No, not a mispronunciation of Thomas Hardy's literary classic, I am referring to adventures sans asphalt- transporting oneself to a blissful, serene and Zen like Nirvana. Fixed might not seem the obvious choice just as it doesn’t for touring (yet I know of a few who swear by their fixers for laden weekend excursions). With the right gearing and component choices there’s ample scope for green-lane and moderate singletrack satisfaction. Received wisdom suggests a gear of 63 inches is optimum but this, rather like saddles and other contact points is a very personal matter that cannot simply be determined by overly simplistic formula calculation. Far from greatly reducing versatility, a carefully planned fixed MTB or cyclo cross build could prove the bike for all reasons and four seasons. Indeed, I predict we will see a moderate explosion in the off road fixed scene if rumours are true surrounding the commercial ressurection of three and five speed fixed hubs.
Not convinced? Well, you'll have a simple bomb-proof training/working mount capable of eating pot-holes for breakfast and kerb stones for lunch. Those of a more competitive nature are freed from the slavery of the indoor trainer to hone razor sharp handling skills and super smooth pedalling style-essential ingredients for breaking away from the bunch and stealing a march on your rivals. The availability of wide section studded/spiked snow tyres in both 26" and 700c sizes gives even less excuse to hide indoors.
I must confess a quiet, yet continual yearning for Surly’s slightly overbuilt but very worthy Karate Monkey frameset. "Skid Mark" brown might not meet with everyone's approval but shouldn't attract the wrong sort of attention either. Besides, you can easily change the livery once a few season’s fun have taken their toll. On-One’s "inbred" is another worthy choice from a very similar school of thought. However, there's no need to rush out and buy a dedicated frameset....
A virtual wander through the Gallery reveals a devoted fellowship with finely honed frame building/engineering skills coupled with an abundance of imagination and creativity. Just remember, simply buying a retired framebuilder's tools doesn’t automatically maketh a master/mistress of the torch...Seek guidance, have patience and after much practice you might build something rideable. Or better still, enroll on a (typically) week long frame building course under expert tutelage and come away with a made to measure frame and a sense of achievement money can't buy.
Some years ago, I spotted a very petite cyclo cross frameset at a race meeting. This later transpired to have been built from scrap frames MIG welded together and finished in leftover acrylic paint. MIG is only really suitable for joining "gas-pipe" tubing but it’s a very accessible welding process. Crudely, if you can draw a straight line using a marker pen, you can MIG weld- the real skill lies in a fastidious jig alignment and accuracy of tube mitring.
MTBs have been the dominant breed over the past couple decades. Subsequently, mid-range rigid cro-moly framesets are plentiful, providing versatile and inexpensive platforms for other duties. However, the renewed interest in cyclo cross has meant greater availability of inexpensive starter frames and components for those preferring 700c hoops.
Whichever route you choose, resist the urge to take a grinder to the plethora of cable guides, braze-ons etc. For the last word in versatility, have your friendly local frame builder braze in a set of Surly ends- the rear facing model complete with derailleur hanger. Whilst undoubtedly offensive to the purists, these represent the best of both worlds. A stiffer rear triangle, easy chain tensioning and should riding fixed loose it’s flavour; gears without tears are just some of the advantages.
Dependent upon the value of the frame and/or depth of pockets, you could either repaint the areas scorched by the torch , or go the whole hog and treat it to a fresh powder coat/stoved enamel finish.
Not your bag? There’s nothing stopping you going fixed using frames with vertical/horizontal ends. It just requires more patience to achieve correct chain line and/or creating a suitable magic gear.
Single speed's popularity ensures a ready supply of affordable, weatherproof hubs, cranks and other dedicated parts, eliminating the need to modify track/road components. Some colour schemes look good enough to eat but I'll remain steadfastly silver because it's most proficient at disguising the ravages of rough-stuff.
Karate Monkeys make lovely pets but in the present economic climate, I'll tighten my toe-straps and settle for frame end surgery on my mtb derived crosser next re-spray.
See you on the singletrack....
