My Fixie

I've got a few bikes, but this one is probably my favorite.  It's my fixed gear bike, and the only one I've got that has a story behind it.

Almost three years ago, I broke the frame of my first fixed gear bike.  I spoke to Phil Sanders a day or two later about finding a replacement.  Phil paused, then said "Oh!  I might have something you can use."

Phil's garage is stuffed with bike stuff.  I've seen pretty much everything in there, from an old Crest Cannondale racing bike to a sweet pair of ZIPP track wheels.  In a way, Phil's garage is an archive of bicycle racing equipment from the past 20+ years.

Phil and I entered his garage, tossed about 100 wheels aside, and unearthed a well weathered track frame.  It was huge, which is good for me.  There wasn't much paint left on it, and it looked pretty ugly.  We picked it up, and Phil explained this was an Gitane Super Pista track frame, ridden by John Beckman when he rode as a Junior.  It was obviously special to him.  He said I could have it, if I agreed to restore it and take care of it.  I agreed, and thanked him.

The bottom bracket was stuck in the frame, but Bike N' Hike was able to get it out for me.  The fork was really beat up, so I bought a new steel Cinelli fork for it.  Now it was time for paint, so I took the frame to a powder coater in Portland.  When I entered the shop, we talked colors.  Stock colors are cheaper than custom colors, and I was presented with a few choices of mainly blacks and grays.  When I saw an orange sample on the shelf, I asked about that.  I was told ODOT (Oregon Dept. of Transportation) was having a bunch of equipment painted, and that was their orange color.  Orange is what I wanted, so I said paint it ODOT orange!

From there, I bought a bunch of parts and built up a pair of wheels.  I couldn't get a new bottom bracket, since the frame is French threaded, and French threaded BBs are hard to find these days.  Putting the bike together, piece by piece, was a lot of fun.  I got it done just in time for the fixed gear race at the Swan Island Criterium.  I rolled up to Phil on the bike, and he did a double take.  I could actually see his jaw drop as he realized what I was sitting on.  It was a good feeling to see that.

John Beckman himself was kind enough to tell me all about this bike.  He bought it in 1977 for $283, and got a good deal (probably because it was too big and nobody would buy it).  He raced it until 1980, and then made it his winter trainer.  He said he even rode cyclocross on it, which is nuts.  In 1986, he parted the bike, sold the parts, but nobody wanted that huge frame so it ended up in Phil's garage...until I pulled it out in 2005, almost 20 years later!

I really love this bike.  It's a blast to ride, and really helps recharge my batteries when I need it.