The State Bicycle Co Undefeated is renowned for its track cycling pedigree and urban agility. However, its capabilities extend beyond the velodrome and city streets. Over the past year, this versatile bike has been adapted for various disciplines, from time trials to street riding. Now, it’s been meticulously transformed into a lightweight hill climbing machine, ready to tackle steep inclines for the 2018 hill climb season. This article delves into the modifications made to convert a stock State Undefeated into a specialized bike fixie built for uphill domination.
Key Specs of the Hill Climb Bike Fixies Conversion
Before exploring the modifications, here’s a rundown of the key components of this transformed Bike Fixies:
- Frameset: State Undefeated II, featuring a 7005 double-butted aluminum frame and Essor full carbon fork, known for its stiffness and responsiveness.
- Wheelset: Yishin Bike tubular rims paired with Mack hubs. This lightweight combination is crucial for reducing rotational weight, essential for efficient climbing.
- Tires: Continental Podium TT tubular tires, 22mm width. These tires offer minimal rolling resistance and excellent grip on smooth surfaces, ideal for hill climb conditions.
- Crankset: SRAM Omnium cranks equipped with a VeloSolo 42t chainring. The SRAM Omnium is a stiff and reliable track crankset, while the VeloSolo chainring optimizes gearing for climbs.
- Cog: Surly 20t cog. A larger cog like this, compared to typical fixie setups, provides a lower gear ratio, making steeper gradients more manageable.
- Chain: Miche Pista chain. Known for its durability and efficiency in fixed gear drivetrains.
- Handlebars: Profile Svet TT base bar. Aerodynamic and lightweight, these bars are a favorite among hill climbers for their minimalist design and stiffness.
- Seatpost: Ritchey Pro seatpost. A reliable and lightweight component.
- Saddle: Fizik Antares R3 saddle. Chosen for its comfort and lightweight design, crucial for sustained efforts on climbs.
The modified State Bicycle Co Undefeated fixie, optimized for hill climb performance, showcasing its lightweight and aggressive setup.
The transformation of this State Undefeated into a hill climb specialist involved several key modifications focused on weight reduction and optimized gearing. Let’s examine these changes in detail.
Optimizing Components for Uphill Efficiency
Several strategic component swaps were implemented to tailor the State Undefeated for hill climbs. These modifications prioritize reducing weight and adjusting the gear ratio for steeper inclines, crucial for maximizing climbing efficiency on bike fixies.
Handlebar and Grip Optimization
The first notable change is the handlebar. The generic alloy drop bars were replaced with a Profile Svet TT base bar. These TT bars are a popular choice for hill climbs due to their lightweight and aerodynamic profile, minimizing unnecessary weight.
Profile Svet TT bars enhance the aerodynamic profile and reduce weight on this hill climb focused bike fixie.
While some hill climbers opt to run bare handlebars to save weight, grip and control are paramount, especially when tackling challenging ascents. To address this, a DIY grip tape solution was implemented using chopped-up innertubes. This provides a secure and tacky surface, even with sweaty hands, ensuring confident handling without adding significant weight.
Innertube grip tape provides essential handlebar grip for hill climbs without adding extra weight to the bike fixie.
Ultra-Lightweight Wheelset
Rotating weight is particularly detrimental to climbing performance. To combat this, a borrowed wheelset consisting of sub-kilo Yishin Bike rims laced to Mack hubs was utilized. Mack hubs are renowned for being among the lightest fixed gear hubs available, and the combination with lightweight tubular rims dramatically reduces rotational inertia, making the bike feel more responsive and easier to accelerate uphill.
These wheels are shod with 22mm Continental Podium TT tubular tires. Tubular tires are generally lighter than clinchers and offer a supple ride quality, further enhancing climbing efficiency and comfort.
Lightweight Mack hubs are a key component in reducing rotational weight for optimal hill climb performance on bike fixies.
Braking and Power Meter Considerations
For safety and regulatory compliance (CTT regulations requiring at least one brake on fixed gear bikes), a CaneCreek EE brake was installed. This brake is known for its exceptional stopping power and lightweight construction, complementing the weight-conscious build.
The CaneCreek EE brake provides reliable stopping power while maintaining a lightweight build for this hill climb fixie.
To monitor performance and training metrics, SRM/Look Exakt power meter pedals were added. Since crank-based power meters are not readily available for SRAM Omnium cranks, pedal-based power meters offer a convenient and transferable solution. This allows for performance tracking without permanently altering the core components of the bike, especially as the Undefeated serves multiple purposes beyond hill climbs.
Gearing for Gradients
Recognizing that the stock gearing would be too challenging for sustained climbs, the gearing was adjusted. A 42t VeloSolo chainring was paired with a larger 20t Surly cog. This change significantly lowered the gear ratio compared to a typical fixed gear setup, making it easier to maintain cadence and power output on steeper slopes. This optimized gearing is crucial for conquering hills effectively on bike fixies.
Optimized gearing with a larger Surly 20t cog is essential for tackling steep hill climbs on a bike fixie.
Achieving a Lightweight Build
Through these component upgrades, the total weight of the modified State Undefeated was brought down to an impressive 6.1kg. This weight reduction, combined with the optimized gearing and aerodynamic enhancements, creates a bike fixies that is well-suited for tackling challenging hill climbs.
Despite a missing chainring bolt, the focus on weight reduction brings this bike fixie down to a competitive 6.1kg for hill climbs.
While further weight savings could be achieved with even more exotic components, the current configuration strikes a balance between performance and practicality. The focus now shifts to rider fitness and training to fully exploit the potential of this hill climb-specific bike fixies.
The “Defeated? Not Today” nickname humorously reflects the bike’s hill climb transformation and potential.
The Ride Feel: Stiff, Efficient, and Fun
The State Undefeated, originally designed for the demands of fixed gear criterium racing, is inherently stiff. This characteristic translates exceptionally well to hill climbs, providing a direct and efficient feel when putting power down. The bike’s rigidity ensures that rider input is directly transferred into forward motion, crucial for maximizing effort on steep gradients.
Beyond pure performance, riding bike fixies, especially uphill, offers a unique and engaging experience. The direct connection to the drivetrain and the focused effort required to maintain momentum make hill climbs on a fixie a rewarding and enjoyable challenge. The simplicity and directness of a fixed gear drivetrain amplify the sensation of climbing, making it a distinctly engaging and often exhilarating experience for enthusiasts.
Are you tackling hills on bike fixies? Share your experiences and component choices in the comments below!
