Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - looking for simple lugged frame

hey guys - i'm a new guy on the block, and i just thought i'd ask if anybody knows where i could find a a plain old lugged frame with decently aggressive geometry. thanks in advance.

-reed

alien?

these actually look great, exactly what i'm looking for. i'd heard of them before, but never looked into it. thanks.

there's another manufacturer that comes to mind, but the name escapes me at the moment; it was posted about in the last few days. also, the soma delancey, but it's road geometry (thankfully for me).

that alien frame looks nice, I know about the one dijos is talking about but I dont remember the manufacturer...google "lugged steel track frame" maybe and see what you get.

sparton?

i know you can get a lugged spartan frame for not too much. but i couldn't tell you one thing about them.

I heard they are a pain in the A**. Lots of frame prep that has to be done like chasing bb threads and facing headtube and bb shell, and cutting down the fork crown. Also, they are kinda heavy. Maybe about as much as a steamroller? but hey for $200 it may be worth it.

we should do a group buy on Sparton frames http://torchthebridge.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/dog.gif

they weigh 3kgs!

It's not sparton; it's someone who has them made in taiwan, and has lugged, non lugged, road and maybe touring frames. edted- spicer cycles.

huh...I dont know. Just out of curiosity, why specify lugged? There are plenty of great welded track frames out there for reasonable prices in both steel and aluminum.

huh...I dont know. Just out of curiosity, why specify lugged? There are plenty of great welded track frames out there for reasonable prices in both steel and aluminum.

if he wants lugged he wants lugged. there's classic beauty in a lugged frame, and not everyone has to have a kilo tt.

if he wants lugged he wants lugged. there's classic beauty in a lugged frame, and not everyone has to have a kilo tt.

+1
why do they make bikes in colors?
everybody digs something different.

Isn't Spicer going to have a lugged frame up?

Yeah their website says "coming soon." It's supposed to be $600 including matching track fork. I wonder what tubing they are gonna use. Also curious if it's actually made by Gene or same Taiwan stuff as standard steel / kilo tt / flite 100.

If the tubing is nice and can order unbranded, I might replace my $150 Spicer steel frame with that.

Do those Alien frames have super skinny track ends
that look bendy?

edit: I just looked at their website and their pics
show track ends that from a distance look
like the Kazane track ends discussed in that
thread.

hey guys - i'm a new guy on the block, and i just thought i'd ask if anybody knows where i could find a a plain old lugged frame with decently aggressive geometry. thanks in advance.

-reed

That ebay seller luckyeverythinginobama seems to have decent used
track frames. Lugged. May need powder coat.

luckyeverythinginobama is nuts. I want to know where he gets his steady supply :D

Alien frames aren't even for sale yet and are crazy overpriced. Sparton are garbage, let's not lie to ourselves here. Aggressive geometry can mean a lot of things, but unless the bike has an insane wheelbase all somebody new is going to notice is the fork rake and how twitchy the steering is, which is the product of bar/stem choice as well anyway.

The Taiwanese frame makers are starting to do lugs again, look for offerings from bikesdirect, Soma ($$ but nice), possibly some big brands soon. These will not be cheap, though.

If your ego can handle beautiful forged campagnolo old school road dropouts rather than crap modern track ends, find and old criterium-style road bike in your size and you will be happy. Raleigh Professionals from the mid 70s have been closing for stupid cheap on ebay, and they're beautifully lugged and made from Reynolds 531 steel, which nobody has ever gone wrong with. Plenty of other stuff out there, though you have to know a bit about bikes to know what has tight geometry.

Used track bikes are an option as well, good advice above.

ideally i want to find a used track bike. i've just trouble finding one.

theres this site ebay...

if he wants lugged he wants lugged. there's classic beauty in a lugged frame, and not everyone has to have a kilo tt.

agreed, I like lugged frames as much as the next guy, I was just wondering if there was a specific reason for the lugged desire. and as was mentioned earlier, check out spicer.

i mostly just like the more classic look of it. i'm not totally sure. i checked out spicer, and they have a pretty decent looking steel track frame for $600, which is pretty spendy for a company i know nothing about (and the decals are gross). anybody have any experience with them?

Spicer seems very responsive to e-mails in my experience. People
have good things to say about them. IMHO 600 is a decent price.
It was probably brazed up in Taiwan--by people who do a lot of brazing
so it is most likely solid construction. I did note that when I looked at the
Spicer track ends they looked like they were a little skinny.

I've heard good things about spicer as well. I think I read their decals go over the top of the clearcoat and are easily removed. I think that alien frame is something like 400? You could probably find an old road bike with lugs for about 8 dollars at a thrift shop. I personally like conversions a lot. Ebay is definitely an option too.

i'm more than willing to spend $600 if its for a really solid frame. i'm gonna email em and try and get some details, maybe geometry. maybe there is some way i can get it decal-less.

i'm more than willing to spend $600 if its for a really solid frame. i'm gonna email em and try and get some details, maybe geometry. maybe there is some way i can get it decal-less.

You probably cant get em decal-less but they arent hard to get off. I know a lot of people swear by spicer frames, I wouldnt have any second thoughts riding one myself.

i emailed him, and he got back to me within the hour. he says that he has the bikes built for him, and he just powder-coats them, so yeah, you can get it decal-less, and in any solid color they have in stock. i responded by asking about geometry, as well as who's making them.

they also have a closeout deal on a bare 53cm of the same frame for $400, which he will powdercoat for free. i wish i was shorter.

dont know what size you need, but there is a 53 spicer for 450 in their closeout section.
its unpainted but it says they will powder coat it any stock color for free.
http://www.spicercycles.com/index.cgi?cat=29&sub_cat=Frames&prod_id=835&cat_desc=Close-outs

also, i haven't ridden one but the SE premium brew is available as a frameset and is the same frame as the fuji obey. it seems nice, they have it as $800 on their site but i was talking to someone at a LBS a few days ago about how they've dropped the price and the shop is now selling them for $550

NJS. do it