Can I see your fixed mtbs?
05-10-20, 07:11 PM
#1
2k miles from the midwest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,964
Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 525 Post(s)
Liked 931 Times
in
446 Posts
Can I see your fixed mtbs?
I know I'm not the only one riding trails fixed. This is a Marin Hamilton/Nashbar fork combo I ran a couple years ago before having to harvest parts from. Thinking I might have everything to build it back up.
Marin Hamilton fixed mtb
Marin Hamilton fixed mtb
Likes For Dylansbob:
05-11-20, 12:39 PM
#2
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 303
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 99 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
78 Posts
That is a very businesslike looking bike. It looks a lot of fun to ride.
I have a Pearson Touché which is a fixed road bike with narrow clearances. I put decent 25mm tyres on and grippy pedals, with no straps etc. I ride it off road whenever I can. On Saturday, I broke through the crust of some mud and sank the front wheel into the gloop beneath, almost to the axle. Almost every ride on it has at least one section of farm track, unmade road, river bank, canal towpath, or woodland. It's hard work with the bars being quite low, and the gearing being high enough for road use, but very rewarding.
I have very few photos of the bike, but here's a link to an old video I posted. Here, the same bike is still on 23mm tyres and a higher ratio than I now use.
I have a Pearson Touché which is a fixed road bike with narrow clearances. I put decent 25mm tyres on and grippy pedals, with no straps etc. I ride it off road whenever I can. On Saturday, I broke through the crust of some mud and sank the front wheel into the gloop beneath, almost to the axle. Almost every ride on it has at least one section of farm track, unmade road, river bank, canal towpath, or woodland. It's hard work with the bars being quite low, and the gearing being high enough for road use, but very rewarding.
I have very few photos of the bike, but here's a link to an old video I posted. Here, the same bike is still on 23mm tyres and a higher ratio than I now use.
Last edited by Mikefule; 05-11-20 at 12:43 PM.
05-11-20, 01:29 PM
#3
2k miles from the midwest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,964
Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 525 Post(s)
Liked 931 Times
in
446 Posts
I don't think there is anything that captures the spirit of "Underbiking" quite like riding a fixed gear with <28c tires off pavement.
Likes For Dylansbob:
05-11-20, 03:09 PM
#4
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 303
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 99 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
78 Posts
Underbiking?
For UK readers of a certain age: "Underbike, overbike, cycling free..."
Assuming underbiking means doing as much as possible with the least "artificial" assistance from the specification cycle, I used to regularly ride a 700c x 23m unicycle on (dry) off road tracks.
It's all good fun.
For UK readers of a certain age: "Underbike, overbike, cycling free..."
Assuming underbiking means doing as much as possible with the least "artificial" assistance from the specification cycle, I used to regularly ride a 700c x 23m unicycle on (dry) off road tracks.
It's all good fun.
05-11-20, 04:12 PM
#5
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,445
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4323 Post(s)
Liked 3,945 Times
in
2,638 Posts
I was really excited to see some fixed gear MTBs hopefully someone has one to post. I would love to see a nice hardtail fixed gear not just drop bar stuff (nothing against drop bars)
05-11-20, 06:21 PM
#6
2k miles from the midwest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,964
Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 525 Post(s)
Liked 931 Times
in
446 Posts
Is this better?
My Se UsvThem. Sorry, still not conventional bars. My wrists don't like that direction. This badboy is awaiting me lacing up a new front wheel to (hopefully) give me some more fork clearance. Just did a new rear, 28h E13 29er rim.
Likes For Dylansbob:
05-12-20, 09:17 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,610
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 399 Post(s)
Liked 273 Times
in
136 Posts
How did I miss this thread when I posted about my San Jose in your City Link thread, yesterday ?
Naturally I can't find pics of that bike, but here are the other subsequent tark mountain bikes I mentioned. They all were ridden at our local MTB parks. I understand they call it Tracklocross nowadays, but back when I could still ride the trails...we just called it Fixed MTBing.
If you are serious about off-road FG bikes look for 63XC - it was an old, discontinued blog that was archived and shouldn't be to hard to find to this day. There also is/was a fairly extensive fixed MTB thread in the Singlespeed sub-forum MTBR that you should check out.
On a side note - I gave the Steamroller to my kid when I began neglecting it and he expressed an interest in "the sw8 phiksie scene" - we built it strictly roadworthy for him and he is still riding & abusing it all these years later. Can't kill the damned thing
Naturally I can't find pics of that bike, but here are the other subsequent tark mountain bikes I mentioned. They all were ridden at our local MTB parks. I understand they call it Tracklocross nowadays, but back when I could still ride the trails...we just called it Fixed MTBing.
If you are serious about off-road FG bikes look for 63XC - it was an old, discontinued blog that was archived and shouldn't be to hard to find to this day. There also is/was a fairly extensive fixed MTB thread in the Singlespeed sub-forum MTBR that you should check out.
On a side note - I gave the Steamroller to my kid when I began neglecting it and he expressed an interest in "the sw8 phiksie scene" - we built it strictly roadworthy for him and he is still riding & abusing it all these years later. Can't kill the damned thing
Likes For IAmSam:
05-12-20, 09:48 PM
#8
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,445
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4323 Post(s)
Liked 3,945 Times
in
2,638 Posts
So many road bikes in the MTB thread. I wish I had a fixed MTB to post or even a single speed MTB. Lot of cool bikes that could go a bit more off road but it seems to be edging more on the road or cross side of things. I love those bikes too I have a single speed/fixed gear with 700x36c tires (that actually plump out closer to 38) and would gladly build more with wider tires but I want the crazy people who do singletarck. Maybe I am expecting too much. Maybe I am just going crazy.
This is more along the line of what I was hoping to see:
This is more along the line of what I was hoping to see:
Likes For veganbikes:
05-16-20, 10:35 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,610
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 399 Post(s)
Liked 273 Times
in
136 Posts
So many road bikes in the MTB thread. I wish I had a fixed MTB to post or even a single speed MTB. Lot of cool bikes that could go a bit more off road but it seems to be edging more on the road or cross side of things. I love those bikes too I have a single speed/fixed gear with 700x36c tires (that actually plump out closer to 38) and would gladly build more with wider tires but I want the crazy people who do singletarck. Maybe I am expecting too much. Maybe I am just going crazy.
This is more along the line of what I was hoping to see:
This is more along the line of what I was hoping to see:
Oh well...pohtayto - pahtahto
05-16-20, 10:46 AM
#10
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 303
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 99 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
78 Posts
I remember those early "mountain bikes": "oversize" steel scaffolding tubes, wide heavy rims, heavy tyres with crude tread, slightly lower gears than a road bike, and wide straight bars. They were basically heavy, ugly grandad bikes. They took the development of cyclig back 20 or more years.
At the time, I rode regularly with the Cyclists Touring Club and with the Tandem Club. I was also a a member of what was then called the Rough Stuff Fellowship: a club for mainly middle aged and retired blokes who rode green lanes, byways and across the moors on road bikes, camping in heavy canvas ridge tents.
On our club rides, we often went along far tracks, bridleways and the like on 27 x 1 1/4 wheels with road tyres, and a bottom gear of probably 45 inches. Occasionally, we would come across these great lumpy mountain bikes tottering nervously along and we would chuckle.
These days, of course, a "proper" mountain bike is an extremely capable machine. A small percentage of them are even ridden on mountains.
05-16-20, 10:55 AM
#11
Commuting and Pleasure
Here my 90's Specialized Rock Hopper, slightly modified and converted to Singlespeed:
And it has "anti-theft protection by design".
And it has "anti-theft protection by design".
Likes For I_am_X:
05-16-20, 11:16 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,610
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 399 Post(s)
Liked 273 Times
in
136 Posts
I say "spud".
On our club rides, we often went along far tracks, bridleways and the like on 27 x 1 1/4 wheels with road tyres, and a bottom gear of probably 45 inches. Occasionally, we would come across these great lumpy mountain bikes tottering nervously along and we would chuckle.
On our club rides, we often went along far tracks, bridleways and the like on 27 x 1 1/4 wheels with road tyres, and a bottom gear of probably 45 inches. Occasionally, we would come across these great lumpy mountain bikes tottering nervously along and we would chuckle.
But that is not what the earliest mountain biking was like in the US. Look-up "Repack." In fact some of those guys went on to found serious bike companies. But your MTB guys did catch up quick.
Think I'll go ride my fat-for-me-tire beach/gravel/levee cruiser to get a burger and...spuds(?).
Ride safe...
05-17-20, 06:16 PM
#13
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,445
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4323 Post(s)
Liked 3,945 Times
in
2,638 Posts
Apparently your definition of "mountain bike" is different from mine. I define a MTB as a bike that can be well-ridden on actual mountain bike trails. May I remind you that the original "mountain bikes" were modified cruisers, and that early production MTBs were touring bike frames fitted with slightly heavier duty bits...
Oh well...pohtayto - pahtahto
Oh well...pohtayto - pahtahto
I say "spud".
I remember those early "mountain bikes": "oversize" steel scaffolding tubes, wide heavy rims, heavy tyres with crude tread, slightly lower gears than a road bike, and wide straight bars. They were basically heavy, ugly grandad bikes. They took the development of cyclig back 20 or more years.
At the time, I rode regularly with the Cyclists Touring Club and with the Tandem Club. I was also a a member of what was then called the Rough Stuff Fellowship: a club for mainly middle aged and retired blokes who rode green lanes, byways and across the moors on road bikes, camping in heavy canvas ridge tents.
On our club rides, we often went along far tracks, bridleways and the like on 27 x 1 1/4 wheels with road tyres, and a bottom gear of probably 45 inches. Occasionally, we would come across these great lumpy mountain bikes tottering nervously along and we would chuckle.
These days, of course, a "proper" mountain bike is an extremely capable machine. A small percentage of them are even ridden on mountains.
I remember those early "mountain bikes": "oversize" steel scaffolding tubes, wide heavy rims, heavy tyres with crude tread, slightly lower gears than a road bike, and wide straight bars. They were basically heavy, ugly grandad bikes. They took the development of cyclig back 20 or more years.
At the time, I rode regularly with the Cyclists Touring Club and with the Tandem Club. I was also a a member of what was then called the Rough Stuff Fellowship: a club for mainly middle aged and retired blokes who rode green lanes, byways and across the moors on road bikes, camping in heavy canvas ridge tents.
On our club rides, we often went along far tracks, bridleways and the like on 27 x 1 1/4 wheels with road tyres, and a bottom gear of probably 45 inches. Occasionally, we would come across these great lumpy mountain bikes tottering nervously along and we would chuckle.
These days, of course, a "proper" mountain bike is an extremely capable machine. A small percentage of them are even ridden on mountains.
I prefer the term Solanum Tuberosum thank you kindly.
As far as dishes that use the starchy tuber, a good bowl of Colcannon or Champ is good though I am always fond of Aloo Gobi or a properly seasoned and fried french fry. I would also take latkes or knishes or a kettle fried potato chip (salt and vinegar please). Heck I would be happy with some gnocchi or even a simple tater tot.
06-10-20, 10:35 AM
#14
Senior Member
Looks beefy, lovin' the basket!
06-11-20, 04:57 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,264
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
10 Posts
Have that same one, converted to a single speed as well with ENO eccentric hub. Unfortunately the seat post is frozen too low for me so it's become my wife's beater bike.
Long live the orange Rockhopper.
Long live the orange Rockhopper.
Likes For nightfly:
06-11-20, 05:13 PM
#16
Senior Member
06-12-20, 12:09 PM
#17
Commuting and Pleasure
06-12-20, 01:53 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,264
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
10 Posts
I bet those are the standard Shimano Deore DX that came on it. Mine has those and they look like that. Or maybe they were LX? I forget.
06-24-20, 12:35 PM
#19
Commuting and Pleasure
