[dcv]

@KelOnWheels 36952 wrote:

There seems to be a lot of Tiagra on my Hypothetical List

What about bikes with big French words?

[dcv]

Thanks to Tim & Zanna of BikeArlington, I picked up some cowbells and vuvuzelas to hand out on race day. I might ask my wife & son to pass these out. I’ll be cheering for Crysb (looking for a robin egg blue cross-check). I definitely won’t be cheering for VVill or GuyContinental anyone else racing in the cat 4 mens.

If I don’t regonize you I’ll be looking for your bikes (silver r3, black poprad, disc trucker, CAADX, cypress, bedazzled mtb…), hope to see you there.

[dcv]

@vvill 36729 wrote:

Happy to report I emerged unscathed and perhaps even a little enlightened from my first ever fixie ride. Thanks to dcv for sharing his SS/FG CX bike. Going west on the Custis after sunset probably wasn’t the best test environment, but with cushy tires it wasn’t a big deal. It’s definitely a very different experience.

Edit: additions.
Thing most likely to make me crash: going from standing up to sitting on the saddle, I tend to coast a little. Fixie coasting is bad.
Best unexpected thing: How easy it is to keep pedaling. Since your (and the bike’s) momentum continue to turn your pedals you really don’t have to put much energy into pedaling unless you want to go up a hill fast.
Weirdest thing: trying to modulate speed by resisting the pedals (modulating by pedaling lighter seemed easy enough). Maybe I need to practice on a elliptical backwards or something, but I have very undeveloped muscle memory/fibers for doing that.
I think I have a bit more understanding of the connection with the road and bike that fixie riders rave about.

You’re a natural, I could tell you were well prepared physically and mentally. When I first started riding FG there was nothing zen-like about it, took me a while to get used to it.
Anyone else want to try? (I’m looking at you, shawnofthedead, jrenaut and eminva)

[dcv]

i’m signed up for the men’s cat 4 – i will be the one making the mess. this is me from dccx:

I’ll look for forum members – see you race day (if I know what you look like or recognize your bikes)

[dcv]

@vvill 36472 wrote:

This looks like ridiculously good value…

They’re even producing their own dixie cog soon.

Did they discontinue the Scandium frame Lightning? That was pretty light.

[dcv]

@Rod Smith 36470 wrote:

I put a new fork on mine.

Holy tire clearance! Are you running 26″ MTB wheels on a 29’er fork?
Your trailer tires looks overloaded or low on air, what are you hauling?

[dcv]

@GuyContinental 36410 wrote:

Johnny is an old Lemond Poprad- when I acquired him he had dual Avid shorty canti’s… I couldn’t stand them up front (Link to thread) and settled on a set of Paul Mini-moto linear (short) pull fronts. I now have about 1500 miles on them and am still really jazzed about their performance. Adding the interrupter levers was a great move as well. However, just this morning I found some sort of special slime on Difficult Run trail that lubed up my rim so badly that I lost 95% of my braking power and shot into the trees. Meanwhile, my buddy on his Avid mechanicals merrily went on his way right through the goo. If I could (and felt like spending the money) I’d rebuild that front with a disc but I don’t think that the frame has enough life left to justify a new fork.

Only other issue with the Paul (besides cost) is that it takes some fiddling and a 15mm wrench to get it dialed in after a wheelset change (I switch back and forth between a set of commuter slicks and the CX tires). It’s not a huge deal but like most Paul products, the documentation is well-neigh nonexistent so some trial and error is in order.

The other huge improvement I recently made was switching from high pressure CX (Hutch Piranha @ 80psi) to low pressure tubeless CX (Michelin Mud2 @ 38-40psi)- off road handling is a TON better at the lower pressures even if my on-piste performance is a bit slower. Also- no more evil pinch flats…

Thx, I was going to convert a bad boy for my wife but the top tube was too long for drop bar setup. I recently switched to kool stops on my CX, haven’t noticed problems w braking. Cantis are a pain to keep adjusted properly.

[dcv]

can’t believe i missed that on CL, love it

[dcv]

@ShawnoftheDread 36389 wrote:

This is my fixie-to-be. Someday.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2103[/ATTACH]

Perfect frame for a conversion, is someday coming soon?

[dcv]

@vvill 36359 wrote:

Thanks, I’m enjoying the cleaner look too. The flat bar came stock with the bike – I’d actually prefer drop bars but I’m not invested in this project (yet). I actually tried to loosen a couple of the inner chainring bolts (figured I could at least ditch that) but they are very tight – no dice.

I have several sets of drop bars you can have, they’re take offs from bikes that are wider than I like. I also have a set of silver bars (26.0 clamp I think) that I flopped&chopped, and a set of drop bar brake levers I took off the Motobecane. Just let me know if you want.

Honestly though, I forsee bullhorns & bar end brake levers in this bike’s future.

As for the chainring bolts, I’ve used a socket wrench with allen hex socket set. The extra leverage of the longer handle works. Single chainring bolts are usually in stock at Revolution Cycles, you’ll need to replace the chainring bolts on there now if you leave only one ring on.

Let me know if you need any help.

[dcv]

@crysb 36374 wrote:

Tiny-framed new Cross Check, about a month and a half old with 600 miles on it. This photo is from a ride around Burke Lake today. Gorgeous weather!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2101[/ATTACH]

Nice bike. I like Burke Lake, especially in the winter months when there’s less people on the trail.

[dcv]

@Greenbelt 36338 wrote:

Rod and I had a weigh-off of our work bikes at potluck a couple weeks back. Minus the trailers and crates and panniers, of course, but including my tool bag and pump.

He “won” by a mile! His bike was well over 40 pounds if I remember right — mine was like 35 or something.

Mine equipped for apple pie delivery today:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2092[/ATTACH]

That’s awesome. So Rod is in the lead with 40lbs, I think Pete can beat that.

[dcv]

@GuyContinental 36331 wrote:

My cross bike is staring at me from my office corner… it says “Pssst! You are going to eat for the next three days straight… leave now and earn your turkey…”

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2090[/ATTACH]

“…oh and fix my hoods, that’s just embarrassing”

Number Five is Allliveee!!!

Hilarious.
Did your bike come with canti rear brakes and direct pull V brakes up front? Also is the front a mini-v brake? I didn’t think integrated brake/shifters worked with long pull V brakes.

The reason I’m asking is I’m planning a drop bar conversion on a bike with V-brakes and about to order mini-V’s to work with Tiagara shifters.

[dcv]

@vvill 36265 wrote:

This is my 2nd lightest bike right now…! And I haven’t even taken off derailleurs or unnecessary gears/rings.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2086[/ATTACH]
(Saddle/seatpost position needs some tuning.)

This is starting to look nice, much cleaner and I like the flat bars. Looking at the amount of seat post showing the frame doesn’t look too big for you, like you said it’s not a compact frame. If you needed to reduce reach you could get a shorter stem, 80 or 70mm?

If you can get it to work with magic gearing that would be really clean, all you would need is a spacer kit, single cog and single chainring bolts (ditch the 2 inner chainrings and both derailleurs). If not just add a chain tensioner. A SS conversion would compliment your stable nicely.

Pic of my spacers and surly cog (for shimano free hub):

[dcv]

@vvill 36283 wrote:

How much does that front brake + lever weigh?

I spy an eccentric rear hub.

I’m pretty sure it would drop into high 13’s without the brake. Good eye, ENO eccentric hub is the key to converting any road bike.

[Author]

Replies