59cm IRO Mark V

Another IRO Mark V rebuild / repaint project.  I love building up and selling these bikes, as they are one of the most solid, no-nonsense urban single-speed / fixed gear bikes out there.  They have the perfect geometry for city streets, and use high-quality steel in the frame construction.  For a fixed-gear under $500, it beats all challengers.

I got this frame as part of a trade, and I overhauled and refinished it.  Dismantled, cleaned out, and re-packed the headset and bottom bracket, added some shiny new silver deep-V’s, a Fuji Feather saddle, and a new cockpit with front & rear brakes with nifty pink housing.  Crankset is a Sugino RD 170mm with a 48-tooth Rocket chain ring, 16 tooth Dura Ace cog, KMC K710 chain, and MKS Stream track pedals.

More pics after the jump…

Continue reading

53cm Origin8 Del Pasado

delpasado_frontangleDS1

I just finished up this new fixed-gear, based on Origin8’s Del Pasado track frame.  The Del Pasado is a true urban / street frame, built of sturdy chromo-steel and with comparatively relaxed geometry (not much toe overlap) and mounting points for racks and fenders.  The front wheel is an Aerospoke and the rear is a Velocity Deep-V with an IRO fix/fix hub.  The crankset is a Suntour that I polished up, with matching Origin8 track pedals and Soma double-gate toe clips.  Race face stem, Tektro front brake & cross lever, and a Vitesse saddle.

I took the Del Pasado for a spin last night and it is a very easy rider; the geometry gives you a stable base and the thick chainstays deliver a smooth ride on rough streets.  With a set of riser bars, this would also make a good trick rider.  The Del Pasado frame is one of the best deals around right now (selling on eBay for around $180 for the frame & fork, with shipping) and I think my build shows that you can make a pretty sweet bike out of it.

More pictures after the jump… Continue reading

New Fuji Track Pro pictures

photo by CyclingWMD

photo by CyclingWMD

Last Sunday we had some warm weather and I rode with a couple buddies from the NYC Fixed.gr forum out to Floyd Bennett field and Jacob Riis beach.  There was a spectacular sunset at the beach and I asked CyclingWMD to take some “bike porn” pictures of my Fuji Track Pro.  It’s evolved a bit since I last posted about it: I’ve switched to Syntace bullhorn bars, clipless Shimano pedals, and a black Dura-Ace 47T chainring.  And I added a carbon HED3 Tri-spoke front wheel.  This bike is so fast and comfortable now, having evolved into exactly the right fit for me and a joy to ride.

photo by CyclingWMD

photo by CyclingWMD

Fuji Track Pro – major upgrades!

new FTP

I originally built this custom Fuji Track Pro frame up with cheap Bontrager parts from a Trek Soho S, but over the last few months I have been upgrading it to a serious beast.  The crankset is a Dura Ace 7710 “hollow tech” crankset & matching octalink bottom bracket, which feature hollow-forged duraluminum arms for the stiffest and lightest non-carbon cranks available.  It’s matched to Dura Ace 7600 high-flange track hubs laced to a Velocity deep-v wheelset on Continental Gatorskin tires.  The front chainring is a Sugino 75 46T while the cog is a 16T Dura Ace.  I also added a Dura Ace AX seatpost and a rare gray-colored Brooks B17 Pro saddle.  The pedals are MKS Custom Nuevo with MKS Alpha leather double-straps & Christophe clips.  Finally, I swapped the 130mm Cinelli Groove stem for a 120mm, and I might drop it down to 100mm soon.

I’ve been riding this bike as a fixed-gear since December, although I have retained the front and rear brakes for safety, and also so I can switch back to freewheel easily if I wanted.  However, it is a joy to ride fixed and I’m loving every minute on this bike.  Total value is around $1800, so it’s not your average coffee-getter, but I do ride it daily in NYC despite the grit and grime (which you can see in the pics after the jump.)

Lots more pics after the jump!

Continue reading

Fuji Track Pro: murdered out!

Fuji Track Pro view 1

This is my newest and fastest bike – a 2007 Fuji Track Pro with a custom “murdered out” (all black) paint job.  I picked up the frame last month and had it drilled for brakes, since I ride freewheel.  Most of the parts are from my Trek Soho S that I swapped over.  I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, so I didn’t want to drop big $$$ to set it up.

However, I LOVE this bike!  It is the fastest and most responsive ride I’ve ever had.  It almost floats over the rough streets, and it’s easy to jump over larger stuff too.  Of course if I hit a crack or a bump I certainly feel it due to the lightweight frame, but it’s so maneuverable that I rarely do.  I rode it in my first alleycat race last weekend, and will be on it for all races in the future.  Coming soon, I’m putting Dura Ace track cranks, BB, and chain on it, as well as a saddle upgrade to a Brooks Professional that’s a bit more narrow.

More pics after the jump…

Continue reading

Trek Soho S – tarckstar style

my soho

This is my current city bike, a customized Trek Soho S single speed.  It’s a 2008 model I bought last spring at Bike Habitat.  Since then, I’ve done a lot of upgrading and adjusting to the bike to make it faster and more comfortable.  Not that the Soho S needs it; out of the box it’s a great all-purpose commuter.  It’s lightweight, super stable, and has almost no toe overlap.

Upgrades and more pics after the jump…

Continue reading