Gold fixie on the BBC

sure this has probably been mentioned somewhere before.

but go to picture 6 here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7435506.stm

This 24 carat gold bicycle, commissioned by the UK's Environmental Transport Association, is on sale for £9,500. It has an optional extra of a security guard, as bicycles over £4,000 cannot be insured.

yah - tis a charge plug!

That explains why they're so heavy! ;-)

it's so heavy the front tyre's p*nct*red

it also has patented 'NoBrakes'!

Glad to see the Environmental Transport Association spending its (taxpayers'?) money so wisely.

thats great. Its for an insurance company that will not insure the bike

id cycle on it just to see if the security guard could keep up with his hand chained to the bike :-P

9 grand and it's got a messenger chainset? :S

9 grand and it's got a messenger chainset? :S

messenger chainset bad? or just cheap?

this is better.

messenger chainset bad? or just cheap?

I thought that the sugino messenger was a pretty decent crankset... am I wrong?

pretty decent for one of the most rock-bottom priced cranks out there.

good cranks ain't cheap, and cheap cranks ain't good!

seems to me that all charge bikes come with them as standard - surely not that bad then? i mean to say - it would suffice, no?
whereas if you were building your own "supreme" bike (as opposed to polo/banger), you would probably want to go up market just as a matter of course

So the UK's Environmental Transport Association spent £9,500 of tax payers money on a bike that is illegal to ride in the UK (no brakes) and has a flat front tyre for the photoshoot ?

What was the point ?

This reminds me of ex-Mayor Ken's endless posters promoting cycling showing a bike being ridden through one of London's parks, the majority of which would get you arrested if you tried.

They're not bad cranks, by any means. Excellent value for money. Just that on a bike worth that much, I'd certainly expect higher end cranks than those, e.g. sugino 75.

seems to me that all charge bikes come with them as standard - surely not that bad then? i mean to say - it would suffice, no?
whereas if you were building your own "supreme" bike (as opposed to polo/banger), you would probably want to go up market just as a matter of course

yeah, they work fine. I had one for a while.

just don't expect perfection

well we all know that once you get to a certain level of officiality, you have to turn all logic to your policies in completely the opposite direction just to survive not being laughed at by your fellow officious bodies - i mean, imagine going out there with something that was effective - that worked!you'd never live it down - im telling you!!!

now tell me - did i overdo that a bit?

don't expect perfection

sure thing - what is your fave crank set (iregardless of that entity known as money?)

sure thing - what is your fave crank set (iregardless of that entity known as money?)

Sugino 75s + Zen rings are very good in the respect that they are very round, even more so than a top end Dura Ace crank and ring.

I've not owned anything high-end.

but from what I've seen, I'd probably go dura-ace

yeh - ive been hearing the 75s being suggested around... im a fair bit off from building yet - just getting the basics of a list together atm
i've got a mash up fixed and a road racer to keep me going till then :D

I've not owned anything high-end.
but from what I've seen, I'd probably go dura-ace

+1.. oh wait, already did... :)

So the UK's Environmental Transport Association spent £9,500 of tax payers money on a bike that is illegal to ride in the UK (no brakes) and has a flat front tyre for the photoshoot ?

What was the point ?

This reminds me of ex-Mayor Ken's endless posters promoting cycling showing a bike being ridden through one of London's parks, the majority of which would get you arrested if you tried.

no they commissioned. they didn't pay for it!!!