jdawginsc 

I'll take two perspectives:
1. You are not worried about restoration for the low-end Mercian. Once you paint it, it's no longer a Mercian. You are not looking for historic/monetary value, and anyone who might in the future, wish to buy it, won't care. Have at it, and do a nice job respectful of the heritage. Once you repurpose any antique, it is no longer the antique (steam-punk designs using vintage items). Once you remove stuff, it is no longer a Mercian, per se.

2. On the other hand, you can use a different frame for the fixie, and take your time restoring the Mercian and maybe find some personal intrinsic value to it.

If it were a vintage Italian steed, such as Rossin, Chesini, Faggin or Bottecchia, I'd scream sacrilege!!!!

repechage

I do not see a question here.
Set Fear aside.

BFisher

Curious what made you change your mind?
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-sun-wasp.html

This is one of those itches that I've had myself at times in the past. I agree with above. Throw some parts together and see if the ride works for you, then you'll have a bit more data to go forward with.

If I was looking for a fixed gear, I'd go for something like a Raleigh Pro Track like noglider's. But you ain't me, so whatever works best for you is best for you.

Kilroy1988 

I changed my mind about setting it up as a geared bike because I picked up my uncle's Raleigh Professional, which was already equipped very similarly to how I had the Mercian planned in my head. I enjoy riding fixed gear but the last three of them that I've had were all pretty heavy and ponderous. I love DB 531 and know the Mercian frame is a rather perfect candidate for what I envision riding.

cudak888 I'll definitely set it up as a fixed gear ride with the original paint, but the photo I posted does not show the various faded areas, etc... It really doesn't look very good upon close examination. As mentioned, a fresh set of Mercian decals are already in hand!

JohnDThompson I don't want a track frame. Not trying to fool anyone! I'm after the feel of a post-war British fixed gear road bicycle but I plan to use an assortment of much more modern components to recreate the look without breaking the bank. I already have two beautiful frames c. 1950 that require a great deal of restoration and parts collection, so adding another to the list is not an option.

Kilroy1988 

Anyway, thanks all for the perspectives. As I said, either way this frame deserves a fresh coat of paint and that's the plan. Maybe I'll paint it without removing any braze-ons, set it up as a 10-speed and sell it to fund another more suitable frame for my purposes. Maybe I won't remove them and set it up as a fixed anyway, or maybe in the end I'll just put it under the knife. I'm probably a few weeks out from getting started so I'm sure there will be more back and forth. Cheers!

-Gregory

seypat

I don't understand how the braze ons will be a problem/hindrance to using it as a fixed gear. The pump pegs in particular, will be useful in any situation.

Kilroy1988 

The pump pegs are the one thing I would leave. Ha. I bought the frame because it has the classic top tube pegs!

The rest is not a hindrance except aesthetically, only considering the idea that I would be investing a lot of effort in painting it. Hence my quandary.

3alarmer 

.
...I have a California built Masi that some previous owner wanted to fit with bar end shifters. I guess this was before those little fittings that pop on over the braze ons were available, and all he had was a strap around the tube adapter. He ground off the braze ons and put on some touch up paint where he removed the DT braze ons. I wish you had not reminded me of that, because it still chaps my ass.

squirtdad

your bike, your choice, but if you remove things 1) it may be better to debraze to remove than grind, less risk to frame, way to easy to grind into frame too far 2) either way it will add a lot of time to the prep, because any bit of brazing material that is left will show a bump in final finish

bare metal, acid etch primer, sandable primer, multiple coats of coleor, multiple coats of clear so process may be a bit different than the hot rod process (not counting your cool paint job work)

Piff 

I say go for it if you really want to, except for the fender/rack braze-ons and the pump pegs. If you find yourself wanting a rear brake it's easy to use clamp-on guides that also look slick. Attachable pump pegs and p-clips aren't nearly as well designed to look pretty. I don't think it's unlikely you might want to throw a rack on the bike at some point, and it's nice to have the option.

BFisher

I understand about the Raleigh Pro that you mentioned. I don't know that an altered Marcian like yours is going to break many hearts, and if so, it is your bike.

What about the paint scheme you have in mind? Wanna reveal any details?

mkeller234

That’s a totally fair question. I suppose I am more open to addition when customizing a frame. Fixed gear bicycles have never interested me personally, because I view them as less versatile. So, I have a bias to begin with.

My main reason against, is that you are removing function from that frame, for no real gain. What if you decide you love how it rides and want to make more versatile? What if you hate how it rides and you want to sell it? How well do you know the frame at this point? I’d give it some time, and some miles before committing either way.

With that said, my opinion really is worth what you paid for it. I’m in no position to decide what is right or wrong for anyone but me. There are many bikes out there, too many to be worried about what people do to them. As long as it is ridden and loved, what else is there? That’s why we all love bikes, right? Sometimes, rules just ruin the fun for everyone.

seypat

To be honest with you, after that new paint job, people will notice more what clothes you are wearing or type of facial hair you have while riding it. Your call, but taking away function strictly for aesthetics? Again, it's your call

noobinsf 

If you're uncertain enough to ask opinions here, I would take the slow approach and build it as a geared bike first, just to get a feel for the frame. You can always move forward with the original plan if you're not impressed with it as a geared bike, but you can't replace the braze-ons. (Well, you can, but you know what I mean.) In the meantime, maybe a beater frame will come along that begs for a repaint (for practice) and maybe even has track dropouts. I love that color orange. And the gold decals. And imagining the original paint all shiny.

I would say just give yourself a little time to judge whether this is an impulse or a plan. Impulses pass.

Mr. 66

How about braze in some new adjustable or track dropouts before you do the new paint? That would great.

Kilroy1988 

I thought about gugie and asking to do just that, with the classic "road/path" frames in mind. Robust track dropouts with fender eyelets look pretty cool!

79pmooney

Yeah, I'll second. (But this frame doesn't have the cursed braze-ons for fix gear riding - DT shifter bosses. I purposely did not have those bosses put on my Mooney so I could go clean later if I wanted - and now do. Anyone who notices the little plate under the DT is getting a little too obsessive!)

And the rest of those braze-ons: top of BB cable guides never looked super elegant and collected grime. Drilling a small hole in the future, tapping and adding a plastic below the BB cable guide is easy (and far nicer). OK, you might have to use a chrome stop on the chainstay. Rear brake cable guides should be on top ala the early '80s. Even chromed guides are better than what's there (in my opinion). The good pumps are frame fit so that's not an issue.

This bike is a super road fix gear. Sweet, long road dropout that can handle a real mix of cogs on a flip-flop hub so you can ride the hills like the old days and stop and flip the wheel. This can probably handle a 16-22 swap. That's real. Yes, the Bob Jackson track frame can probably do more, but track ends suck for quick, easy road flips. Also, rear brakes are nice, especially in serious hills. The levers for standing - something we do a lot of, rear brake for speed control and alternating brakes for cooling. (Between that and the fix gear, I run cooler rims than anyone else on really steep hills.) And again, for those really steep hills, good old redundancy. I would much rather be telling my grandkids about that scary descent where I had only my rear brake and the pedals after the front failed. Road dropouts mean that the rim can stay withing the brake pads as you play with wheel flip and big cog differences. (Also far easier to deal with if you ever go to fenders. Edit: keep the eyes. Fix gears are sweet rain bikes.)

The real roadies of England, when that bike was made, would not cringe at you turning it in to a fix gear specific ride. In fact, they might applaud a good job.

Additional edits for typos

Ben

clubman 

FWIW, I'm in the don't drew it camp. I like fixed riding and used my Sakai tri-bike as one for years but I'm glad it's unmolested as it's now being rebuilt up for road again.
Somehow I think adding bits to a frame is improvements. Removal is unnecessary and generally bad.

SJX426 

Kilroy1988 Like others, your bike your decision. I bought a Trek610 that had been rattle canned and drewed. I didn't have any problem with stripping and adding bits to support the intention of the bike which is sport touring. So adding bits is a bit different than removing them and is dependent on what you start with. Finding something close that has already been abused is not that hard and is easy to justify mods. IMHO.
104_PaTrek., on Flickr
125_PaTrek, on Flickr
119_PaTrek, on Flickr
PaTrek STI 043_Cable Stop_01, on Flickr

bikemig 

I'm digging all the artwork from Middle Earth for obvious reasons once you see my location,

It's your call on the frame but you know that most here wouldn't do it for what it's worth.

USAZorro

If the finish were trashed, nobody would bat an eye. However, it IS your bike, and you do intend to do it more than justice when you refinish it.

You say you want to retain the pump peg (which I actually might not have decided to keep). I would advocate for also retaining the fender eyelets and the brake cable guides (yes, it's going to be a fixed gear, but I mount brakes on all my bicycles that are going to be used in traffic with the general public). This really doesn't leave very much to be removed though. lol

Eager to see how this ends up. Re-imagining bicycles can be a very sweet (if not entirely linear) adventure.

squirtdad

good point here....maybe you stay fixie, maybe you go single speed.....and i know you can to a front only brake, but front and rear give more control....... and fixie is passe anyway

Kilroy1988 

I'm not sure about the brake cable guides yet but I'll definitely retain the fender eyelets. Removing them is not an option if I'm going for a proper British look from any era!

Clip on cable guides were common for when riders did choose to use both front and rear brakes. I'm not advertse to that at all assuming I'll mostly just run a front brake anyway, as I always have in the past with my fixed gear bikes.

The wheelset I have for the bike has double fixed cogs. No single speed for me! That seems counter-produxtive considering the advantages in strength and cadence gained from riding fixed.

79pmooney

Don't go track ends! Living up to peer pressure is their only asset on the road. When I had my custom road fix gear made, I had road fix gear dropouts made. 11 degee angle, a compromise between perpendicular to the seatstay for pad alignment and horizontal to maintain BB height with large cog changes. Slot running forward, then down so I could use the entire slot and have the tire near brushing the seattube and still get the wheel out fast and easy. The only issue with fenders is that with a 2" long slot, I had to modify the rear to be longer. (And I made a small oval hole at the nearest tire to seatstay point so there is no fender there and the entire slot can be used. I can run 12 and 23 with the fender changing nothing.)

If you want to mess with the dropouts, get 1/4" steel plate and make yourself a road "L" dropout. Just a little work with a bandsaw and file. The rest is identical to a 3rd party track end.

I had adjusting screws fitted for my dropouts which I love on my winter fix gear (brainless wheel fits after late night flats coming home in the rain) but quickly stopped using the screws on the custom because flipping was so much fun. (Spend the money for a track quality crankset. The roundness makes setting correct chain slack very easy. My custom has a Sugino 75. Well worth it just for the time and work it saves on wheel flips. (Chain barely lightens and loosens as I go through the pedal stoke. Set the 1/2" slack - and I don't even need to be very close) and the bike is ready to ride. Cheaper or road cranksets and you may find you have to spin the pedal several revolutions to find the tightest and loosest points. The makers of road cranksets hae zero incentive to keep things round. Slightly oblong cranksets shifter better and faster.

I know people are fans of track ends with stops but again, I ask why? They are not needed to keep the wheel in place. Very strong velodrome riders have been riding sprint races for a century without them. (Look at photos of Nelson Vails - he didn't use them. I'll bet his nemesis, Mark Gorski, didn't either.

I was riding fix gears on the road 20 years before they became popular; on road bikes like most of us from those days. The track bike as a popular option for road fix gear fix gear riding started in the '90s with the hipster crowd. Yes, some have always ridden them as road bikes. But never large numbers until it became the thing to do. Peer pressure is an impressive force. Completely overrides decades of experience.

(Now I get to sit back and watch myself get blasted.)

Ben

Kilroy1988 

Ben,

I just like the look but am well aware that many British riders simply used road frames with regular drop outs for their fixed riding. It'll certainly be easier not to change that aspect of the bike! I just meant to mention that I did in fact consider it since I know we have some local talent who could make that happen!