I have started collecting parts for my next bike build project. I have named the build Project Beetlejuice because I want this bike to have a hint of wild side. The bike will be a singlespeed.
This is the first part of Project Beetlejuice, a Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle. According to my scales, it weighs in at 215 grams.
I rode from the finish of the Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge to the train station, about 11 km according to my GPS. Fortunately the strong headwind in the last 20 km of the Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge was a tail wind to the train station, so it was a pretty easy ride. I would recommend trying to hook on the back of a bunch though because there are 70 km/h and 80 km/h zones to ride though, and it helps visibility if there are several of you on the road.
My Cell Bikes singlespeed at the train station
Train was jam packed with bicycles, so there was no hope of the inspectors moving through the train to check tickets
Train was jam packed with bicycles, so there was no hope of the inspectors moving through the train to check tickets
This guy rode the Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge 100 km on his fixie, in thongs. Apparently he has several bikes in the shed, including a carbon fibre Specialized road bike. What you can’t see, is the back of his shirt was custom printed with something along the lines of, “Gears are for queers”. Apparently he got lots of comments as he rode past geared road bikes!
If this is you, send me some more details about your bike and I will post them here.
I only stopped at the first rest stop (40 km mark) on the Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge because I needed to go to the bathroom. I took the opportunity to fill up my water bottles.
There was a pretty decent line up for the toilets, but there was ample water available from multiple taps attached to a hose. I did not explore the food tents. Everything seemed well organised and flowing smoothly.
I rode my Cell Bikes custom fixie (set up as a singlespeed) in the 100 km Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge. My total distance in the saddle for the day was 125 km, including riding to and from the ride. I averaged 30.9 km/h for the 100 km Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge part of the ride.
This particular Cell Bikes custom fixie was purchased in 2011 and has 4130 cromoly frame and forks. I have fitted my Cell Bikes singlespeed with Shimano PD-R540 SPD-SL pedals, Halo Aerorage track wheels, Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres, a Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle, and an extra water bottle cage on the down tube using Elite VIP bottle cage clamps. I also carry a Top Peak saddle bag and a Maxxis Compressor micro pump mounted under the bottle cage. Otherwise, the bike is pretty standard including 46/16 gearing.
Cell Bikes singlespeed just before leaving home for a 125 km day in the saddle
Waiting for the start of the Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge
Cell Bikes singlespeed just before starting the 100 km Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge
Mostly road bikes as far as the eye can see before the start
Mostly road bikes as far as the eye can see before the start
I am riding the Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge 100 km ride on my Cell Bikes singlespeed this weekend. I was planning to ride non-stop, so one of the challenges was getting enough fluid on the bike to stay hydrated. I stopped at Bikeway Coffee Juice Bar and took a few photos of my setup.
The Cell Bikes fixie frame has one set of braze-ons for a water bottle cage on the down tube. It does not have a second set on the seat tube like most road bikes. The solution was a set of Elite VIP Bottle Cage Clamps with a stealth black Elite Custom Race Resin Cage purchased from Wiggle. I have read that sometimes these mounts can slide down the frame tube. Because I have only had it on the bike for a couple of rides, I have tied a piece of spectra line around the top tube as an insurance measure. Over the last 70 km of riding, the cage clamps have not moved, so I may remove the spectra line after the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride.
The cage at the back of the saddle is less successful. This is a Tacx bottle cage saddle mount with a stealth black Elite Custom Race Resin Cage. The Tacx saddle mount can be set up with one bottle cage or two. I originally set it up with two cages, but even with bottles only half full, unfortunately it sagged. I set it up with only one cage for this ride, and the first bump going out of our street, it sagged again. I continued riding to see whether it would eject the bottle. Sure enough, halfway down Highgate Hill at about 50 km/h, the bottle launched from the cage. I can’t blame the Elite cage. They were not designed for saddle mounting and have performed faultlessly on my frame mounts for thousands of kilometres. The Tacx saddle mount, on the other hand, should not move from the position that I mounted it in.
The upshot is, I will be removing the Tacx saddle mount and just riding with two bottles mounted in the frame. It looks like it will be at least one stop on the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride for me this year.
Cell Bikes singlespeed at Bikeway Coffee Juice Bar
Three bottle cages on my Cell Bikes singlespeed
This is the position I wanted the Tacx bottle cage saddle mount to be in — an upright position would minimise the chances of the bottle being ejected
No matter how tight I did up the bolt on the Tacx bottle cage saddle mount, the bottle kept sagging
Elite VIP bottle cage clamps — the spectra line is my insurance policy against the clamps slipping
Elite VIP bottle cage clamps
Enjoying the view of the Brisbane River and CBD
Blackboard art at Bikeway Coffee Juice Bar
I recently won a PRO-TEC Classic helmet through a Wiggle Facebook promotion. The PRO-TEC Classic helmet is great and looks much better with my singlespeed than a standard road bike helmet. Thanks Wiggle!
PRO-TEC Classic helmet with my singlespeed
PRO-TEC Classic helmet
Australian Standard Certification sticker
PRO-TEC Classic helmet
PRO-TEC Classic helmet from Wiggle — note the Australian Standard certification