Fixed wheel shopper

[Rhythm Thief]

I've developed a real weakness for shopper bikes... I currently have three Dawes Kingpins, one of which I've converted into a fixed wheel drop bar machine. I built it as a bit of a novelty, but it actually rides really nicely and is more than capable of longer rides. I built the wheels on a pair of Miche track hubs, the tall stem is a Nitto Technomic 280 and the gearing is 49x14, which gives about 76" with 451 tyres, or about the same as my 700c fixie. Yeah, it can be a challenge on the hills around here but it's a lot of fun to ride.

 

[alicat]

I like that! Very sleek!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Nothing like a Frankenbike to cheer me up.

 

[FrankCrank]

I've developed a real weakness for shopper bikes... I currently have three Dawes Kingpins, one of which I've converted into a fixed wheel drop bar machine. I built it as a bit of a novelty, but it actually rides really nicely and is more than capable of longer rides. I built the wheels on a pair of Miche track hubs, the tall stem is a Nitto Technomic 280 and the gearing is 49x14, which gives about 76" with 451 tyres, or about the same as my 700c fixie. Yeah, it can be a challenge on the hills around here but it's a lot of fun to ride.

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The other two KP's are not camera shy are they?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

The other two KP's are not camera shy are they?

Here you go... I'm planning on modding one of these but I'll probably leave the purple one as it is.

 

[T4tomo]

I'm not a shopper fan, but that looks pretty cool 😎

 

[FrankCrank]

Got several Raleigh shoppers and their re-badged stuff, but yet to get my grubby hands on a KP. Jealous of your hat-rick

 

[Specialeyes]

That's tremendous! Looks like an Airnimal Joey without the faff

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Got several Raleigh shoppers and their re-badged stuff, but yet to get my grubby hands on a KP. Jealous of your hat-rick

Where the Kingpin scores over the Raleigh Twenty is in the fact that all the KPs threads are standard so you can fit a standard 68mm BSA bottom bracket and a standard 1" threaded headset. I'm a bit of a magpie where these things are concerned: you can pick them up for nothing, they're great bikes and they make fantastic modding platforms. My next project is the light blue one, which I'm planning on kitting out with drops and 2x9 gearing to make a mini road bike.

 

[fossyant]

I'm afraid the bottle cage won't fit one of them beer kegs in !

 

[FrankCrank]

Where the Kingpin scores over the Raleigh Twenty is in the fact that all the KPs threads are standard so you can fit a standard 68mm BSA bottom bracket and a standard 1" threaded headset. I'm a bit of a magpie where these things are concerned: you can pick them up for nothing, they're great bikes and they make fantastic modding platforms. My next project is the light blue one, which I'm planning on kitting out with drops and 2x9 gearing to make a mini road bike.

That is a big advantage for the KP, having standard threads.
I've managed to beat a couple of mine into submission to accept a standard cartridge BB, but it's quite a bodge.
These shopper bikes are indeed great blank canvases to do some modding, and I agree about getting them for next to nothing, especially if you bide your time and do some scouting around. I'd say you shouldn't pay more than a round of drinks for one really.
Here's to many hours of cheap tinkering fun

 

[Dogtrousers]

Set up without the shopper handlebars it's got a bit of an Graeme Obree "Old Faithful" look