**Edited 5/12/2014** i'm going to enter this year. I've been planning this build for some time; maybe the build-off will motivate me to start (and hopefully finish) this pig.
Mission statement: Because these build-offs so often resemble a popularity contest, I'm going the "dark-horse" route and scheming on principles that are unpopular with the RRB crowd. I'm going to use all new/recent parts to build a fixed-gear cruiser. How, pray tell, will a 5+/- year-old frame-- an example of a model still in production-- fare in this contest, once I hang a bunch of new/late-model parts on it in order to make it a guldurn "Fixie"?
(And how am I gonna try to end my mission "statement" with a question like that?)
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: The Fixman ITB*
(On a more serious note, I also intend to use as many domestically-produced parts as possible. I know it makes some ppl yawn and others bristle with anger, but I think it's important to buy things that are made in the USA, even if it's just small scale, cottage-industry type stuff...)
**I.T.B. stands for "Idiotic Track Bike"; it's a send-up of the Worksman INB...
I'm basing this on a Worksman Industrial NewsBoy I got from ind-chuckz. I already hacked off the chainguard tabs, but I haven't smoothed'm out yet. As of right now, it's in the same faded safety yellow/surface rust finish as it had when I received it, but I think i'm gonna take advantage of the new rules and get it powdered.
Here, you can see how lousy the paint is, especially on the stays. You can also see that I've begun grinding off the tabs for the guard....
Some parts-pile pics...
You can see that I have a hub mocked up in the fork. I'm really psyched b/c the fork is accepting the 10mm solid axle that I was going to use in the rear hub, so I'm going to go ahead and convert both hubs to 10mm solid axles...
If you look, you can see the 10mm axle next to the original q/r axle.... the m756 hub is somewhat unique in that it has a 10x1mm axle within the guts, and the hardware all threads into that, but then they turn the axle down, outside of the jam-nuts, to 9mm to fit most forks. As luck would have it, this On-One segmented fork will accept a 10mm without modification.
I was going to use a Slowriderz layback post; the saddle on the post is just a temporary one for the mock-up.... the saddle I intend to use is on-order...
Unfortunately, when I mocked it all up, the riding position with the layback was unbearable. I tried to adjust it, but it ain't happening. As luck would have it, I have a straight 7/8" Slowriderz post lying around somewhere.... I might use that, if it's long enough. I tried a straight post with a B17 saddle on it, and it was much more comfortable. But,here's a mock-up that shows the basic stance of the bike that I'm going for:
I think it looked cool with the layback post, but I couldn't get the saddle more horizontal without flipping the guts, and imo that destroys the look of a layback post. This mockup shows the wrong saddle, what turned out to be the wrong post for this build, and the wrong wheelset/tires... I just needed to ride it up the block to see how it felt. The pedals will prolly change, but that is the crank, BB, sprocket, chain, stem, headset, and bars that I'm using...(although some of them may change...)
Running parts inventory:
Worksman INB frame, prolly 2010 vintage (NY, USA)
Porkchop Snowflake Sprocket (USA, I think made in GA)
Wald 1990 BB (KY, USA)
Wald 8095 touring bars, flipped (KY,USA)
Newbaum handlebar tape (black) and rim tape (PA, USA)
Redline seatclamp (imported)
Black Ops 175mm OPC (imported)
Sun MTX disc rims (imported)
Avid BB7, 160mm rotor (imported)
Avid sd7 lever (Imported)
KMC z410 chain (Imported)
Dimension stem, 130mm (Imported)
Neco BS headset (imported; using the Worksman cups, from parts unknown)
3m red reflective tape (??? too lazy to check the package, but....)**Edite: Made in USA!
On-One Segmented fork (Imported)
26x2.125" white walls (Imported, cheap, too...)
Tricktops dice valve caps (Imported? Probably?)
Still up in the air on pedals.... prolly won't use the beartraps in the picture, though.
For the record, the plan is respray the frame/fork in white, use as many blacked-out components as possible (wrap the bars black, too), and then use some checkered and red accents to keep things a bit more pimp....
Mission statement: Because these build-offs so often resemble a popularity contest, I'm going the "dark-horse" route and scheming on principles that are unpopular with the RRB crowd. I'm going to use all new/recent parts to build a fixed-gear cruiser. How, pray tell, will a 5+/- year-old frame-- an example of a model still in production-- fare in this contest, once I hang a bunch of new/late-model parts on it in order to make it a guldurn "Fixie"?
(And how am I gonna try to end my mission "statement" with a question like that?)
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: The Fixman ITB*
(On a more serious note, I also intend to use as many domestically-produced parts as possible. I know it makes some ppl yawn and others bristle with anger, but I think it's important to buy things that are made in the USA, even if it's just small scale, cottage-industry type stuff...)
**I.T.B. stands for "Idiotic Track Bike"; it's a send-up of the Worksman INB...
I'm basing this on a Worksman Industrial NewsBoy I got from ind-chuckz. I already hacked off the chainguard tabs, but I haven't smoothed'm out yet. As of right now, it's in the same faded safety yellow/surface rust finish as it had when I received it, but I think i'm gonna take advantage of the new rules and get it powdered.
Here, you can see how lousy the paint is, especially on the stays. You can also see that I've begun grinding off the tabs for the guard....
Some parts-pile pics...
If you look, you can see the 10mm axle next to the original q/r axle.... the m756 hub is somewhat unique in that it has a 10x1mm axle within the guts, and the hardware all threads into that, but then they turn the axle down, outside of the jam-nuts, to 9mm to fit most forks. As luck would have it, this On-One segmented fork will accept a 10mm without modification.
I was going to use a Slowriderz layback post; the saddle on the post is just a temporary one for the mock-up.... the saddle I intend to use is on-order...
Unfortunately, when I mocked it all up, the riding position with the layback was unbearable. I tried to adjust it, but it ain't happening. As luck would have it, I have a straight 7/8" Slowriderz post lying around somewhere.... I might use that, if it's long enough. I tried a straight post with a B17 saddle on it, and it was much more comfortable. But,here's a mock-up that shows the basic stance of the bike that I'm going for:
I think it looked cool with the layback post, but I couldn't get the saddle more horizontal without flipping the guts, and imo that destroys the look of a layback post. This mockup shows the wrong saddle, what turned out to be the wrong post for this build, and the wrong wheelset/tires... I just needed to ride it up the block to see how it felt. The pedals will prolly change, but that is the crank, BB, sprocket, chain, stem, headset, and bars that I'm using...(although some of them may change...)
Running parts inventory:
Worksman INB frame, prolly 2010 vintage (NY, USA)
Porkchop Snowflake Sprocket (USA, I think made in GA)
Wald 1990 BB (KY, USA)
Wald 8095 touring bars, flipped (KY,USA)
Newbaum handlebar tape (black) and rim tape (PA, USA)
Redline seatclamp (imported)
Black Ops 175mm OPC (imported)
Sun MTX disc rims (imported)
Avid BB7, 160mm rotor (imported)
Avid sd7 lever (Imported)
KMC z410 chain (Imported)
Dimension stem, 130mm (Imported)
Neco BS headset (imported; using the Worksman cups, from parts unknown)
3m red reflective tape (??? too lazy to check the package, but....)**Edite: Made in USA!
On-One Segmented fork (Imported)
26x2.125" white walls (Imported, cheap, too...)
Tricktops dice valve caps (Imported? Probably?)
Still up in the air on pedals.... prolly won't use the beartraps in the picture, though.
For the record, the plan is respray the frame/fork in white, use as many blacked-out components as possible (wrap the bars black, too), and then use some checkered and red accents to keep things a bit more pimp....
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