What the heck is an exploratorium?
This question crossed our mind as well. We were looking for a good term to convey what we wanted this page to be about but couldn't find the words...so we used a made up one. This page is a Willy Wonka style tour through the inner workings of the RedBike weight weenies. While redbike is known for its single speed leanings, we are increasingly plumbing the depths of light weight components and builds. So please check back for regular updates from the mad-as-a-hatter shop builds. And remember, we don't reserve this type of silliness just for ourselves, feel free to ask about your dream build and let us customize your ride.
Tune - Ax-lightness - Extralite - KCNC - Schmolke Carbon - Enve Composites , watch the list grow...
BMC Fourstroke, too heavy?!
.jpg)
Our goal of building a sub 20 pound fullsuspension mountain bike is represented here with the finsihed product weighing in at 19lbs, 11 oz. (medium frame).
We could have had more weight loss if we used the lessons learned from the Merlin XLM build. However the owner wanted to use a full XTR druvetrain. This 'want' limited us, but with the fork weighing so little we felt we could still use the XTR and achieve our goal.
Check out the list of parts we used..
- Frame: BMC Fourstroke, size medium (4lbs, 7oz)
- Rear Shick: Fox RP23 (non Kashima)
- Fork: DT Swiss XRC 10 Double shot (1170 grams)
- Hubs: Extralite Hyoer front, and Hyper rear (28h)
- Rims: Enve Carbon 26" XC rim
- Spokes: Sapim CX Ray
- Pedals: Time Atac, carbon Ti axle.
- Bottom bracket: XTR External bearing
- Headset: FSA IS 40 headset
- Seatpost: New Ultimate EVO 350mm
- Handlebar: Schmolke TLO flat bar
- Stem: Easton EA50 (to be changed out to as fit of bike is reached)
- Grips: Extralite
- Tires: Schwalbe Rocket Ron 26x2.1 (tubeless with Stans)
- Brakes: Hope Race X2
- Rotors: 160mm Floating rotors
- Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Ti rails
- Rear Der: XTR Shadow Plus
- Fr Der: XTR Direc mount (2x10)
- Cranks: XTR 175mm 2x10 (28T/40T)
- Cassette: SRAM 10SPD XX 12-36T
- QR's: Tune quick release
- Chain: XTR 10spd
.jpg)
Jan/19/12
.jpg)
Sorry for the lapse in updating here. A whole summer season has gone by without so much as line written. Sure we were busy and that is a factor. but a major factor in the lapse was general procrastination. Efforts will be made to update more, afterall missed Dereks Moots Pshyclo X RSL build for the cyclocross seaon this past fall (oming soon).
Now, to the the business of cool builds. Our friend Jean has taken a job in Texas for the new year, and wants to take a new mountain bike with him. He decided on the BMC fourstroke. The 2012 BMC Foursroke is very nicely equpied but after Jean took a close look at Dereks Merlin XLM build (see below) that all changed.
.jpg)
First thing to go are the wheels. Off got he DT Swiss XR 1450 and on go a newly build Enve 26" 28 Hole carbon rim UST matched up with red Extralite Hyper front and rear hubs all tied together with Sapim spokes. The complete wheel set weighs in at 1180 grams
The fork was next. Coming on the bike is a Fox RLC 100: remove, and on goes the DT Swiss XRC 100 with the Carbon rib crown uppers and the superlight Twin Shot damping, that gets to an insane weight of 1156 grams. We were very surprised of the stiffness of this fork given its light weight.
We have found that a good place to loose weight on a mountain bike is the cockpit. Applying that theory here we have got a Schmolke staright bar (82 grams). Gone is the carbon Easton handlebar. Other changes here will be the Extralite Integr 2 headset (44 grams), and Extralite Ultrstem OC (82 grams).
The drivetrain is going to be - XTR cranks, SRAM cassette, and that is all 10 speed. Brakes are provided by Hope, as they are the lightest brake that seems to work well.
As if BMC build was not enough Jean (pictured here) has also ordered in a Independent Fabrication Ti PLanet Cross frame. With the parts still being finalized it should be very beautiful as well. Yes ladies, he is a signle guy with way to much money to spend on bicycles!
Dec/20/11
Merlin XLM done
April/27/11
Merlin XLM Wheel build
.jpg)
Wheels are an important part of a weight weenie build. The lighter the better, particularly when it's rotating mass. We started with light weight rims from Stan's No tubes, the Podium MMX in 32 holes. These rims are so light that they don't sell them in the States as rims only! They did come in a little heavier then the claimed weight but they are still pretty darn light at 293 and 296 grams.
The next key piece are the hubs. You have seen these before! Extralite is fast becoming a shop favourite for light weight hubs. The awesome CNCing removes material where it isn't needed but ensure it remains in places where it is crucial (like around the spoke head). The disc brake ready rear hub (HyperRear) utilizes straight pul spokes and weighs in at 167 grams!
The front hub (HyperLefty) is Lefty specific (see our post about theExperimental Prototype Lefty adapter!) and weighs an incredible 86 grams. That rivals front road hubs!
Last but not least, we selected Sapim CX-rays and Sapim SIL nipples (which have a nut head for easy building). We needed a total of 64 spokes and nipples for the build. The nipples were 12 grams and the spokes weighed 147 grams for a single wheel (32).
.jpg)
Once they were built we threw them back on the scales complete. The front wheel weighed in at 531 grams while the rear was a paltry 616 grams. Thats right folks....add them up and you get a fully functional MTB wheelset, with no carbon in site, of 1147 grams!! To put that into perspective lets use a couple wheelsets people are familiar with, the ubiquitous Mavic Ksyrium SL road wheelset and the Shimano XTR wheelset. Our build is 338 grams (3/4 of a pound) lighter then the Mavic ROAD wheels and a full 320 grams lighter then the claimed weight of Shimano's XTR wheelset.
Okay, so this is only the start....We decided that we should big or go home. Wait for another build with carbon tubular rims from Ax-Lightness, the same spokes and hubs (but with 28 hole front and rear). Sub 1000 grams is the goal, check back to see how we do!!
March 8, 2011
Light Road Wheels...
Everyone knows the best place to lose weight on a bike is in the wheels. Physics tells it has to do with rotating this and that. What ever. Simply put, Lighter is better. You hear all these stories of super light road wheels; they are like cycling urban myths. "Sub 800 grams but the guy died in a horrible crash first time out, you know, like what happened to the Titanic on its maiden voyage". Here at the exploratorium we are putting our own bodies on the line to see if this is the case. Key component number one: the hubs. Thanks to Extralite we got a pair of UltraFronts and UltraRears. If they say Ultra its gotta be good right? Oh yeah, it is. Here is the pair.
.jpg)
Yup, you're reading that right. 182 grams FOR THE PAIR. Let's put that into perspective. DT Swiss's highly vaulted 190s usually weigh just over 190 grams (amazing how that works!) FOR JUST THE REAR HUB. We're off to a good start.
Merlin XLM
So the build continues with perhaps the coolest component. Mattias Hellore of Experimental Prototype, maker of super cool weight weenie titanium, carbon, and aluminum parts, sent us a Cannondale Lefty fork adapter so that the lightweight Lefty will fit a 1 1/8" standard head tube. You got to check out the cool work this guy does, he made us a titanium cyclocross chain ring for a compact Campagnolo crankset that is super light and has held up very well. The Lefty adapter looks to be made with the same care and precision. Oh yeah it also weighs a paltry 88 grams!!
.jpg)
Another cool arrival is the ceramic jockey wheels from KCNC. The jockey wheels come in a myriad of colour so you can customize your ride, they have ceramic hybrid bearing to ensure super smooth spinning. Jockey wheel bearings are exposed to very high rpms, so there is no better place for ceramics. Unlike many after market jockey wheels, KCNC builds theirs with float allowing the chain to align its self through the derailleur just like stock jockey wheels. At 8 grams per wheel they are also save you grams over standard jockey wheels. KCNC makes them for both road and mountain bike drivetrains for SRAM, Shimano, or Campagnolo.
Jan 29,2011
Cranks, hubs, headsets, and seat collar have arrived courtesy of Extralite. Check this crank weight out. Remember, this includes rings and BB!!
The front lefty specific hub (86g) from
The rear hub (169g)
Thats right, 578 grams. For comparison the 2011 XTR crankset with the same configuration is 730 grams!
Jan 18,2011
The much awaited 2011 XTR to finish the Merlin harftail XLM build has been coming through the door in bits and drabs. The frame is awaiting XTR drivetrain. However with weight being a concern (the goal is sub 19lbs) we've had to choose a few parts to keep the weight down. One of those decisions is to use a lefty, you read correct, a Cannondale lefty at 1150 grams, is very light. A Lynskey seatpost and an Extralite seatpost clamp are also making their efforts to keep the weight down.
Since we are going for uberlite we have decided on Edge Composite 24 spoke clincher rims paired with the royal family of Tune hubs (the Princess and Prince) and held together with Sapim's deliciously light CX-Rays. Without disc rotors and skewers the front wheel weighs a staggering 550 grams. Toss in a KCNC skewer (23 grams) and a seriously light Scrub rotor and titanium bolts (49 grams) and you have a fully functioning ~625 gram wheel...just waiting for the rear wheel to be built up to give you the full wheelset weight....oh yeah baby!!
Nov 26,2010
Coming along....
.jpg)
Move over little "blue" pill, we got a chub!
Few things in this world go together so well, but like PB&J, cookies and milk, and peas and carrots the Chub hub and the Phil Woods belt drive freewheel are a match made in Single Speed heaven.
Ellsworth Elightenment 29r Single Speed Belt Drive
Nov 3/2010
It seems like the Belt Drive bike has become more and more popular, at least the question of Belt Drive has. So we've decided to build a Belt Drive for ourselves. And since winter is around the corner, what better way to put the whole thing to a test, than winter in Alberta.
The selection of frames that will run a belt drive is limited, as the frame has to come apart at some point to allow the one piece belt to slip in. luckily Ellsworth has the 29R Enlightenment Carbon frame (on its way) with bolt on dropouts . The drivetrain consists of Phil Woods freewheel and ring that is designed to accept the Gates Belt drive. The hubs are Chub, by The Hive. They look big and heavy- but the rear hub is only 307 grams heavy. The large flange will allow for a short spoke paring up to the Stans Arch 29 rims, and short spokes equals a strong rim.
We should see the Phil Wood goodies any day now.
Our next fun build is a Merlin XLM hardtail mountain bike. First step, the wheels. Since we are going for uberlite we have decided on Edge Composite 24 spoke clincher rims paired with the royal family of Tune hubs (the Princess and Prince) and held together with Sapim's deliciously light CX-Rays. Without disc rotors and skewers the front wheel weighs a staggering 550 grams. Toss in a KCNC skewer (23 grams) and a seriously light Scrub rotor and titanium bolts (49 grams) and you have a fully functioning ~625 gram wheel...just waiting for the rear wheel to be built up to give you the full wheelset weight....oh yeah baby!!
ON HOLD AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE 2011 XTR
Wondering what the next bicycle you could build is? A new road bike? a new MTB bike? or even a new cross bike? Nah! That is all to realistic! Instead maybe you could build the ultimate fixie. Yes, that's it, the ultimate fixie! Now how do I go about doing that?! Where to start.......
How about a very rare 55cM Eriksen Titanium track frame. Good start! Now add some Edge Composite 42cM carbon clincher rims...20 hole front rim and a 24 hole rear. You might ask, what hubs are you going to pair with such cool rims? Zipp, Dura Ace, or maybe some DT Swiss. These choices in the "real world" would be a good idea. But if you're building the "ultimate fixie", why make things real? That is why it was decided to go with some Phil Wood custom drilled Hi Flange track hubs. With some Sapim X-ray spokes on the way, the wheels should be up and running soon. As you can see from the photo there is a very nice Mango Chris King headset already in place. Not shown in the pic is the Eriksen seatpost, that just so happens to have an orange head...I sense a theme here. Next on the wish list is deciding what fork to use. The frame came with a Reynolds UL carbon fork (new uncut), but we decided that was not what we were looking for (you can buy it on Ebay if you want)
Feb 5, 2010 update:
With the arrival of the fork from Blacksheep the bike has taken shape. Note the orange Blacksheep decal they made for us to match the theme. When we put on the fork there was some wrangling with the brakes to get them to sit right, after all we would not want to scar those nice Edge Composite rims. But all is on track after some repairs that involved some parts from an ancient donor.
On goes the Surly flask and Ahearn Flask holder to keep you warm on those cool spring (hopefully very soon spring) evenings and we are almost set...We had someone ask "how much is that bike?” Good question...does that really matter when you are building the "Ultimate Fixie"?
January 21, 2010 update:
Compliments of my new new app called Hipstamatic, here is a pic showing the lastest state of this build. Notice the fine Schwalbe Ultremo tires (not the recalled ones), mmmmmmm new rubber.
January 20, 2010 update:
The arrival of the Sapim spokes has allowed the wheels to be built. With some figuring for the spoke tension (not an easy task, with the hub/rim/spoke combo) the wheels took shape. And in true redbike fashion, Derek used this opportunity to learn to build wheels. Normally a first time wheel builder might start with a lesser wheel, but as they say: It’s as easy as falling off a piece of cake. (I love mixed metaphors).
After two successful wheels builds, the cranks and bottom bracket arrived. There is nothing like opening new Campagnolo Record box and seeing that fine hardware. Now the Record 165MM Track crank with 50Tooth chainring can be installed and with the brakes installed the bike is really taking shape. Without the Blacksheep fork to build up the frame we opted to use the Reynolds fork that came with the frame just to satisfy our needs.
November 27 update:
We have found the fork! It is from the guys at Blacksheep , and a perfect match for the frame and of course, the brakes. As soon as the fork arrives we will get a picture of it and post it for all to see. Again, any ideas or comments about this build send it here
Come see our full selection of Brooks
<< back to home
What the heck is an exploratorium?
This question crossed our mind as well. We were looking for a good term to convey what we wanted this page to be about but couldn't find the words...so we used a made up one. This page is a Willy Wonka style tour through the inner workings of the RedBike weight weenies. While redbike is known for its single speed leanings, we are increasingly plumbing the depths of light weight components and builds. So please check back for regular updates from the mad-as-a-hatter shop builds. And remember, we don't reserve this type of silliness just for ourselves, feel free to ask about your dream build and let us customize your ride.
Tune - Ax-lightness - Extralite - KCNC - Schmolke Carbon - Enve Composites , watch the list grow...
BMC Fourstroke, too heavy?!
Our goal of building a sub 20 pound fullsuspension mountain bike is represented here with the finsihed product weighing in at 19lbs, 11 oz. (medium frame).
We could have had more weight loss if we used the lessons learned from the Merlin XLM build. However the owner wanted to use a full XTR druvetrain. This 'want' limited us, but with the fork weighing so little we felt we could still use the XTR and achieve our goal.
Check out the list of parts we used..
- Frame: BMC Fourstroke, size medium (4lbs, 7oz)
- Rear Shick: Fox RP23 (non Kashima)
- Fork: DT Swiss XRC 10 Double shot (1170 grams)
- Hubs: Extralite Hyoer front, and Hyper rear (28h)
- Rims: Enve Carbon 26" XC rim
- Spokes: Sapim CX Ray
- Pedals: Time Atac, carbon Ti axle.
- Bottom bracket: XTR External bearing
- Headset: FSA IS 40 headset
- Seatpost: New Ultimate EVO 350mm
- Handlebar: Schmolke TLO flat bar
- Stem: Easton EA50 (to be changed out to as fit of bike is reached)
- Grips: Extralite
- Tires: Schwalbe Rocket Ron 26x2.1 (tubeless with Stans)
- Brakes: Hope Race X2
- Rotors: 160mm Floating rotors
- Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Ti rails
- Rear Der: XTR Shadow Plus
- Fr Der: XTR Direc mount (2x10)
- Cranks: XTR 175mm 2x10 (28T/40T)
- Cassette: SRAM 10SPD XX 12-36T
- QR's: Tune quick release
- Chain: XTR 10spd
Jan/19/12
Sorry for the lapse in updating here. A whole summer season has gone by without so much as line written. Sure we were busy and that is a factor. but a major factor in the lapse was general procrastination. Efforts will be made to update more, afterall missed Dereks Moots Pshyclo X RSL build for the cyclocross seaon this past fall (oming soon).
Now, to the the business of cool builds. Our friend Jean has taken a job in Texas for the new year, and wants to take a new mountain bike with him. He decided on the BMC fourstroke. The 2012 BMC Foursroke is very nicely equpied but after Jean took a close look at Dereks Merlin XLM build (see below) that all changed.
First thing to go are the wheels. Off got he DT Swiss XR 1450 and on go a newly build Enve 26" 28 Hole carbon rim UST matched up with red Extralite Hyper front and rear hubs all tied together with Sapim spokes. The complete wheel set weighs in at 1180 grams
The fork was next. Coming on the bike is a Fox RLC 100: remove, and on goes the DT Swiss XRC 100 with the Carbon rib crown uppers and the superlight Twin Shot damping, that gets to an insane weight of 1156 grams. We were very surprised of the stiffness of this fork given its light weight.
We have found that a good place to loose weight on a mountain bike is the cockpit. Applying that theory here we have got a Schmolke staright bar (82 grams). Gone is the carbon Easton handlebar. Other changes here will be the Extralite Integr 2 headset (44 grams), and Extralite Ultrstem OC (82 grams).
The drivetrain is going to be - XTR cranks, SRAM cassette, and that is all 10 speed. Brakes are provided by Hope, as they are the lightest brake that seems to work well.
As if BMC build was not enough Jean (pictured here) has also ordered in a Independent Fabrication Ti PLanet Cross frame. With the parts still being finalized it should be very beautiful as well. Yes ladies, he is a signle guy with way to much money to spend on bicycles!
Dec/20/11
Merlin XLM done
April/27/11
Merlin XLM Wheel build
Wheels are an important part of a weight weenie build. The lighter the better, particularly when it's rotating mass. We started with light weight rims from Stan's No tubes, the Podium MMX in 32 holes. These rims are so light that they don't sell them in the States as rims only! They did come in a little heavier then the claimed weight but they are still pretty darn light at 293 and 296 grams.
The next key piece are the hubs. You have seen these before! Extralite is fast becoming a shop favourite for light weight hubs. The awesome CNCing removes material where it isn't needed but ensure it remains in places where it is crucial (like around the spoke head). The disc brake ready rear hub (HyperRear) utilizes straight pul spokes and weighs in at 167 grams!
The front hub (HyperLefty) is Lefty specific (see our post about theExperimental Prototype Lefty adapter!) and weighs an incredible 86 grams. That rivals front road hubs!
Last but not least, we selected Sapim CX-rays and Sapim SIL nipples (which have a nut head for easy building). We needed a total of 64 spokes and nipples for the build. The nipples were 12 grams and the spokes weighed 147 grams for a single wheel (32).
Once they were built we threw them back on the scales complete. The front wheel weighed in at 531 grams while the rear was a paltry 616 grams. Thats right folks....add them up and you get a fully functional MTB wheelset, with no carbon in site, of 1147 grams!! To put that into perspective lets use a couple wheelsets people are familiar with, the ubiquitous Mavic Ksyrium SL road wheelset and the Shimano XTR wheelset. Our build is 338 grams (3/4 of a pound) lighter then the Mavic ROAD wheels and a full 320 grams lighter then the claimed weight of Shimano's XTR wheelset.
Okay, so this is only the start....We decided that we should big or go home. Wait for another build with carbon tubular rims from Ax-Lightness, the same spokes and hubs (but with 28 hole front and rear). Sub 1000 grams is the goal, check back to see how we do!!
March 8, 2011
Light Road Wheels...
Everyone knows the best place to lose weight on a bike is in the wheels. Physics tells it has to do with rotating this and that. What ever. Simply put, Lighter is better. You hear all these stories of super light road wheels; they are like cycling urban myths. "Sub 800 grams but the guy died in a horrible crash first time out, you know, like what happened to the Titanic on its maiden voyage". Here at the exploratorium we are putting our own bodies on the line to see if this is the case. Key component number one: the hubs. Thanks to Extralite we got a pair of UltraFronts and UltraRears. If they say Ultra its gotta be good right? Oh yeah, it is. Here is the pair.
Yup, you're reading that right. 182 grams FOR THE PAIR. Let's put that into perspective. DT Swiss's highly vaulted 190s usually weigh just over 190 grams (amazing how that works!) FOR JUST THE REAR HUB. We're off to a good start.
Merlin XLM
So the build continues with perhaps the coolest component. Mattias Hellore of Experimental Prototype, maker of super cool weight weenie titanium, carbon, and aluminum parts, sent us a Cannondale Lefty fork adapter so that the lightweight Lefty will fit a 1 1/8" standard head tube. You got to check out the cool work this guy does, he made us a titanium cyclocross chain ring for a compact Campagnolo crankset that is super light and has held up very well. The Lefty adapter looks to be made with the same care and precision. Oh yeah it also weighs a paltry 88 grams!!
Another cool arrival is the ceramic jockey wheels from KCNC. The jockey wheels come in a myriad of colour so you can customize your ride, they have ceramic hybrid bearing to ensure super smooth spinning. Jockey wheel bearings are exposed to very high rpms, so there is no better place for ceramics. Unlike many after market jockey wheels, KCNC builds theirs with float allowing the chain to align its self through the derailleur just like stock jockey wheels. At 8 grams per wheel they are also save you grams over standard jockey wheels. KCNC makes them for both road and mountain bike drivetrains for SRAM, Shimano, or Campagnolo.
Jan 29,2011
Cranks, hubs, headsets, and seat collar have arrived courtesy of Extralite. Check this crank weight out. Remember, this includes rings and BB!!
The front lefty specific hub (86g) from
The rear hub (169g)
Thats right, 578 grams. For comparison the 2011 XTR crankset with the same configuration is 730 grams!
Jan 18,2011
The much awaited 2011 XTR to finish the Merlin harftail XLM build has been coming through the door in bits and drabs. The frame is awaiting XTR drivetrain. However with weight being a concern (the goal is sub 19lbs) we've had to choose a few parts to keep the weight down. One of those decisions is to use a lefty, you read correct, a Cannondale lefty at 1150 grams, is very light. A Lynskey seatpost and an Extralite seatpost clamp are also making their efforts to keep the weight down.
Since we are going for uberlite we have decided on Edge Composite 24 spoke clincher rims paired with the royal family of Tune hubs (the Princess and Prince) and held together with Sapim's deliciously light CX-Rays. Without disc rotors and skewers the front wheel weighs a staggering 550 grams. Toss in a KCNC skewer (23 grams) and a seriously light Scrub rotor and titanium bolts (49 grams) and you have a fully functioning ~625 gram wheel...just waiting for the rear wheel to be built up to give you the full wheelset weight....oh yeah baby!!
Nov 26,2010
Coming along....
Move over little "blue" pill, we got a chub!
Few things in this world go together so well, but like PB&J, cookies and milk, and peas and carrots the Chub hub and the Phil Woods belt drive freewheel are a match made in Single Speed heaven.
Ellsworth Elightenment 29r Single Speed Belt Drive
Nov 3/2010
It seems like the Belt Drive bike has become more and more popular, at least the question of Belt Drive has. So we've decided to build a Belt Drive for ourselves. And since winter is around the corner, what better way to put the whole thing to a test, than winter in Alberta.
The selection of frames that will run a belt drive is limited, as the frame has to come apart at some point to allow the one piece belt to slip in. luckily Ellsworth has the 29R Enlightenment Carbon frame (on its way) with bolt on dropouts . The drivetrain consists of Phil Woods freewheel and ring that is designed to accept the Gates Belt drive. The hubs are Chub, by The Hive. They look big and heavy- but the rear hub is only 307 grams heavy. The large flange will allow for a short spoke paring up to the Stans Arch 29 rims, and short spokes equals a strong rim.
We should see the Phil Wood goodies any day now.
Our next fun build is a Merlin XLM hardtail mountain bike. First step, the wheels. Since we are going for uberlite we have decided on Edge Composite 24 spoke clincher rims paired with the royal family of Tune hubs (the Princess and Prince) and held together with Sapim's deliciously light CX-Rays. Without disc rotors and skewers the front wheel weighs a staggering 550 grams. Toss in a KCNC skewer (23 grams) and a seriously light Scrub rotor and titanium bolts (49 grams) and you have a fully functioning ~625 gram wheel...just waiting for the rear wheel to be built up to give you the full wheelset weight....oh yeah baby!!
ON HOLD AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE 2011 XTR
Wondering what the next bicycle you could build is? A new road bike? a new MTB bike? or even a new cross bike? Nah! That is all to realistic! Instead maybe you could build the ultimate fixie. Yes, that's it, the ultimate fixie! Now how do I go about doing that?! Where to start.......
How about a very rare 55cM Eriksen Titanium track frame. Good start! Now add some Edge Composite 42cM carbon clincher rims...20 hole front rim and a 24 hole rear. You might ask, what hubs are you going to pair with such cool rims? Zipp, Dura Ace, or maybe some DT Swiss. These choices in the "real world" would be a good idea. But if you're building the "ultimate fixie", why make things real? That is why it was decided to go with some Phil Wood custom drilled Hi Flange track hubs. With some Sapim X-ray spokes on the way, the wheels should be up and running soon. As you can see from the photo there is a very nice Mango Chris King headset already in place. Not shown in the pic is the Eriksen seatpost, that just so happens to have an orange head...I sense a theme here. Next on the wish list is deciding what fork to use. The frame came with a Reynolds UL carbon fork (new uncut), but we decided that was not what we were looking for (you can buy it on Ebay if you want)
Feb 5, 2010 update:
With the arrival of the fork from Blacksheep the bike has taken shape. Note the orange Blacksheep decal they made for us to match the theme. When we put on the fork there was some wrangling with the brakes to get them to sit right, after all we would not want to scar those nice Edge Composite rims. But all is on track after some repairs that involved some parts from an ancient donor.
On goes the Surly flask and Ahearn Flask holder to keep you warm on those cool spring (hopefully very soon spring) evenings and we are almost set...We had someone ask "how much is that bike?” Good question...does that really matter when you are building the "Ultimate Fixie"?
January 21, 2010 update:
Compliments of my new new app called Hipstamatic, here is a pic showing the lastest state of this build. Notice the fine Schwalbe Ultremo tires (not the recalled ones), mmmmmmm new rubber.
January 20, 2010 update:
The arrival of the Sapim spokes has allowed the wheels to be built. With some figuring for the spoke tension (not an easy task, with the hub/rim/spoke combo) the wheels took shape. And in true redbike fashion, Derek used this opportunity to learn to build wheels. Normally a first time wheel builder might start with a lesser wheel, but as they say: It’s as easy as falling off a piece of cake. (I love mixed metaphors).
After two successful wheels builds, the cranks and bottom bracket arrived. There is nothing like opening new Campagnolo Record box and seeing that fine hardware. Now the Record 165MM Track crank with 50Tooth chainring can be installed and with the brakes installed the bike is really taking shape. Without the Blacksheep fork to build up the frame we opted to use the Reynolds fork that came with the frame just to satisfy our needs.
November 27 update:
We have found the fork! It is from the guys at Blacksheep , and a perfect match for the frame and of course, the brakes. As soon as the fork arrives we will get a picture of it and post it for all to see. Again, any ideas or comments about this build send it here
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Much Love to Yellowpencil for all the help.
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How about a very rare 55cM Eriksen Titanium track frame. Good start! Now add some Edge Composite 42cM carbon clincher rims...20 hole front rim and a 24 hole rear. You might ask, what hubs are you going to pair with such cool rims? Zipp, Dura Ace, or maybe some DT Swiss. These choices in the "real world" would be a good idea. But if you're building the "ultimate fixie", why make things real? That is why it was decided to go with some Phil Wood custom drilled Hi Flange track hubs. With some Sapim X-ray spokes on the way, the wheels should be up and running soon. As you can see from the photo there is a very nice Mango Chris King headset already in place. Not shown in the pic is the Eriksen seatpost, that just so happens to have an orange head...I sense a theme here. Next on the wish list is deciding what fork to use. The frame came with a Reynolds UL carbon fork (new uncut), but we decided that was not what we were looking for (you can buy it on Ebay if you want)