Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Velo Fixe => Topic started by: trundle on 14 February, 2023, 10:17:40 pm
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I've indulged and bought my first fixed gear. To the untrained eye, it looks very similar to my other bikes - so I've convinced others that this is not a new bike - I've just cleaned one of the existing ones <cough>
It's a spa audax mono. With 42/17 gearing on 28mm tyres.
This was taken tonight on its first ride, outside the Royal Albert Hall. It's blurry - just like my legs going downhill!
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/BIU_bHd3hNPixI77LaYXaCzZZB-becGbJI0PYBOj978-2048x1536.jpg)
Sprinting from traffic lights is amazing - I can see why track bikes use fixed. The rim brakes are superb - extremely powerful, and very easy to modulate.
You already know it feels easier to pedal, even uphill. But it's an unexpected revelation for a first timer.
I'm planning to use the fixed on shorter rides - and especially some 100km audax which I often overlook, unfairly.
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Chain looks a bit slack
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Looks great. The spa frames are filling a bit of a hole in the market, very few fixed/SS frames about now with full mudguard and bottle cage mounts, the Genesis Flyer has turned into a Single Speed gravel bike. Look forward to the ride reports (once you've tightened the chain ;)).
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Looks good.
I sold my Bob Jackson a while back and I miss having a fixed. I do have a new fixed frame ready to build up though, and a rather expensive set of Paul brakes for it as it's canti mounts. And some nice levers.
What chainset do Spa put on these?
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Chain looks a bit slack
Beat me to it ;D
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Looks great. The spa frames are filling a bit of a hole in the market, very few fixed/SS frames about now with full mudguard and bottle cage mounts, the Genesis Flyer has turned into a Single Speed gravel bike. Look forward to the ride reports (once you've tightened the chain ;)).
Thanks Jon.
I almost overlooked Spa to be honest, even though I've bought my Elan from them. After Christmas they were selling the framesets for £270 £290! Which was an unbelievable price for a nice 725 main triangle and all the audax'y options you list. I did plan to built it up myself - but when I totted up the item cost, the Spa complete bike was £50 more.
I shall wind the chain SOOO tight, that the chainstay starts to bend ;D
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Looks good.
I sold my Bob Jackson a while back and I miss having a fixed. I do have a new fixed frame ready to build up though, and a rather expensive set of Paul brakes for it as it's canti mounts. And some nice levers.
What chainset do Spa put on these?
The chainset is Spa's branded crank TD2. This is an old Sugino 110BCD double design, polished silver. It has a Spa 42T 3/32 silver chainring, an Andel sprocket and KMC 1/8" chain. I love the look of it, although it will take elbow grease to keep clean!
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These frames do look very good. The blue is a lovely colour too. They have shaped tubes, more like the elan than the all round tubes steel Audax frames - a benefit of later introduction I presume. The 47-57mm brakes also mean that you really can get mudguards in - though if you want them with 28s my experience is that the tyres need to be true to size and not big.
So the big question is how does it ride? I’ve got a 1959 Ron Cooper built Gillott that is built up as a single speed and used to have a Peugeot Aravis that I built up fixed/ss. Both are fun to ride.
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42/17 is lower than the usual 70-72" - not many hills in London, though.
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42/17 is lower than the usual 70-72" - not many hills in London, though.
Indeed - I’ve got a 16 and 18 tooth too so I can experiment and see what works. I’m on 42/18 today which is very spinny!
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Generally you gear up for the steepest and longest downhill you expect to encounter regularly, to avoid dragging the brakes (which is especially bad if you only use a front brake, as is my preference). The uphills can look after themselves.
I normally use 47 x 18* but used a slightly lower 46 x 18 on the winter fixie because strong headwinds are more likely, and it rarely went off the usual commuter route. When I was still commuting, that is!
*48 x 18 is an excellent ratio but has some sprocket (and often chain) wear issues.
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These frames do look very good. The blue is a lovely colour too. They have shaped tubes, more like the elan than the all round tubes steel Audax frames - a benefit of later introduction I presume. The 47-57mm brakes also mean that you really can get mudguards in - though if you want them with 28s my experience is that the tyres need to be true to size and not big.
That's an interesting point. I had assumed it was just an audax frame with different drop-outs welded in. As you say, the main tubes are shaped rather than perfectly round.
I measured the Schwalbe One's with verniers and they are exactly 28mm at my preferred pressures on the Kinlin rims. I went along a mucky lane this morning and there is still enough clearance that normal road detritus doesn't get stuck betwixt tyre and guard.
So the big question is how does it ride? I’ve got a 1959 Ron Cooper built Gillott that is built up as a single speed and used to have a Peugeot Aravis that I built up fixed/ss. Both are fun to ride.
It is great fun to ride. I am new to fixed, so I keep finding random situations where my muscle memory is to stop pedalling: This creates moments of unplanned excitement ;D
I couldn't ride fixed all the time - there is nothing more blissful than a gentle downhill with good sight lines and no need to brake. This furious flurry of legs is more like hammy the hamster on an amphetamines rampage dancing along to Riverdance at 10x playback speed. I half expect one of my legs to fly off on a long enough hill...
I love my Elan, but I would be the first to agree it isn't a beautiful bike: When I look at it, I yearn to go for a long bike ride not because it looks like a beautiful Italian carbon race bike. But because it brings back memories of all the wonderful places I have been on it, and the promise of more wonderful places to visit in future.
The mono is evocative in another way - it is svelte, functional art. I know it's a cliche - but it meets my image of a simple bicycle. A diamond truss frame with slender tubes. Big, skinny wheels. Drop bars and a saddle. The fixed wheel then adds an interesting spice. Something that feels very normal at cruise, can become a complete liability if you 'forget' to keep pedalling!
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/ZBjopae2KkP5XWqJGs1NYKvqUPKkDcNYk42GB302uTk-2048x1536.jpg)
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I have yet to use that walkway under Barnes Bridge - is it handy? I guess it makes the north bank Thames path from Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith much more convenient.
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Be careful about grounding a pedal round a fast corner on fixed. I choose a narrower pedal to increase ground clearance.
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165mm cranks are common on fixies, both for spinnability and extra ground clearance. Pedal strike can be relatively benign if the pedal only just grounds out (I've caught the RH pedal on a slightly raised mini-roundabout) although it is startling. Hitting a kerb with a pedal would be more catastrophic, so don't cut corners too closely.
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I have yet to use that walkway under Barnes Bridge - is it handy? I guess it makes the north bank Thames path from Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith much more convenient.
I'm not sure to be honest - I normally approach from the North and just go straight over Barnes Bridge to the other side. There were people walking so I'm assuming its open again, but I couldn't tell you what the surface is like for cycling.
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Be careful about grounding a pedal round a fast corner on fixed. I choose a narrower pedal to increase ground clearance.
A fair point. I was torn between double sided SPD and treking. But went treking as I don't want to be mown down if I fluff clipping in getting away from lights - that's the greater risk for my normal cycling than taking corners fast.
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I worry more about losing a pedal at high RPM on flats than clipping in or out (not a BMX kiddie!). I usually trackstand at lights, averaging maybe a foot down twice during each commute.
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I may be teaching you to suck eggs - treking pedals are SPD one side, flat the other. On my freewheel bikes I can grab them and go down the shops in flats, or clip in for a longer ride. On the fixie I expect to always be clipped in, but I really like the flats to give a second go at clipping in at lights.
Having said that - with the crank at bottom dead centre, the lean angle isn't great. So I'm going to swap to dual SPD's when riding fixed. In my head I 'know' not to strike the floor - but I bet I will forget at times.
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My words of wisdom are mostly enjoy and be prepared to soon get sucked in to doing silly long rides on it! Also ride what gear works for you, some people like to grind, some to spin.
Nice bike.
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Cheers Tim.
I took it out on its first 100km today with great weather for mid February. Uphill was much easier than expected. And the solid headwind was fine. You quickly learn to accept the cadence required rather than the cadence you prefer on gears.
As an added bonus, one of my knees was not happy from running. But this ride has removed all knee pain. I guess that's the benefit of so much variation in load, cadence and body position.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/NjyPr0fNJefDihSWp9KtR8_-YO3beP7r5pmORkqzz94-2048x1536.jpg)
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/wNdxN9lxFuXAP0rPAIqj87NYQm7RW4ppgmulZhNntHM-2048x1536.jpg)
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/FQuo9p-AZuqeDZcuLbF0UiJK2A2bBBalGQNY2T9uZpM-2048x1536.jpg)
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My first fixed ride was a similar length, and had 1 in 6 hills (up and down). It was a bit scary.
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My first fixed ride was a similar length, and had 1 in 6 hills (up and down). It was a bit scary.
That sounds rather brutal.
No chevrons on my route, mostly rolling (800m in 100km) with a couple of 10% up and 12% down to test the legs. One of the dowhills had a suicidal Hare ran across - so of course I braked AND stopped pedalling: I don't recommend that.
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(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/FQuo9p-AZuqeDZcuLbF0UiJK2A2bBBalGQNY2T9uZpM-2048x1536.jpg)
Gorgeous colour.
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Thanks Paul - I really like it too: The colour was a leap of faith as Spa have no pictures of that colour! Well they do - but you have to know it is the same blue as another bike, the Aubesque.
I'm now riding 42/16 = 70.5" - which is lovely, and could be "the one": It is much nicer downhill and doesn't feel too hard elsewhere: But needs a longer ride to be sure.
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Well it seems you can’t move for Blue Spa Audax Mono’s on audax events. I count three so far!
Julian christened his one day before mine arrived. Dai outdid us both by building his last summer and fitting disk brake forks and 32mm tyres with mudguards. The 32mm tyres took some cunning and skulduggery.
Much as I would love 32mm tyres - I’ll stick with 28mm. The redshift stem and seatpost add 200g of weight, but they make 28mm tyres feel very plush.
If the stars align, the mono will do its first 200km next month. It’s a rolling ride (2000m), with nothing spiteful.
I’m on 42/16 (70.5”) which I really like. It is much less frantic downhill. Time will tell if that is too long for my tired legs in the last 50km of a 200km audax.
Today we rode for two hours around West London landmarks - passing the Museums to the East and as far south as Barnes bridge. I know it’s a cliche - but fixed works really well in London. And if you can pick the quiet roads and cycle ways - people will not believe that its the most relaxing cycling I know of.
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Warning a long ode to fixed follows..
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Fixed has taught this old dog new tricks and injected new enthusiasm into a life long joy. To the untrained eye it’s just a bicycle. It looks like all the other bicycles, and yet it is an entirely different experience. A trike or recumbent looks different. They are different, and all the better for it. You expect them to be different. The difference is clear for all to see. But not fixed. It hides in plain sight.
I really love it.
The biggest difference is the lack of freewheel - a single gear isn’t a big deal, strangely. But pedalling ALL the time is entirely new to anybody that has cycled for the last 45 years. We’ve always ridden freewheel. What is this crazy business. I see in very old adverts that bicycle forks had stirrups for your feet when going downhill. Old folk were tough. They thought nothing of crashing - it was par for the course. Brakes didn't work, so they regularly head butted walls, people, horses, trees. We’ve become soft…
It reminds me of driving on the opposite side of the road for the first time - everything is familiar, and yet you can’t trust your unconscious skills: You are plunged back into the chaotic and overwhelmed world of a beginner. It’s fine when things are going well - but the instant something urgent occurs, the legs stop moving! Or if you leave a cafe after a long break, and set off pedalling, then reach back to adjust the bag - of course stopping to pedal. The tyres screech, your legs are thrown into confusion, your bum jumps off the seat, and finesse leaves on a one way trip to Timbuktu. It’s like walking awkwardly across a busy town square with a massive tray of overfilled beer, and then an air raid siren wails at full blast. Goodbye beer, hello panic.
Eventually you remember, but it takes many repeats of the refrain “Keep bloody pedalling oaf!” - the steering wobbles a bit, and self-inflicted crisis is averted. Until the next time…
Did I mention that I love it?
If you are feeling jaded, the miles feel samey, the roads overly familiar. You’ve lost the desire to do shorter rides. Why not try fixed? It’s like introducing a puppy to an older dog. There will be grumbling. There will be rolling of eyes. There will be constant complaints. And yet - the twinkle in the eye will return. The colours feel brighter. The sounds more nuanced. This new interloper is really annoying… please get rid of them… tomorrow. Or the day after… or maybe the day after that…
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It is great fun to ride. I am new to fixed, so I keep finding random situations where my muscle memory is to stop pedalling: This creates moments of unplanned excitement ;D
I've been riding a fixed gear Pompino as my main transport bike for the best part of 20 years and I still forget to stop pedalling sometimes if I've been out on one of the other steeds.
Just one of those things.
Sam (it has been 0 days since I forgot to keep pedalling)
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Ha ha. I love the idea of an accident board that says “X days since I stoped pedalling”. I must be able to make 1 day!
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It is great fun to ride. I am new to fixed, so I keep finding random situations where my muscle memory is to stop pedalling: This creates moments of unplanned excitement ;D
I've been riding a fixed gear Pompino as my main transport bike for the best part of 20 years and I still forget to stop pedalling sometimes if I've been out on one of the other steeds.
Just one of those things.
Sam (it has been 0 days since I forgot to keep pedalling)
Equally amusing is going back onto a single speed freewheel and having your legs insist that they have to keep going round and feeling for the backlift when there isn't any!
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Looks really nice. Lovely paint colour
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Thanks :thumbsup:
We had smashing weather this afternoon. Spring at last!
So we trundled along the Thames and Richmond park.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/9ElplV-RyQoCXDNj5CJUP0LLrlO8oRcuwPTo2ybLiE4-1536x2048.jpg)
It has been 2 days since I forgot to keep pedalling...
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Equally amusing is going back onto a single speed freewheel and having your legs insist that they have to keep going round and feeling for the backlift when there isn't any!
I had a short flirtation with a geared bike and the utter terror as it rode off without me pedalling nearly had me walking!
I am immune to this effect on laidback bikes/trikes.
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Looks great. The spa frames are filling a bit of a hole in the market, very few fixed/SS frames about now with full mudguard and bottle cage mounts, the Genesis Flyer has turned into a Single Speed gravel bike. Look forward to the ride reports (once you've tightened the chain ;)).
Thanks Jon.
I almost overlooked Spa to be honest, even though I've bought my Elan from them. After Christmas they were selling the framesets for £270! Which was an unbelievable price for a nice 725 main triangle and all the audax'y options you list. I did plan to built it up myself - but when I totted up the item cost, the Spa complete bike was £50 more.
I shall wind the chain SOOO tight, that the chainstay starts to bend ;D
Just to make 100% certain; frame and forks for 275£? Could be tempted at that price.
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Not anymore - it's £375 - but I saw it drop to
£270 £290 in the depths of January.
https://spacycles.co.uk/m11b0s143p4602/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Frameset (https://spacycles.co.uk/m11b0s143p4602/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Frameset)
Even the normal Audax (geared) was £275 until very recently - I was tempted to swap most of my cheap Triban onto a steel audax frame - but I'll wait till the prices drop again!
I'm hoping I haven't ruined for everyone by saying they are great value for money ;D
*EDIT: Optimistic memory of price.
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Not anymore - it's £375 - but I saw it drop to £270 in the depths of January.
https://spacycles.co.uk/m11b0s143p4602/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Frameset (https://spacycles.co.uk/m11b0s143p4602/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Frameset)
Well yes, but now I know it was sold at some point at that price, I can haggle.
Geometry charts anywhere?
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It's the same geometry as the normal Steel Audax - knock yourself out:
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/smsimg/uploads/audaxgeometry.jpg (http://www.spacycles.co.uk/smsimg/uploads/audaxgeometry.jpg)
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A price correction - I double checked my spreadsheet from 10th Jan, and the frameset price was £290 for both the mono and the normal steel audax.
The way back machine doesn't sample Spa's webpage very often - so nothing to substantiate that other than I was pricing things up keenly and writing down what I saw.
To be honest - even at the current price: It's a nice 725 frame, decent carbon forks, no-nonsense in design, nice colours and significantly cheaper than a Condor Tempo frame and the same price as Dolan FXE frame. The Dolan FXE was also much cheaper over winter - and I suspect Spa track their pricing as closest competitor.
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Been waiting for months for the Condor Tempo to come back into stock ! I’m going to save the best part of £600 and Order a Mono , that blue colour looks great !
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It's the same geometry as the normal Steel Audax - knock yourself out:
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/smsimg/uploads/audaxgeometry.jpg (http://www.spacycles.co.uk/smsimg/uploads/audaxgeometry.jpg)
The smallest frame has an effective top tube of 56cm, which is not an actual "small" frame.
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Just looked at the sizing , I’m in between sizes 52cm and 54cm ( longish torso and short legs ) so not sure what size to Order ! The sizing does look a bit of an mis mash , a 135mm head tube for a 54 is small ?
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Spa sizing can be a bit individual!
I’m 185cm tall with (short) 83cm inside leg. I used to ride a 58cm Audax but would have probably been better on a 56cm. I have a 56cm Elan, which feels enormous - not uncomfortable just like a monster truck.
My daughter who is c. 162cm iirc rides a 50cm Audax
Mike
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I can get away with adjusting reach etc , I hate a short seat post as it look odd and I think makes the bike less comfy .
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I bought a 60cm mono, I’ve ridden up to a 600 on it, I think it is a great frame. It’s got all the audaxy bits, is well made and the 725 seems to cope well and provides a comfy ride. I’m 6’5 with long legs, so not really a standard size, I struggled to get the right reach/drop and get the saddle set back right. I splashed out over 6 months ago on a 61cm tempo and have found the geometry far more suited to me. The mono is now swapped about and used for a bit of off road fixed riding, fast group rides and commuting and works a treat.
I would describe the mono as a more road geometry and the tempo as a more endurance geometry.
Just on a side note, not big enough for me be maybe something else to consider -
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame (https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame)
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I've got a 52cm Elan which is really comfy - but I went with a 54cm Mono.
As others say, 52 and 54 mono have the same effective top tube, which is about the same size as the 52cm Elan. I wanted less stem showing so I went with 54cm. It fits really well. The stack isn't too massive with bar and seat at the same height.
I had enough seat post to fit a redshift suspension post. These transform comfort for me on bikes with narrow tyres.
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Just on a side note, not big enough for me be maybe something else to consider -
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame (https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame)
That's really interesting - is that basically an updated Pompino with bigger tyre clearance?
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Just on a side note, not big enough for me be maybe something else to consider -
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame (https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FROOMU/on-one-mulo-frame)
That's really interesting - is that basically an updated Pompino with bigger tyre clearance?
I believe so!
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The mono completed it's first 200km, the Cheltenham New Flyer. It's not an AAA ride, but it doesn't spare the hills - including chevrons.
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=125709.0 (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=125709.0)
It's a fantastic audax, and it wasn't as hard as I imagined on fixed. Not easy - but with lots of hill walking, and longer breaks, we got around without drama. In fact I was only 16 minutes slower than last year! Granted, I ride for joy, which puts me in the back third - but I thought I might be an hour slower.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/DADJWiVUIan0slCXnfXAEz_Ft5kjt_M8bP3iVhv6Q_c-1536x2048.jpg)
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It looks good. If I had some money to spare I'd get one.
Spa sizing can be a bit individual!
I had a lot of trouble deciding between medium & small on my Aspire (which I know isn't technically a Spa, it's just that Spa bought Sabbath). They didn't have medium in stock at the time, so I opted for small, as it was advertised to fit someone my height (and of course there's a lot more to it than that...). It turns out small fits fine, but I kind of wish I'd had a chance to try a medium as well. Just to satisfy my curiosity.
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Sizing is pretty individual - there is a large Sabbath Mondays Child in the shed set up with no spacers and the short headset to cap. It’s pretty aggressive but fits me well and is a complete hoot - has gears though, so doesn’t belong here.
Mike
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The addiction is beyond hopeless. We went for another audax around North Wessex downs, "Up the Downs".
This is Combe Gibbet...
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/W-uUxJ702RCAuQDcSAgNbuIzRli1_OGeI_O2OZe8pBA-2048x1536.jpg)
... it was so hot I was willing the thundercloud closer!
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A nice review of the mono in the press.
https://road.cc/content/review/spa-cycles-audax-mono-301575 (https://road.cc/content/review/spa-cycles-audax-mono-301575)
I'm glad it isn't just me that finds these things so addictive.
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Another gratuitous photo - but it is a smashing blue colour!
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/vr4VD7odhfnz7gNcuXaM9qHe8VuNS0dadGHZTGQS98w-2048x1536.jpg)
This time at the end of this months 200km ride, waiting for the Liz line back into The Smoke.
And at the top of Chute's causeway - a smashing valley in the North Wessex Downs.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/_l2iK1A-fHdT1PRpRQDrAIs-Fd1zZTDW4YjGCiix618-1536x2048.jpg)
For some reason, I felt it necessary to ride up every hill - which was a novelty for me: I normally prefer to join the ramblers on a steep hill. And chute's causeway took some determination to keep turning VERY slow circles. But we pedalled up everything on this ride - which was rather satisfying.
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I’m seriously thinking about getting one of these, that’s the easy part, decision made. Now to justify it 😂🤔
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I've got a 52cm Elan which is really comfy - but I went with a 54cm Mono.
As others say, 52 and 54 mono have the same effective top tube, which is about the same size as the 52cm Elan. I wanted less stem showing so I went with 54cm. It fits really well. The stack isn't too massive with bar and seat at the same height.
Can I ask how tall you are?
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I've got a 52cm Elan which is really comfy - but I went with a 54cm Mono.
As others say, 52 and 54 mono have the same effective top tube, which is about the same size as the 52cm Elan. I wanted less stem showing so I went with 54cm. It fits really well. The stack isn't too massive with bar and seat at the same height.
Can I ask how tall you are?
Of course - I'm 5ft 8in. 31 inch leg inseam.
I like the riding position so much for audax, I'm saving up for a geared Audax frameset (54cm, in sparkly red) that I can use as my geared Audax bike for the really long and/or hilly stuff.
The Elan is comfier, and 35mm tyres give great confidence. But the much more upright position, and extra 2kg are noticeable on a long ride. It's a much better touring, bylane, luggage carrier - so still has a firm place in the shed.
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Thanks.
Btw I liked your ode to fixed (though I'll never change my freewheeling ways (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=126074.0)).
It reminds me of driving on the opposite side of the road for the first time - everything is familiar, and yet you can’t trust your unconscious skills: You are plunged back into the chaotic and overwhelmed world of a beginner.
I found that the mantra "left is life, right is death" helped when I came here from the States.
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Thanks.
Btw I liked your ode to fixed (though I'll never change my freewheeling ways (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=126074.0)).
It reminds me of driving on the opposite side of the road for the first time - everything is familiar, and yet you can’t trust your unconscious skills: You are plunged back into the chaotic and overwhelmed world of a beginner.
I found that the mantra "left is life, right is death" helped when I came here from the States.
My "mere" ode is no match for your manifesto - I shall try harder, or maybe just shout louder ;D
PS. I also love freewheeling - preferably on a long, gentle downhill, with no annoying things to brake for - just clicking along at 20mph with not a care in the world.
PPS. I'm actually very tempted to build a bike that NOBODY will like - and that is a triple front, but a single speed rear. None of this close ratio non-sense. I shall christen the gears:
- Cruising
- This is a tad lumpy/windy
- You can stuff your chevron where the sun....
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PPS. I'm actually very tempted to build a bike that NOBODY will like - and that is a triple front, but a single speed rear. None of this close ratio non-sense. I shall christen the gears:
- Cruising
- This is a tad lumpy/windy
- You can stuff your chevron where the sun....
It exists.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-internal-hub-gear-brake/sturmey-archer-s3x-3spd-fixed-hub-silver-130mm-oln-36-hole/
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PPS. I'm actually very tempted to build a bike that NOBODY will like - and that is a triple front, but a single speed rear. None of this close ratio non-sense. I shall christen the gears:
- Cruising
- This is a tad lumpy/windy
- You can stuff your chevron where the sun....
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-internal-hub-gear-brake/sturmey-archer-s3x-3spd-fixed-hub-silver-130mm-oln-36-hole/
Funny you mention that...
As I pushed the "post" button my brain went "Wait - wouldn't a 3 speed hub have the same gear range as my triple chainrings?"
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Found a crack in the green Dolan which had been out of action for a few months. I note that the price of the FXE has gone up quite a bit.
The mono is currently on sale at £375 and they have a 52cm in bronze. Currently procrastinating but I think I might make a purchase.
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Found a crack in the green Dolan which had been out of action for a few months. I note that the price of the FXE has gone up quite a bit.
The mono is currently on sale at £375 and they have a 52cm in bronze. Currently procrastinating but I think I might make a purchase.
And the box arrived yesterday. A 52cm mono in metallic bronze. The build is a bit of a project as the bits need to come off 2 bikes.
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Smart! Enjoy the build :thumbsup:
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A fabulous October day in the downs for this months brevet.
Eton is very familiar to me - but as I age, I understand the extraordinary history of this place.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/2wCeZozEAEAqZEWrAvcpHSIGKxQJbuOej9tVLfcUZDQ-1536x2048.jpg)
Chute's Causeway is a rod for my own back - it hits 13% at times - but I've got up before with no foot fouls, so that is the new standard!
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/0tKQY76ZlYnh_sIQ7pf0qLYTgiHyxoqwPuToZVj6VkA-1536x2048.jpg)
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Smart! Enjoy the build :thumbsup:
Picking mine up Friday morning.
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Time for a new chain. They don't last long, 2500km. But I suspect I've run it a smidge too tight at times - by not finding the inevitable tight spot, and setting the tension for that.
It is still a very handsome beast: The svelte steel tubes, with sparkly blue metallic paint, and the classic shiny silver drivetrain. I like it very much... still.
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What's the basic weight of your SPA Audax Mono please trundle, just as a matter of interest. Apologies if you've revealed this upthread already and I've missed it.
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Funny you should ask; I've spent happy hours building complicated weight wheeny spreadsheets this xmas holiday instead of watching junk on TV.
It's a knats whisker over 10kg as I have it - but I've got strong wheels (1.9kg with skewers), spd pedals, full mudguards, full redshift suspension stem (280g) and seatpost (500g), and gel pads (100g!) under tape, 28mm schwalbe tyres and butyl tubes.
I reckon without the suspension it would have been 9.7kg out of the box with standard SPD pedals, mudguards etc. But I didn't weight it then.
It would be easy to get it under 9kg without mudguards, lighter wheels, tpu's tubes. And if you went mad with carbon bits - I'm sure it could hit 7.5kg - and break into a thousand splinters on the first pot hole ;D
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Thanks for that info, I've never been a weight weenie but do think a decent lightweight steed makes all the difference when riding a fixed gear. I've an old Raleigh 531 frame which I use fixed and have it at around 10 kg without much trouble or expense. I'd like to get it down to around 8.5 kg but that would mean building up a set of wheels at around £200 for the components and splashing out on a pair of GP5000's. Maybe a project for the early Spring. Cheers.
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Exploring more London alleyways, from https://bluecrowmedia.com/products/london-alleyways-map (https://bluecrowmedia.com/products/london-alleyways-map) map. Around Charring Cross.
This is Craven Passage - made famous by Sherlock Holmes. The red pub at the top of the steps is one pub, in two separate buildings split by the passageway.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/sWSz2nuICAmAhNJpwei4Z110uwvCefB31JlMZSfq6as-1536x2048.jpg)
Around the back of St James park.
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/HnfXarUHbxTmaE7fRWh5O6AufTNC2m9mGbo8JbmOjlw-1536x2048.jpg)
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Looks lovely, and quite tempting. They don’t seem to do a larger frame with steel forks, maybe they would swap them out. I have a mistrust of carbon forks, that will not go away.
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This is reviewed in the latest
CTC wearecyclinguk rag.
Unfortunately the reviewer doesn't mention:
1. The difficulty of using track ends with full mudguards
2. Whether the chainline is good - it often isn't on production bikes
Also, 42 x 18? That's lethal!
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1. The difficulty of using track ends with full mudguards
It is a pain which is alleviated to a degree by the use of SKS quick release clips that are normally used on the front guards - I've got these on my Ridgeback Solo commuter. Overall I do agree which is why I prefer the forward facing dropouts on the Condor Tempo and which were available on the Genesis Flyer but this model is now produced as a disc brake single speed with no fixed option. The other advantage is that the angle of the forward facing drop outs means that when moving the back wheel backwards or forwards the brake pads stay aligned (if a rear brake is used).
2. Whether the chainline is good - it often isn't on production bikes
I'm not sure it enters into the thinking when putting bikes together. I've bought two fixed gear bikes second hand but with the origignal drivetrains and the chainlines have been very suboptimal.
Also, 42 x 18? That's lethal!
Why lethal? is it that it's a low gear? Looks to be about 63" which I've used on long hilly rides (with a rear brake)
I've seen quite a few of these bikes on audaxes, they do tick a lot of boxes, e.g. fittings for bottle cages and mudguards. I've not met anyone disappointed by them and they are very good value for money.
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Yes, 63" is better with a rear brake. Not great without one, though, if you find yourself on a long downhill.
I'm a bit obsessed with chainline. Even if it's not noisy, a bad chainline wears the chainring and sprocket in a way it shouldn't (it's constantly pressing on one side of the teeth), it increases the risk of breakage, and it also increases the risk of throwing the chain if you let it get as slack as in a Fixed Gear Gallery photo.
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Spa have a clearance model for sale, bronze, 54cm - £575.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s221p5217/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Clearance-Model-%28Ex-Demo%29 (https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s221p5217/SPA-CYCLES-Audax-Mono-Clearance-Model-%28Ex-Demo%29)
No pictures yet - but considering the frameset alone is £375, and it comes with hand built wheels worth more than £200 - you are getting the rest of the bike for free!
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Now landed and built
(there is a photo but it fails to appear)
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Hope you enjoy it Arabella.
I've set mine up single speed now - I still love fixed: I just want to try single speed for a while to see what it's like.
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@trundle
What chainset are you running on your mono?
My mono came with Spa's RD2 which has the chainring bolted to the inner spider to achieve adequate chainline. Your chainring appears to be bolted to the outside of the spider so maybe it isn't an RD2.
I'd like to change my chainset because I can't get consistent chain tension, which I've isolated to the chainset not being symmetrical.
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@Howdee
It's TD2 with a 42 tooth chainring at 110mm BCD.
I did try the the chainwheel on the inside. It improved the chainline, but it sounded horrible. Like it wanted to unship.
The chainwheel is back on the outside, which looks nicer and a liberal coat of wax lube makes it run silently.
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Arabella, How was the maiden voyage?
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@trundle
What chainset are you running on your mono?
My mono came with Spa's RD2 which has the chainring bolted to the inner spider to achieve adequate chainline. Your chainring appears to be bolted to the outside of the spider so maybe it isn't an RD2.
I'd like to change my chainset because I can't get consistent chain tension, which I've isolated to the chainset not being symmetrical.
The RD2 is an unbranded Sugino Messenger, isn't it? I built a fixie with one of those and it is pleasantly concentric with a TA track ring. Chainline is difficult because it's really a road crank, but it lines up with a 103mm BB, a Miche track hub, and a thin spacer under the RH cup.
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The RD2 is an unbranded Sugino Messenger, isn't it? I built a fixie with one of those and it is pleasantly concentric with a TA track ring. Chainline is difficult because it's really a road crank, but it lines up with a 103mm BB, a Miche track hub, and a thin spacer under the RH cup.
I believe Spa's RD2 uses the same pattern as the Sugino Messenger. Thanks for that info. I have a spare 103mm BB which I will try with the chainring moved to the outside.
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What rear hub are you using? The Miche has a chainline of about 46mm, I think, with a typical sprocket.
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Hub is a Sturmey Archer HBT30 Fixed/Free
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SJSC claim the chainline of that is 42mm (SJSC are not always accurate in their answers). I assume that includes the sprocket but there is some variance in sprockets when it comes to chainline. Anyway, frames are rarely straight so you need to check chainline with a straight edge instead and go from there.
I think I respaced the Miche hubs to get a 45mm chainline. I did the same with my vintage Campag Record track hub (Campag "track" chainline is 42.5mm). You may have to do the same, since achieving a 42mm chainline is not possible with road-derived cranks and the ring on the outside. Obviously the wheel needs redishing if it's already been built.
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I've been experimenting with single speed, because, why not: But I really miss fixed - so it's flipped back to fixed, and the flats replaced with SPD pedals.
I'll try again when I have the time for long distance: I expect I'll enjoy single speed on some long rides.
Every time I lift the mono, it feels light as a feather: My geared bikes are 2 and 3 kg's heavier.