Fixed // Road // Bikepacking (custom steel fixed audax bike for a big guy)

Hi folks.

Based in France, I'm a teenager and I'm really into Audax, Brevets, bikepacking in general.
My current road bike is a FrankenCube (hybrid frame, carbon fork, disc road bike). It's mainly my do-it-all functional workhorse and sometimes used as a cross bike with WTB nano. Here, at the finish of a beer-friendly brevet.

But: coming from a fixed gear background, I do really miss riding fixed. Plus: there is a french guy called Thierry Saint-Léger, riding long-distance on a Victoire custom steel bike. I've rode with him many time, and during a 1000kms he inspired me so much I decided to follow his steps (his tubulars, indeed).

So here we are:

• I'm waiting for my custom frame (but not steel yet unfortunately)
  
• carbon fork
  
• dynamo hub and front lighting
  
• 42/17 ratio
  Let's go ? :)
  
  

So the frame has been painted.
First mistake: I forgot to drill water bottle bosses before ! Tant pis...

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During the last picture, the frame was drying out.
It's obviously the same color as the fork and with a glossy finish.

fixed audax? You sound nuts, subbed!

I like where this is going. :)

I'm waiting for my custom frame

What is it?

#subbed

Hello and thank you for your interest !

@PepOne it's my ace in the hole... Basically it's an italian alloy tubing that I bought raw and get a custom paint for it after some welding. Thanks to a friend in Geneva, it's now properly painted!

Without further do let's go back to the parts!

One in a blue moon I dream about getting carbon rims. But I'm a riding-far type of guy, and I'm a student: which shortly means 'No money, lot's of wear in the component'.
So, in the next days I will show you my wheels but right now I'm waiting for spokes that comes from Germany. As a student again, I found that wheelbuilding is way cheaper especially when you want atypic stuff (dynamo hub front, track hub rear).

Wheelbuilding is also a good way to balance your Zen (or get really pissed and throw everything in the bin)

So here is the frame. Even a cheap frame should be matchy matchy with ya Oakleys!
It's a 60cm classical fit with tapered carbon forks. The paint here is very dusty!
@PepOne I second that... ;)

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Nice color :) subbed

I like where this is going

What kind of gear ratio do you think you'll run mostly? I love the idea of doing long distance (maybe not 1000kms long) fixed rides but would find it dificult to decide on a good balance.

The paint looks great!

Saint-Léger uses 42/17, such as his inspiration Charles Terront.
I may ride the same, although for now I presume it will be 46/17 and 46/20 because I cannot get my hands to a black 144Bcd chainring.
Hence I'm not very happy of this idea because I will need a bigger cog (20?) for propers cols
and I will destroy my knees otherwise.

This is nuts, I love it. I too want to do some fixed touring next summer. Looking forward to seeing the build!

A rider completed the TCR this year fixed. He was on 36/13 and 36/23 for mountains. Also said in retrospect he needed a freewheel for the downhills.

Stunt peg descents are the way forward.

Stunt peg descents are the way forward.

The TCR guy did the descents without a chain iirc

Lacks the panache but understandable.

The idea is not to put 11 cogs, Electronic shifting and a free wheel.

A 42/17 and time on the bike should be enough ! Just to mention that I'm obviously not doing any TCR and I'm not experienced enough for that..

So it's not a racing machine for me: I just dont stop (riding beers while riding is way funnier and keep them nice and cold).

I though about 36 chainring but it cannot fit my New crank...

@laner has been known to do fixed touring across mountains too.

I watched a video of Saint-Léger after you mentioned him. It said he used 33/24 for mountain ascents and 42/17 as you said. It was a lovely film too.

Glad you liked it!
Yeah during a non stop crossing with mavic he changed his bike. But not during bikepacking events such as the Born To Ride (this year Chilkoot gave us 1200kms and loads of climbs) where he climbed the ventoux fixed.
But let's not pretend anyone can be as good as him because I'm obviously not...

After a messy hide and seek with delivery employees, here are the first parts !

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I'm a simple man. I change my bike shoes when I change my bike... So this means getting new shoes. Gone for heat moldable one because nothing is equivalently comfortable.

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