Re: [CR]Introduction Faux Pas

In a message dated 3/29/02 7:05:37 AM Pacific Standard Time, ojv@earthlink.net writes:

<< (it'll have to wait for winter) and a 50's/60's Bianchi with the integrated headset that is currently being repainted after a lot of work repairing/prepping the frame & fork (still looking for the proper graphics if anyone can help). When finished, I'll build it up as a fixed gear with nutted hubs. >>

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/NICK_AT_LLOYDS/ LLoyd's lists transfers for Bianchi. I have a couple of word's of caution regarding your intended use of the bike. 1) If you measure the bb height, it's probably around 10.25". This is a little too low for a fixed gear depending on the terrain where you intend to ride. With 170 cranks, it's likely you'll be touching pedals. I commuted to college on a Frejus track bike with a low bb (about the same height) and with 170s on it, there was a series of turns on a down hill that, once committed to a line at speed, the pedal was scraping everytime it came around. Fortunately, not enough to get the rear wheel airborne 2) I had a Team issue Bianchi road bike that (unknown to me at the time of purchase) had been raced at the San Jose track, as a track bike, for a number of years. The bike felt really soft. One day when the bike was up in the stand with the rear wheel removed, I noticed the right chainstay (the one with the two deep dents in it?) moved really easily compared to the other one, and far more easily than a "fresh" bike would. I concluded that years of fixed gear racing strain does very bad things to SL chainstays with deep indents on each side. It's your bike to do with as you please, but Bianchis are such lovely road bikes with a really low bottom bracket, that I would suggest you make a "fixie" out of something else. I raced a Bianchi at Nevada City in 1972 or 3, and at the bottom of the "hill" I grounded a pedal and bounced the bike what felt like a foot in the air. I managed to not crash (quite some wild looks of horror on the faces of the spectators that I saw!) pointed up the court house hill in top gear, trying to get one foot back into a double strapped pedal and change down for the climb. With quite an adrenalin rush to improve my coordination while gravity rapidly slowed me down.

$.02 Stevan Thomas Alameda, CA Opinion: So I'm a track bike purist. If you want a fixie, get a proper track frame and put a brake on it. Don't braze derailleur hangers on track frames and drill them for two brakes either!