We’ve got a very special bike check on the blog today. For starters, Kyle Kelley is a legend in the Fixed Gear and cycling community. From the Trackosaurusrex blog to Golden Saddle Cyclery to the current Allez LA shop, Kyle has played such a big role in promoting and shaping cycling culture in LA and beyond. That being said, Kyle had a custom bike made by another Fixed Gear legend by the name of Tom La Marche with Lamarche Bike Co.

Kyle has lots to say about this bike, so I’ll let him take it from here. Full gallery and writeup after the jump!

Let me first introduce myself, I am Kyle B Kelley and I used to have a Track Bike blog called Trackosaurusrex. Tracko ran from something like 2006 to 2018. I ultimately had to let it go because the cost of hosting such a photo heavy blog was too much to manage at the time. Supposedly someone made an archive of all the content before I quit paying the bill, I still have never seen it, but if I ever find it I’ll make sure and pass it along to Mr. Ball.

But enough of that, let’s get to this Track Bike Tom La Marche made for me and for MADE last year, the world’s largest handmade bicycle show in Portland, Oregon. 

In my 26 years of riding Track Bikes I had never owned a Brooklyn Machine Works Gangsta Track. Which is crazy, because I had sold over 50 of them back in the day at Orange 20. I even got invited to the crazy press release party in Beverly Hills, when Pharrel bought the company and released a bike with Element Skateboards, don’t worry Joe was there during all that too. But it wasn’t till Shawn at King Kog Brooklyn started working with Joe at BMW to have the Gangsta Tracks made in Taiwan that I got my hands on one. It took some time to get the bike dialed because of the compact geo and long top tubes, but once I got it sorted it quickly became my favorite Track Bike because of its versatility. I could literally do anything on it.

When I had first started riding the BMW, it brought back so many memories from the early 2000s era of Track Bikes in the streets, but what stuck with me the most was that it was the first bike I ever saw Tom La Marche ride. Tom had ridden for BMW early on, which probably was a huge influence on his trajectory and the fact that he builds bikes now. BMW was very much a one stop shop, making any and everything they could, I see Tom really striving to do this too. So instead of scouring ebay for a US made BMW Gangsta Track, I just decided to ask Tom if he’d make me homage to the Gangsta Track and of course he said yes, and this is the final product.

At a glance many would be fooled, but when you really get into it, this is a La Marche Track Bike. He put a ton of thought into this one, it even clears a 40c tire with 120 rear spacing. The Gangsta barely clears a 35c tire. Tom built me a beautiful unicrown fork with these beautiful custom made dropouts, because it reminded me of the fork that Gangsta Track had on it at that press release with Pharrel. Tom used a much larger diameter tubeset for the front triangle and some taller ovalized tubes for the rear-end mimicking the Gangsta Track, to really give it that unique look. But most people notice the orange fork first, and always ask about it. This Orange fork is a homage to Tom’s Charge FGFS bike, which I believe is his first signature bike ever, kinda making this bike a backwards circle, if you know what I mean.

• Editor’s note: the Charge Scissor was not Tom’s signature bike. The orange fork was however heavily associated with Tom

As for the components we’ll start with these crazy ATW Phil Hubs that Shawn laced to the limited edition Circles Japan Astral Solstice rims. I don’t think I’ve ever had a flyer wheelset in my life. We put the Tomii and Sim Works Faraway tire on top, because I like to ride Track Bikes off road.

The cranks are Sugino Grand Mighty, because I’ve never owned a set, and I thought they’d look great with the tan frame. Oddly enough, this was my last purchase at Euro Asia Imports ever, now I’m crying. We’ll miss you EAI. The chainring is a Tracko AARN limited edition Retirement Ring. Izumi Eco Jet Black with Gold Pins on top of that, Phil cog. This bike is completely built with products from friends and their companies if you hadn’t already noticed. VP Urban Pedal with the OG Strap, Hold Fast! Shawn and I had these Two Tone ones made at Allez LA, they match up with Checkerboard Vans slip on perfectly, and let everyone know you listen to Ska. Hahaha…

Up front is a Orange CK headset to match the fork, Tom actually build his bike in the Chris King Factory in Portland. Sim Works new angles spacers give me the right stack height. The Brooklyn Machine Works Stem holds a Hunter Cycles Smooth Move, which is my favorite handlebar ever made. The ESI grips are custom ones we have made at Allez LA for Track Bikes. They are longer to accommodate for the wider bars and no controls or brake levers, but the Racer’s Edge cut to give us that clean look of an OG Track Grip.

Now to my favorite part of this bike, Thomson made me this custom 27.2 100mm travel dropper post to fit the bike perfectly, making big bunnyhops, wheelies, and crazy drops no problem. It uses a lever under the saddle by an old friend that goes by Monkey Likes Shiny. IYKYK We used a BMW seat collar too, I just needed as much BMW on here as possible. The Brooks saddle comes from the best Rockabilly Drummer in LA and the best Brooks rep in the United States Big D!

Hope y’all love looking at this bike as much as I love riding it, hit Tom up for a bike. You won’t be sorry. Maybe he’ll make me a FGFS Bike next.      

Shoutout to Kyle for sending this through! I’ve been enjoying the idea of guest bloggers lately. Maybe we’ll start expanding more into track if that’s something you all like.