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Take the bolt out and remove it completely before using the extractor :-)

Yes - you need a 15mm socket to get the bolt out and then a crank extractor to get the crank off the axle - pretty common - sorry though - I do not have one. There is no smart way to get the crank off otherwise without damaging it or the frame.

Tubulars ... the main advantage these days (following the improvement in tyres) is that if you have a puncture at high speed the tubular stays on the rim, and is quite rideable for a least a short distance, very important in a race or high-speed training. Also if you are training and carry a spare then it is quick to take off the old tubular and put on a new one.

I do not use tubs anymore since the advantages and cost of tyres outweigh, for my needs, the advantages of tubulars.

Tubulars are fairly easy to fix when you know how - sewing - just follow the original holes, have a proper needle, do not use a thimble if it is hard going - turn the needle upside down and push on a coin or something hard.

I fixed literally hundreds, because when I was racing - 15 years or so ago - tyres were only just becoming a serous alternative and almost no-one used them except for Winter training. Anyway I can answer any questions about fixing you have, please feel free to ask, it is quite easy and fairly quick.

Tubulars have inner tubes, and it is not too difficult to fix them if they have a puncture. If anyone is interested I can explain - let me know.

Upgrading wheels will make the most difference definately. There is a lot of experience on this site so maybe tell the folks what your price in mind is?

Secondary, would be changing to 1/8" chain and then drivetrain. How heavy are you, do you really stomp on the pedals?

I have never broken a 3/32 chain, but I have cracked two rollers on two different good quality chains (over 20 years riding including 7 when I was racing/training to race, and on a freewheel - so not very often, but this is not something i would want to happen on a fixed, or even have to think about the possibility, I have all 1 1/8).

Get a proper spanner, do not use a box spanner. I needed 14 stitches put in my arm when I snapped one doing exactly tightening bolts on a rear-fixed a few years ago.

I agree about taking the cages out whatever else - I had a cage on a Duraace fail and fortunately spotted the problem quickly before it destroyed the bearing surfaces.

Condor.

Did you try the oil idea?

A very likely solution...

If it is anything other than a very expensive 'sealed' then you have some water in, and it has caused a little rust. Take the wheel out hold it parallel to the ground and put a few drops of oil where the 'seal' is, spin and the oil will enter the bearings. Do this both sides.

Why?

Maybe tell us a bit more about your budget, what kind of environment you like, and what you will be doing while you are here - it will help give more specific answers.

Maybe the chainring itself is bent and the cranks are okay?

Presumably you checked his already - lie the ring on a flat surface and ... it should be flat too.

If it is the cranks don't bend them, bin them, even if they do not snap they will stress and will likely break some other time.

In theory is possible to reforge the cranks/spider - and there are techniques to prevent/remove the stress during/after forging, but you need to find someone who knows how to do this, and the cost will be more than the price of a new set (not to mention that they will need refinishing again afterwards).

Don't ride on them either, if they are bent they are already stressed.

Also ...

photoben I've got a pair of 600's. Good bearings, but the shape can be uncomfortable in normal trainers.

Yes - good point, if you are going to wear trainers forget these pedals - no support for the end of the foot - with cycling shoes this is supplied by the rigid sole ....

Most aluminium forks are guaranteed for a year only (look at the small print on 'life-time' aluminium frame guarantees). Maybe aluminium frames have improved, and also it probably depends on how hard they are ridden - but aluminium work-hardens and age-hardens, when I used to race and had a friend who was a professional frame builder he said that the pro's would be given aluminium frames free to advertise them, would ride them for a year only, and then bin them.

I have verified that aluminium becomes brittle after time and use having snapped two elderly hose-clamps - for fire-fighting - important that they do not snap.

If I were lighter (but I am not), if I did not like to put some pressure on the pedals every now and then (but I do), and if aluminium did not have such a tinny feel and look to it (but it does), I would think about an aluminium frame .....

Everyone to their own, and life has many risks whatever.

There are a range of the same style from Shimano. These probably are the 105's as the finishing is not so polished. The Duraace version look much better, very polished and smart, and the bearings are good too - I had a pair for years (about 15 years ago ...) on my competition bike. I also had some 600's on my training bike, which were okay (looked good - but the bearings not so - but you will probably not be doing 10,000 miles a year on them?). The 105's I do not know about but they would have been lesser quality than the 600's. I would say that if you can find some Duraace then good, but not the others.

Yes, I wouldn't worry about cracks either unless the casing is splitting too, and/or it starts to bulge anywhere, in which case I would replace it ASAP.

I have had lots of deep cuts in my tyres - down to the casing and if they become too open I glue them using 'superglue gel', deflating the tyre and pinch the cut together again - I usually do a check every couple of weeks and dig any bits of glass out as well.

If the casing is damaged in any significant way, certainly if it is bulging, though replace ASAP as it will blow out at some point, probably soon.

lpg laps of swains lane (up), highgate west hill (down).

What gear do you use?

Everthing was a sheet of ice around Crouch End and will be today probably too. I pushed my bike (nearly fell over walking though about three times :-)) to the main road, stayed in the melted wet area created by the cars' tyres' movement, and stayed there, and was fine. Let's see what happens this morning :-)

American speedos are in kmph so .... 80 = 50 mph

Highgate area .... Jackson's Lane is not too bad, the cobbles and holes in various places break your rhythmn though.

Cressida is toughest I think (I have not tried it on fixed - an indication). Swains lane longer but not as steep. Highgate West a little easier than Swains because it curves and is therefore a little longer and less gradient (but do not try it tonight - burst water main at the top - and it is freezing up there tonight - I was running on Hampstead Heath and the puddles are ice). I got up Highgate West on 48 x 17 without thinking of walking last Friday, but I would not make it regularly part of my route home .... :)

The irony is (knowing your reason for wanting clips) is that (in my experience having used for clips for years including racing with them) only cycle shoes allow easy access to clips. Trainers are too bulky, and nicer shoes (which may allow easy access) will be trashed by the clips rubbing on them.

Here is another option .............................................. I have seen platform pedals (no clips) with a clipless mechanism on the other side so ........ you can wear normal shoes for short distance social trips where you are not going to go too fast so you do not need your foot locked in, and then use the clipless side with cycling shoes for more serious stuff .... any good? Do I get any marks out of 10 for this?

Nikwax works very well for quite a long time, but it has silicon in it and will eventually destroy the leather, I know I did it, the only possible exception is leather that has been especially treated and impregnated with silicon such as very high quality hiking/climbing boots. Otherwise after a year or two at most the leather will start cracking, then just throw it away, it is irretrievable.

Use beeswax/natural oils if you are serious about keeping leather for more than just a year or two. It works, I tested it sun and rain working in a California vineyard for 7 years, nothing destroys leather faster than extreme sun and wet alternating, faster.

Pedals often click especially if water got in at som point. Try puttting a few drops of oil where the bearing seals are are and spin the pedal (so the oil will enter). You can also lie the bike on its side and put oil around the seal and let gravity do its work.

Fixed wheel means that the gear ratio is set by the size of the drive wheel - there is no chain - the cranks are attached to drive wheel - think penny farthing etc. The circumference of the wheel is the gear size in inches.

Fixed gear is where the cranks attached to a chain ring which then powers the driving wheel by it being attached to a fixed sprocket. The gear size is calculated by chainring teeth/sprocket teeth x driving wheel's circumference.