united bicycle institute offers a full range of parts for your welding-learning needs. and what do you need more, than an an integrated beer-bottle opener on your dropouts? i would have said a beer-bottle holder, but thats just silly.
so heres some photos i popped on sunday, during the deconstruction and cleaning. much to my supprize, every single accessory - down to the cable housing - is "brev campagnolo." and since matts master plans are to single speed the quick beast, hes basically got an expensive pile of useless parts... (details: the shifter / brake levers are the integrated, trigger style, and the mount for the front derailleur is this sleek, hinged thingy that just looks nice in your hand, let alone on the bike.)
curiously, we noticed that the bottom bracket shell has a big "cinelli" logo (well, and as do the stem and handle bars), but the frame be branded t.j. quick... could he have used cinelli lugs to build his frame?
heres photos of my newest baby, of unknown make and origin. but it fullfilled a few crutial requirements:
1) track
2) my size
3) lugged steel
its got a shit, shit paint job, but i can see past that. whats life about, if not projects? i think the paint job is like hand painted - as in, someone took a brush to it. its pretty bad. but i think the shape has all sorts of potential, so a little veneer treatment, and she gon'be perty!
randomly, i noticed the left dropout has like a little bit more metal than the right; wondering if it is used for mounting something? for measuring something? ideas?
From www.wgsn.com (i have a password so there)
*ahem*
"Fixed-gear riding in Tokyo.
REIKO KUWABARA, WGSN 26.01.07
Influenced by fixed-gear riders in urban centres in the US and Canada, the latest item to be popularised by skateboarders in Tokyo is the fixed-gear bicycle.
From the equipment and stunts to alleycat races, the emerging subculture has now been adopted in Tokyo and is also gaining the attention of street-fashion gurus.
A fixed-gear bicycle is a lightweight bicycle with no freewheel mechanism and only one gear ratio. The bicycles are easy to maintain, and have become popular among bicycle messengers in cities such as New York, San Francisco and Toronto.
These bicycles have gained cult status among urban riders, and have been used for night races and stunt riding. This unique subculture has now made it to the Tokyo streets and has become a hot trend among former skateboarders and streetwear designers.
Hiroshi Fujiwara, the brainchild of the Japanese luggage label Head Porter, clothing label GoodEnough and Base Station, is also one of the celebrities that has been attracted to the phenomenon and has joined in with urban night races in Tokyo. He often documents these "alleycat" races on his website www.honeyee.com with photographs and reports."
So there you go. my first post n' all. Big thanks to Carlos for the help stripping the T.J Quick ride down this weekend. Anyone got any suggestions how make a Campo 12 speed a single/fixed on the cheap? haha!
word up.
Finally got the pictures as requested. Swapped out bars and brakes, and just added Carlos' matte white chain (which still needs tightened but I was impatient to take the picture). Still haven't gotten the courage to take off the brakes--they've saved me too many times from Chicago drivers.
matt - aka "short_matt" on ebay, so dont buy any of his crap - just got this little beaut'.
so after he sends me a couple of links off ebay of various sized machines (and of all different construction - alu, steel welded, steel lugged) that hes bidding on or wants to bid on, i send him an email going, "ok you might benefit from a spot of research, just to see what exactly it is you like or would like to have in a bike: ie, frame size & make, vintage, style, etc. then, research what you want to do with it, ie, does singlspeed interest you? do you want to fix it? do want to build a multi-gear speed racer?"
about an hour later, he sends me another text going, "I DID IT! I GOT A BIKE! CAN YOU HELP ME BUILD A FIXIE???"
so much for those suggestions.
but, luckily, its a nicely lugged steel frame (with some decent chromed bits), horizontockular high-school drop outs, and tons of potential.
but what do you think, gang?
check this guy out!
oh wait... thats olds news! THIS guy was doing it in 1899! shoot.
After an extensive search for a new, fully constructed, inexpensive, single-speed road machine, here was the result:
Obviously there are many brands on the market, and if you're looking for something cheap, I suggest, *gulp*... brace yourself... "Made in Taiwan". After living and riding a bicycle everyday for two years in Taiwan myself, I became well acquainted with the extensive bike industry on the island. Quality built man powered machines, at a fair price.
Recently in California I found a single-speed Giant with a very decent steel frame, for 450 USD. A bit on the heavy side, but still a comfortable ride. Very generic brakes, cheep wheels, etc. but hey, after only 450, you could easily do some future upgrades if you you're on a budget. This was the best deal, money-wise I could find. I test rode this monster, and almost bought the bastard, until I had a chance to lay my hands on a 2006 Specialized Langster...
The Langster runs at 600 USD and is, in my humble opinion, the best quality single speed bike for its price range. The Langster has a very lightweight, aluminum frame. Construction quality surpasses the Giant in every way. Converts easily to a fixed gear by flipping the rear wheel (for all you fixie fanatics out there). Originally I was gearing towards the 2007 model, but if you can find it, check out the sleek matte-black frame exclusive for the 2006! This pretty much sold me. I look forward to upgrading to a carbon fiber seat, new wheels, cranks, etc., as cash flow permits.
While building a single-speed from scratch is probably the most ideal, if you decide to go for a prebuilt, I wisely suggest: LANGSTER.
As I know you have a desperate shortage of decent shops out there on that cold bleak island, so I figured I would pass on this little gem of a shop I ran across. They aren't too special
but they seem to have a few interesting bars, including a knock off mustache. Prices aren't amazing, but hey, the probably beat Condor.
Oh yea, and they seem to know a fixie from a hole in their head, even got some NJS stuff.
also from alex "i notice any flutter in the bicycle industry" zeh, is the newest metal out of the Reynolds Labs: the coveted, the lustrous 953. of surgical quality steel - stainless, and thus needin' no paintin'- and some how super strong and dent resistant, it can be stretched thinner than normal so it weights like high-grade aluminum, is strong like titanium and big like mountain!
SEE THE BEAUTY!
from bike mag :
"Back in 1995, Reynolds revolutionized steel bike frames with 853. The alloy took the market by storm, and remained the frontrunner of lightweight steel until the majority of the market abandoned steel for aluminum, titanium and ultimately fell into temptation with the glossy, black devil, carbon fiber. Although few could argue with 853’s supple yet snappy ride quality, most riders couldn’t stand the extra weight and corrosion.
The new 953, however, addresses both of those drawbacks. According to Peter Thompson from Carpenter Specialty Alloys (Reynolds’ material supplier), the new stainless alloy is twice as strong as titanium with a frame weight comparable to high-end aluminum, and won’t corrode. That’s a big deal. Those same qualities are what make carbon fiber such a standout. But carbon fiber isn’t a “tough” material---one good gouge could ruin a frame---where a steel frame can be ripped from a car by a low-overhang, buckle in two and still be easily rebuilt.
So far, only a couple bicycle frames have been produced with the promising new alloy. Independent Fabrications’ vice president, Tyler Evans welded both of them. “It’s extremely hard to work with,” says Evans. “It’s more difficult to weld than titanium, but the results are fantastic.” "
pictured is one of the two frames that dude made. i love the balance and smooth transition of the seat cluster. just fantastic.
Who needs a fixed gear when you can have a 9 speed internally geared hub. They even made one out of carbon (though only for InterBike).
Sure it isn't the Rohloff, but then again it doesn't costs a G. Besides the photos on the site feature a hot dutch girl on a bike.
Holly shit! Thing rocks! Can you think of a funner way to kill your self on a bike!?
If you actually want to read the article its here.
completely vectorized, including a better wheel, and an "in honor of 'cheap mondays's anti-christian stance" upside down cross tattoo. not the final on my end (would like to detail that smoke in there - they do this alot in tattoos, but i havent figured out how to do a similar white-to-whatever-color fade that looks satisfactory)... eyes tired. spent probly to much time tweaking nearly every fucking node on her, to as faithfully as possible recapture the original...
i can't hide my tired eyes,
- your smile is a thin disguise.
i thought by now you'd realize;
there ain't no way to hide my tired eyes.
i cant help but think how disney this looks! its like, when you go into that gigantic pink castle in disney land, if your lucky, you can find the "hidden chambers" that are just off the kings room - repleat with concessionary stand, various plush dolls, disney branded paraphernalia, et cetera - and yet, things are just a bit askew; whens the last time you saw a happy disney employee dressed in rubber? or weilding a whip?
hrm.... wait a minute...
i dig the idle gods motif, and a saintly halo/wheel hovering over mary's knob came to mind... just a fart in the wind.
a rough sketch, but you get the idea... any takers?
sounds valiant, what? ride for glory? who wouldnt want to ride for glory? i mean, i guess ive seen some kids in NY riding for Domino's pizza, and here and there you see kids riding for various courier companies, but cmon,glory? val hala! elysium! ride with the gods!
I don't know whats the most drool worthy, he has some of every thing, a 1967 Hetchins , but the 1903 Tribune with the shaft drive and front suspention is just beautiful. What's your favorite?
http://collection.rydjor.com/rydcol1.htm
dont really know where, or why, just liked the godless idols / idle gods idear, so i went with it.
GODLESS,
our deaths last eternal,
Sinners sanctified;
In death,
only life survives.
GODLESS origins,
deified lives -
evermore sorrowful sin.
Idols destroyed;
opinions left sacred.
PlainGermanica + boredom + old ideas = new graphics for fine people!
seriously now... opinions?
