Welcome

hello all,
nice forum, it keeps popping up when i search things in google.

I just got given a crappy bike, but its brought back my interest in bikes. I lived in Japan and loved my bike there. i'm thinking of building a single speed and like begbie there, it would be nice to get fitter.
:)

Hi everbody
been lurking around the forum quite a while now since rekindling my love of cycling as a teenager 40 odd years ago riding then if I remember correctly a Holdsworth fixed wheel. I've been a chauffuer in central London for some 30+ years often with my faithful Brompton in the boot. Just bought two bikes with bigger wheels best not mention them here I might get incoming flak.

Really have enjoyed trawling through the many posts admiring some fine machinery, picking up useful info and above all enjoying the wit and banter that seems unique to this forum. I do have a couple of noob type quetions which may get a straight reply but I'm braced for anything else.
Here goes, what are the little wrap over straps/tubes I see on a top tube? and what's the deal about sticking cards in the spokes of some bikes?

Tin hat firmly on, fire away.

Welcome, oldgit. If I read you right, the 'straps' you mention may be top tube protectors (against the handlebars swinging round to hit the top tube). Spokecards started as race numbers in urban races and they're now used outside of that context, e.g. as souvenirs of a ride. Some people like looking at them on theirs and other bikes to perhaps discover what, if anything, they may have in common with another rider, or just what they've been up to.

Cheers, that wasn't painfall at all

Hi everbody
been lurking around the forum quite a while now since rekindling my love of cycling as a teenager 40 odd years ago riding then if I remember correctly a Holdsworth fixed wheel. I've been a chauffuer in central London for some 30+ years often with my faithful Brompton in the boot. Just bought two bikes with bigger wheels best not mention them here I might get incoming flak.

Really have enjoyed trawling through the many posts admiring some fine machinery, picking up useful info and above all enjoying the wit and banter that seems unique to this forum. I do have a couple of noob type quetions which may get a straight reply but I'm braced for anything else.
Here goes, what are the little wrap over straps/tubes I see on a top tube? and what's the deal about sticking cards in the spokes of some bikes?

Tin hat firmly on, fire away.

Hello and welcome, the wrap over the top tube is a hang over from BMXing which protected your knackers if you slipped off the seat , now its either to hide what your bike is, protect your knackers for tricks or more realistically for looks. Cards in spokes are from rides usually, to show you've done something I guess and to recognise people who have done the same. Enjoy the forum.

Hello and welcome, the wrap over the top tube is a hang over from BMXing which protected your knackers if you slipped off the seat , now its either to hide what your bike is, protect your knackers for tricks or more realistically for looks. Cards in spokes are from rides usually, to show you've done something I guess and to recognise people who have done the same. Enjoy the forum.

Thanks, a bit gutted the cards weren't held in place by a clothes peg to make and indescribable noise so I wont describe it.

.

Hello Peeps!
I joined this forum a few months back and loving it, really nice threads and infos on here! Hope its not too late to introduce myself here. I enjoy commuting in london and live in E1 area. Im looking to join rides or just chill and meet with peoples and cyclist alike. I also like to see the Herne Hill drome and maybe ride it sometime, but i have no experience so abit worried going there without knowing much (just a newbie)
Neways hope to see you guys and gals on the road :-)

peas!

Welcome, modan. To ride at Herne Hill, you have to do an induction session first. You could also come along to the next Track Day to get a flavour, even if not riding:

http://www.lfgss.com/thread47716.html

hey Oliver, thanks. would defenitely like to see the track day but ill be working on saturday. In fact, i work every weekends saturday and sundays, it sucks. Do you guys do track days during the week?

Have a look at the Track sub-forum to see what's going on--there are events during the week, but I think they're mostly for more advanced riders. Your best bet is to go along to an induction session on a Saturday.

Alrighter, thought i'd actually make the effort to say hello. I'm new to the fixie thang, was looking for a new bike thru a scheme at work cause i was sick of walking, didn't want another mountain bike or a straight up road bike. Just wanted to get back some of the simple pleasure of cycling from my youth. Then discovered the fixed gear gallery and found what i was looking for. Simple bikes that look soooooo sweet. Found myself a Focale 44 relax at a local shop and can't get enough, i just love climbing hills and all i have to think about is getting to the top,no changing gear, just me against the hill. Now all i can think about is building the fixie of my dreams, just need to find a frame to get started...

Hi there everyone in lfgss land
jason

Hello all, another who has just joined...I love all things steel and after many years of cycling am about to dip my toe into the world of singlespeed.
There are a few familiar virtual faces on here who may know me as Baggy from other bits of the interwebs

Oh, I help to organise the Exmouth Exodus, Devon's own version of the Dun Run, too.

just finished my build of a raleigh chiltern fixie, black fram, orange deep dish wheels. still a complete noob im amazed i managed to get it to work

Hello!

I'm a long time lurker, from 2008 maybe. I've found the site useful for almost any bike-related questions, from transmission database to old steel frames etc. I've also learned something about british humour, maybe.. At least I'm laughing at some odd memes which I'm probably not getting.

I've rode a Mercian track which I then sold, was a nice ride. Wasn't a best choice to commute all 4 seasons. Had some knee problems but those got sorted out when I left winter gearing (43/18) on with slicks last spring.

Now I'm jumping to bandwagon with geared build, a mid 80's EM Corsa Extra.

Greetings from Finland,
Aleksi

Hello, moving down to Kingston for uni next month, currently converting an old peugeot road bike, and i can already say that without this forum, i wouldnt have learnt half the useful stuff i know now.

Hiya

I've been looking around the forum for a while, but finally signed up. I'm living in Yorkshire at the moment and ended up building a single speed to see what all the fuss was about - got an old Argos 531 frame and went from there, now doing around 80-100km a week and loving it.

Hopefully in time I'll have something to add...

90

Greetings from SF Fixed ;).

I'll be in London from 12-18 September. I'm staying with a friend and looking to ride a bike if possible.

In SF I ride a Milwaukee Cream City, I'm down for short or longer rides. Looking to borrow a track or road bike if anyone has one in my size just lying around. Brakes preferred (especially on the road bike ;)

I should have mentioned I ride a 58cm-60cm

I'm back. Was once the Holy See but moving to Amsterdam has somehow caused my username and password to be down.

Alex

I mean I used to be White Flower :( Fail

Hi, im new to the forum.

Im currently attempting to build my first fixie with an old bike frame.
hoping to gain some knowledge from the forum and maybe get a bargain on some parts rather than going down the eBay route and buying something that will turn out to be crap.

G Spoke

Hi G-Spoke, like you I'm new to here but I've known about it for some time. This is my first post and I'm still in the nursery atm but I'm definitely looking to pick up some knowledge and tips for in the city.
Basically I have been into mountain bikes for ages and have a pinkbike account under the same username which i regularly post in.
I just got my A-level results and got into my first choice Uni, Ravensbourne. The new building is just being finished next to the o2 arena and my accomodation is in Greenwich itself, moving in later this month and I cant wait!
Anyway, whilst I'm living in the city my freeride mountainbike is looking like its going to be spending most of its time locked VERY securely in the bike racks at my halls but I'm not just going to stop riding bikes.
In fact I am very aware of how beneficial bikes are in London, so I have dug out an old 80's road bike with 27x 1.25 " wheels that my dad bought second hand probably before I was born. :P
I'm lloking to fix it up whilst still maintaining the ratty look and using this as my bike to get around on during my time at Uni and maybe afterwards too.
So I will be starting a thread on here with some pictures and asking for help soon with things such as ss conversion blah blah blah and hopefully people will give me lots of tips.
Im good at fixing mountainbikes but road bikes are almost completely new to me so a lot of the sizes/techniques are different to what I know but Im sure I will learn fast. I am also hoping to get a job at Cycles UK greenwich which is right next to my halls but I will have to wait and see on this.
Anyway, hi.

my sister's at ravensbourne and hates it.
Just sayin'