So basically, I’m 14, I’ve always ridden road bikes, but have had a strong interest in vintage bikes and retro road/track culture. Call me a gimp… but still… I love it.
After scrounging around Gumtree I found a Gordonson Aero Supreme for $100. Haggled him to $50. Looks like any other frame but at closer inspection the shape is actually really cool hence the aero; slightly thinner near the badge. This was my perfect fixed conversion. As I have a limited budget the parts are all free or bottom of the line, so don’t judge me. It rides, it’s quiet and it’s smooth so what else can you ask for.
46x17
Brakes - I’m a pussy, no actually, I’m still getting used to fixed and it is set up so that the tubes are in the bars… Looks nice if you ask me.
Cheap eBay Deep-V knock offs, good for now.
Original Single Speed cranks (flip flops on the fixed side atm)
Chop’n’Flop bars… Black tape soon
Awaiting a black Brooks B17 Special saddle instead of this horribly loose and painful plastic/velour thing.
All in all I’m enjoying riding it and it is perfect for my daily commute to school/shops/crusing with friends. I’ve attempted a skid stop, but i can’t skid… FAIL. I fail at track stands as well but this is my first fixed so all in good time.
Nice work for your first fixed gear! I wish my little bro would ride his fixed gear I built for him, but all he ever does is play his bass guitar and listen to moody music.
Different strokes eh?
Y’know there’s enough room in your forks for a fender mate, whack a plastic one on the back too, and they’ll be handy in the wet when there’s water on the roads. Stop shit getting up on the back of your school uniform, and having your teacher bitch at you like they’re supposed to.
I actually do have the original fender. It’s a small metal thing, really cool actually. Will probably put it on as you said.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, the progress should be good. I’m not sure of you guys noticed, but the original derailleur and drop tube gears are still there! Adds character in my opinion.
Thanks HLC, already have
hey man, nice build. i’ve been trying to age my gordonson aero supreme and i’ve nailed it down to 1984. what does your serial read? its on the seat tube between the BB and the front Der clamp! should be like XX X XXXXX
I also have obtained an older Gordonson Supreme from my elderly neighbour with a COMPLETELY different frame shape and components. She still had the original receipt from when she bought it. Awesome. This Gordonson looks as the photo shows but I aim to restore it to it’s former glory as a roadie. A truly beautiful bike (perfect size) that features much more quality and metal parts than my Aero. Surprising. I did here on some forum that Gordonson had a master frame builder that worked for Gordonson until 1981. Maybe this is one of his last bikes?
If there is any more info on Gordonson I would love to know.
that’s so good! i want to keep all the original parts but i don’t want a ten speed as i just bought a 700c mavic wheelset with a ten cog cluster at the back and there is no way i’m keeping the positron Der. brakes are hot shit but i doubt they will be able to reach the 700c’s as my brake pads are rigid. neither of yours seem to have the gearing system i have.
^I have a kashimax five gold on mine and it hurts for the first few weeks after the first ride but you get used to it.
Nice job gooz. I ran one brake on mine with that Gear ratio from the start 'nd felt fine but Ive always thought that 2 brake levers like those TT ones look pretty cool though. And as Dylan says,
Gordonson was a Perth bicycle manufacturer, originally based at 342 Wellington Street. I think that they stopped making bikes in the mid-late 1980s. I understand the business ‘Gordonson Cycles’ continued trading from 374 Murray Street, Perth, until about 2003. There’s very little on the web about Gordonsons — which is fairly dissapointing. That may be because, aside of the Aero model (some of which may have used imported Kuwahara frames, rather than locally made ones), Gordonson mostly produced mass-market roadbikes and tourers. In other words, people seem to have ignored Gordonsons because they aren’t considered sufficiently ‘classic’. It’s the same with the Repco, Riccardo and Indi 500 brands.
When I was a kid, the cool kids rode to school on Gordonson Spartans. The Spartan would have been the bottom of the Gordonson hierarchy of bikes — but, back then, it was an object of desire.
If you’re going to use the bike as a FG or SS then I strongly recommend that you remove the front derailleur and gear levers. They don’t add character. They do add weight. Leaving them on the bike also suggests you that ran out of interest before you finished the conversion. If you’re going to rebuild the Gordonson as a road bike, then you’ll need to remove the FD & levers when you clean them up anyway.
Never apologise for brakes on a FG or SS bike. The dual pivot calipers and bar end levers look great.
+1 for the inner tube bar-tape if you’re going for the ghetto look.
+1 for refitting the small metal ‘bikini’ fender on the front wheel (which was actually only intended to keep road crap out of the brakes) for extra character.
+1 also for fitting a larger plastic one on the back.
Thanks for that info El Kabong! Most of it I basically new but I definitely have a better picture and will always be searching for more info on the brand
Actually, that reminds me. The neighbour across the road put out a mint INDI 500 but mum and dad wouldn’t let me take it. The next morning it was gone. So devastated.
I don’t know, I like the old bits of the road bike. Personal thing I guess.
Maybe you didn’t understand me right but I have two Gordonsons… The older one pictured above will eventually be rebuilt as a roadie
The ‘bikini’ fender is meant for the rear wheel but are you suggesting that I put it on the front?
Gooz, Many old ten speed-era road bikes had ‘bikini’ fenders (or mudguards) for both front and rear wheels. They were intended to keep the road spray out of the brake calipers. Here is an example of that type of fender: Juhas’ Kalkhoff Coup du Monde (Germany) | Old Ten Speed Gallery — although most of those fenders were even shorter. I didn’t realise that you no longer have the front ‘bikini’ fender for your bike. I was suggesting that you re-fit that front fender for coolness/character points, and that you also fit a larger plastic rear fender to keep the road spray off your school uniform & gear (something like this: The Best Bike Mud Guard Topeak Defender M2 Mountain Bike Mud Guard). For extra ghetto-style points you can even make your own rear fender out of something like Corflute (the corrugated plastic material that is often used for packaging and signage - see Window Signage Can Be DIY with Vinyl Letters, Printing and SAV ).
Brooks arrived. Put it on after school today. It is oh so gentle on the buttocks. Now I just need to ride the hell out of it to mould my butt into it. Looks damn nice too.
for some unknown reason, this is one of my favourite conversions…has a lot of character and I really like that handelbar/lever combo:) keep up the riding:)
Bike looks good man! but i really dont understand the fascination with these brooks saddles. I know they are comfy, but i dunno lol riding a fixie is not sensible, so why should my saddle choice be sensible lol, im replacing my carbon 89gram saddle with a Cinelli Unicanitor ha ha the first plastic hardshell saddle on the market ever ha ha but it weighs a full 290grams
ride the shit out of your bike dude, might see you on a night ride!! next full moon ride should be in 3 weeks or something!
