Current Projects chat and miscellany

woulndt say super sonic ;)

but i still have to go and try it out on longer rides through the city..if it doest feel save ill go back to 17.

it was a tryout only anyway.

thanks for the warning+explanation guys.

It's not the legal implication not riding with a brake but the ablitiy to slow down properly and the danger of ruining your knees.

Of course there are some very skilled cyclists who rode without a front brake, but their gear ratio are usually a sensible 19-48 (about 67 gear inches give or take).

If you like 15-48, there are other option to carry on riding, one is a front brake, two is a 3 speed fixed hubs where you can change ratio (but still required brakes) and three is riding on the track.

Otherwise I'd suggest either an 18 or 19t cog, it may feel spinny and people have certain preference to how spinny they like it, but I'm fairly sure you'll find that ratio a lots easier to ride on a day-to-day basis.

now you are scaring me..
rode with 48-17 for a while and ive never had trouble stopping...is it really that much harder?

I was running 48-14 for my first coupla years fixed - brakless and single strapped. It's super tough to start/stop which is no good in london really as with traffic it seems to be all you do.

The speed advantage is basically moot because I never dared to get up to a decent speed as I found stopping to difficult - think maybe about double straps, freestyle straps or clipless pedals to give you more stopping power.

It can be fine but watch out for your knees as I had to gear down after having a week not being able to walk, you don't want to do yourself permanent damage.

I was running 48-14 for my first coupla years fixed

That's elite cat track gearing!!

Assuming the old fork would have had a rake of around 45mm and HT angle of 75 deg, the trail would have been 42.9 mm.

Both assumptions are at the outer edges of the normal envelope for road race frames. To make it enjoyable to ride, you should probably aim for >50mm.

I was running 48-14

Fuck me. That just plain stoopid.

I was running 48-13 for 1 day in Brighton, now on 48-15, it's not going up hills, it's the going down them thats stupid. I have to walk the bike down the first hill, as it's just not safe.

I am in the process of buying forks that will take a brake, but am skint, until I shift some stuff.

or just buy a new sprocket?

if there's not enough clearance, a smaller chainring, much cheaper, and/or just drill the damn fork.

Nothing can beat the legend that is the 50-14 though.

Fuck me. That just plain stoopid.

Pretty stupid but gave me legs like tree trunks so had a plus side too. I wouldn't do it again though but I was young and naive and he told me he would make me famous etc. etc. blah blah blah

well thanks for the warning i guess..went to a 15 because its pretty flat here and i felt that i had overspin when riding fast.

lets see how this goes.

I really enjoyed brakeless when I was riding 72-74 GI (52-19) and found it very unenjoyable when riding with 85 GI (52-16). It is a BIG difference.

I'm running 46-18 but I prefer to spin.

or just buy a new sprocket?

It would still be too sketchy, any which way from my house are big stonking hills ending in cross roads/t-junctions. Riding brake-less down them is utterly terrifying, I want a drilled front fork, but won't drill this one as it's too nice and other people want it as is.

News just in: That isnt a photo of a fixed gear bike

errr? hows that then? correct me if i'm wrong but i thought a bike with a fixed gear was a fixed gear

It would still be too sketchy, any which way from my house are big stonking hills ending in cross roads/t-junctions. Riding brake-less down them is utterly terrifying, I want a drilled front fork, but won't drill this one as it's too nice and other people want it as is.

clamp on brake? Or just buy one of those cheap surly forks?

Or "bomb" down them while filming yourself and send the results to MASH/you've been framed (delete as appropriate)

wow this bike is the exact opposite of what i think a fixed gear bike should look like
so much going on on that bike .... sooooo much stuff

so? fixed gears can be practical to you know...

News just in: That isnt a photo of a fixed gear bike

errr? hows that then? correct me if i'm wrong but i thought a bike with a fixed gear was a fixed gear

look at the original image

wow this bike is the exact opposite of what i think a fixed gear bike should look like
so much going on on that bike .... sooooo much stuff

guessed that was to me, but i guess not haha

Or "bomb" down them while filming yourself and send the results to MASH/you've been framed (delete as appropriate)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNgvbnB1CFg

Apex fail.

wtf? it's got two sets of brakes on the rear wheel

tow bar > fixie skiddR

wtf? it's got two sets of brakes on the rear wheel

When you're carrying a lot of weight; it probably isn't an undesirable thing.

Also the person whom the bike was build for is a little on the larger side too.

the rider would be a component of m

guessed that was to me, but i guess not haha

It was to both of you, but yeah I should have multi quoted, sorry.