The Fixie Thread

moto_guy

moto_guy

Banned
With that gehetto crown race install just be carefull your hitting the outside of the race and nowhere near the part that contacts the bearing. I have done it before with a shifting spanner and a hammer just put the fork on the grass(so u dont bend the dropouts). Then adjust the shifter until its tight against the race sitting on the outside lip and hit the shifter with the hammer as close to the steerer as possible. Rotate your fork 90' and repeat untill done. If there is any paint on the fork where there crown race needs to go I would file that shit off.

The star nut can be gehettoed pretty easy you just need confidence. Install your star nut bolt into your fangled nut so it goes all the way in (no thread left on the nut). Sit the nut in the top of the fork and get a rubber mallet and hit it good and solid. The trick is to get both lips of the nut into the fork in 1 hit so that it straightens itself. If you fuck it up you can just get a normal hammer out and hit it sideways until it is straight.

You should have got a mojo bike ;)
 
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Lanky Love

Lanky Love

Likes Dirt
With the crown race I've successfully done it a few time using a wide flat screwdriver and covering the screw driver in some cloth so that there is no metal on metal. Slowly and gently go around the race a few taps at a time until its on. This can work fine, but it is ghetto so don't be surprised when you break something.

I have also inserted a star nut by just screwing in the bolt a bit and taping it into place gently with rubber hammer. Again taking care is the key to not buggering it up.
 
shirtz

shirtz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Lanky Love said:
With the crown race I've successfully done it a few time using a wide flat screwdriver and covering the screw driver in some cloth so that there is no metal on metal. Slowly and gently go around the race a few taps at a time until its on. This can work fine, but it is ghetto so don't be surprised when you break something.

I have also inserted a star nut by just screwing in the bolt a bit and taping it into place gently with rubber hammer. Again taking care is the key to not buggering it up.
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that or just take it to a shop. will take em 5min and 10 bucks
 
B

barefoot

Cannon Fodder
Is it a cartridge headset or a freeballer?

If it's cartridge... cut the crown race with a hacksaw. Then it slides on easy. Won't affect the way it works - it just has to have the tapered bit in place to locate the tapered edge of the cartridge. Most of them are made split these days.

If it's a freeball headset... yeah, a bit of appropriate sized pipe is the best bet. Or very careful hammer-and-screwdriver action.

Starfangled nuts aren't all that hard to install by bodge. Screw the bolt in - or, preferably, an old bolt that you won't want to use again - and whack it in with a hammer. Not a rubber mallet... you want the shock of a metal hammer impact to knock it in. You have to beat it pretty hard to spring the stars enough to fit down the steerer tube, which will cause damage to the bolt head.

If you can't tell the difference between the top and bottom cup, there probably isn't a difference.
 
moto_guy

moto_guy

Banned
barefoot said:
you want the shock of a metal hammer impact to knock it in. You have to beat it pretty hard to spring the stars enough to fit down the steerer tube, which will cause damage to the bolt head.
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Ive installed over 100 star nuts with a rubber mallet trust me it has enough force to get the nut in far enough. No need to damage bolts for no reason.
 
L

Lorday

Eats Squid
I find sockets work fanstastic for starnuts.
PVC pipe from your local bunnings for crown race.
Wooden mallet for headseat cups.

Proceed with caution. I've learnt the hard way with the first two.
 
Regan of Gong

Regan of Gong

Likes Dirt
Yeah, I've bodged crown races and stuff with mallets and screwdrivers and such before, but this one is particulary hard- there's quite a ledge to get the race over. Similar for the star nut- I've never set one and I spent 20min blasting away with a block of wood and a hammer on the screwed in bolt. Might be off to the LBS again :(
 
L

Lorday

Eats Squid
Regan of Gong. You:
a) coming up with the other guys to cops and convicts alleycat
b) going to the fixie sprints the next day?
 
viv

viv

Likes Dirt
Hey guys, just realised my forks are twisted/bent... My mate was riding the bike for a while and rode into a fence so Im guessing this was the cause! They are SE landing gear forks on an NS analog frame. Would it be ok to use any steel road bike fork? Or should I replace the fork with a trick style fork for geometry reasons...? Also where is a good place online to find a set of said forks?
 
Lanky Love

Lanky Love

Likes Dirt
Most steel road forks will be 1 inch threaded forks, and Im guessing your bike will have 1 1/8th inch threadless forks. It will alter the geometry a fair bit too.
 
Urban DH

Urban DH

Likes Bikes and Dirt
viv said:
Hey guys, just realised my forks are twisted/bent... My mate was riding the bike for a while and rode into a fence so Im guessing this was the cause! They are SE landing gear forks on an NS analog frame. Would it be ok to use any steel road bike fork? Or should I replace the fork with a trick style fork for geometry reasons...? Also where is a good place online to find a set of said forks?
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http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=58181

??? any use??
 
viv

viv

Likes Dirt
yea was looking at those forks. ended up just going to to the LBS and getting some chromoly charge forks. seem to be doing the job fine :)
 
L

Lorday

Eats Squid
Lorday said:
From the dudes who bought you Riddle me that Alleycat now bring you: Cops and Convicts - Alleycat - 18-2-2012

Be there.
http://www.facebook.com/events/234336856645743/

Dress to impress to the theme (or you can forfeit a gold coin for not making any effort) and get yourself and your trusty bespoke bicycle down to Hyde Park on the 18th for some bicycle related shennagians. Be there no later then 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

We'll be finishing up at ZEN GARAGE after the alleycat is finished for some more fun, games and socialising.
There's plently of swag to go around so DRESS TO IMPRESS... Catergory prizes, as well as spot prizes will be given out on the night.

If you have any queries or question please feel free to ask here or contact me at: sydcat@hotmail.com.au

Click to expand...
Bump for tonight.
 
T

Thom

Squid
My new ride... Schwinn cutter

Hey guys i don't know if someone has posted any pics of a new cutter (i searched to find no deal) but here is mine. Its going to be my daily commuter to uni and so far i'm pretty impressed with its value for money. I done a 50k ride on it today and was super impressed. I'm new to fixed so did most of the ride on freewheel. Anyhoo here it is...
 

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