Fixedgeargallery...Keirin Katastrophe

Ah, yes. There's nothing like the attention to detail a proud owner of a new Keirin frame pays to his or her build. Each part is painstakingly hand-picked, and proudly bears that all-important NJS stamp.

This bike is a perfect example. The owner has gone with "as much NJS as possible," making only a few concessions, such as the de rigeur Brooks saddle and the untaped flop-and-chop bars. (Apparently this particular owner insists on posterior comfort but isn't particularly concerned about being able to grip the bars. I mean, to me bars without grips or tape is like having a bathroom with no toilet paper in it. But what do I know? I'm not a Keirin racer like this guy.)

The attention to detail continues with the yellow highlights meant to bring out the frame decals. There is even the whimsical touch of the Livestrong bracelets around the hubs. Isn't that cute?!? Perhaps the owner has some yellow streamers on order too.

Given all this attention to detail, you certainly wouldn't want to spoil the effect by putting on an unsightly brake. (The track-specific fork certainly wouldn't accommodate one anyway, right?) But that's OK. I mean, you can stop as quickly as you need to with your legs. And chains never break, nor do hub threads ever strip.

But you know what does happen? Sometimes you get so carried away hand-picking NJS vanity components that you forget to install all the chainring bolts!

Should be fun in a panic stop. That's when "NJS" stands for "Nice job. Sayonara."

Another well thought-out build. Keep looking--you'll find a fifth NJS chainring bolt somewhere.

Fixedgeargallery: NJS Nightmare

With the fixed gear explosion has come a proliferation of "vanity bikes" I find maddening. The weekend warrior on his USPS Lance Armstrong replica sporting a helmet mirror and posing at the coffee shop was one thing; the all-NJS keirin bike spending its life being ridden around Brooklyn (or SF or Vancouver or Portland or wherever) at 13mph is quite another.

This entry on Fixedgeargallery is exactly what I mean:

The owner brags that it's "all NJS except Velocitys, Campy BB spindle Phils and saddle." Well, good thing, because I'm sure this guy will be throwing down at the velodrome. That Brooks saddle (at a jaunty 45 degree angle, I might add) screams pure speed.

Perhaps the seat angle is to compliment the angle of the stem--the steep drop certainly does suggest aggressive riding. However, this is completely countered by the fact that he's running grips on the bar tops (uh, pretty sure riding the bar tops is not allowed in a keirin) and has the hooks completely bare. Of course, it's not necessary to tape the drops when you don't ride fast enough to use them, and in a vain attempt to gain style points you've set them too low to even reach them.

The whole ride is tied together by the now-ubiquitous powdercoated Deep-Vs. Yes, quite an original statement. We're all so impressed that you have a powdercoated braking surface which screams to the world that you don't use a brake. I suppose you wouldn't want to complicate the simplicity, light weight, and aesthetic virtue of a track bike with a brake. (Yet you would want to put on a three pound saddle comprised of a Rube Goldberg-esque series of rails, taut leather, and springs.) Then again, I'll cut the guy some slack, since something tells me this bike rarely travels fast enough to require a brake anyway.