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.
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.
Recently I switched from riding in clips and straps (MKS GR-9 pedals with Toshi double straps and Soma double clips) to clipless pedals. It was an amazing difference; easily the best upgrade I have ever invested in for my bike. Within minutes I could do stuff that had always eluded me with clips and straps – I can skid, even while seated, and can ride no-handed. Handling and power transfer is superb. But I still had a problem: when I wasn’t riding, walking around in fancy road shoes and cleats was pretty lame! They don’t look cool, they were noisy, and at one point they made me slip and fall down a flight of stairs! (Luckily, I was OK).
Then at the Bike Jumble last week I bought a pair of these 611 Filter shoes from Continuum Cycles. They are skate-style shoes with stiff reinforced soles and mounts for cleats! Perfect! They are comfortable and solid, holding my foot as well as my road shoes. The cleat is recessed into the sole, so you have the full grip of the sneaker tread – no more slipping around on bulky cleats. I am using them with Shimano SH51 cleats and M520 dual-sided clipless pedals. I definitely recommend these shoes to any urban fixed-gear riders who want the benefits of riding clipless without the annoyance of walking around in road shoes all day. Check them out at 611’s website or you local bike shop.
Here’s a new single-speed build I completed recently. I started with an old lugged steel 58cm road frame that I stripped, primered, and re-painted. I also removed the braze-on wire guides for a cleaner look. I added a 1960’s-era Ashtabula chrome track fork and a new Tange headset, which gives this build a unique and distinctive look. The bottom bracket was replaced with a 103mm Shimano cartridge and Bulletproof cranks.
The stem is a 120mm Specialized quill with silver chopped risers and black rubber grips, a chrome BMX brake lever and new Tektro front caliper brake. A pair of 700c wheels and a black saddle finished off the build nicely. The gearing is 42×16 which is my preferred “cruising” setup for commuting around NYC. The whole build took me about 8-10 hours of work; I’m pretty experienced at this point so the only tricky part was making the fork work. I had to cut the steerer tube down, re-chase the threads, and neck down the quill slightly as the steerer tube was a non-standard diameter, slightly narrower than the usual 22.2cm.
I sold it this evening for $250, so I’m glad I got pictures this morning. Check out more pictures after the jump…
flickr image by FelixvonPlaten1
It’s been a while since I’ve posted about bikes, but the Ostro “Torro” track frames have me intrigued. Handmade in Poland, they are rarely seen in the USA. Their design reminds me of Koichi Yamaguchi’s gorgeous Kilo / Pursuit bike, with the distinctive “triple triangle” seatstays of the GT Gutterball and curved seat tube of the mid-90’s KHS Aero track frames.
The welds and chunky rear fork ends make the Ostro look like it would be as at home on the streets as the track, though. Bike Mielec in Poland shows a similar frame in their gallery, I’m not 100% sure that they are the manufacturer of Ostro frames, or if they merely copied one. I am considering have a copy of this frame built in the USA by Gene Spicer, as it’s probably cheaper and faster than sourcing one from Poland.
Check out the gallery of Ostro’s after the jump. Note that the geometry differs between bikes – some have the very steep angles and saddle-to-bar drop associated with a pursuit frame, while others like the one pictured above have a horizontal top tube.
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…