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

Anyone interested in fixie meet / ride somewhere around Brighton / Lancing / Worthing

Are you interested in a fixie meet? Some sort of a short ride along the promenade / cafe meet? It would be good to see other peoples projects and share building experiences etc. Let me know. 

Anything I can do......

Having just finished my new bike Sam posted me this 'kermit' with wooden handlebars, espresso components and a coaster wheel (it will both coast and act as a brake.. very cool). It's a real winner.

If anyone is interested there is a possibility of getting the guys from espresso to come down Brighton way to show off some of their kit. Leave me a comment if you are interested. 

The B-77 is born!!!

Well it's taken a while, but another bike is born.

In metallic midnight blue and using espresso chrome wheels I think this  bike really looks the part. The frame is a 1960s raleigh tourer and having stripped it down it is now surprisingly light for an old girl. Went on a 5 mile cruise along the promenade at Worthing / Lancing and it is silent and fast.

I have tried to keep some of the originality including the centre pull front brake.

Thanks to Glen for finding these little skulls. Detail is every thing.

Please leave comments and thoughts and add in your bikes for all to see. Or if you are making a bike and would like some advise or help let us know. Always happy to help a project along.

Another fixie in the making

We have just sprayed up this old raleigh frame in a rich bronze colour. We will be building this up over the next few weeks. Watch this space...

Fixie India stylee

Out in Pune in India. With rough roads and a monsoon this is not the place for fixes. However I did like this singlespeed fruit delivery bike. Here they are building Enfield and Hercules bikes as they would have been in the 1950s and small shacks along the road will fix punctures and supply replacement parts. It really is a different world.

So where have we been?

OK, so I have been on holiday. Nothing bike related but it has given me some time to think about a new project.... So watch this space!

Testing the Espresso wheels

I put this fixie together last weekend to test these gorgeous chrome Espresso wheels and cycled it along the promenade between Lancing and Worthing yesterday . I have to say I am very impressed with the quality of these. Firstly the chroming is excellent and have a deep and even shine. The spoke tensioning is also very good and although I have only covered about 20 miles on these since fitting them they have remained completely true with good tension across the spokes. From an aesthetic point they have a different lacing on the front from the back wheel which looks really good. They run very smoothly and look as though they will last well. I will be using these over the year and will keep you up to date on how they do.

Having run a set of nologo wheels I would say the espresso's offer  step up in quality and this is reflected in the higher price. They are both flip flop hubs allowing you to run your bike as a true fixie of as a single speed with a free hub. A set of nologo's are around £100 with the tyres and tubes, but the espresso's cost £130 for the wheels and nearer £160 once you have attached tyres and tubes. 

So are they worth the extra £60? 

Well firstly I would have to say that the nologo wheels are extremely good value and if you are completing a first project they are ideal, and they do come in a mind boggling array of colour combinations as well as sturdy sealed bearing hubs. But on the test I did with a set I did notice that the front wheel went slightly off true after 50 miles. 

However, the espresso wheels scream quality and although only available in White, aqua and chrome they are well made and seemingly very strong. Both are about the same weight but in my opinion the espresso wheels are worth the slightly higher price tag. You also have the option on having braking surfaces or no braking surfaces on the rear wheels so have more control over the build. These are great wheels and look fantastic. With a 3 speed rear wheel and the introduction of a 'coaster brake' rear wheel it is clear that espresso are looking at the introduction of technology and passed the basic fixie concept. This is a company to watch.

For more information on espresso or nologo visit:

http://www.espressowheels.com

or

http://www.nolobi.com

First look

First look at a new set of wheels that espresso wheels have sent to us. They are shown here on a new project bike. The wheels look very solid, they came well packaged, are super shiny and spin well. I will report on these wheels when the bike is completed. They do look really good. Thanks to the guys at 'The Bike Store' in Worthing www.thebikestore.co.uk for supplying some cool tyres for the project.

Bamboo paint effect for fixie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852ukgEir4w

This is worth a watch regarding the bamboo paint job.

Todays tip

If you are buying a chain for your fixie project ensure it has enough links. If you are using a BMX chain (which are usually more interesting) then buy two sets to ensure you have a few extra links.

Saw this fixie recently whilst in Taipei in a cool bike shop. It was the store owners. He told me it was made in Japan and has DDiamond hubs. Very cool

Tip of the day

Respraying your new fixie frame?

Make sure you build the bike and add in all the new components, test it and make sure that it is mechanically perfect before dismantling to respray the frame.

Fixie bikes are individual and bespoke and because of this there will always be things to re engineer when making, including chain lengths to chain alignment

Doing this will save you scratching the frame when trying to get everything to work as it should.

New logo

Just completed our new brand logo. Very 70s

Some bikes we like

A selection of great vintage bikes. We really like the style of these.

Completed our first fixie bike. The B1

Just wanted to share pics of the B1 fixie we completed a few weeks ago. Congratulations to Tom who is now the proud owner. Just about to start some new bikes. Watch this space