Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - What should I upgrade first?

So i got my first SS about six months ago, and now that i know I'll never go back to gears, it's time to start upgrading... should i go for a new frame or new hubs/wheelset first? money's tight, so i'm thinking about upgrading basically everything else first, then swapping all the new components to a new frame. am i on the right track here?

Upgrade things as they break. If nothing's broken, then just ride it and save your pennies.
Or just put on new bar tape, makes the bike feel brand new.

Doesn't matter. Whatever makes you happy. Personally, I say save your money, and ride more. Upgrade your legs.

It's hard to avoid "upgraditis". It affects all of us at some point in time. Whether you decide to upgrade parts bit by bit or go for broke and plunk down all your hard-earned cash on a new frame and parts is up to you. Like peligro said...whatever makes you happy.

good advice. i think my admission to grad school has put a bit of a hold on the upgrades..............

good advice. i think my admission to grad school has put a bit of a hold on the upgrades..............

or possibly a reason to treat yourself. congrats.

So i got my first SS about six months ago, and now that i know I'll never go back to gears, it's time to start upgrading... should i go for a new frame or new hubs/wheelset first? money's tight, so i'm thinking about upgrading basically everything else first, then swapping all the new components to a new frame. am i on the right track here?

if money's tight, the best thing to do is take a two-pronged approach (this got me through grad school, so maybe it'll help you...).

1. replace what breaks or wears out.
2. save up the extra cash for a new pair of wheels.

the rationale for #1 is pretty obvious. the rationale for #2 is this: unless you've got a terrible tank of a frame that doesn't fit you at all, a new pair of wheels are going to make a much bigger difference than a new frame in how your ride feels. also, if you want to build your own wheels or have someone build them for you, you can always buy hubs first, then the hoops, then the rest.

when you get your degree, buy yourself a new frame as a graduation present.

good advice well taken

Why upgrade?

Valve caps, skull or dice TrickTopz make it faster ;)

Why upgrade?

did i miss something...isn't that why we do this...?

oh yeah, there's the riding too...i almost forgot about that.

i just had my frame powder-coated. cost me $53, makes me feel like i have a new bike, and now i can rest easy, knowing that all those chips and scratches in my old paintjob arent going to lead to rust.

-rob

i just had my frame powder-coated. cost me $53, makes me feel like i have a new bike, and now i can rest easy, knowing that all those chips and scratches in my old paintjob arent going to lead to rust.

-rob

Rob, where in NJ are you? Did you use someone local or ship your frame out to get done? Did you have to strip it yourself or did they include that in their price? The reason I ask is I can get it done at a place in Sparta (northern NJ...Creative Metal Works I think is their name)) and the guy quoted me around $80 just to powdercoat and perhaps another $70 or so to sandblast it. But the good thing is it could be done and waiting for me the next day. But I think they do more industrial type things like railing etc and may only have a minimum selection of colours at the ready. Thanks in advance!

James

Rob, where in NJ are you? Did you use someone local or ship your frame out to get done? Did you have to strip it yourself or did they include that in their price? The reason I ask is I can get it done at a place in Sparta (northern NJ...Creative Metal Works I think is their name)) and the guy quoted me around $80 just to powdercoat and perhaps another $70 or so to sandblast it. But the good thing is it could be done and waiting for me the next day. But I think they do more industrial type things like railing etc and may only have a minimum selection of colours at the ready. Thanks in advance!

James

james,
i'm in south jersey. the guy i went to is in franklinville, basically sorta close to atlantic city. waaaay out there. my friend and i took everything off our bikes, stripped the frames to bare metal, and tossed 'em in the brick and drove out to his shop. (my friend had a bmx frame powdered there a year ago, so he already knew the guy.) we picked the bikes back up in a week, and he did a really good job imho. most powdercoaters seem to be doing mostly industrial stuff; there're places that do mostly pretty/fancy stuff for motorbikes and bicycles, but these charge an arm and a leg. of the folks i talked to, the guy at pioneer was by far the cheeepest. he had maybe 10 colours in stock to choose from; he could order any of hundreds of colours, but that'd drive the price way up, as he can only order the powder in 5lb quantities, and he doesn't wanna be stuck with 4.8lbs of hott pink after he does one guy's bike frame. i lucked out, b/c he had some good ol' fashioned bright orange in stock; my buddy went with dark gray. the guy also can do wicked stuff with metal flake for like $30 more, if you're using a light colour. i suspect you're way up north, but here's the contact info anyway:

Pioneer Metal Finishing, Inc.
2034 Coles Mill Rd
PO Box 387
Franklinville, NJ 08322
Phone: (856) 694-0400
Fax: (856) 694-4597

this guy does mostly big, giant jobs, but he's happy to do the little ones, too. he can sandblast your frame for you, but it'd cost as much as the powdercoating would.

hth,
-rob

"franklinville, basically sorta close to atlantic city"

sorta close relative to texas, perhaps. definatly far relative to SJ.

cant beat a brick (if you gotta drive, that is).

james,
i'm in south jersey. the guy i went to is in franklinville, basically sorta close to atlantic city. waaaay out there. my friend and i took everything off our bikes, stripped the frames to bare metal, and tossed 'em in the brick and drove out to his shop. (my friend had a bmx frame powdered there a year ago, so he already knew the guy.) we picked the bikes back up in a week, and he did a really good job imho. most powdercoaters seem to be doing mostly industrial stuff; there're places that do mostly pretty/fancy stuff for motorbikes and bicycles, but these charge an arm and a leg. of the folks i talked to, the guy at pioneer was by far the cheeepest. he had maybe 10 colours in stock to choose from; he could order any of hundreds of colours, but that'd drive the price way up, as he can only order the powder in 5lb quantities, and he doesn't wanna be stuck with 4.8lbs of hott pink after he does one guy's bike frame. i lucked out, b/c he had some good ol' fashioned bright orange in stock; my buddy went with dark gray. the guy also can do wicked stuff with metal flake for like $30 more, if you're using a light colour. i suspect you're way up north, but here's the contact info anyway:

Pioneer Metal Finishing, Inc.
2034 Coles Mill Rd
PO Box 387
Franklinville, NJ 08322
Phone: (856) 694-0400
Fax: (856) 694-4597

this guy does mostly big, giant jobs, but he's happy to do the little ones, too. he can sandblast your frame for you, but it'd cost as much as the powdercoating would.

hth,
-rob

I would say that's far...the place I called is on my route to and from work so it looks like I'll either be dealing with them since I'd ge the bike pretty much next day or the rattle can. Still deciding on the DIY stripping or go with sandblasting. Thanks for the info though Rob.