Members Fixed Gear & SS

[1gear]

Nice looking pompino, bolt cutters is better to trim the stays and fit caps after, much neater and safer.

But put your safety specs on, or shut your eyes tight shut, because the bits ptwang off at very high velocity  

And helmet and hi vis

Honestly. Just cut them off, an angle grinder will have them off quick.

[clarion]

Ignore the voice of naivety.  Those ends can come off at high speed in any direction.  If 1gear becomes 1eye, we'll know why.

[Rhys W]

IME, they don't - they have no momentum, and you're not likely to impart much. They just drop off.

BUT - Dremel cutting discs are very fragile, light, and spin at several hundred rpm (or more). When I'm using cutting discs, I always use safety glasses.

[eck]

Fit the stays, mark where you need to cut them, take them off and cut with a junior hacksaw. It's hardly a big job, is it?

[Chris S]

Fit the stays, mark where you need to cut them, take them off and cut with a junior hacksaw. It's hardly a big job, is it?

No one's saying it is. But there's more than one way to skin a cat, and some ways might involve shrapnel. That's all...

[Tail End Charlie]

Proper fettling involves thinking for days about a problem, researching on the internet, several hours pondering said problem in front of bike, then diving in and usually making a complete cods of it.
So it is a big job (probably why I never get anything done).

[eck]

Fit the stays, mark where you need to cut them, take them off and cut with a junior hacksaw. It's hardly a big job, is it?

No one's saying it is. But there's more than one way to skin a cat, and some ways might involve shrapnel. That's all...

Chris, sorry if I didn't explain what I meant, which was that marking the stays and taking them off to cut them was hardly a big job. And no shrapnel involved.
 

And I can certainly relate to TEC's view.

... diving in and usually making a complete cods of it.

BTDTGTTS 

[jogler]

diving in and usually making a complete cods of it.

is there another way to fettle then?

[Rhys W]

And fit the little rubber caps on the cut ends.

[marcusjb]

Blimey - sorry to stir up such a hornet's nest over mudguard stays!

I will wear safety glasses when I cut them - I've seen what bits of metal can do to eyes and it is not a pleasant memory.

I will be taking them off the bike to cut them. 

And I will fit the little safety caps (actually plastic these days and held captive by the stay mount so you can't lose them).

But in more exciting news, I did actually get to ride the bike today - only 5 miles roundtip to Richmond.  Felt great and I only forgot about the whole peddling all the time thing once when I tried to freewheel over the nasty speed bump down the road, needless to say the bike soon reminded me of it's desires to keep the pedals moving.

[1gear]

Ignore the voice of naivety.  Those ends can come off at high speed in any direction.  If 1gear becomes 1eye, we'll know why.

Don't insult the person's intelligence. Im sure they know i didnt really mean to use an angle grinder

[Oaky]

 

A proper compliant bike/kitchen pic!  Marmite and kettle on show!  10/10!

[itsbruce]

Squeezy Marmite, though.

[PaulR]

Squeezy marmite: this has been making breakfast deeply distressing over the last few months.  I am so glad to be back with a proper glass jar.

Anyway, here's my beloved Kona, rarely maintained or cleaned.  It has been loyally getting me to work every day for four years and has done a few FNRttCs as well.

[IanDG]

Bob


'Bob' by windy_, on Flickr

Here or members bikes?

[nightrider]

My Kinesis Convert cogsy 002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Deano]

SS MTB by dean.clementson, on Flickr

My single-sped MTB.  Enjoy it while you can, putting gears on this is on my list of things to do as the chain tensioner has only been semi-successful, and I'm not getting on with SS-ing.

[PaulF]

My single-sped MTB.  Enjoy it while you can, putting gears on this is on my list of things to do as the chain tensioner has only been semi-successful, and I'm not getting on with SS-ing.

Traitor!

What's the problem with ss? Ratios?

Love ss mtb, so much fun!

[Deano]

The ratio is a bit crap - too spinny on the road, too high on anything except fire roads.  Spinning a 53" gear along the road for 20 miles until I get anywhere interesting isn't much fun, really.  I much prefer fixed, but ICBA with magic gears on this frame (plus I'd need another wheel!).  The homebrew chain tensioner is probably the main problem - it skips when I put mega-torque on when setting off and going uphill, and has occasionally come off when I've been going over rough, rootsy terrain.

I'd try other ratios, but I want to flog the bike, and I think I'd get more cashola with gears on it, and I wouldn't be comfortable selling it (or letting someone else ride it) while the chain tension is such a ballache.  Also, I have all the bits around to at least put a 7-speed block on the back, so it'll be cheaper and easier just to do that.

[Gog yn y De]

Having spent a year on my Pearson and convinced myself that having a fixed wheel in my collection was a good thing, I decided to upgrade.

I kept the rear sprocket, seat, handlebars, stem, brakes and pedals and sold the rest. I bought a few choice components and came up with this...







There are some more photos here.

So, what is it?

• Enigma titanium frame (made to measure)
• USE titanium seat post
• Selle SMP Evolution saddle
• Shimano 650 57mm reach brakes
• Truvativ Omnium 170mm cranks (external bearings)
• 48t chainring & 19t sprocket
• Royce rear hub
• Schmidt SON delux dynamo and eDulux light
• Rigida Grizzly Carbide Supersonic (CSS) 28mm rims
• Continental Grand Prix 4 Season 28mm tyres
• Shimano XTR SPD pedals
• SKS mudguards
• Carbon forks (can't remember what make)
• Chris King headset
• Izumi Super Tough Track Chain
• Fitted by Bike Dynamics

I started off with a carbon seat post but having been overtightened (pinched) and the creaking bamboo sound as I rode, I decided to switch to the titanium post and, to be honest, I can't tell the difference. At least I know it won't snap while I'm pulling 200rpm.

The difference between my previous steed and this one is huge. This one is lovely... but so it should be!

So far have done a 109km GPS ride and the Barry's Bristol Ball Buster 210km - no worries though the gearing was a bit too tall for the long drag near Wookey.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I decided to upgrade

Very decent machine 

What are the bars? Look very like the FSA ?Vero on my never-goes-to-audaxes bike.

Need I do other than merely refer to the angle of your tail light? 

I'd love to try a Selle SMP.

[Majorbloodnok]

^chuffing lovely^

[PH]

Veeeery nice, nearly nice enough to make me get rid of some gears.
What brake blocks are you using with the carbide rims and how are they working?  I've been using carbide rims for a few years and really rate them, though with canti or V brakes.  I've been considering them on another bike but haven't found blocks for caliper brakes.

[Gog yn y De]

What are the bars? Look very like the FSA

Correct - FSA Compact Bars

Need I do other than merely refer to the angle of your tail light? 

I can't get it vertical (!) but it's only a bonus one - I've one of those Cateye do-da's on the back of my Carradice bag.

[Gog yn y De]

What brake blocks are you using with the carbide rims and how are they working?  I've been using carbide rims for a few years and really rate them, though with canti or V brakes.  I've been considering them on another bike but haven't found blocks for caliper brakes.

That's a good point. I've got the same rims, though 26", on my Rohloff RST that uses Swisstop Blue Brake Pads (V-brakes). I'm on the same shoes since the summer of 2009 - they're getting a bit low now but the rims are mint.

However, you can't get these for caliper brakes and are limited to KoolStop - Green Ceramic Inserts. How do they compare? Well, it's hard to tell really because on the geared bike I just let it go down the steep hills while on the fixed, if it's too steep and long, then I'm on the brakes.  The problem with the previous bike was that the pads went into meltdown and the rims became shagged hence why this one has CSS rims. On the plus side, the rims are untouched and there's no meltdown but the pads are half the size they were before the start of Sunday's 200km (I don't reckon I'd be able to repeat the same ride without changing the pads beforehand). On the other hand, rims should last forever, and you don't get the black crap all over your legs went it rains. Oh, and the brakes are good too! The only thing you need to do when it's dry is brush away all the dry braking material (green).