Custom Orlowski Workhorse

Ah sweet, I'd just figured the 9 was a newer version rather than referring to arm length. I'll be using shimano levers but sounds like the 8.4's will still work better with those for me, offering a bit more pad clearance at the cost of a slight loss of power

I use sram levers with the CX9 so it's not impossible, just not ideal :)

Sounds like you'll be fine

Nice, I've just ordered a set along with canti mounts for the rear

Brakes arrived

Made this little doohickey to hold the bosses in place while tacking them

Done

Any updates?

Finally yes :)

Rode this through the winter with the old forks and mudguards. Finally got the new forks, brake and new tyres on and have done a few mixed terrain rides now I'm up in Scotland.

I'm really enjoying the change in handling characteristics the slight geo tweaks have given, I was worried that raising the BB would make it feel a bit unsteady but the increased trail has more than offset that. This is the first off road capable bike I've had since I was a kid and I'm loving having the option to explore different routes.

I'm running Conti CX Speed tyres: very impressed! As the name suggests they're fast on road and go well on gravel, can't imagine they'd be much cop in mud but for what I want they're perfect.

I couldn't decided about paint...was gonna get a full respray done then just rattle-canned the forks and rear end and was happy the keep the OG paint scheme which I still love however rust has started coming through so it might need doing after all but not sure what to go for...any ideas/thoughts welcomed.

To-do:

• dimple inside of chainstays to increase clearance. I've got a 35 in there but there's not much room and the wheel is right at the end of the dropouts.

• braze rear canti bosses on

• repaint

such a lurvvely bike. making me want to do something like this so bad.

Had a bit of a disaster on this last weekend. Near the end of a mixed terrain ride, on a rough farm track as dusk was turning to dark....

Never seen anything like it! A fatigue fracture I guess, these cranks have seen a lot of use but still I won't be buying a like for like replacement just in case. I'm thinking 130 bcd so I can run smaller chainrings and I have a spare Hollowtech crankset, any way to make that play nice with track chainline?

Just the epic power you're putting down, that's all.

Only reasonable conclusion

This is about to undergo a fairly major overhaul so thought I'd drop in and update the thread

🙏🏼
I was thinking about this thread the other day. It’s been awfully silent for too long.
I look forward to an update!

I could never get the mini V set up right and needed a bike down south racing crits on so switched back to an old set up and left it in London to fly down for the odd over summer.

After Red Hook I stopped racing for the year and had the bike posted back up to Scotland where I set it back up as fixed-gear tourer and spent the rest of summer and fall loading it up and going on weekend adventures. Reconnecting with how and why I really got into cycling.

Gutted I missed this at the crits, yours is far more unique than my green pre cursa! What gear ratio do you go for the touring?

Depends on the terrain and how much weight I'm carrying but normally around the 70inch mark

Nice bike. Where in Scotland are you? Looks remote and West coasty.

I wore out the brake track on my front wheel and rather than just buying a like-for-like replacement I thought I'd take the opportunity to make some upgrades and try someone things out:

• Disc brakes
  
• Dynamo hub
  
• 650b rims and bigger tyres
  
  

To accommodate these changes I needed a new fork, I've been wanting to weld a fork up for a while so devoted a few lunchtimes to making one for this.

It's 370mm a2c, 32mm rake, brazed disc most, low rider rack mounts, mudguard mounts, internal dynamo cable routing.

Cheers, I'm in the central belt but it's a good base for exploring further afield

Yep, that's my favourite thing about living here!

Touring on a 70" fixie is nuts, especially with some of the hills we've got around! Respect

Ah sweet, do you get out on the Edinburgh fixed gear runs? Would be great to link up with others doing similar riding

Edinburgh fixed gear runs

Is there such a thing? I'm embarrassed to admit I don't actually own a proper fixie - got a frame on the way that I was going to turn into a singlespeed though.

I had a trip to Cuba planned and decided to take this for one last blast around in the old guise.

Had an amazing few days riding, enjoying the pleasures of winter sunshine, empty roads and breath-taking scenery

Is there such a thing?

Last time I checked it was mostly ex-Londonengers keeping the fixie flag flying in Edinburgh.

There is, people post up social rides on the Facebook page and there's a smaller core who do longer/harder/rough stuff rides