Fourth Fixed Gear

2009 Bristol, England living on a student’s non-income. Getting around town was done by walking or taking a bus… or by bike. The very first week I lived in Bristol, I bought a cheap bike to get around. It had those crazy plastic stem shifters they put on cheap road bikes to this day. After cutting my leg twice by standing efforts, the cheap roadie had to go. But what to get after that? In 2009 the answer was simple: a fixie. They were all the rage. During my time in Bristol I owned two different fixed gear bikes, including a Dolan track bike. After some practice I could ride anywhere and got strong on the steep hills of Somerset. I once even did a century fixed, after which I had to ride home from the start/finish line. All of this in the rain, of course. I rode that Dolan for over a decade, even in group rides with bottle cages taped on.

This is now the fourth fixed gear bike I’ve owned, after finally building one for myself. There’s nothing like the simplicity of a single gear and the flywheel effect of your legs. The simplicity of having only a front brake means no cable management and no bits and bobs hanging off the frame. They may not be quite as cool as they once were, but once you’ve gone fixed as your only form of transportation for a number of years, it’s hard to give up the habit.

The Specs:

Steel frame
Seat mast with custom topper
Carbon fork
FSA Gimondi crank with 48t ring (from ca. 2011)
14t rear cog
Tubeless rim brake wheels custom built from H Plus Son rims, DT Swiss track hubs, and DT Aerolite spokes
Salsa Cowbell bars
Tektro brake levers
SRAM Apex rim brake front only
Plenty of bottle mounts, with one under the DT for a fixed-gear tool (15mm spanner for wheels with lockring remover) and one under the TT for carrying a spare tube.