Tag Archives: fixie

Kilo TT OS – retro fixed on a budget

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I just saw this new “experimental” frame from the folks at Bikesdirect / Bikeisland.  They added a second top tube to their popular Kilo TT bike frame, and widened the front fork and rear triangle to accept 700×38 wheels.  It’s based on the vintage designs of the early 20th century, sometimes referred to as “scorchers.”

Looks like a lot of fun to ride offroad, in the snow, etc.  Or perhaps re-paint it and make a modern-retro townie to match your tweed jackets.  It should be available for sale by the end of this week, a limited run of full bikes at Bikesdirect for $450 and framesets for $250 at BikeIsland. Sizes available are Small – 53c C-T, Medium – 56c C-T, and Large – 59c C-T.

53cm Origin8 Del Pasado

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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 →

Alien Update

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I finished this build at the end of September, showcasing  it in this post.  However, I very quickly ran into a bunch of problems when I started riding it.  The Major Taylor handlebars were uncomfortable, so I replaced them with a set of bullhorns I made.  Then the vintage Brooks leather saddle literally ripped in half – I guess the leather had not been treated well and had dry rot.  I swapped it out with a 1970’s leather Concor Laser saddle.   A few weeks later, the 1930’s adjustable stem I was using cracked!   I located a more robust 1970’s-era 3TTT adjustable stem (a “Record Regolabile” according to Velobase.org) to replace it.  I also added Brooks leather bar tape to the bullhorns and top tube, and changed the gearing to a more mellow 47 / 17.

So here is the updated version of the Alien, which is far more comfortable and safer to ride, while still retaining a nice vintage-inspired look.  Check out more pics after the jump…

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Chrome Bianchi Pista

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This all-chrome 2007 53cm Bianchi Pista is a recent build of mine, having gotten a good deal on the frame.  I added a brand-new red Alex R500 wheelset with matching hubs, a matching 3TTT Mutant stem, and San Marco saddle.   Matchy-matchy!  It has a black Sugino messenger crankset and bottom bracket, and is pictured with MKS GR-9 pedals with Soma Oppy XX double clips and Freeman Transport leather double straps.  The ergo drop bars are very comfortable (I used to have them on my Fuji Track Pro) with a Dia-Comp Shot brake lever and Tektro front caliper.

I’m stuck right now between selling this bike for some quick cash or riding it as a winter snow bike.  It would make a good winter bike, but it’s also so pretty and shiny that I don’t want to dirty it up.  Decisions, decisions…  check out more pictures after the jump!

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New Fuji Track Pro pictures

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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

Bianchi “What You Want Ho” Pista

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sideangle_NDS_pista

Here’s a build I threw together the other day from parts I had around the house.  It’s a 2007 Bianchi Pista frame that was powdercoated red.  I added a Sugino Messenger crankset, BMX platform pedals with clips and doubles traps, a brown leather Concor Max saddle, flat bars w/ Oury grips, and a flip-flop wheelset.  I found a nice old Shimano side-pull caliper brake for the front as well.  The NYC “pistadex” took a nose dive this morning when I sold it for $310.

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Quoc Pham Fixed Shoe

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I just heard about these from Prolly via his blog.  I checked out the Quoc Pham website, and while the only version available currently are the black leather ones, I liked these tan ones the best.  They are reasonably priced at £90 (about $130 USD) and I plan on picking up a pair when they get more colors in.  Check out the full review from Prolly, who got a tester pair recently and seems to like them.  I hope they also consider making versions that accept SPD cleats as well, like the Dromarti shoes.  I am loving the resurgence of classic cycling attire these days – I think it’s a lot nicer than high-top Nikes and a Kid Robot hoodie (soooo two years ago!).

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