Eighthinch Scrambler V2

 While preparing to sell my house I was forced with pairing down some of my extensive bicycle collection. I had two single speed/fixed gear bikes at the time. It didn't seem right to keep two of them especially since where I was moving had a lot more limited bike storage. One of my fixed bikes at the time was my beloved Eighthinch Scrambler V2. There was nothing special about it. In fact as far as frames go it was kind of cheap.

But it was the first decent fixed gear frame I built up. I rode like 10,000 miles on it. There was just something about it I really liked. I could ride a century on it and still be as comfortable as you can expect to be on a bike. The Scrambler went through several iterations over the many years we were together.

I had bullhorns on it for a bit, sticker bombed it, rode it with risers, you name it. I wore out a couple pairs of cranks on it even. There was one thing that I felt it was lacking though; tire clearance. I think the maximum I ever got to fit was 28s. So I eventually purchased the Kilo WT. And as much as I enjoyed the Kilo, the Scrambler remained my daily driver. 

One thing I liked about the Scrambler was that raw finish. After years of rain and sweat, it developed a great patina. And the nice thing about a rusty bike with no gears and no brakes is most bike thieves will pass it up and try for something more flashy. It was also cool not having any logos (headbadge fell off years ago) on it. So real bike nerds often inquired about the frame and its origins. 

Unfortunately the Scrambler has been out of production for a long time and the Eighthinch brand itself seems to be defunct at this time. Such a shame too. I would buy another of these frames without hesitation and build it up tomorrow if I could. Hell, the last time I saw them offered for sale, the frame was like $100. 

I rode this bike in several states, in all weather conditions, and made a lot of fond memories atop of it. I also made many friends along the way. But when it came time to thin the heard, I just felt my other fixed gear could do all the things the Scrambler could and more. I sold it to some dude on Facebook Marketplace. I really hope he is still riding the hell out of it and enjoying it as much as I did.