trapdoor2
Zen MBB Master
Hi gang, I haven't posted here for a while...
Well, since I bought a V2/K frame (I forget...some time ago). I've had my old "Mongoose" frame and fork just sitting around. When I converted to the V2/K frame, I also went 700c so the old frame/fork also still had both 26" wheels, brakes, etc.
Since starting out on the conversion some years ago, I had this crazy idea that the conversion kit might make a decent fixie. I actually made my first ride w/o a shiftable front D...which kind of planted the seed. When Sturmey Archer re-introduced the S3X 3-speed fixie hub (it has 3 speeds but all are 'fixed', no freewheel), I knew I had to have one.
Anyway, I had sold some goodies on ebay and decided I'd use the cash to buy another Conversion kit and give it a try. I have a good stash of bike parts lying around so I figured I could build up a fixie in short order. NOT!
Murphy's law was written for this build. Life got in the way first...I ended up building this thing about an hour at a time over nearly a year. Much of each hour was spent trying to remember what the heck I'd done last time, sorting out, looking for stuff, etc. The further I got along, the more time I spent re-gathering parts, etc. I'm sure many of you know the drill.
Mistakes: well, first off one needs to identify the proper wheel to have built up. I took a wheel and S3X hub (seperate) to my builder, retreived it a week later and forgot about it. 6 months later when I decided it was time to hang it...it was not the 26" wheel I expected, it was a 700c. When I found the correct size rim in my parts area, it turned out to have the wrong hole count. Back to ebay for a rim and then off to my builder again...
Another mistake was buying a set of neat handlebars and then finding out my brake levers wouldn't fit...fortunately my local bike shop had a used set for only $3.00. They're scratched up but fully functional.
Friday night, I was on the cusp of riding it...but got to rigging the brakes and found I had everything I needed...except a noodle. Back to the bike shop Sat morning!
Those are just a few of my issues. There were a dozen more...just business as usual here!
Saturday afternoon, I finally got to ride it (for about 10 min). I rolled it down my driveway and into the street...and very quickly discovered I'd not fully tightened the steering tube clamp. As I attempted to pedal up the slight hill, the bars twisted in my hand. No injury, just stupid. I took it back to the workshop and went over everything for torque...but by the time I was ready to ride again, I had to put it up and go be social with the family.
Today, I finally got to ride it. It has a 46-tooth front gear and an 18-tooth rear. The S3X provides three speeds, 65%, 75% and 100%. The full combination seems to work fine for the moment. I rode down the street to a cul de sac and did circles in the street, going thru the gears, sorting things out, etc. It rides nicely and the low gear actually allowed me to climb back to my house. The high gear (46:18) allowed me to pedal down that hill without spinning out (crucial on a fixie).
Of course, you can't stop pedalling on a fixie. The first few minutes on it were a bit white-knuckled. If you're not paying attention, not actively pedalling means you've got reverse-pressure on the pedals and that affects steering. Adrenalin!
I'm going to take her out on the local MUT soon and give her a real tryout. I'll post pix when I get time.
===Marc
Well, since I bought a V2/K frame (I forget...some time ago). I've had my old "Mongoose" frame and fork just sitting around. When I converted to the V2/K frame, I also went 700c so the old frame/fork also still had both 26" wheels, brakes, etc.
Since starting out on the conversion some years ago, I had this crazy idea that the conversion kit might make a decent fixie. I actually made my first ride w/o a shiftable front D...which kind of planted the seed. When Sturmey Archer re-introduced the S3X 3-speed fixie hub (it has 3 speeds but all are 'fixed', no freewheel), I knew I had to have one.
Anyway, I had sold some goodies on ebay and decided I'd use the cash to buy another Conversion kit and give it a try. I have a good stash of bike parts lying around so I figured I could build up a fixie in short order. NOT!
Murphy's law was written for this build. Life got in the way first...I ended up building this thing about an hour at a time over nearly a year. Much of each hour was spent trying to remember what the heck I'd done last time, sorting out, looking for stuff, etc. The further I got along, the more time I spent re-gathering parts, etc. I'm sure many of you know the drill.
Mistakes: well, first off one needs to identify the proper wheel to have built up. I took a wheel and S3X hub (seperate) to my builder, retreived it a week later and forgot about it. 6 months later when I decided it was time to hang it...it was not the 26" wheel I expected, it was a 700c. When I found the correct size rim in my parts area, it turned out to have the wrong hole count. Back to ebay for a rim and then off to my builder again...
Another mistake was buying a set of neat handlebars and then finding out my brake levers wouldn't fit...fortunately my local bike shop had a used set for only $3.00. They're scratched up but fully functional.
Friday night, I was on the cusp of riding it...but got to rigging the brakes and found I had everything I needed...except a noodle. Back to the bike shop Sat morning!
Those are just a few of my issues. There were a dozen more...just business as usual here!
Saturday afternoon, I finally got to ride it (for about 10 min). I rolled it down my driveway and into the street...and very quickly discovered I'd not fully tightened the steering tube clamp. As I attempted to pedal up the slight hill, the bars twisted in my hand. No injury, just stupid. I took it back to the workshop and went over everything for torque...but by the time I was ready to ride again, I had to put it up and go be social with the family.
Today, I finally got to ride it. It has a 46-tooth front gear and an 18-tooth rear. The S3X provides three speeds, 65%, 75% and 100%. The full combination seems to work fine for the moment. I rode down the street to a cul de sac and did circles in the street, going thru the gears, sorting things out, etc. It rides nicely and the low gear actually allowed me to climb back to my house. The high gear (46:18) allowed me to pedal down that hill without spinning out (crucial on a fixie).
Of course, you can't stop pedalling on a fixie. The first few minutes on it were a bit white-knuckled. If you're not paying attention, not actively pedalling means you've got reverse-pressure on the pedals and that affects steering. Adrenalin!
I'm going to take her out on the local MUT soon and give her a real tryout. I'll post pix when I get time.
===Marc
