This bike is my fun wheels, where I attempt to put forth my own personal (and of course tasteful) style statement matched with the "essence de bike" factor that is inherent in the fixed gear ride. My best shot at marrying form and function in the cycling context, with a bit of a message if you look for it, maybe.
What brought his on? Well, because it's mykind of fun, and, it's looking like I may actually be able to ride this puppy again before halloween. Confidence in my legs is returning, slowly. So, I pulled out parts accumulated months ago.
This go 'round of pimping includes:
Throwing on some old school Dia Comp brake levers I picked up some time ago ($6 ebay). Brown to match the seat
Also chopped an additional inch or so off the bar ends, which were too curved for my liking. The trick here was to leave enough curve in order to mount the levers so as to have a nice range of pull on the brake levers - so the brakes would actually work, rather than finding that pulling on the levers would have them run into the handle bar before they had pulled the cable enough to move the brake pads against the wheel rim. Got that?
And, of course, the final flair: some new tan/brown bar tape to match the seat (well, sort of). Spied the tape at the LBS when I went by to grab some new brake cables. My first sighting of tape in that color, did not think it existed.
It called out to me in eee's and oooh's, reeling me in with its rolling Tuscan tone. The ride is a Cinelli frame, likwise the stem and bars (what's left of them). And, yes, this fine cork tape is Cinelli as well, and thus essential.
I suppose the hardcore purist cycling set would comment:
"You, Siiiiiir," they might derisively comment, "are a fixie poseur of the highest order.
Hand brakes? Egads, man. Bring that fine fixer to a halt as was meant to be, in appropriate old school fashion - reverse leg power."
"And," they might add, "the reverse levers may look cool, but they can be spears in the right (wrong) circumstances."
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually prefer to keep my knees connected to the rest of me, not watch them blow over the handlebars as I try to stop at the bottom of a hill. I will give myself the brake option, twice over - front and rear.
Perhaps I'll slip some neoprene on the lever, uh, make that "spear" tips. Got anything in black, or maybe Cinelli brown?
