Ok firstly let me say i’m glad i found you guys, i’ve been searching for some aussie fixed info for a while.
When i say i’m a noob i mean that i have a bike on laybuy (ha ha but true!) that i might pick up next week.
Now some of you more synical types might be chastising me for picking one up off the shelf but the truth is that i’m only in it for a bit of fun. I actually picked up a Mongoose Maurice simply because of the deal i got from my regular bike shop.
my background, well i rode fixies when i was in high school. i actually got an apollo 10 speed for my 15th birthday & couldn’t wait till someone vandalised it at the school bike racks so i could cry to my parents and turn it into a fixie. This was 1984 mind you.
So that’s my first and only fixie, handlebars turned up, man i loved that bike, all my mates had em.
I’ve been into building old school bmx bikes in the last year of two, then started riding mountain bikes for fun and eventually commuting on my roadie for the last 2 years. i wanted something with a bit more style and simplicity (since i’m always taking my roadie into the shop to get the gears looked at) for fun and the occasional commmute.
So that’s pretty much my story.
Glad to be here, i’ll post some pics of my bike when i get it.
Yes it’s a pretty cheap single speed but don’t for a second think i’m not going to customise it.
Something like a Mongoose Maurice will fit the bill perfectly I’m sure.
I had a quick look at the specs- Velocity sealed hubs, FSA Alloy cranks. This should give you the basis for a solid ride. Personally I don’t like bullhorn bars, but all up it’s a reasonable quality bike.
Have fun on it.
thanks man, i intend on riding it, it’s a flip flop hub, i’ll give it a day on the freewheel so get a feel for the geometry, a week on the fixie, then take off the rear brake and see how it feels.
i’ve just sold one of my bmx bikes to finance it so when the payment comes through i’ll pick up the maurice and get riding.
only concern is the hills on my commmute, i live in ipswich which i suprisingly hilly.
thanks guys, ok i just googled the mash thing, no sorry havent’ seen it. I’m guessing you get alot of guys watch it then want to join the fixie fraternity?
sorry i’m not that guy. like i said, i rode a fixie in high school, now ride roadies (and anything else)
i’m sure my missus is going to have concerns if i get into fixies too, as she’s seen what lengths i go to when i discover something, ie with the bmx thing
all bikes i’ve built, don’t have them all anymore. i’m down to my 5 favourite (2 are still in the works)
Ah those BMXs bring back the memories. I remember when a guy got the first PK Ripper i’d ever seen. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Another mate had a redline just like that yours. Good days.
You’ll soon get hooked on fixies
hey, i reckon go straight to the fixed wheel first.
it wont take that long to get used to, the first ride is always the weirdest but after that you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
I think the geometry on the mongoose is pretty laid back anyway so it wont be that different to the geometry to the average road bike.
so anyhoo i rode freewheel for a couple of weeks and switched for fixed perhaps 3 weeks ago, my calves are hating me for it. i have lots of hills near me, the uphills i can handle it’s the downs that hurt, i’ve never had to spin that fast before.
I like what you’ve done with the bike. I’ve got the same one, albeit looking like it’s rolled straight off the factory floor. Just wondering, did you strip the paint off the seat stem, bars, brakes, cranks etc.? If so, is it a difficult process?
Also, have you noticed some bits and pieces are starting to rust up (nuts on the rear wheel, bolts connecting the handlebars to the stem etc.)?
Nice rides mate. I think there might be a bit of fixie hooliganism down in ipataswitch in a few weeks time. Keep posted on here for more details I guess. Hopefully we’ll see you out and about up here in Brisvegas where the skies are blue (except if it’s a Thursday night when we want to go for a ride).
