RRBBO - Fixer Adler

[outrage]

So finally I decided to enter this bike in the build off. It's made in Germany by Adler in the 50s, and I want to build it fixed gear with as many cheap and used parts as possible.

Nice art déco style head bagde

BTW - the topic title is German and has two meanings: fixed (gear) eagle or quick eagle!

[Hooch]

i am loving that headbadge
i am excited to see what you do with this

[rockpilex]

Outrage, Thats a beautiful frame I love the lugs, should be a nice fix gear project. Don't forget to post photos of your finished bike to fixedgeargallery.com and velospace.org We need more bikes like yours on this forum

Cheers,
Gareth

[outrage]

Here's the front wheel. Union hub (from my "hubs" cardboard box), radially laced to a Weinmann aluminum rim (from the junkyard).

[Clothespin n]

very cool wheel...can't wait to see the finish product on this project..
Kev.

[outrage]

now for the rear wheel: it's not easy getting a fixed gear hub if you don't want to spend a fortune on Dura Ace/Record track racing parts. So I decided to take an old Sachs Jet coaster brake hub (from a wheel I found on the roadside), take all the brake parts off, and weld the cog carrier to the hub shell. Advantage: The gear ratio can be changed, because this hub features the same sprocket system as Shimano/SA internal geared hubs.
Cog carrier (left), hub shell (right):


Parts put together:


Parts welded togehther (and filed. I am not The Big Welder ):


Spray painted silver:


The re-assembled hub:


The hub, laced to a Mavic rim, 3 leading - 3 trailing pattern:

[Clothespin n]

wow..now that's a wheel build...

that's a BIG job to tackle with welding and all!!
great work!

peace,
Kev.

[outrage]

Been busy again: I visited a friend, wo has a lathe I can use (of course, he looks over my shoulder, so I don't ruin his equipment ). First, I had to machine the fork crown, so the race of the headset will fit. Second, I had to make the bottom bracket fit. Problem: The Adler frame doesn't have a standard BB, and they're gone out of the bicycle business in 1957 or so, so you can't go to your LBS and buy a handful of Adler BB parts. Idea: I take an old cartridge BB with plastic case and machine it to fit, and for the opposite side I'll make a ring from black nylon material.

Before: nylon material, *** bottom bracket, fork.


Fork crown with race:


Fork in the lathe:


Close up:


After: fork, BB with ring (on the left):

[cman]

Great fabrication. How gnarly is it watch those forks spin in the lathe?

[outrage]

yes, at first sight it's kind of scary...

[outrage]

Bottom bracket pressed in. Fits like a glove:


Some nice parts: iwis chain, Shimano DX seatpost, Altenburger Synchron brakes (they came off a bike a friend disassembled to trash it - I gave 'em a shine with Nevr Dull, and they are like new!), Kool Stop Vans brake shoes, ITM quick release seat clamp, Thun headset (aluminum with needle bearings - very nice!):

[karfer67]

sweet brakes there buddy. i got educated by a "fixie" ridder who said that those with real brakes are p*&^%ies. i looked at him and said "thats cool lets see how good you are when your rolling along and a car pulls out in front of you and you have nowhere to go. bet at that moment you would wish you would have put brakes on your bike!"

[outrage]

Agree. I think its moronic to ride without brakes. And: I live in a half million city. I'm sure the police will get you if you ride without brakes. And again you wish you would have put brakes on your bike!

[kemmer]

There's nothing wrong with riding brakeless on a fixie, you can stop pretty quick if you know what you're doing. Not as fast as with a hand brake, but about as fast as a coaster brake. There's also nothing wrong with using a brake, in fact more people should. To say that only "p*&^%ies" use brakes just causes more unskilled riders to go around crashing into parked cars, enforcing the idea that riding brakeless is super dangerous. I would say that brakeless riding (by a skilled rider) is similar to poorly adjusted rim brakes or old pads on steel rims. It's a little dangerous, but it's not exactly a death wish. You might consider using just a front brake for style points, but there's nothing wrong with using two.

[karfer67]

exactly yea you can stop pretty quick but still. and there are a lot of newbies buying fixies and removing the brakes because it is cool before i feel they really know what they are doing.