Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - No-nonsense bike build

http://omploader.org/vNWU4ZA

What do you think? This is supposed to be a do-it-all bike.

seems too expensive for only good-to-average parts.

why not just get a casseroll complete, and swap out small parts you don't like? seems like a much quicker/less expensive route to an othwrwise very similar bike.

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that.

However, doing the math, it would come out around $100 more expensive. I'd have a spare wheelset, among other things though.

Besides that, what do you think of the parts?

well, what's your math, and what components are truly important to you? if you get a complete bike, you don't have to upgrade all the parts to the parts you originally planned for the build. salsa casserolls are ~$750 complete. For your build of $1350, that's practically two completes, just to put that into perspective.

for wheelsets, idk what your current source is, but many a folk here will recommend velomine. so do that. your complete wheelset will be cheaper, and just as good. also, having a spare wheelset isn't necessarily a bad thing. sometimes a wheel goes out of true, you break a spoke, bearings start to crap out etc etc, and it's easier to throw on a crappy, spare stock wheel until you can fix the problem on your nice wheels.

parts are, as aforementioned, good-to-average. others will have their opinions, but these seem pretty decent for an all-around bike.

instead of that chain, get a sram pc-1. the 850 is an 8-speed chain. pc-1 is designed for single speed/fixed usage.

edit: oh, also, if you got a complete, you wouldn't have to drop $1350 all at once to get riding. you could drop whatever price you find for the complete, start riding, and upgrade as quickly or slowly as you want, if upfront cost is a greater concern to you.

well, what's your math, and what components are truly important to you? if you get a complete bike, you don't have to upgrade all the parts to the parts you originally planned for the build. salsa casserolls are ~$750 complete. For your build of $1350, that's practically two completes, just to put that into perspective.

for wheelsets, idk what your current source is, but many a folk here will recommend velomine. so do that. your complete wheelset will be cheaper, and just as good. also, having a spare wheelset isn't necessarily a bad thing. sometimes a wheel goes out of true, you break a spoke, bearings start to crap out etc etc, and it's easier to throw on a crappy, spare stock wheel until you can fix the problem on your nice wheels.

parts are, as aforementioned, good-to-average. others will have their opinions, but these seem pretty decent for an all-around bike.

instead of that chain, get a sram pc-1. the 850 is an 8-speed chain. pc-1 is designed for single speed/fixed usage.

edit: oh, also, if you got a complete, you wouldn't have to drop $1350 all at once to get riding. you could drop whatever price you find for the complete, start riding, and upgrade as quickly or slowly as you want, if upfront cost is a greater concern to you.

Well, the Ambrosio rim is arguably the best clincher rim available. I would definitely want to keep it. I like to build my own wheels; I don't trust machine-built ones. The spokes are a must as well, as they offer the best strength to weight ratio. It's nearly impossible to find wheelsets with 1.8/1.6mm double butted spokes.

I'd also like to keep the handlebars, brake levers, saddle, seatpost, tyres and mudguards. Matter of personal preference. I'd have to buy the pedals too. All these things add up.

Regarding the chain, I have always used 3/32" chains with fixed gear bikes and have had no problems. 1/8" chains are heavier and offer no benefit.

maybe you should look for a bike that's more to your liking out of the box, millions of people ride machine built wheels, that's a silly phobia, get them trued and tensioned after a week or so on the road and you're gold,


get the bike, put on your favorite pedals and seat, ride the bike, change out what you don't like as you see fit once riding, i feel like a lot of cyclists just want to spend money

Well, the Ambrosio rim is arguably the best clincher rim available. I would definitely want to keep it. I like to build my own wheels; I don't trust machine-built ones. The spokes are a must as well, as they offer the best strength to weight ratio. It's nearly impossible to find wheelsets with 1.8/1.6mm double butted spokes.

I'd also like to keep the handlebars, brake levers, saddle, seatpost, tyres and mudguards. Matter of personal preference. I'd have to buy the pedals too. All these things add up.

Regarding the chain, I have always used 3/32" chains with fixed gear bikes and have had no problems. 1/8" chains are heavier and offer no benefit.



Go for it! Looks like a decent list of parts to me. And if having the bike EXACTLY how you want it is very important to you than, that alone could justify the price (assuming you can afford it. I couldn't)

If I were you (and had the money, of course) I'd buy a complete bike, swap out whatever parts you'd like and sell the stuff you don't want while it's still new. That's pretty much what I did back when I bought my Kilo TT and ended up making back more than the initial cost of the bike by selling the parts I didn't want.

Sounds like a fine build. Personally I'd rather go for the geared Casserole complete for the same price, but different storks for different forks.

Seems reasonable. After all this is a build up, not a bike in a box

You'll be building the wheels yourself and installing all the parts?

Only things I would change is to just get strait gauge spokes. If its just an all weather commuter, no need to get the high end butted spokes. And for an all around bike I would go with either VO touring pedal or maybe the MKS GR-9 pedals, with straps and cages. SPDs make it more specialized, less usefull in all situations.

speaking personally, I'd go up to 32mm tires, and switch to the Nitto Noodle bar, in either 46 or 48 cm. The Randonneur has always felt a bit narrow in the hoods, but I have wide shoulders. 28mm is a great 'all-road' tire, but 32 will give you decent abilities on light to medium trails.