Originally Posted by
jhaber
Here is my current bike:
I have had it for about a year and really like riding fixed. I have been thinking for the past while that I would really like a new bike but being a student cash is tight. [ps I know I have too much slack on the chain]
The main reasons I want a new bike:
I want a frame that fits, this one is too big.
This bike is a conversion and the brake that came with it worked really poorly so I took it off. I would like a bike where the front brake works well. I bought a new brake off nashbar (105) but it didn't reach the rim of this wheel.
The bike is heavy.
I don't know if I trust the suicide conversion.
So I thought I would save up some money and get a new rig all at once next fall. But, now I am starting to think maybe I can just upgrade part by part. Then I start thinking I should just make do with what I have and save cash
So if I guess I have three choices and need help deciding.
1) Wait it out, get a new bike when I have a lot of money saved up and do it all at once
2) Wait it out, just stick with what I have and be happy
3) Upgrade bit by bit
I was thinking about option 3 today and went to talk to a guy at a local bike shop asked about building up new wheels. I think wheels would be a great place to start (am I right?) although I am not sure if this frame will fit 700c wheels. If I do for a new wheel set I have to pick the hub / rim combo and for rims I think I should go for something worthwhile like mavic open pros and then pick a hub that will deal with weather. I know dura ace hubs are super smooth but I have read here they are not sealed and as such require maintenance which I want to avoid. So I was thinking open pros laced to forumla hubs.
I need help because I am confused. What do the people of the bike forums think I should do. Thanks a lot for the help
I have been trying to read this forum for months and getting to know what is what and now I think I know enough to take the next step in terms of bikes.
The Tektro R556 is an excellent dual pivot long reach road caliper which has up to a 73mm reach. It's about $35 and should fit your bike fine, but measure to be sure. However, if you Switch to 700c wheels (which sould fit your frame and fork fine) an even longer reach brake may be in order, such as an older Weineman centerpull (Diacome makes a similar brake now). Either way, riding brakeless with a suicide hub is a tragedy waiting to happen. If you can't get a proper brake now, or if you're hessitating because you are uncertain about what size wheels you'll be running; you can throw on a cheapie BMX caliper for now. It won't look great, but it will stop you just fine.
As for the hubs: The Formulas are a great choice for the type of riding you do. They are sealed, tough, dont weigh too much, and they even look nice. Best of all, the $ you save on these vs Dura Ace can be applied toward much more worthwile upgrades; such as a new crankset or frame set. The open pro rims also have a great reputation when it comes to strength/weight ratio.
You might consider posting your frame in the trade section. Maybe you could swap it for one that's a better fit.
If you can stand the ill fit of your frame for a while longer, I'd say upgrade, until you end up with the bike you want. The alternative is to spend $300-$600 on a complete off the shelf bike which you will ultimately end up upgrading anyhow.
I personally went for the $500 off the shelf option, but I didn't have a fixed gear bike to begin with. As I upgrade the low end parts my bike came with, I will easily double or triple what I paid in the first place.