I sold this bike in November 2006. I built this for wet-weather commuting, but there hasn't been much of that and I didn't have enough time to ride it. Also I was moving and needed to reduce my bike herd to smaller numbers... and lastly all the hipsters around here want fixies, so I was able to sell it for a lot :-D

 

This is my second fixed gear bike, built in late August 2006. This one is much nicer than my first fixed gear, and it took me less time than to build than the first one... I think I know what I'm doing now, and I have a large enough collection of bottom brackets to get the chainline just perfect .

This was built from an 1980s-vintage Fuji Allegro road bike. It's a nice frame built from Fuji VaLite butted tubing with SunTour forged dropouts and fork ends, originally with a SunTour AR drivetrain. The original Nitto stem and bars were in beautiful condition, but unfortunately the 39 cm bars were way too small for me (a perverse choice of bar size for a 60 cm frame, if you ask me).

• Wheels: 700C Mavic MA2 on 32-hole Nashbar flip-flop hubs with Wheelsmith spokes
• Tires: IRC 28mm Kevlar-belted in back, Nashbar 25mm gumwall up front
• Handlebars: Scott DropIn bars (I cut the retarded bend-around drops off) with red cork wrap
• Brake Levers: 1990 DiaCompe BRS Edge
• Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN-72 (118 mm)
• Cog: Soma 15T
• Cranks: Sugino VT with 39T chainring (original)
• Stem: Nitto 120 mm quill (original)
• Brakes: DiaCompe sidepulls (original)
• Saddle: Vetta faux-leather (original)
• Headset: Hatta ISO (original, wonderfully smooth headset)
• Pedals: quill with red leather toe straps (original)

I plan to use this bike for wet-weather commuting and some fun on the side. I realize it's a bit silly to have two brakes on a fixie, but I like the symmetric look of two brake levers, and the extra security of the rear brake.

I happily sold this bike on June 26, 2005. This fixed gear bike was a blast to ride, but I really needed the money to upgrade Hephalocipede into race-worthy shape! Since this was the least-ridden of my bikes recently, it had to go :'(

I like fixed bikes and I cannot lie,
You other bikers can't deny
When a bike rolls up with an itty bitty cog
    and a big ring in your face
        you get SPRUNG!

In January 2005, I built up a fixed gear bike from an old Lotus Elan 12-speed road bike. It took me hours and hours to build, but it's an awesome fun ride, and I love commuting on it. Want to learn how to build your own? Look no further than Fixed Gear on the Cheap, written by Tom Deakins and brought to you by Sheldon Brown.

• 1983 Lotus 23" lugged frameset (probably 4130 CroMoly)
• Weinmann/Araya 27" rims
• 27"x32mm road tires
• Sugino road cranks with 39T chainring
• IRO Flip Flop Hub
• 15T Soma Cog
• Dura-Ace Lockring
• Bullhorn bars and bar-end brake lever
• DT swiss 14-gauge spokes
• Nashbar/KMC chain with quick link
• Spare old-skool pedals and toe clips
• Bearings, grease, cable, nail polish, bar tape

I think there really is something special about lugged steel frames. This is a low-end import frame from 1983, but it is extremely comfortable and maneuverable. With 32mm tires, it feels a lot more forgiving on the bumps than Elmer with 35mm tires, and yet it's much faster too. This is also the first frame I've ever had that really feels big enough for me.

I happily sold this bike on March 29, 2005. It was too small for me and I want to get a real drop-bar touring bike. I will miss the Deore XT rear derailer though, the shifting was simply divine.

This bike was cobbled together from spare parts mostly, truly a bargain for me. It's a nice comfortable way to get to work. Those old CroMoly frames are quite sturdy. I've touched up the paint with purple nail polish. It looks hideous. Hopefully no one will ever want to steal it.

• Trek 720 multitrack frame, fork, bar, stem, and seatpost (bought from my co-worker)
• Matrix rear wheel/Araya front wheel
• 700x38 tires
• Nashbar cantilever brakes with cartridge pads
• Shimano Deore Crank and BB
• Deore XT rear derailleur
• Deore LX front derailleur
• Deore LX shifter and brake levers
• Performance Softail saddle
• SRAM PC58 chain
• Toe clips and straps

Accessories:

• Ugly plain metal rear rack
• Performance tail light, 5 LEDs
• Performance rack trunk
• Mongoose Presta/Schrader mini pump
• Sigma Sport computer

"They should bring back public hangings for bike thieves." (thanks to Waterloo Cycles for the quote) My mountain bike got stolen beginning of September 2004 :-(. Stupid #@)$(*#@$s who steal people's prized possessions!!!

My bike is an upgraded 2003 Mongoose Pro Rockadile AL (18.5 inch frame):

• stock RST Mozo fork (120 mm travel)
• stock Shimano TY-40 crank (must... replace... soon... this is a piece of junk)
• stock Shimano Altus derailleurs (rear is okay, front cage is too wide for 9-speed)
• Shimano Deore LX hubs
• Mavic X618 rims (these are awesome)
• Performance City ST tires (I have a set of knobbies too, for when I ride off road)
• Performance Precision 9-speed cassette
• SRAM PC-59 9-speed chain
• Performance Forté Team brakes
• Performance Forté Team brake levers
• SRAM Attack 1:2 grip thifters
• Performance ATB comp pedals with toe clips and straps
• Performance SofTail saddle
• dB 4LW Wireless Cyclocomputer

Here is a photo of my bike from July 2004, following my latest maniacal bout of upgrades!

I have done all the upgrades on my bike myself. See, I bought this bike in October 2003. What do you know, two weeks later and the wheels were stolen in broad daylight (!!!). So I had to shell out for new ones, and those were pretty much crap. A few months later, my bottom bracket gave out and I needed a new one. At this point I got fed up with paying College Park bikes and went out and bought me a $100 toolkit and a very good book on bike repair. Since then I have done a lot of work on my bike myself, and am much happier with the results (and costs).