Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Good place to find a used Fixie (in Boston or Online)

Hi, I'm a commuter, roadie, group rider, city dweller, etc etc etc. Anyway I have been itching to get a fixed gear for cruising around the city and maybe a commute or two. I'm looking to go cheap, frame material is unimportant - basically hoping to find a very used 80s type steel frame with a fixed gear drivetrain already built up.

Wondering if there is a dedicated online site which sells these bikes (yeah I know about ebay).

Don't really have the time to build one up from scratch, but hoping to find a really ugly fixie and make it pretty again. Things I want to do include: new paintjob, new saddle, bars, tape, front brake. Things I don't want to do include: modifying the drivetrain, building wheels, etc.

So anyway, anybody know where I can find a very used fixie on the cheap?
THANX

that's going to be tough, the market is kind of nuts right now. if you keep an eye on craigslist you MIGHT be able to find one in the $200 - $250 range if you look long enough.

boston.craigslist.org/bik

I know you say you don't want to do any mechanical work on it, but people are asking stupid money for fixed/ss right now. I would look for a decent bike in need of some TLC. Instead of said TLC, I would sodomize it, strip it of its transmission, and replace it with a $120 wheel from Broadway Bicycle School. You could probably get a better bike for less money with a brand new wheel versus what you'd pay for a real live fixed gear off "The List".

It's stupid that way.

boston.craigslist.org/bik

I know you say you don't want to do any mechanical work on it, but people are asking stupid money for fixed/ss right now. I would look for a decent bike in need of some TLC. Instead of said TLC, I would sodomize it, strip it of its transmission, and replace it with a $120 wheel from Broadway Bicycle School. You could probably get a better bike for less money with a brand new wheel versus what you'd pay for a real live fixed gear off "The List".

It's stupid that way.

ditto - i picked up a '70's/'80s steel lugged Fuji bike (no braze-ons/horizontal dropouts/etc) for 2$ at a garage sale. picked up a new vetta saddle on ebay replaced the handle bar tape and am going to build a wheel off the nashbar hubs..but you could just buy an existing fixed rear wheel..

so lets see -

2$ bike
10$ saddle - 60$ Vetta seat but got it for 4$ + shipping on ebay :D
6$ handlebar tape
=
18$ for an ol road bike

assuming trevors 120$ wheel, thats still really cheap for what you ll see on craigslist or ebay...unless you go applecart...not recommended (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=1281617)

Yeah man I was astonished at those prices on eBay. $5-600 for a beater fixie? I saw a brand freaking new Pista in the LBS for something around that price, although I'd want to put a brake on that puppy.

Maybe I'll try to build one up myself. I guess my big issue with that route is twofold: 1) this would be my first time building up a bike and 2) I live in a small apartment with really nowhere to do this kind of stuff without infuriating the better half...

Is there someplace I can get more information on turning an old 10 speed (or any geared bike) into a fixie? I understand the wheel part, but I'm not familiar with what has to be done in order to turn a geared bike into fixed, and how much that would cost. Since I've already got my fast road/commuter bike I'm not really concerned about extreme performance, but I want something low maintenance, and freaking sweet looking to cruise around the city on.

is it common to find an old frame that has horozontal dropouts?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

It's pretty straight forward. Mostly you just take parts off.

Finding a frame w/ horizontal dropouts is easy. Finding a quality frame may be harder (versus some low-end 70s bike boom machine), but it's not impossible and you could always build up that Schwinn until you find something better.

I don't know anything about this eBay vendor other than (s)he finds nice, old lugged bikes and turns them into fixee:

http://tinyurl.com/cywng

I think that if you sent him or her a nice track hub, you might get a really nice bike for a reasonable price.

Does anyone else know applecart2?

Matthew

What bostontrevor said. That's pretty much the route I went, except I got my frame and various other pieces from Bikes Not Bombs.

I did most of the building at Broadway, where I also got my new rear wheel, and eventually a new set of cranks and chain ring. I did the original dual chain ring for a while (ss), until I felt like I was getting the hang of everything. Now I'm doing fixed, and am glad I spent the cash to get a flip flop.

Let me be the first to say that I'm really not handy at all. But through lots of reading here and other places on the net, various bike gurus, and the help of folks at BnB and Broadway, I've learned a lot.

Broadway Bicycle School - is that the shop on Broadway in Cambridge/Somerville (not sure exactly which city)?

If so, that's on one of my daily commute routes because I ride from 495 into Alewife. Sometimes I ride through Cambridge and Somerville, sometimes I ride direct into Boston. I should stop in there sometime next week to see what's up. BNB I think is in Roxbury, which isn't too convenient for me. If I did build the bike up myself I'd probably buy all/most of the parts from eBay although I'm not sold on building a wheel myself and would probably want somebody else to do it.

I forgot about that Sheldon Brown website. Thanks all you guys this is real helpful.

Broadway Bike School is at 351 broadway in Camb, literally between central, inman, and harvard squares.
They're really cool in there, and my favorite shop in boston.

http://broadwaybicycleschool.com/

I don't know anything about this eBay vendor other than (s)he finds nice, old lugged bikes and turns them into fixee:

http://tinyurl.com/cywng

I think that if you sent him or her a nice track hub, you might get a really nice bike for a reasonable price.

Does anyone else know applecart2?

Matthew

He makes "suicide" wheels and charges a ton for BOTH shipping and boxing.

He makes "suicide" wheels and charges a ton for BOTH shipping and boxing.


Ah.

So sorry.

I will strike that from my list of 'good ideas'.

Matthew