So you want to get back into a single speed bicycle, tossing off the multi-gear grinder you have had since you grew whiskers. But, you will find yourself needing to climb a hill, or chase to an intersection. The answer is really simple. Convert or build yourself an internal geared bike. But not just any bike; you want a cool one, a track bike with sleek lines, and a gear separation ratio that will turn you into a speed demon.
Our answer to that desire was to build a track bicycle, with the Aventon Cordoba frameset. Choosing Aventon was important to us, because the fixie bicycle community is all about colour and style. With Aventon, we found a great selection of colours that sparked the imagination with squint eyeing rims, pedals, and bar tape. We settled on a neutral satin flat black finish, deciding to draw out the highlights with red accents.We settled on Aventon carbon fibre stiff forks, and for the drivetrain, we built wheels around the Sturmey-Archer Duomatic S2 2-speed hub. Yes, you heard me correctly, a Sturmey-Archer S2. Inexpensive, with a reputation to be bullet proof, the Duomatic hails from the 1960’s when they could be found on that trusty banana seat bicycle you had a kid.
A bicycle built on a very serious frame-set
Here we are matching that childhood favourite with a very serious frame-set, the AventonCordoba. Cool, satin black, and rather mean looking, the robust 6160 frame has some wicked lines and a flat black finish; the geometry is perfect for the track setting. The 6160 alloys ensures no flex on the sprint, but keeps the frame solid enough for the street and still transfers some of the flex, giving you a comfortable ride. The word ‘Aventon’ is Spanish for ‘push’ or ‘give a ride’, and if you look at the line-up from that young company, you can see where they are coming from. Each frame in their line-up pushes the envelope and excites the cyclist into dreaming of the build-up to the track. The crafting of the Aventon frame is accomplished by hydro-foaming technology combined with high quality welding. It’s completed with a polished finish and a smooth use of low temp painting.
Add to the mix 700x28c red rims, caliper brakes, and you have a real head turner.
More about that Sturmey-Archer S2!
We could have built this baby with a single speed hub. Nobody would bat an eye, because a good 46T crank would give you plenty of speed. But thinking about that hub, made our mouths water. With a 1/8 back pedal to go from a 1:1 ratio to a 1:1.38 changer over.
The 38% difference is a real game changer!
The Duomatic S2 is a hub gear stripped back to the bare essentials that does not require any kind of cabling, a perfect yet bold selection for a track bicycle. To shift, you just kick back on the pedals activating a change between two gear ratios direct drive and an overdrive of 138%. It required the standard Sturmey-Archer 3-spline sprocket and is held in place with Sturmey-Archer track nuts and non-turn washers. The case finish is attractive, and is available in several colours, including Silver, Black Gold, Blue and Red.
The end results were very pleasing and the bicycle came in at moderate to edgy $1200.00 Canadian, with its carbon-alloy forks and the Cordoba frame pushing the price up. But what a ride, and a gear changer to top it off! Your imagination is the only limit.
Starting off with the Aventon frame-set, anything can happen. Pairing with the old school two speed hub, well that’s just nuts; but we did it.