Some Thoughts on the FIXIE

Some Thoughts on the FIXIE

I think that the FIXIE conversion is the best thing that has happened to the bicycle industry in a very long time. It started as a grass roots movement and my hat's off to the Messengers that started it and the Hipsters that made it flourish. It went from the people up not from the industry down, and that folks is significant. It demonstrates that an industry that lacks imagination and is fixated on "racing" can be influenced. So ..... If you have been thinking about building a Fixie do yourself a big favor and start with a decent frame. A frame that's made of quality seemless bicycle specific tubing like Reynolds, Columbus, Tange and others. I'm seeing a lot of toy quality crap being touted as "perfect for a Fixie conversion" it's not perfect for anything except the metal recycler. Toy Quality bicycles are poorly designed and poorly constructed with sub standard seemed tubing that was never intended to be a bicycle frame. They are heavy and will never ride well. There are a few other considerations like a long horizontal rear dropout, the Campagnolo 1010 or 1010a is perfect, track ends are even better. Vertical drops present potential problems with gearing and chain tension. Also it's nice to find a frame that doesn't have a lot of braze-on fitments, you're not going to be using them and they look a little out of place. But those are cosmetic considerations a quality frame is critical to the overall success of your conversion. But like all things that can be commercialized the FIXIE has been co opted by the industry which has introduced some really stupid stuff like "foot long" handlebars. WTF? And Deep V's the bearing quality on those is poor, and that doesn't improve your ride. Just some thoughts ........ But whatever you do don't cut off the derailleur hanger OR RUN YOUR CHAIN TO TIGHT.