Tag Archives: brooks

Alien 53cm fixed-gear custom build

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I have waited nearly a year to build this bike: I first ordered the frame from Alien Bikes as part of a group buy last October, receiving it last May.  Despite the ridiculous wait, the frame is gorgeous and well-made, especially considering the low $350 pricetag for a hand-made lugged steel frame.  I used wire brushes to remove most of the phosphate coating from the tubes, exposing the raw steel and bright gold flux around the lugs.   The inspiration for this build is a classic Italian racer, something that looks like a throwback to the 1940’s or 50’s, but built from a mix of affordable modern and vintage parts.

Click “Read More” to see a hi-res gallery pf photos.

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Fuji Track Pro – major upgrades!

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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!

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Bianchi Volpe touring bike

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Volpe side view

Another day, another bike post!  This is my geared touring bike that I built up from a 1998 Bianchi Volpe frame. I wanted to build a geared bike for century rides and other rides where a single-speed wouldn’t be the best choice.  I also wanted to try out a bullhorn handlebar setup, which I enjoy.  It’s very stable and perfect for when you really want to go fast.  This bike is still sort of a work in progress; it’s comfortable and fit to me but I’d like to replace the stem to match the rest of the white & blue theme.

More details and pictures after the jump…

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Trek Soho S – tarckstar style

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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…

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Vintage “Townie” single-speed

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townie side shot

This is my third bike build, a vintage “townie” style bike built on a 1970’s-era Schwinn frame.  The frame came with leather-wrapped handlebars, which inspired me to build it out as a classy around-the-town bike.  I replaced the heavy steel 26″ Araya wheels with lightweight 700c deep-v track wheels, and put Nashbar’s “Duro” tires on them.  The dark brown sidewalls match the leather nicely.

The seat is a riveted leather Brooks copy, taken from from a Masi Soulville bike.  I installed a 68x107mm Miche bottom bracket, red KMC single-speed chain, and built the single-speed crankset from a new 170mm Campagnolo Mirage set.   It has a 42-tooth chain ring up front and a 16 tooth freewheel in back, with a flipflop hub & fixed gear cog & lock ring.  Pedals are MKS Syvlan touring, brakes are new Tekro side-pull calipers, and I added a set of Planet Bike “Hardcore Road” fenders for all-weather riding.

Full story and more pics after the jump…

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