Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Buying a fixie in Portland. Help a brotha out.

I'm new to fixies so your input on buying them in Portland is appreciated.

Currently considering a:

(1) Bianchi Pista with brakes,
(2) Redline 925 (and swap to drops) or a
(3) Surly Steamroller.

Those seem the most promising so far and I want to keep the entire package under $650. Definitely buying local and not group-buy or mail order. I'm looking to commute to work to do my part in curbing CO emissions. Plus fixies are rad.

I saw a Pista at River City but I haven't been to the other "smaller" shops in the East side. Suggestions?

I believe the Steamroller complete costs $666, so that's probably out unless you have a shop that sells for cheap.

I got fairly new 56cm RL925 that I'd be willing to part with fairly cheap. Less then MSRP w/shipping. PM if interested.

I believe the Steamroller complete costs $666, so that's probably out unless you have a shop that sells for cheap.

I'm sure this has been explained before but why the price gap up to a Surly? Is it the frame? Better parts?

the kona paddy wagon sells for ~650 at sellwood cycles, I like it

Don't do it MIN...

For commuting, I would consider the 925. You will probably find the geometry and fenders to be tops, and the braze ons for rear rack will be appreciated too.

Don't do it MIN...


LOL. Going to the dark side.

For commuting, I would consider the 925. You will probably find the geometry and fenders to be tops, and the braze ons for rear rack will be appreciated too.


Yeah I think a track geometry (e.g. toe-verlap) would get annoying.

Get the Pista or go the Craigslist route. Or build a bike up at the Veloshop for somewhere near $650... if you're lucky.

No mailorder? Why not?..youll save a lot of money that way.
eg: http://www.irofixedgear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

Get the Pista or go the Craigslist route. Or build a bike up at the Veloshop for somewhere near $650... if you're lucky.

Andre N - can you climb Burnside with your track bike?


No mailorder? Why not?..youll save a lot of money that way.
eg: http://www.irofixedgear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

I wanted to try before I bought since it's the first fixie. In my other life, I am a roadie.

Yeah I think a track geometry (e.g. toe-verlap) would get annoying.

It's not bad. You get over it pretty quickly.

Besides, I don't know about you, but I still have a little toeverlap on my road bike.

Andre N - can you climb Burnside with your track bike?

West Burnside near PGE Park? Yeah, that's not too bad. NE 33rd and Fremont I can do as well, although I have to stand up on that one by the end because it's steeeeeeep. I push 80 gear inches. I have yet to get off my bike and walk it up a hill and I ride every day if that's saying anything. If you're already a roadie you should be able to adapt quick to single speed with a high ratio, if that's what you plan on doing (Pista's come with 48x16 as far as I know, so pretty close to 80'').

And as for track geometry, there's nothing better if you ride in traffic / downtown. Toe bote only happens when you go 5mph anyways, and the bigger the track frame, the less likelyhood.

So I went to the LBS and they have a whole bunch of bikes in this price range

(1) Redline 925
(2) Lemond Filmore
(3) Kona Paddy wagon
(4) Raleigh One Way
(5) Gary Fisher.

Surprisingly, only the Lemond ($675) uses outboard BB bearings. Does that matter to you guys? On my road bike, I notice that the outboard BB bearings are way stiffer.

http://www.universalcycles.com/ is a mostly mailorder shop that does catalog-based retail too. They're in NW under the Fremont Bridge. They're as cheap as any other place on the net, and they price-match too.

I don't see the Steamroller Complete on their website but I bet they could order it for you.

Ok I bought the Pista today. I test road a bunch but I ultimately liked the track geometry best. Plus that chrome finish is fresh! :D

Someone give me some suggestions:

(1) are clipless pedals on fixies a death wish? Platforms ftw?
(2) resources for upgrade motivation
(3) best front brake recommendation? Thanks all for the help.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/bianchi-first-day.jpg

(1) You must have clipless. If you roll around on a chrome Pista with platform pedals, it will make the baby Jesus cry.
(2)http://businesscycles.com/toc.htm Oh, yes.
(3) Ultegra. I'm sure somebody here knows what little lever you need.

Have fun. You're doomed...

Congratulations, you got probably the best bang for your buck.

1) Clipless with a front brake is fine. Clipless brakeless runs a risk but there's plenty of people who do it trouble-free every day too.
2) If you plan on skidding it and it's setup with 48x16, change out the chainring to 47 or the cog to 17.

Thanks man.

So I'm new to fixies... is it hard to skid? I'm pretty nimble on bikes and I used to ride trials and race downhill bikes but I don't know how to skid (yet.)

Sorry for the newb questions but I have another one. What does the blue thing do? I don't know what it is, but I want it.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2007/june/2/BillW-4.jpg

it's a chain tensioner. keeps the chain tight so you don't pop it off. some people like to rock em.

shop around for a lugged drilled fork--
I never dug unicrown on any kind of road bike.
Surly, Soma, EAI, who else. . .Ben's cycle. . .

this fixed thing is going to raise the world price of steel.
maybe we can melt down SUVs and fight over the scrap
to build our bikes.

shop around for a lugged drilled fork--
I never dug unicrown on any kind of road bike.
Surly, Soma, who else. . .Ben's cycle. . .

this fixed thing is going to raise the world price of steel.
maybe we can melt down SUVs and fight over the scrap
to build our bikes.

Aesthetically right? Unicrown is just as strong.

Aesthetically right? Unicrown is just as strong.

I can't say--seems logically true. If you like lugs there are plenty of nice
lugged forks for ya is all.

shop around for a lugged drilled fork--
I never dug unicrown on any kind of road bike.



I found some words by Sheldon Brown that supports your case.



Track bicycles do not have brakes. Brakes are un-necessary on tracks, since everybody is moving in the same direction, and none of the other bikes you are riding with can stop any faster than you can. (Most tracks forbid the use of bikes that have brakes, as a safety measure!)

It is possible to fit a brake to some track bikes, but it is often quite difficult, due to the extremely tight frame clearances. Extremely short-reach brakes are needed. Track bike fork blades are usually round instead of oval, as those of a road bike are. This makes them stiffer and more rigid laterally, a good thing for hard out-of-the-saddle sprinting, which can apply considerable side loads. Unfortunately, they are less rigid front-to-back, so if you fit a brake, the fork may flex objectionably when the brake is applied.



When using brakes, it sounds like lugs are the way to go. The Pista's fork is designed for the track.