cell that I can not worry too much about or go for my long time love the cinelli vigorelli in caleido.
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yugyug
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Beginner fixie/SS

Postby yugyug » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:05 pm

mikesbytes wrote:.

But don't buy a track bike and put brakes on it. I can vouch that modern track bikes are horrible to ride on anything but the track.
I assume that's not so true for vintage track bikes? I've been thinking about buying an old track frame and building a fixie for a while, but the thing is that I want to ride it around town and on the track. And to the track - there is a nice velodrome not too far away and I don't want to have to drive. So the thing that's holding me back is the issue of a brake. I don't want to ruin a vintage track bike by drilling the fork - or do I? I heard back in the 50s it was common for racers to ride their track bikes to races and remove their brakes when they got there, not sure that's would be ok nowadays?
FYI I have rode fixed before, enough to know I want a front brake!

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:47 am

The steel vintage track bikes were closer road ones, most will be fine and many of them have the drillings to mount brakes. I think fuji sells a steel bike that is similar and can be used for both.

There are a few that ride to the track and remove the brakes or more commonly remove the front handlebar assembly with the brakes and put another stem/handlebars on. Its not that common due to the hassle of disassembly/reassembly

You will need a different gearing for the track, the easy way is to use a hub that supports lock rings on both sides, run a different cog for the street and the track and flip the wheel when you arrive. If the hub doesn't support a lock ring on both sides you could run a single speed on the side that doesn't have a lock ring
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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby yugyug » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:34 pm

Cool thanks for the info mikesbytes. A hub with two different cogs/lockrings for track and street was what I was thinking. Not interested in singlespeed, I figure if you want a freewheel you might as as well get a a derailler too. :D
mikesbytes wrote: There are a few that ride to the track and remove the brakes or more commonly remove the front handlebar assembly with the brakes and put another stem/handlebars on. Its not that common due to the hassle of disassembly/reassembly
I wouldn't have thought removing the brake lever from the handlebar would be the issue - at least for the single finger kind of brake I was thinking about, placed on the tops of track bars well away from the bar wrap.

I thought that the issue would be the reliability of repetitively attaching and detaching a double pivot calliper brake from the fork. That would be an issue even if you replace the whole handlebar assembly. Or is that not really an issue?
Last edited by yugyug on Thu Mar 19, 2015 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby Mulger bill » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:46 pm

yugyug wrote: I wouldn't have thought removing the brake lever from the handlebar would be the issue - at least for the single finger kind of brake I was thinking about, placed on the tops of track bars well away from the bar wrap.
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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby kukamunga » Fri Mar 20, 2015 11:46 am

Ive got my nice Repco Superlite single speed on ebay at the moment

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/121599917960 ... 1555.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pick up Melbourne only

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Mar 20, 2015 12:26 pm

Your choice on removing the brakes vs changing the handlebars. You need to run drop bars on the track so if you remove the brakes then you need to run drop bars on the road. Most run track style drop bars but road style drop bars are fine.

Before your brake capilars wear out from taking them off and on N+1 will kick in and you will buy a track specific bike which will get transported on top of your smoke box, unless you were sensible like me and brought a house that was walking distance to the velodrome :)

On the track you must ride in the drops all the time (regulation) so you only need bar tape in the drops, though that doesn't stop you putting the tape on road style

I think that a fixie conversion (gear change, brakes off) is a good way to get an introduction to the track, I had to buy a track bike simply to try it out. Another option is to turn up at your local track and talk to the riders there, some clubs have loaner bikes
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby enigmatic » Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:40 pm

Hey guys, thanks for the advice! I bought a Cell yesterday so hopefully it will arrive on Monday or Tuesday and I'll be able to see what all the rage is about! ;)
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yugyug
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Beginner fixie/SS

Postby yugyug » Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:12 pm

mikesbytes wrote:Your choice on removing the brakes vs changing the handlebars. You need to run drop bars on the track so if you remove the brakes then you need to run drop bars on the road. Most run track style drop bars but road style drop bars are fine.

Before your brake capilars wear out from taking them off and on N+1 will kick in and you will buy a track specific bike which will get transported on top of your smoke box, unless you were sensible like me and brought a house that was walking distance to the velodrome :)

On the track you must ride in the drops all the time (regulation) so you only need bar tape in the drops, though that doesn't stop you putting the tape on road style

I think that a fixie conversion (gear change, brakes off) is a good way to get an introduction to the track, I had to buy a track bike simply to try it out. Another option is to turn up at your local track and talk to the riders there, some clubs have loaner bikes
Yeah no worries for me about riding track bars on the street, though I will consider taping a bit on the tops and ramps too. I've seen it done, I guess it's not for purists...

I've used the clubs loaner bikes so far on the track. It's fun but it's not my proper size and I think to get more interested in track I need to be riding a bike I've built up myself, - I guess cos I'm a vain hipster and that's a big part of what I like about cycling! ;)

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Mar 20, 2015 9:06 pm

Once you get a decent fix from a fixie you become fixated

My recently retired fixie was running Nitto steel track bars with Shimano 2004 Tigra 9 speed leavers, the gear mechanism wore out after about 50,000k so they were good for the bin or a fixie and I like the big bumps on top of Shimano leavers. The combo of road leavers and track bars worked fine.
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Beginner fixie/SS

Postby slidetaker » Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:16 pm

yugyug wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:.....is to turn up at your local track and talk to the riders there, some clubs have loaner bikes
Yeah no worries for me about riding track bars on the street, though I will consider taping a bit on the tops and ramps too. I've seen it done, I guess it's not for purists...
I've used the clubs loaner bikes so far on the track. It's fun but it's not my proper size and I think to get more interested in track I need to be riding a bike I've built up myself, - I guess cos I'm a vain hipster and that's a big part of what I like about cycling! ;)
I just use good grippy glove to overcome that issue.

I first use Ansell ActivArmr Mad Grip construction glove. They did not just grip, they STICK to the chrome steel. So I found them too grippy.

Now I wear good quality leather base ball batting glove. Just enough grip on bare steel bar...

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