Just emailed my LBS to see if they do custom builds. I'm itching for a fixed gear #bike to use as my lunch and dinner bike. Really find the All-City Big Block #bicycle appealing. I may be crazy to be thinking about a fixed gear at my age but I can ride the ultimate fixed gear, a #unicycle. In theory I should be able to handle a fixed gear bike.
@sparcipx Nice! I'd be interested in seeing what you build. Post some pictures when you get going.
@pla1 Absolutely, holding out for an all-white fixie frame!
@pla1 fixed gear bikes are awesome to ride - if you either live in a totally flat area or have knees of steel. My knees started to complain after half a year. It rode it daily on messenger shifts, though, I might have overdone it a bit.
@beni It is flat in the SC Lowcountry. I have one interstate highway overpass to cross for dinner but other than that it will be all flat. I will be using it for a lunch and dinner bike so the rides are less than 3 miles. My plan B is to flip the rear wheel over to the free hub and have rear and front brakes. The strain on the knees is a concern. I hope I can handle it. Impressed that you were a messenger. Bet that was a great experience. Nice. Thanks.
@pla1 Working as a a cyclemessenger was by far the best job I ever had. I'd probably still do it if it paid more.
@pla1 One time I toured parts of the west coast of Ireland on a fixed gear / single speed bike. In the morning I looked at the map and decided whether to use the fixed gear or the free wheel side of the wheel.
@beni Sweet. Good to have options.
@beni @pla1 There is a family joke about a holiday we went on probably 20 years ago to Salou, Spain. I like history so said to the wife "I'll take the twins to Tarragona, there's a lot of Roman ruins there. It dosen't look that far on the map and you can have some peace on the beach." That 'not far on the map' is in fact 11.5 km and takes over two hours to get there by foot. I knew something was wrong when we I stared pushing the pram down the motorway! 😆
@dick_turpin @pla1 LOL, maybe someone should have told you that maps have scales....
@dick_turpin @pla1 Yeah, you never know whether these pamphlets are made for drivers or pedestrians. They usually don't tell you...
@pla1 Now I live in the Swiss Pre-Alps, where I grew up. Definitely not fixed gear territory...
@dick_turpin @pla1 close enough, even though I cut my goatee a while ago... ;)
@beni Definitely not. Sounds like a nice place to live though.
@pla1 It absolutely is. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
All-City has the same parent company as Surly and Salsa. If they are as cool as the Surly reps they will go above and beyond to support their products.
@dokuja I didn't know that All-City has the same parent company as Surly and Salsa. Good support is a big plus. Thanks.
I was surprised too. They are all owned by QBP.
@dokuja Wow. "The company owns nineteen brands including Salsa, Surly, All-City, 45North, Handspun, Foundry, Civia, Whisky, MSW, Problem Solvers, Dimension, Mechanical Threads, R12, Q-Tubes, Cogburn, Buzzy's and iSSi. " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Bicycle_Products
@pla1 Cool, good luck! I'm planning to build a winter fixie before snowfall this year.