Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Swapmeet/garage sale shopping for a frame. help please

Like the title says, i am looking for a frame at garage sales and swap meets but i don't really know what i am looking at. Want to convert something into a SS/FG. What brands should i be looking out for that are good? My plan is to find a beat up bike that someone had laying in their backyard for years that they are just looking at giving away for cheap(like >100 cheap). So any help?

cinelli, colnago, eddy merckx. they are really common at garage sales

thanks, anything i should avoid? bad brands or anything?

original italian masi bikes are horrendous. Olmo, Basso and Torelli, etc. are horrible as well.

Avoid Next and GMC. Anything else is probably good.


original italian masi bikes are horrendous. Olmo, Basso and Torelli, etc. are horrible as well.

And this.

Seriously... look for better quality tubing. If they are proud enough about the tubing to mention what kind it is on the seat tube, that's a decent start. Look for vintage catalogs to get an idea what better tubing is- look at the higher end bikes. Look for forged, not stamped, dropouts. Also, in general, most bikes that have the word "Sport" in the name are usually at the lowest end of the range. Stay away from them unless it is a high-end brand.

http://kindalame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/trollface.gif

Seriously... look for better quality tubing. If they are proud enough about the tubing to mention what kind it is on the seat tube, that's a decent start. Look for vintage catalogs to get an idea what better tubing is- look at the higher end bikes.

A lot of sh&&&ty bikes have targeted marketing names for their tubing. Some are even proud to mention their hi-ten steel. Sift through the marketing and fancy names.

How can I tell the difference from forged and stamped dropouts?
and what do you guys mean by tubing?

sharp edges

with my $100 or less budget, should i even bother asking for any of these?:
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1975433468.html

horrible frames, man. horrible.

original italian masi bikes are horrendous. Olmo, Basso and Torelli, etc. are horrible as well.

Report those to me ASAP so they can all be disposed of properly.

horrible frames, man. horrible.

Stop being such an ass.

Yes, there is some tubing that is not that great. That's why I advised looking at old bicycle catalogs (which you can find online). Look for the higher end bikes and see what tubing (i.e., the metal used in making the frame) is used.

As for stamped versus forged dropouts- Stamped look the were cut out of a piece of flat metal (which is basically how they were formed). Forged looks like they were molded out of liquid metal (which isn't quite true, but it's a good way to picture it). There will be more variations thickness. If there are lugs for attaching fenders and racks, they will be thicker than the rest of the dropout and threaded instead of just a drilled hole. Stamped is a cheaper way to make dropouts so it indicates lower end bikes. Without learning all about tubing, looking at the dropouts is a quick way to determine if a frame is a cheapo bike or not.

As for the link you posted, I shy away from bidding on unpriced items on CL. You know that your knowledge is limited. The seller's knowledge is probably not (although some sellers are clueless). he may use his knowledge to overcharge you. After all, with that much stock you know he's in it ot make money. If he has a target price he should state it (or maybe something slightly higher than that) up front.

if it fits i'd offer 50 bones for the univega, but otherwise he's probably looking for way more than you're looking to spend(but if he's looking for more than 50 for that univega he's definetly out to make some bucks on these)

well that guy never responded so i've been looking around for a couple weeks now with no luck. =[

cinelli, colnago, eddy merckx. they are really common at garage sales

messed up man. sigh... i think he is taking you seriously.

youll probably find an old fuji, raleigh, schwinn, or puegeot 10 speed frame. all of which will serve your purpose just fine.
just make sure it has horizontal drop outs and you should be good to go.

messed up man. sigh... i think he is taking you seriously.

youll probably find an old fuji, raleigh, schwinn, or puegeot 10 speed frame. all of which will serve your purpose just fine.
just make sure it has horizontal drop outs and you should be good to go.

That's what I think too. If you're building a conversion you're probably thinking CHEAP. The nice thing about starting with a low end Raleigh or the like is you can have fun grinding off the cable stops and the like and not feel like you are desecrating a classic.

kay well i WAS taking what he said serious. so i guess I'll ignore those from now. thanks a lot for clearing that up guys.

Look for horizontal drop outs...and honestly any bike that you can tell is old and isnt rusted to **** or broken is *probably* a safe bet, hell, it's been around this long and still kicking right? I'd stay away from old french bikes though, a lot of them, like my Peugeot U0-8, have french threaded bottom brackets, which can be a pain in the ass. Also watch out for cottered cranks, they suck.

I heard Peugeot was a good brand! Haha so i was actually keep my eye open for them. Alright thanks

So my LBS was going to get me some wheels and they finally came in, just wanted to check them out cause i don't know the brand. He said they are the same as Weinmann, or they are made the same or from the same people or something. Originally he was going to get me some either Alexrims or Weinmann for $150 and i went in today so he could show me the ones he got me and they were Jetset. Are they any good? he said he would sell them for $190 but since he already told me $150 i am getting them for $150.

And sorry but cottered cranks?