Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - First fixie.. input on quality Vilano

Just bought a bike off ebay. I dont really know much about bikes or quality parts so if someone could break it down for me that would be great. I just want to make sure Im recieving a good bike for the price I paid. Please no rude remarks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/48cm-TRACK-FIXED-GEAR-BIKE-FIXIE-SINGLE-SPEED-ROAD-BIKE-/170540742884?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b50538e4

48 is pretty small. nothing wrong with being short, just making sure the bike is the right size.

well I had to show this one because the one I got was a 54 but it was taken off of ebay because I bought it, it just hasnt been shipped yet. Im 5'9 actually ;P but everything on it is the same so I was using it as an example

Vilanos are generally not the crowd's favourite around here and you should've done your research before you buy the bike. Their components are sub par, there are probably better deals out there...

But you shouldn't listen what I or any of us have to say, just ride the crap out of the bike.

why is it that they arent favorited?

why is it that they arent favorited?

like vixtor stated. their components are sub par and there are better deals out there.

Vilano was my first fixed gear as well. If you are building it yourself BE CAREFUL. Make sure that the crank bolts are tight as hell, and grease up the nuts real good. Make sure you tighten the cog and lockring real well too, mine was just like hand tightened. Keep an eye on the dropouts in the rear (where the axle attaches to the bike. On mine, they widened out and the wheel slipped out. Also look out for any play in the bottom bracket. I ended up just replacing it with a Shimano cartridge. I rode the hell out of this bike for like six months and I urge you to do the same, just tear up the street, but please be careful. If you can afford to have it built up professionally, do it.
One thing that really stood out was that their Customer Service was fantastic. I explained my problems, and they just sent me part after part so that i could try to fix it.

Sounds great! Ill keep an eye on those things thanks! I belive it is coming partially assembled but there is a chance Ill have to put it all together myself. I have a few friends that know a good amount about bikes that will be helping me with that so everything should work out just fine.

Great starter bike. It serves the purpose for you to get into or back into riding bikes and for you to try fixed at a reasonable cost.

If you had gone and bought a complete Gazzetta or an NJS Panasonic as your fist bike you'd get heckled just as much. No one goes and buys a 1000cc sportbike as their first bike and lives to tell the tale. You start out on a smaller chaper bike, learn the ropes and then graduate to what suits you.

Ride the bike, upgrade only what you need then in the spring if you still ride it lots and want to move on up to something that fits you better of fits your riding preferences better then you are only going to be out the depreciation on a $200 bike. Not selling a bike that had a $200 saddle on it.

Enjoy it, ride it, learn about fixed, read up here and choose your paths wisely.

If you got it for $ 240 delivered, that's a good value for the Vilano. I have $ 340 in upgrades/repairs and a u-lock into mine. I don't regret the purchase this far into ownership. Mine weighs 26 lbs with a lock, the lock is 2-2 1/2 lbs according to the packaging information. 23.5-24 lbs ? Not bad when a Fuji Feather is 21.5 and Schwinn Madison is 22.5 lbs.

Anyway, are Tec 9's any worse than Origin 8 cranks. Are ProMax any worse than Tektro lower end brakes ? Bikes Direct bikes some don't have the SS freewheel, so they may have a flip flop hub, but you'll have to spend that much more to get what a Vilano comes standard with. Get the wheels trued and they all need that anyway, and you'll have reliable transportation. That may play out down the road when a thief passes up on a Vilano vs the next guy's name brand bike ?

Ya I got it for 210 with shipping cost. I was going to get a dawes with flip flop hub drop down bars and front and back break. It is just a standard set up and I would of had to replace the crank and buy pedal straps so all in all it would of turned out being around 200 anyways for a bike that wasnt fully equiped. As long as the bike does what its suppose to do and can handle long distances and tons of hours on the road then Im happy. Ill make upgrades as I go but thats further down the road ;) Im excited about getting it, I cant wait to let that bike tear up my legs as I tear up the road.

$ 210 delivered, when you get it assembled and adjusted you should be satisfied with it ? The first couple of weeks I disliked mine, but after wheel truing and getting what bugs/issues it had resolved, you'll be content. Most seem to think I'm OCD about things any way and they're probably right for the most part.

Mine: Fork was bent, RBO replaced it immediately, no cost. SS freewheel upgraded to Dicta 16T with easy on/off interface $ 21, Wheels trued $ 12 for both lateral and radial truing. Replaced chain tensioners with Origin 8's $ 8.95. Replaced pedals $ 21. u-lock was $ 14. My Vilano was $ 256 delivered, $ 239 for the price, $ 17 tax, free S&H. The bottom bracket isn't the greatest, but I complained and requested a sealed system. RBO sent a Neco bb at no cost. The standard issue bb, axle and cups with a lock ring, I had tighten, ride, adjust, ride, redajust, like 5-6 times. That's because it started clunking. It doesn't clunk any more, so there's no need to put the Neco bb in just yet, but if it goes, I have a replacement bb for it. So I put another $ 85 into mine, probably another $ 10 for new handle bar grips away from being totally done with it. Grips are hard rubber and wouldn't mind softer compound rubber ones. On second thought, as we enter the fall and winter, a Wal-Mart lighting system would be nice too, those are just under $ 20 after tax. I'll probably get the lights before the grips.

If you need any advices, just PM me.

I hope I wont run into too many problems with it but I know its to be expected. Ill let you know how it rides when I get it and if I run into any problems with it.

BTW, since getting the bike, I've dropped from 203 lbs to as low as 175 and currently 181 lbs today's weight. I'm 5'11". With this bike I keep the 700 x 25's aired to the 100 psi max the tire is rated for. I've found that if the tire pressure gets around 90 psi or below, I don't like the way it rides and even handles at the weights I've ridden it. It's ride-able at that psi pressure, but at max air and it feels much faster and responsive. You're 5'9", and no idea of your weight, but I figure I'm at the high end of what this bike can accommodate ?

Im about 130. I have a mountain bike that Ive been riding around and pushing it pretty hard but I want a road bike so I can get the amount of exercise that the mountain bike lacks to give me. Ive been riding for weeks straight and my legs are only a little sore but Im certain the fixie will give me a run for my money and strengthen my legs up quick.

At 130 lbs, you are going to fly on this bike. I can't even imagine being 45-73 lbs lighter on mine. Just get those leg muscles built up and stamina for longer rides. I'd say keep hammering away on your mountain bike for training, then when you ride the 700C's on the Vilano, you'll feel like you're on a vacation. You'll be able to ride a featherweight SS/FG all day long, even if it is a slightly heavier brand/model.

I know this thread's a tad on the old side.. But I had to chime in and say that I just ordered the Vilano track / SS. Mine was $239 shipped. I'll be getting it delivered this coming Monday. It's my first SS. Seems to be alot of dislike for this brand on these boards. It's what I could afford and I can't wait to get it on the workstand and start tweaking!!

I know this thread's a tad on the old side.. But I had to chime in and say that I just ordered the Vilano track / SS. Mine was $239 shipped. I'll be getting it delivered this coming Monday. It's my first SS. Seems to be alot of dislike for this brand on these boards. It's what I could afford and I can't wait to get it on the workstand and start tweaking!!
Congrats on the new bike, but I wouldn't recommend tweaking while you're working on your bike. Especially tweaking on the "crank" ;)

"I just bought a bike before doing any research. Please tell me ONLY the good things about my purchase."

If paraphrasing is rude.. my bad. It's an ok bike. You could've done better with the money.

No frills; perhaps safe?

I just checked my tracking.. My bike is sitting at a UPS hub right here in my city.. like less than 10 miles from me..and UPS won't deliver it til Monday! Gaaaaahhhh!:twitchy::notamused:

Yeah, I know I probably could have bought a better bike, but this was real easy on my budget.
I think for a first SS roadie, it'll be fine. I am a pretty good wrench, so I will be likely rebuilding the bike frame up once I get it here..before I ride it. I like the idea of a cromo frame. If the frame checks out, I may swap parts down the road and get this thing custom.
For now, I am just stoked to be getting my first SS:thumb:

Congrats on the new bike, but I wouldn't recommend tweaking while you're working on your bike. Especially tweaking on the "crank" ;)
Haha... nice. :)

I got a frameset of theirs off ebay, 90$ shipped, frame, fork, bb, headset and seatpost.
Built it up with stuff I already had laying around, it's decent, especially for the price, and I just wanted it for a beater/work bike anyways.
I really would have liked to have a little better quality welding, and the spacing turned out to be actually about 117 instead of 120, so its a little awkward putting the wheel in, and the dropouts on the fork, one of them was bent outwards a bit, but tightened in real quick with a wheel on it. Minor complaints on a steel bike, especially for the price.
Its geometry is a little funny, but it's got a nice tight rear triangle and it handles well enough, it's pretty light and its 4130, which is my favorite for bombing around nasty city streets on.
Definitely would recommend as a "first fixie" though what's on mine for the most part is probably a hell of a lot better than what comes on it when you buy complete.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_YqscE356Zo/TaPpzRvRc0I/AAAAAAAAACQ/nwLGugRu5pk/207425_733180339047_48604180_36780585_6494818_n.jpg

I got a frameset of theirs off ebay, 90$ shipped, frame, fork, bb, headset and seatpost.
Built it up with stuff I already had laying around, it's decent, especially for the price, and I just wanted it for a beater/work bike anyways.
I really would have liked to have a little better quality welding, and the spacing turned out to be actually about 117 instead of 120, so its a little awkward putting the wheel in, and the dropouts on the fork, one of them was bent outwards a bit, but tightened in real quick with a wheel on it. Minor complaints on a steel bike, especially for the price.
Its geometry is a little funny, but it's got a nice tight rear triangle and it handles well enough, it's pretty light and its 4130, which is my favorite for bombing around nasty city streets on.
Definitely would recommend as a "first fixie" though what's on mine for the most part is probably a hell of a lot better than what comes on it when you buy complete.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_YqscE356Zo/TaPpzRvRc0I/AAAAAAAAACQ/nwLGugRu5pk/207425_733180339047_48604180_36780585_6494818_n.jpg

Great looking bike... What attracted me, aside from the low price was the 4130 frame set. Did you end up using the stock BB and HS? Will a Shimano cartridge BB thread into the BB shell?

I ordered the complete bike which is now sitting at a UPS hub and won't be delivered til Monday the 18th..grrrrrr! I also ordered (different vendor) a pair of CST Czar comp tires and Eigthinch grips. I am a little out of shape so I'm thinking about picking up a 42t chain ring to put in place of the stock 46t til I get my legs back. I think this bike will be great for my round town jaunts and will enable me to rely more on cycling as a means of transportation rather than burning $4/gal gas.

I know there is some bad press on these boards regarding the Vilano SS.
I understand that opinions can be easily formed when you consider the price of these bikes and the fact that alot of folks who post in these threads are seasoned SS / Fixie aficionados; who would be quick to poo-poo the unknown or lesser brand equipment. :twitchy:

Anyway, I got my Vilano today and am very pleased with it! No it's not the best of the best or boutique or whatever.. It just is what it is. And that is a solidly built all 4130 framed bike with good quality components..yes, I said good, not great but sturdy and more than adequate. This is a great first SS / Fixed gear bike and IMHO a really decent frame that will grow with you as budget and experience increase.

I have been riding bikes as an adult for 20 + years and have experience as a bike mechanic having worked in a shop for some time in the past. It is my opinion that the Vilano is a very viable city machine worthy of hanging better parts on down the road.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Vilano%20SS/CIMG0957.jpg

The only thing (s) I am swapping out are the saddle (already done) the freewheel (stock unit is a tad cheeseball and I want to put a 18t on to save my knees)
And possibly the brake levers once these stockers wear out. Other than that, I am gonna ride it like I stole it!:thumb:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Vilano%20SS/CIMG0955.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Vilano%20SS/CIMG0945.jpg

Nice dude i just ordered mine(black) and get it tommorow seeing as my previous bike, Aerospoke included, got stolen and i dont have much in the way of money these are great bikes for the price.. Any thing i should know about? i got mine off ebay as well, from Road bike outlet, It looks like you were looking at the 48cm from your original post, is that the size you got? it looks a little big for a 48cm... just curious because i ordered the 50cm but i usually ride a 52cm yet they didnt have an inbetween size... and wanted to know how tall you are or how the sizing was...? any info helps, ill post pictures of mine with B43 knock offs(the white tec9s ha) on them thursday if interested:).
Edit: also the rear drop outs where the backwheel goes, i noticed that they have the silver bolts on them as well incase the wheel comes loose, are those a neccesity(sp?) i hate the way they look on bikes and they drive me nuts though ive never had a bike that had them before this one, are they just an added precaution, Id love to take them off(thats what she said).

it also said something about the seat and front wheel being quick release? is this true? i hope not. ha thanks

Just got a white one last week. I have another fixie, size 52, but I went with a 50 for the Vilano, and it fits fine. The front wheel/seat are not quick release. Fun little bike, fpr a decent price. Gear on it is smaller than my other bike, so it's fun to change it up.

Nice dude i just ordered mine(black) and get it tommorow seeing as my previous bike, Aerospoke included, got stolen and i dont have much in the way of money these are great bikes for the price.. Any thing i should know about? i got mine off ebay as well, from Road bike outlet, It looks like you were looking at the 48cm from your original post, is that the size you got? it looks a little big for a 48cm... just curious because i ordered the 50cm but i usually ride a 52cm yet they didnt have an inbetween size... and wanted to know how tall you are or how the sizing was...? any info helps, ill post pictures of mine with B43 knock offs(the white tec9s ha) on them thursday if interested:).
Edit: also the rear drop outs where the backwheel goes, i noticed that they have the silver bolts on them as well incase the wheel comes loose, are those a neccesity(sp?) i hate the way they look on bikes and they drive me nuts though ive never had a bike that had them before this one, are they just an added precaution, Id love to take them off(thats what she said).

it also said something about the seat and front wheel being quick release? is this true? i hope not. ha thanks

Hey man.. good choice on a really tight little bike! I am loving mine!:love: The silver retainers on the rear drops are there more to help tension the chain than anything. I removed mine. Not a necessity. The front and rear axles are nutted. Most Fixed gear / SS are, if I'm not mistaken. We get so used to seeing QR hubs on bikes these days that we equate a nutted axle as odd. Trust me on this. The wheels and hubs are really quite sturdy. The seat binder is a metric allen key affair.

I ordered some better tires and grips..They came in today and I thought I'd throw a few more pictures up. Now I almost need to look for a black and white saddle.
I hate to give up the comfort of the 'ol Bontrager Sport.. This thing flies!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/CIMG0975.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/CIMG0976.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/CIMG0978.jpg

Yep.. need to change out the saddle:rolleyes:

Very nice! i like that blue with the white oury grips... thanks for the info! appreciated:)

Very nice! i like that blue with the white oury grips... thanks for the info! appreciated:)

NP.. Make sure to throw a pic or two up of your bike once you get it set up..

I love the shoot first ask questions later approach hahaha

Also people who buy a saddle for looks, as it is only really seen when not riding.

"dude, that bike that you use to decorate your apartment has an ugly *** saddle! Get something that ties the room together" - you know who you are

I love the shoot first ask questions later approach hahaha

Also people who buy a saddle for looks, as it is only really seen when not riding.

"dude, that bike that you use to decorate your apartment has an ugly *** saddle! Get something that ties the room together" - you know who you are
Eh.. I just thought why not make it look cool (to me) as well as function well? I guess I'm funny like that sometimes. You should probably put a saddle on your ride ... The pole in your @$$ is making you sound alot like one who dwells under bridges.

Haha I hear yah. I'm rocking a white saddle that came on my 1988 bridgestone. It's not Particularly comfortable, but it just makes the whole ride look so good. I'm just being an **** for kicks. The vilano looks nice, congrats dude, ride it to death! Aesthetics really are important.


aes·thet·ics Noun (plural)***/esˈTHetiks/
A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, esp. in art
The branch of philosophy that deals with the principles of beauty and artistic taste.

This is how we roll ;)

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trollface.png

Haha I hear yah. I'm rocking a white saddle that came on my 1988 bridgestone. It's not Particularly comfortable, but it just makes the whole ride look so good. I'm just being an **** for kicks. The vilano looks nice, congrats dude, ride it to death! Aesthetics really are important.


aes·thet·ics Noun (plural)***/esˈTHetiks/
A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, esp. in art
The branch of philosophy that deals with the principles of beauty and artistic taste.

This is how we roll ;)

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trollface.png

Haha..no worries.. I just got the bike a few days ago and am itching to get it out on the street.. We have had a good amount of sleet and snow and generally wacked out weather here in SE WI. Hence the indoor pics. :twitchy:
Looks like I spy some sun through my kitchen blinds. Today.. I will RIDE!

For the money I spent, I am liking this bike alot!

Its been awhile since I checked this post. I have run into a few problems with the bike already. The major issue being the cheap fork that the bike came with. The fork bends and my wheel slips causing the allignment off by a long shot. I try to refrain from riding it too much as this seems to keep happening. I brought it into a bike shop and they threw some washers on it but its hella hard to get back on the front wheel once you take it off for transporting reasons. Ill have to purchase a new fork btu besides that minor set back its a great bike I love it!:thumb:

Put it together quick and i know the chain is slacking, sorry about the ****ty picture, chicago bulls vilano!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b304/xk1sovietx/photo-11.jpg

Looks cool!

Just picked up my vilano SS yesterday!
Frist intro to single speed, going to use it as my commuter to work, looks pretty nice so far. Everythings popped together except I couldnt inflate those damn presta valve tires with my old school bicycle pump.

Anybody know if they can be inflated at the gas station? Or do i have to shell out for a whole new pump? :crash:

Everythings popped together except I couldnt inflate those damn presta valve tires with my old school bicycle pump.

Anybody know if they can be inflated at the gas station? Or do i have to shell out for a whole new pump? :crash:

All you need is a presta to schrader adapter that screws onto your valve. Costs about a buck at your lbs.

http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Presta-Valve-Adapter/dp/B004UD58KK

O0o thanks! Ive never seen these presta valves before. To the store i go!

:thumb::thumb:http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/CIMG0983.jpg:thumb::thumb:

Great looking bike... What attracted me, aside from the low price was the 4130 frame set. Did you end up using the stock BB and HS? Will a Shimano cartridge BB thread into the BB shell?

I ordered the complete bike which is now sitting at a UPS hub and won't be delivered til Monday the 18th..grrrrrr! I also ordered (different vendor) a pair of CST Czar comp tires and Eigthinch grips. I am a little out of shape so I'm thinking about picking up a 42t chain ring to put in place of the stock 46t til I get my legs back. I think this bike will be great for my round town jaunts and will enable me to rely more on cycling as a means of transportation rather than burning $4/gal gas.


I used the stock headset, but it's very new and is already spitting rust out at me, so I would recommend getting something else, sealed, in the near future.
It's threadless but it's still caged bearings, not sealed.

I didn't use the stock BB, but it did seem to be a lot higher quality than the headset, and would have used it if I didn't already have one made friends with the crankset.
Also, BB came pre-installed COMPLETELY DRY, be aware of that, even if you are going to use it, pull it out and re-install it with some damn grease.

To tell you the truth....

My next door neighbor had/has a Vilano for approx 4 months and now its in his garage collecting dust..
They honestly suck... Stock components are no name and heavy. stock bolt of the brake lever were striping when we were installing it on to the handlebar.

unlike my Kilo TT or his new Kilo TT, you can clearly see the component quality difference even your not that inclined in bike components.

if most of the bike component has to be changed or replaced where as Kilo TT or Windsor hour just need better pedal and cage and straps, it is not worth it.

put Kilo TT and Vilano side by side and you'll see the difference in welding quality where the tubes meet. Honestly, after I looked closely into vilano's welding, I did not want to ride that bike no more. It's poorly welded compare to other bikes that are 300ish.

Those wheels that are on it are really heavy and the nipples are easily stripped & already came stripped. I noticed when we were trying to true the wheel but, with stripped nipples, we couldn't..

top tube is wayyyyy too long for the bike geometry. Look at the picture.
your arm position will be superman-like stretch.

oneday, he was trying to bunnyhop but he crashed, and the fork bent and rear rim bent.

He got a Mercier Kilo TT instead of fixing that crappy Vilano, and never looked back.

Don't just take the reviews on the bikesoutlet website. they are Scam~~~

honestly spend little more and get someting like windsor or mercier or something little more proven...


Also, not trying to be BD nuthugger, but RBO took 2weeks to deliver this crappy bike where BD takes 3-4 working days to deliver their bikes.
Just my 002 cents

don't waste your hard earned money and time.

I want first timers to have a great experience with their bikes thats all.

only decent thing is that it comes with Fixed gear & free wheel

nobody else noticed that the OP is 5'9 and got a 54cm frame?

thats not really that out of the realm of size depending on the OP's dimensions. nbd.

Can you say "SHILL" How much is BD paying you rkd?

Just something I read on another forum

"Get yourself a Kilo TT and flip a coin over whether or not you'll get one with a bent fork. :lol:"

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-710458.html

nobody else noticed that the OP is 5'9 and got a 54cm frame?

I'm 5'8.5" and ride a 54cm top tube...

I'm not a shill and I agree with everything rkd said... except for the part about crashing. Its his buddies fault for crashing.

Walmart sells a fixie for $99 delivered

Walmart sells a fixie for $99 delivered

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li86dhnIfJ1qdlkgg.gif