Mercutio says hello:
This is Mercutio. He’s Charlie’s little brother. He’s made by Montague (that’s where I work), so he can fold. This means he’s very good at yoga, for a bicycle anyway. (If you want to know why he’s called Mercutio you can read this rant.)
Mercutio started off as just another prototype frame hanging out in the basement here at work, dreaming of the sunshine. Prototypes sometimes meet this sad fate because a couple of parts of the frame might not be exactly up to spec. Mercutio is a 2010 Boston-8 prototype frame.
When determining what to do with him, the sort of riding I do the most is in and around Boston, for which I much prefer a fixed-gear setup. Charlie has been a fixie since last October and was a single-speed before that.
Gears are useful for many things, but to be realistically happy with Mercutio he needs to be a fixed-gear, that’s just how it is.
Beware: Slight Bike Geek Rant
The thing about Mercutio is that he’s a prototype frame from 2010, so not all of his dimensions are final. The rear triangle, where one would ideally (ideally for my current purposes that is) find a 120mm spacing for a track hub, Mercutio has 135mm spacing. Why so much junk in the trunk? He’s really designed for an internally-geared hub, specifically a Shimano Nexus 8. So when ordering parts finding something for the rear was a bit challenging.
The solution? Custom wheel build, the great Emily across the way at Hub Bicycle Co. built Mercutio a wheel to fit his big ol’ backside. We took a Surly Ultra New 135mm fixed/free threaded hub in black and an H Plus Son SL42 white rim, and Emily ever so beautifully (and ever so quickly – next day wheel – hello awesomeness!) laced them into a beautiful wheel.
Parts Role Call
Front Wheel: All-City Track hub (black) laced to H Plus Son SL42 rim, black 700cRear Wheel: Surly Utlra New 135mm Track Hub (black) laced to H Plus Son SL 42 rim, white 700c by Hub Bicycle Co.
Crankset: SRAM Omnium cranks black 48T
Pedals: All-City Red toe-clip pedals
Cog: All City 18T track cog
Lockring: Shimano Dura Ace
Bars: Deda Crononero Bullhorn bars
Bartape: Fizik blue bartape
SRAM froggy bar ends
SRAM chain
Saddle: Brooks B17
BB: GXP Bottom bracket, integrates with SRAM cranks
Tires: Gatorskins
Brakes: Origin8
Plenty of fixie riders go brakeless or with just a front brake. I ride with brakes, I’m clumsy – breaks are good for me. I don’t have a crazy Wylie skill set a la Premium Rush. Although I seek to know, I currently do not possess the know-how for high quality and safe brake wiring and installation. I left this to the pros once again, and the great Emily installed brakes – front and rear for me on Friday, in pretty much the blink of an eye. The picture above is how Mercutio looked as we departed Hub on Friday evening to attend this.
A little time on Saturday meant I was at last able to do some bar tape. Here’s Mercutio on a grand adventure over the North Bank Bridge:
He’s rocking the blue bar tape – which of course is a hat tip to Charlie – it’s the same color. (Also coincidentally, it is TARDIS colored as well…)
So we still have to put on the lovely head badge by Shane of Future Crash:
Which I was able to bend successfully and really only requires a simple JB Weld job – but also a number of hours afterward to sit relatively undisturbed, time which we haven’t had yet. Already in his first weekend Mercutio has gone to the movies, down to Jamaica Pond, to the B of A Pavilion, and done the entire Minuteman, and went taiko practice. He’s really been rather busy. But he isn’t really done until that head badge is on.
So Mercutio is a bit of a Franken-fixie. He was resurrected from the basement, has a lot of parts that don’t match, I put him together in a workshop. He wasn’t meant to be a fixie, I only put him together that way – but somehow it works. Somehow different hubs and rim colors, very tight chainline and crank clearances, and a mountain bike stem work. Just like his big brother Charlie, Mercutio is rather one of a kind.
Wheels will need some truing, cables a little adjusting, Brooks a little breaking in – but he’s already growing up so fast!
Not to mention, he is pretty fast…
(More on bottom bracket install here which is something I write for work.)
