The Plume Mudguard

http://plumemudguard.com

This has to be the ultimate in Fixie bike accessories. It looks great and is really clever!

Vintage bling and a chance to test some Tokyo Mafia wheels.

Our first Ladies specific fixie and a short Tokyo Mafia wheels test

With this project I wanted to bring some bling to the bike and so sourced some Tokyo Mafia wheels and put these with a 1950's all steel ladies frame. This bike has track handlebars and a rather nice KMC gold chain.

You can see below that I have re laquered the frame to keep the originality of the frame. I think it looks good and keeps a vintage look to the project.

So what about the wheels? Well they have quando hubs and a fixed only rear hub. This saves a little on weight but minimises options. On a first ride I was quite impressed. They seem reasonable strong and ride quietly. I put some Vittoria tyres on them which seem to work well. But are they as good as the Espresso wheels? Well they are a good cheeper alternative and they do a gold wheel which Espresso don't, but on a straight comparison I would say that the Espresso wheels are better tensioned and are more likely to stay true in time. But these are still plenty good enough for bombing along the prom. I will do another report after they have done a few more miles.

I hope you like the bike and feel free to leave a comment about it, or any ideas for future projects. This bike rides really well and will be appearing on an ebay site near you if you are looking for a well build vintage fixie made from good components and fully tested.

Our all new 'Chromee'

We love this new bike.

We have just finished  our new all chrome finish fixie (Coaster) at B-Bikes. The 'Chromee' is special, as it is the first bike we have make using the espresso coaster wheel (review to follow). I know, so it isn't exactly a pure fixie but it does offer some real advantages for those looking for an occasional breather from the constant pedalling. We have also used espresso crank and brake levers. They look great and are really good quality items and set off this bike beautifully. But it isn't all Espresso. We have salvaged some older parts including the brakes which have been polished up to retain some of the bikes 70s heritage. 

We have gone for the black and red look with the chrome wheels and frame and are really pleased with the result. This bike rides very well and is silent even when coasting. The 70s track bars are great and the BMX style saddle really suit the bikes retro look. 

 

On a first test ride this bike sure got a lot of attention. It really does gleam, but look past the looks and the frame is super light and the bike is fast and secure to ride. A real pleasure. Please let us know what you think.

Fixie cycle through Brighton

A nice piece of video showing the sights of Brighton on a Fixie. 

A little B Bike family portrait

Enjoying the sun in Lancing. 2 Bouette bikes together. A rare occurrence.

The making of a new bike

Today we put together a 70s style fixie and thought we would share the process with you.

1. Resprayed frame in Bronze

and with the wheels attached to get an idea what it might look like.

2. With new sporty seat and cranks attached. These are aluminium and cotter less. The old quill has been removed to add in something a little more sporty.

3. Much more like it! But the brakes don't match the style we are looking for with some aggressive  alloy bars.

4. With the crank in the correct position (by reversing the axel) the chain is measured, shortened and attached. It's beginning to take shape.

5. Brakes are removed and the retro fabric red bar tape put onto the new bars. We have used an A head conversion post to add in some modern touches to this 70s bike.

6. With the bar tape and a pair of spd's attached this bike is ready to ride. We are really pleased with the retro looks including the mavic rims on chrome fixie hubs. The bike is silent when riding and surprisingly light for a steel frame bike. We went for a ride from Lancing to Worthing in glorious sunshine.

Another Bouette bike is born.

I am really impressed with this new bike from AOI cycles in London. A really innovative frame. 

Let me know your thoughts