Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - new and kinda confused =P

Hey I'm really noob to this whole fixed gear thing, but I want to get into it.

I went to the resource thread and read up on as much as I could (I actually spent the whole day reading up on it =P) and after a while I decided that I wanted to start buying parts and stuff. I'm thinking of gradually buying the parts and putting it together.

What I need help with is: what's a good beginner bike build? I'm thinking of a price range around $500 to $900 or if I could get anything cheaper thats good that would be okay as well.

I'm thinking for the frame I should (or actually its more of a want) to buy a bianchi pista. But I am really not sure as I am so new to this

any help is greatly appreciated and if there is a beginner thread/section that i missed..uhm...my bad lol

thanks again

did u miss all of them. there are a crap load of threads about which bikes people should get first.
iro
pista
mercier
bareknuckle
3rensho
the list goes on. use the first function again.

i'd buy it whole rather than piecing it together -- it's cheaper that way.

for your first bike, you're better off getting whatever is most readily available at the LBS's near you, or whatever appears on Craigslist first -- it's not worth busting your brain over which bike to get as you probably won't notice much difference between all the entry-level fixies.

anything from KHS, Redline, Bianchi, Raleigh, Schwinn, Jamis, IRO, Fuji, Specialized, etc will suit you fine for your first fixie.




Hey I'm really noob to this whole fixed gear thing, but I want to get into it.

I went to the resource thread and read up on as much as I could (I actually spent the whole day reading up on it =P) and after a while I decided that I wanted to start buying parts and stuff. I'm thinking of gradually buying the parts and putting it together.

What I need help with is: what's a good beginner bike build? I'm thinking of a price range around $500 to $900 or if I could get anything cheaper thats good that would be okay as well.

I'm thinking for the frame I should (or actually its more of a want) to buy a bianchi pista. But I am really not sure as I am so new to this

any help is greatly appreciated and if there is a beginner thread/section that i missed..uhm...my bad lol

thanks again

rush hour for real. good parts and not too ****ty for kinda cheap.

Just curious... are you new to cycling or just new to riding fixed?

Surly Steamroller complete FTW. Great first fixed bike. Somewhat more rare then the Pista too.

Hey thanks everybody for the help. So I guess I'm probably gonna go get a complete set up for my first fixie

I have another question though. Once I get a bit more experienced and want to upgrade, should I just upgrade my bike piece by piece? or should I just start from scratch and buy a new frame and all.

thanks again

Best bet for starting out on the cheap if you don't already have a bike you want to convert is to get one of the readymades like the Rush Hour, Schwinn Madison, or a Pista and go from there. You can always upgrade, and by buying a bike that's decent from the start you won't be stuck if the money doesn't continue to come in.

Just go with a complete to start with.

Mercier Kilo TT = $350

Mercier Kilo TT = $350
+1
same frame and parts as the khs. Good steel, semi-crap parts.
It is a good idea to try out the bike you want before you buy. At least try some stuff out to get an idea if you can't ride the one you want.

Hey thanks everybody for the help. So I guess I'm probably gonna go get a complete set up for my first fixie

I have another question though. Once I get a bit more experienced and want to upgrade, should I just upgrade my bike piece by piece? or should I just start from scratch and buy a new frame and all.

thanks again

It depends how you like the bike you get. For instance, I bought a Rush Hour as my first fg/ss. I love the feel of the Rush Hour so much that I will probably keep it long term - I'll either repaint it, or find something better with a very similar geometry. So far I've changed bars, brakes, tires, cog, saddle, and pedals. If I keep breaking spokes, I'll probably look into getting better wheels next. At that point, all I have left is the drive train and headset.

I bought an IRO Rob Roy after the Rush Hour, but I just sold it. It was a great bike, but I didn't like the feel (handling, etc) of it as much as the Rush Hour (it's a very different bike designed for a different purpose, it just didn't do much for me). I got almost all my money back out of it, a year after purchase. So if you buy a decent bike and take care of it, it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work out for you.

Swobo Sanchez?

Allright thanks a bunch everybody. sometime this summer I'm gonna head out to road rage or freewheel(not the one on valencia because of what I've read about attitude) to see what they got.

Just one more question though. Watching these videos of people riding an fb it looks like their tires wear out real fast. What are good brands for tires and tire patches? and when should I replace a tire?

gawd I'm so noob at this =P

thanks a bunch again

For starters, sticking out your tongue (like so: =P ) will help a ton.

Secondly, tires will only wear out quickly if you skid a bunch and then mainly if you have few skid patches (search for "skid patch calculator" or the like). As for tires, I tend to just get the cheapest ones I can find, be it at the LBS or online. I am not moneyed enough to buy gatorskins or whathaveyou, nor am I refined enough in my percieved ride quality (as affected by tires).

In short: Jump in, love it, and don't sweat the small stuff. Any issues; ask here and be prepared to sift through flames.