Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - What parts are most important to upgrade on a fixie?

Hey I have a schwinn le tour fixie conversion that is pretty much all stock parts and I want to upgrade some parts. So what parts are the most important to upgrade for under 150$ I would probaly buy the parts on eBay.

skinny jeans.

Your frame.

A session with a bike fitter.

Dual ARROSPOKEZ

Anodized bolts.

What is your current rear wheel?

Why that's easy.

Take a look at your bike. Whatever looks ugliest to you, try to find one that's not quite so ugly. Handlebar/stem/bar tape is a good bet because it's big enough that everybody immediately notices.

Stop mocking him...
Jaco is right, a bike fitting session is vital for a comfortable ride and good performance but it could be pricey.
Don't buy into all those advertising gimmicks, replace parts when they are worn.

Salmon Kool-Stops and some carbon fiber headset spacers is all anyone really needs.

Salmon Kool-Stops and some carbon fiber headset spacers is all anyone really needs.

And CF waterbottle Holders

keg rack! :)

vans shoes, with checkerboard pattern, preferably held together with duck tape. And a pink bandana

neck tats and super deep v shirts! lol

"i like my shirts how i like my rims"

Depends on what you're trying to do. If you're trying to look pretty then get some ugly colored bits and have at it. Looking hip is not my thing. I built my bike to go fast on a budget. Everything below is assuming you're already comfortable on your bike. If you're not comfortable then you need to address your cockpit and saddle first. I prefer road drops with double brake levers (modern style), gives you a many hand positions but bullhorns are good as well. My favorite saddle is the Sette Nyx, an amazing lightweight (and inexpensive) saddle but very narrow.

Wheels may run more than $150 for good quality depending on what you want but will make the biggest most noticable difference depending on what you have now. I run these (http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=1555) on my fixed (they were stock and I see no reason to replace them). They're pretty good. Not the best but they're strong enough for my Clyde frame and roll really well. If the bearing ever wear out, for less then $20, you can put ceramic Phil Wood cartridge bearings in and they'll roll as well as wheelsets that cost twice as much.

Next, tires. If you're skidding - well their are lots of threads on that - have fun searching. Otherwise I'd tell you to expect to spend $30-$50 per tire on the best tires you can find. I'm actually quite happy with the 23mm Hutchinson Fusion 2 Ultras that I got super cheap on Bonk Town. They're really fast rollers when aired up but wow they drag like wet cement if they're low on air. Which ones are right for you will depend on where and how you ride.

If you have decent wheels, the next place I'd look is cranks and/or bottom bracket. I'm running the stock FSA cranks from my bike. They're good enough but they're on my list of things to replace. My bottom bracket definitely needs to go. My fixed is the only bike I don't have outbound bearings on. My opinion is that outbound bearings are massively superior. But it's just an opinion and there are people that hate them. I think they look better and perform better. I'm thinking about these (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/20052-100_SRAS30-3-Parts-56-Cranks/Bolts/Sram-S300-1.1-Courier-with-GXP-Bottom-Bracket-2010.htm) but I'll probably just replace the bottom bracket and keep my current cranks since they're plenty stiff and dropping a bunch of money into something that isn't broken would be antithetical to what I'm trying to accomplish with this bike.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416U642pLQL._AA280_.jpg

"dude. wait, what?"

vans shoes, with checkerboard pattern, preferably held together with duck tape. And a pink bandana

wow, I'm surprised someone is using the correct term.

I recommend getting a good lock from kryptonite or pitbull.

Knog lights, spoke cards, and stickers. Lots of stickers.

A fitting is a good point, cause most of you riding conversions just look uncomfortable.

But.. tires, lock, lights depending where/when/how you ride.

in all seriousness, it might be helpful if you post a picture of your bike. that way we can see what is on it and what might be beneficial to replace.

yeah because what really matters is our opinion of your ride... wait what?

that being said, chances are many of the parts on your bike are not stock as it is a conversion. when bikes are converted the rear wheel is typically changed. this will typically require changing the front wheel as well as the two will no longer be the same size (700c vs. 26"). further, many times the cranks are changed as they are not capable of giving a straight chainline. as opposed to a picture, are you capable of giving us a complete rundown of your components? if so, please do and also include the components condition. if not, then i guess we will have to go with detailed pictures and have to try to go from there....

Thanks a ton guys I think I'm going to get a new wheelset and possibly a new crank set

that's going to run u way over the earlier mentioned budget of 150$.......not saying that it's not a good idea, those are 2 of the 3 first thing to upgrade. the other that i didnt see anyone mention would be your saddle. it might be comfortable though so what do i know....

What doesn't work right?

If I had $150 burning a hole in my pocket, I'd probably spend it on premium flat-resistant tires; but not if I planned on skidding.

Alternatively, a Brooks saddle has both eye appeal and function.

I like bullhorn handlebars, and when riding with a brake, I like a bar end brake lever.

If you shop carefully, your $150 can get you a set of good flat-resistant tires, a bullhorn handlebar, and a bar end brake lever.