My next fixie project: 1992 Schwinn Paramount Series 7 PDG OS

The first thing out of the seller's mouth when I said I might make a few changes is not to Fred it Up. Moi?  It's going to be ridden like a fixie it needs to be enhanced, so I might do a little Fredding to it.

I picked up this 1992 Schwinn Paramount Series 7 PDG from the same person I bought the Cannondale SX800 from. I have to say, for an Old Crappy Ten Speed Fixed Gear Conversion it's got a sweet mix of components on it worth way more alone than what I paid for the whole bike!

  Selle Italia Flite Saddle with titanium rails

There is a plethora of information on Schwinn Bikes and this model, the PDG Series, too.  The Waterford Bikes website has an extension amount of information on this bike, as well on all Schwinns.  According to the Waterford site, the original grouppo for the bike was Shimano Ultega but the parts on here are a mix of high end, quality parts put on over time.

Shimano 105 levers

Ritch Stem

Shimano 600 headset

Somec fork

Durace Front Brake

Surly flipflop rear hub with 16t fixed and freewheel cogs

Mavic cranks

Shimano Ultegra rear brake

Mavic rims

It's super light and really solid

The only planned changes are going to be new bars and tape

Crankbrothers Pedals

And probably some commuting tires

Another Fixed Fixation

It's really cool to see another Fetish Fixation rigged fixie. Found this one on the FixedGearGallery the other day. Most fixies show up in urban areas and there doesn't seem to be much enthusiasm for off road riding fixed, but there are a few. While I have only ridden this way twice, on a fire road with half a foot of snow on the ground and the other just last weekend on a rail trail pulling my two sons in a Burley Trailer, it takes an entirely different mindset.

Before submitting my own fixie (Fixed Fetish Fixation) to FixedGearGallery where I was the 7,001 post, I trolled the entire site looking for examples of off road fixed gear bikes and found a few, and on the gallery they make up an extremely minuscule population, 0.003%! My favorite bike is one that someone used a URT (Unified Rear Triangle) platform and I am kicking myself for not doing the same with my Dumpgoose! Spacial needs won out over another frankenbike project. If I ever get another, that is what I am going to do.

Recent Off Road additions include: Mr. Happy Bike, a 1989 Diamondback, Roadrat (this might be an ATB frame and then again it might not because of the drops), here is another RoadRat with a front disc brake, and lastly and one of my favorite frames, a Surly 1x1. I had asked Dennis if he could add a little designation icon, like a fat tire, for those fixies that are ATB frames but so far, it hasn't materialized.

If you happen to know of any that I might have missed, or know of any other sites with fixed off road biking, let me know.

Full Face Fixie

Found this interesting picture on a BikeSnobNYC blog post which appears to be the Tour of New York bike ride but if you look closely at the rider in the left foreground, it appears that he is wearing a full faced helmet? I thought that was only for huckling and buckling mountain bikers, or for those who don't know what going big means, kids that think they are invincible.

(Photo courtesy of Bike New York)

This guy looks like he is definitely riding a fixie, BikeSnob confirmed my guess that he is riding a Bianchi Pista and the bike looks like it only have a front brake. You would think people that ride the streets of New York might consider these helmets more but I think this is the first time I have seen one, granted I don't get to the city much and you rarely see fixie riders around here.

Still, having a full faced helmet would be especially helpful in deflecting any face plants. I queried this on Google and came across an interesting video on a Bicycle Commuter's Blog. A full faced helmet would have saved this person's face for sure and maybe he would have stood a little chance with a regular helmet, too, but helmet's seem to be a rarity in general with all the cyclists in this video.




Riding full faced on the road, especially in the summer would be pretty horrible. I don't know how the mountain bikers can take it. It makes sense, though. I think I will take my chances with a regular helmet.