# Crazy Fixed TT bike idea?



## BudhaSlug (Feb 13, 2004)

I've been having the hankering for a new aero fixed gear bike for long solo rides on a set of aerobars and was thinking of building up something like one of these:















as a fixed gear. The plan would be to get some carbon clinchers (probably 50-60mm front, 80-90mm rear) built up around a track hub with a longer axle and some spacers, a 165mm crank and at least a front brake. My riding is in mostly flat-rolling hills, and I'm an experienced fixed rider (see below). The other alternative is to get a nicer aero track frame (Cervelo T4 ideally) with a drilled road fork and set it up with a similar Time Trial build. 

I'm wondering what people's thoughts are on this, especially if anyone has experience with something similar (TT/Tri bike set up fixed). I know I won't have nearly the range of adjustability on the gearing with the short dropouts of the TT frame, but I think I can make it work as I almost never change my gearing. 

Any tips, thoughts, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Now for a bit of background on me and the project. I've been riding fixed for about 15 years now. Currently my main fixed bike is an Independent Fabrications steel Planet Cross (Light pink-Dark pink fade with pink stars) that was designed to be Single Speed only. A few years back, after I had settled on cow horn bars as I was always riding it on the road, I added a set of clip on aerobars to it and have used it primarily for long solo rides as an alternative to my geared road bike. The bike is anything but aerodynamic, and the dimensions are all wrong for me for an effective aero position. I also converted my old 1993-ish Trek 2200 (aluminum lugs/stays/fork, carbon main tubes) to a fixed gear for commuting purposes about 10 years ago. I think the commuter has reached the end of it's life, thus the reason for the plans above. The IF will be "retired" to my commuting bike, which means it will actually get more use than it has now, and I might even take it out for a bit of actual cross riding as well.


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## Juanmoretime (Nov 24, 2001)

Fixed gear time trial bikes are not new. A guy on my team has one and races it. They are pretty popular in England. With that said it's just another way of having fun. Go for it. 

Most track frames are set up without water bottle graze ons which can be an issue. One a Chinese carbon tt bike you could use washers on each side for chain alignment and to take up the 10mm of space. Might be 130mm rear fixed hubs available but mine is 120mm.


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## BudhaSlug (Feb 13, 2004)

I'm not too worried about water bottles if I go with a track frame. My plan is to just put a BTA (between the aerobars) bottle on it anyway. While I know that I can find 130mm fixed hubs, finding one that has the right number of spoke holes (24 or 28) and getting it laced up to an 80-90mm carbon clincher might not be worth the time and expense rather than just getting a pre-built track wheel built with a 120mm and respacing the axle.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

Go ahead and do it. Be prepared for some neck pain in the first few rides though but I do it on purpose to be accustomed to the TT position. 

My commuter for "fast days" :


















I build mine out of a road bike frame I had replaced + Look ergostem and trickstuff exzentriker BB but a real TT frame with horizontal dropouts would have been a better option.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

T0mi said:


> Go ahead and do it. Be prepared for some neck pain in the first few rides though but I do it on purpose to be accustomed to the TT position.
> 
> My commuter for "fast days" :
> 
> ...


That bike confuses me in so many ways. Mostly the Tupperware.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

Does a track hub produce a different chain line from a 130mm hub, since it is narrower? If so, you might have chain line issues using a track wheel. There are plenty of 130 mm fixed hubs in all sorts of options for spoke holes. One such hub is the White Industries ENO hub, available as a flip/flop in a 28 hole.


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## BudhaSlug (Feb 13, 2004)

The chainline could be a bit of a problem, although running 3/32 cogs and chainrings with 1/8 chain often makes it work. I hadn't realized that the ENO came in 28/130. That is VERY tempting. It will mean building up my own rear wheel, which I've done many times, but was hoping to avoid since I'm a bit nervous working with such a deep carbon clincher… guess it will be a learning experience. That will also potentially solve the issue of the short dropouts since I could get the ENO eccentric and give myself significantly more range in combination with the dropouts. 

Thanks for the tip.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

kbiker3111 said:


> That bike confuses me in so many ways. Mostly the Tupperware.


It confuses a lot of people.

Disc wheel painted by my 2y old daughter. I use it mostly as a commuter so the tupperware thing makes sense as you really wouldn't want to use a backpack with a TT position. It's not my primary bike, not event the primary bike I use to commute. But I have the chance to have a ~12miles mostly flat road without any lights or stop in the middle of my commute so it is a nice place to do some TT training sessions.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

Jwiffle said:


> Does a track hub produce a different chain line from a 130mm hub, since it is narrower? If so, you might have chain line issues using a track wheel. There are plenty of 130 mm fixed hubs in all sorts of options for spoke holes. One such hub is the White Industries ENO hub, available as a flip/flop in a 28 hole.


I'm using old wheels build for threaded freewheels with an adaptor like this one to correct chainline :
Fixed Wheel Hub Adaptor/Converter Kit. Correct Chainline Singlespeed. FIXIE. | eBay










As long as you are not skidding which I don't (and it would probably not be practical with a TT position) it works greate.

There are tons of old disc/carbon four or trispokes available with a threaded hub. And they end up quite cheap on the used market because they are not compatible anymore with modern groupsets.


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## RFC (Mar 30, 2008)

About 50% of my annual miles are single speed. I like this concept. Here is my 1991 Litespeed Tachyon set up as a SS for long rides. I have been thinking about putting aero bars on it.


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## BudhaSlug (Feb 13, 2004)

That is a great frame. Given your positioning, especially with the long rising stem, I'd wonder if just throwing clip on aerobars on there would put you in an awkward spot. On my current bike, I ended up using a 100mm x -35deg stem in order to get low enough to approach having sufficient saddle drop, but that still leaves me with too much reach. Also, you already have your saddle much like mine: no setback post and slammed forward. That means you won't be able to steepen your ST angle at all, and so again, might be left reaching too far. If you do go for the aerobars, I'd at least try it with a shorter stem with less rise to get a more adequate position.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

I have used the ENO eccentric on a vertical dropout road frame, and it is a nice hub. If not sure about building the wheel yourself, I'm sure a local wheelbuilder would be happy to help you out. But if you've built your own wheels before, you probably won't have much trouble with the deep carbon wheels. Just take your time with the build


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## BudhaSlug (Feb 13, 2004)

I have actually built about 10 wheels,so it really shouldn't be an issue. I just didn't feel as confident working with a new material and dramatically different dimensions, but wheel building isn't rocket science and I tend to be slow and careful anyway. I think I probably will go this route.


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