Bikes Of 2024: Shogun 1000 Fixie

 It's another late December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2024. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up. 

Ever since I retired and scrapped out my old Raleigh "Rat Rod" fixed gear bike, and gave away my old Surly 1X1, which could be run fixed, I have missed having a fixed gear bike around. There is just something about riding fixed gear that appeals to me. 

So, I had been on the lookout for the right road bike donation to come through at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective so I could score a bike with geometry better suited to my kind of riding. I really do not like modern day fixed gear geometry. Too high, too steep, and way too short. I wanted a frame with a decent bottom bracket drop, not too steep in the head angle, and the fit had to be very good for me to consider it. 

Along came this Shogun 1000, a 1980's era survivor road bike which was in excellent condition. Trouble is that the Collective cannot hardly give away a road bike. Well, in fact, we can't give these away. No one wants one. 

So, the fate of this bike was the scrap heap or.... I bought it for $40.00, bought a set of fixed gear wheels at the Collective and then went on to put it all together as you see it here. Since the original crank set supported a ring I could use, it stayed, and the bottom bracket was a good one, so it stayed as well. The head set was already an excellent Shimano 600 with the fluted jamb nut/adjuster nut, which I happen to have the wrenches for, and that stayed as well. 

It took me a bit to dial in the saddle angle and handle bar, a carbon Winston Bar from Whisky Parts Co., and then it was darn near perfect. I just need to get some cork grips. 

I love riding this bike! It has 30mm tires on it, but they barely fit, and I wish for poofier rubber. So, this isn't the be-all, end-all fixed gear rig for me. But it does do very well for what it is now.