pwebb

Howdy folks!

I recently acquired an On One Pompino which I'm going to build up as a Fixed gear Shredsled Singletrack Commuter. Front brake, 35c tires, and a track wheelset are all that are standing in front of me and fixed singletrack glory. That being said, I have a few questions as I'm a little inexperienced with a few things:

1. Brakes - the internets say get v-brakes (specifically mini V) because then I can use road levers and they help cut down on chatter. Is that the only reason that v-brakes are better than canti's or centerpull brakes? I just need something with clearance for 35c tires that will stop me effectively. Also if possible I'd love to use my SRAM S500 levers when using drops, plan on switching between drops and MTB riser bar. I need to buy the brake and lever for MTB bars. Fork is an Easton EC90x fork if it matters.

What would you guys recommend for a good quality brake & why? Something as good or better than Paul Mini V but cheaper would be jackpot. If that's my best option that's fine too, just looking for some info & opinions. Black preferred.

2. Wheelset - I want to run 35c slicks on a track wheelset (pompino is 120 rear spacing), so I'm leaning towards Archetypes/TB-14 because 23mm width. I have no info to back up that wider rims will run wider tires better, but it makes sense to me. Is this true? Are there any other rims I should be considering at a similar price point? I'm looking for sealed bearing fixed/free or fixed/fixed hub, so if you have wheelset suggestions I'd greatly appreciate it. Right now I've got my eye on some Archetypes to Phil's from Velomine, but they are at the top of my budget. $500 is pretty much my max budget for wheels. black/silver/hard ano are best.

3. Tires - As mentioned above I want to run 35c slick tires, but I have very limited experience running 35's and have never ridden fixed on them. Can anyone recommend a good 35c slick that will hold up to fixed* & some offroad riding. I already have some Jack Brown Blues that are 33.3c, but I like them on my Gunnar and am not sure how well they will hold up to fixed riding. Leaning towards Paselas because they've treated me well in 25-28c in the past . I've also heard good things about Compass Bon Jon's but again I fear that fixed riding might destroy them prematurely which would suck for a <$100 pair of tires. I realize that tough and smooth/fast rolling don't necessarily go hand in hand, but I'd love to hear suggestions from people as to what has worked well for them. Gumwalls are preferred, but for the right tire it doesn't matter.

*by fixed riding I just mean having fun, riding hard and skidding occasionally in an urban setting. Not all the time, not even daily skidding, just occasionally if it's rained or if I forget I have a brake coming up to an intersection.

thanks ahead of time for any help and insight that you folks can provide. This bike is basically going to be the offspring of my Gunnar CX bike & my Samson track bike, I'm pretty dang excited.
Oh & sorry for any typo's or grammer errors, I grew up in the US educational system.

Huffandstuff

I run all city track hubs to archetypes and they are fine for 35s. Really any wheelset will be fine as long as you go 3x.

I still stand by kenda kourier tires cause they are 18 bucks a pop and you won't destroy the sidewall in a day like paselas.

johnnytheboy

I run TRP cx8.4 brakes with s500 levers on my nature boy. it stops scary fast.

pwebb

@Huffandstuff the price is right. how is the ride? mainly concerned with road performance.
@johnnytheboy i'd been watching a pair of those on the bay, i'll take another look at em

Huffandstuff

They ride like a tire, they aren't going to blow you away with their suppleness or anything but as long as you aren't running max PSI in them, it's fine. The tread is fine on the road and pretty alright in most offroad outside of mud/gravel.

SquidPuppet

My experience says yes.

I have run a slick 35mm tire on a 23mm rim. It measures barely 32mm wide. The exact same tire mounted on a 32mm rim measures over 37mm wide. On the narrow rim the tire is taller and pointier (more triangulated) and on the wider rim the tire is shorter and takes on a more rounded profile. The rounder tire (wide rim) feels more stable and enters leaning more stably. The the pointier tire (narrow rim) is less stable and therefore feels more nimble and quicker turning. Is it huge? Nope. But if you are into noticing details it is very apparent. Which one you prefer will totally depend on what you are seeking.

I am really enjoying my Schwalbe Kojaks. Full endorsement. They weigh (330g) halfway between the Bon Jon extralights and the Bon Jon standards. I have the Bon Jon Extralights on another bike and it seems to be an excellent tire so far. Rolls great. The Kojaks have better outright cornering grip on asphalt though. Stupid grip. The Kojaks are 100% bald slicks though. I'd strongly suggest rethinking slicks if you are going to any loose surface riding though. The Bon Jons have that tiny (you can barely catch it with your fingernail) herringbone tread pattern. I can't tell you what kind of grip it offers off road but a lot of people seem to say its good. BE AWARE of two things if you opt for the Bon Jons. 1) On a wide rim they measure nearly 38mms. 2) Be careful on your first hard/deep cornering leans. I believe Compass has them impregnated with a mold inhibiting agent (like motorcycle tires) and it's quite slippery it takes a few corners to wear it off and after that the grip is pretty good.

I don't do much skidding. Not too much. But I wheelie and jump curbs and USE the bike. So far so good. The Kojaks took forever just to wear down the center seam that is visible when new. No gummy Kojaks though.

pwebb

Thanks for the info guys. picked up some Kojak's & kouriers for less than the cost of a set of Compass Bon Jons. they seemed different enough that i can try out both & my Jack Brown Blues and see what works on what bike. GF will be happy cause one set of tires will end up on her Cross-Check.

all i have left to figure out is wheels. considering taking apart this white industries wheelset i am trying to sell & getting them re-laced to tb-14's or Belguim C2's. i already have 2 archetype wheelsets so im leaning towards trying something different

Wspsux

I ride two sets of Super light compass tires. Both 38mm one is the 700c Barlow pass the other is the 650b loup loup. I love both sets but maybe the 650b a little more. Idk why but they feel more supple, probably rim choices. Anyway I've done some relatively abusive riding on both and they've held up well!

Cynikal 

I would add that the mini-v's with the EC90X fork is the way to go. I had canti's on that fork and was getting tons of shutter.