Hello bike experts out there,
I'm a 30-yr old student looking to spend under $600 on a fixed-gear bike. I've read back a few months in this forum, and the consensus seems to be that the Iro Angus on sale for $400 is a great way to go. I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on this, even though I've only ridden a couple other fixed gear bikes.
My problem is that I have no mechanical abilities (or interest) whatsoever, and I don't know anything about bikes. (This is why making my own bike isn't a good option for me.) So I can't figure out which options to choose for the bike. (here's the link for the bike:
http://www.irocycle.com/angusbuild-a...dwheelset.aspx)
I have to choose the crankset, the cog, and I have to decide whether I want a front brake. I have no idea! Another thing: This bike can take up to 700 x 28c tires. Is that suitably wide for handling cracks and bumps in the road? (I'll do my best to avoid the huge potholes).
A bit about how I'll be using the bike: I live in an extremely flat city (New Orleans). I'll use the bike on cool days to ride 3 miles to the university. I'll also go on up to 20 mile rides around town, and on paved bike paths. I like to get around in a hurry, but I'm no triathlete. I'm an ordinary, relatively fit person.
A couple other stupid questions:
*Are bike shops happy to assemble bikes purchased elsewhere? How much does it cost?
*If I don't like the drop handlebars (I don't have much experience using them, but I think I'll adjust to them over time. I learned how to drive stick shift by buying a manual car...), anyway if i dont like the drop handlebars, would raised handlebars work fine on this bike?
Thank you very much! I've enjoyed reading the help you've offered others over the past few months.