Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Newb wants to build a Pake!

Hello all, I just signed up and introduced myself in the introduction area.

As I mentioned in my intro, I am looking to build a bike. I was given a gift card for Amazon ($300.00) so I was initially looking to purchase a cheap packaged bike but after doing some research on this site, I wasn't particularly thrilled with the options available.

I was looking at a Nashbar or a SE Draft but there were things about both of those bikes that I didn't love and I would like to be able to grow into my bike and upgrade down the road as I learn more.

The purpose of this bike will be for leisure and some commuting. I live in a busy city so I will need to have a front brake. I would also like to have a flip flop hub so I can get used to riding single speed with a freewheel and as I get used to it, switch to fixed gear.

So far the parts I have picked out and priced out are as follows:
-Pake Track frame with 1 1/8 headtube. Frame size is 59 (I'm 6'2" but read the geometry of the track is long so the lower end of the size spectrum is ideal.)
($175.00)
-Pake Track fork. 1 1/8 threadless.
($69.00)

From here, all of the other options are confusing me. Like I mentioned, I have $300.00 to spend on Amazon and I was hoping to be able to get the bike together for another $50.00 spent locally.

Does this seem like a good start? Does it seem like I will be able to reach my goals for ~$350.00?

Sorry for the long winded post, I just figured I would be best to be explicit with what I am looking for.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

At that budget, you're probably better off buying a complete bike.

You'd be hard pressed to find wheels, tires, tubes, cog, lockring, freewheel, seatpost, saddle, bottom bracket, crankarms, chainring, chain, handlebars, brake, lever, stem, headset, bars, grips/tape for ~$100

At that budget, you're probably better off buying a complete bike.

Agreed.

Thanks for the quick replies.

I guess the better question is how much extra do you think I would have put in to be able to get it all together.

I actually didn't have an idea of how much I would have to spend. I am more flexible budget wise, just trying to get things figured out.

I thought I would be better off buying a good frame and basic decent parts to start. Is that not a good idea?

To give you a rock solid example and help put it in perspective, I recently built up this Pake to sell in my shop:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/scrodzilla/RETROGRESSION/Pakebuild-3.jpg

Built up as it is, the frameset and parts cost over $550 - at wholesale.

If you can spend more (and are willing) you can use the voucher to purchase an All City complete for +/- 750 @ Amazon. The other options are all outside of Amazon unfortunately.

I bought a frame for $200 last summer and the bike came to just over $1000 built up, just so you have some frame of reference. The pake is a well-respected frame and you probably don't want to put bottom of the barrel components on it. The piece of advice that inevitably comes up in this situation is the mercier KILO TT. You can get it complete for $350 with good components, from Bikes Direct.

If you would like to spend the voucher then the All City is your best option, it's a very nice frame tbh. You can choose between a Big Block - street use oriented with track geometry or a Nature Boy wich has a CX geometry.

http://allcitycycles.com/images/bikes/BK47431.jpg

http://allcitycycles.com/images/bikes/BK4733.jpg

Thanks for all of the help guys.

I have looked at the Kilo TT and thought it was a nice bike, however, having this gift card to Amazon is making me look there first and Mercier isn't sold on Amazon.

Scrodzilla, that bike looks fantastic and thanks for giving me and idea of the cost at wholesale.

I am also not opposed to buying used components where I can.

As for the extra $60.00 to spend on Amazon, where would that be best spent?

Those all city bikes do look nice as well. I will look in to them. Thanks.

As for the extra $60.00 to spend on Amazon, where would that be best spent?

Tools

Those all city bikes do look nice as well. I will look in to them. Thanks.

no prob, here are the links:
http://www.amazon.com/All-City-Nature-SSCX-Complete-Blackened/dp/B004N99XIY/ref=sr_1_1?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1334694043&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/All-City-Block-58cm-Complete-Bike/dp/B005CDSI1I/ref=sr_1_2?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1334694094&sr=1-2

Tools

15mm wrench, chain whip, lockring wrench?

15mm wrench, chain whip, lockring wrench?

Set of allen wrenches

Set of allen wrenches

I have a good set of those.

I think I am going to pull the trigger on that frame and fork. Any other comments on this idea?

Should I look into purchasing the crankset, cog, lockset, etc new and then for wheels, tires, stem, headset, etc. used?

What parts are most critical for buying new?

Never buy used tires.

Never buy used tires.

Not necessarily always true. A lot of shops have a bunch of barely used tires hanging around.

Hi ChrisDR - welcome to the SS/FG forum!

My thoughts - Do you have a bike you can ride now to hold you over, geared or not? If so, I'd say take your time and build up the bike you want. Do ALOT of research, read through the threads by using the search function, ask ALOT of questions, and learn as much as you can. Take your time with the build. Building a bike yourself, the way that you want it, can be very rewarding and satisfying. Go over your budget to get the stuff you want, not just the stuff you can get a good deal on (if both apply then that is just a bonus :)) Again, take your time at it, no rush.

If you don't have a bike to ride now, then buy something complete inside your budget - based around a good frame. Ride it now and learn all the stuff above. Upgrade parts piece by piece to get them the way you like it. Before you know it, that complete bike has turned into YOUR build. It's alot of fun, really. Have at it!

Hi ChrisDR - welcome to the SS/FG forum!

My thoughts - Do you have a bike you can ride now to hold you over, geared or not? If so, I'd say take your time and build up the bike you want. Do ALOT of research, read through the threads by using the search function, ask ALOT of questions, and learn as much as you can. Take your time with the build. Building a bike yourself, the way that you want it, can be very rewarding and satisfying. Go over your budget to get the stuff you want, not just the stuff you can get a good deal on (if both apply then that is just a bonus :)) Again, take your time at it, no rush.

If you don't have a bike to ride now, then buy something complete inside your budget - based around a good frame. Ride it now and learn all the stuff above. Upgrade parts piece by piece to get them the way you like it. Before you know it, that complete bike has turned into YOUR build. It's alot of fun, really. Have at it!

Thank you for the help and the welcome, I really appreciate it.

I do have a mountain bike that I can ride for now, but with the weather being so nice out, I would like to get this build done reasonably soon.

So, I have been looking at wheelsets, and I realized that I had forgot to mention that I am 6'2" and weigh ~240lbs. Needless to say, I am not looking for light weight parts, more along the lines of sturdy parts that aren't going to break under my weight. Could someone point me in the right direction to look for parts that would fit these needs?

Thank you to everyone for the help so far, this is really helping me out!

velomine's wheel prices are hard to beat; i can't imagine than any of their "normal" 32h wheelsets wouldn't fit the bill. on the cheap, sun rims to formula hubs: http://www.velomine.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=87_172_176&zenid=j5sabfbbpb6inog4b4a6liftb6

and deep v's to formula hubs: http://www.velomine.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=87_172_173&zenid=j5sabfbbpb6inog4b4a6liftb6

who's got the wabi wheels? sturdy?

To give you a rock solid example and help put it in perspective, I recently built up this Pake to sell in my shop:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/scrodzilla/RETROGRESSION/Pakebuild-3.jpg

Built up as it is, the frameset and parts cost over $550 - at wholesale.

That is a sweet bike for an even sweeter price.

I don't even have to ride it to know it rides well.

Are these a good deal?
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/2947257543.html

I read mention of the quality of Weinmann wheels not being great but being a good value.

I think I read somewhere that the Weinmanns have origin8 hubs. Is this a good alternative to formula hubs?

Welcome! You can write complete sentences and have actually done research before posting! We hope you stay awhile! :D


Tools
+1

For what it's worth, I love my Topeak Alien II multitool to death: http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Alien-26-Function-Bicycle-Tool/dp/B000FIE4AE

I have used pretty much every tool in the set, including more specialized tools like the chain tool and the spoke wrench, and more common ones, like all the allen keys.

Dirt cheap too, considering the amount of tools it comes with. Absolutely one of the best bangs for the buck for basic bike maintenance.

Are these a good deal?
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/2947257543.html

I read mention of the quality of Weinmann wheels not being great but being a good value.

I think I read somewhere that the Weinmanns have origin8 hubs. Is this a good alternative to formula hubs?

Origin8 hubs are just rebranded Formula hubs. Decent wheels for the price, you save on shipping, and it comes with the cog/lockring, and tires, which will also save you money. I'd say go for it, you can always upgrade them later.

Origin8 hubs are just rebranded Formula hubs. Decent wheels for the price, you save on shipping, and it comes with the cog/lockring, and tires, which will also save you money. I'd say go for it, you can always upgrade them later.

Excellent, that is good to know. Thanks!


Welcome! You can write complete sentences and have actually done research before posting! We hope you stay awhile! :D


+1

For what it's worth, I love my Topeak Alien II multitool to death: http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Alien-26-Function-Bicycle-Tool/dp/B000FIE4AE

I have used pretty much every tool in the set, including more specialized tools like the chain tool and the spoke wrench, and more common ones, like all the allen keys.

Dirt cheap too, considering the amount of tools it comes with. Absolutely one of the best bangs for the buck for basic bike maintenance.

Haha, thanks for the warm welcome. It sure is funny how far one can go by being able to write in complete sentences and use basic grammar.

I will definitely look in to that multi tool, it looks really nice. Especially for the price. I had seen some bike tool boxes on Amazon that were considerably more expensive than that, and I figured would have less utility because I can't easily carry that on a bike ride.

i have weinmans and they arent that bad, aside from having front and rear machined sidewalls where id prefer just the front for my brake, they are a nice looking wheelset and definitly sturdy.

ehhh, you can get a brand new set of DP18's for around that price. Sure they don't come with tires but who knows what comes on the set the guy is selling and what condition the rims/tires are in.

Also for small parts check around on ebay/cl for deals on those. When I built up my leader I looked for used parts on ebay like stems, seatpost, bars, etc. People change out those things rather often and used tend to go pretty cheap. That can bring down the cost pretty quickly.

upside is he wouldnt have to wait for shipping or buying tires and tubes, plus if everything is in good condition, a 100 isnt bad.

You can always get the takara kabuto :)

You can always get the takara kabuto :)

Too late for that now, I purchased my frame and fork last night!

I went to two LBSs today and was completely underwhelmed and annoyed by one. The first was definitely the kind of shop trying to take advantage of both the fixed gear craze and the clientele. While I may be a newb, I'm not an idiot. I know better than that. I did tell them that I was new to this style of bike, and it seemed as though they were trying to capitalize on some perceived weakness in doing so. While I certainly don't know a lot, doing some research at home isn't that hard, and it was definitely beneficial today.

The other LBS was actually really awesome. I went in to this other shop with the same basic idea of what I was looking for and I was forthright in letting them know that I'm not an expert by any means. The guys at the shop seemed very knowledgeable without being dismissive or rude and I didn't feel like I was being taken advantage of. Nice to see in a local establishment. I will definitely be taking my business there where I can. I am still trying to keep this build as budget minded as I can so I while I won't be buying everything from there, I will be purchasing from there what I can.

All retail stores can benefit from an "I just want to help you" mentality. It keeps the good vibes all around.

Congrats on the frameset ChrisDR! Now the rest of the fun begins :)

Congrats on the frameset ChrisDR! Now the rest of the fun begins :)
Also because OP will post pics. ;)

All retail stores can benefit from an "I just want to help you" mentality. It keeps the good vibes all around.

Ain't that the truth.

I understand retail dealing with people coming in and wasting time but that doesn't mean that you have be annoyed, rude, or dismissive. Buying bike parts isn't the same as going in a buying a pair of jeans. Things can get expensive quickly when buying bike parts so the idea is to hopefully establish a relationship with whom you are buying from. Buying jeans involves seeing the person that will run your credit card.

The second shop I went to, definitely knew how to handle things and I would say they do more significant business that the first place I went to.

My frame and fork are set for delivery between 4/23 and 4/26. Hopefully I have some other stuff to show by then!

What color did you order :D

Be sure to post pics

What color did you order :D

Be sure to post pics

I chose a white frame and black fork. I figured that white would be the most visible for drivers to see.

I am picking up a set of Weinmann deep v's with tires and cog later this evening. Anything in particular that I should be looking for besides that they spin true?

Good choice. ;) Same colors I chose, haha.

To give you a rock solid example and help put it in perspective, I recently built up this Pake to sell in my shop:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/scrodzilla/RETROGRESSION/Pakebuild-3.jpg

Built up as it is, the frameset and parts cost over $550 - at wholesale.

Shopping for a new fork for my rumrunner. Any reason you chose that one over the pake fork or the other straight blade y'all sell?

It's nicer.

It's nicer.Yes, but now there are 2 frames that are now mismatched in the world. Look at all the chaos you've created. The universe is out of sync. Put that chrome one back with the frame it was intended to compliment as standard equipment and use a Pake fork as Pake intended. When you're done, take pictures and post to demonstrate your compliance. :-)

I picked up an almost new set of Weinmanns. One has a Gatorskin on it and the other has a Michelin Dynamic Sport. Both are in great condition.

This morning, I purchased an IRO build kit. Should be here in time for my frame. I'm getting pretty excited.

Now, I just have to buy a headset, stem, handlebars, front brakes, and pedals.

What is the word on Cane Creek headsets? I know they are high quality but they have so many options, I don't really know where to start.

From my understanding they are all upgradable bearing wise, so I was thinking of getting a 40 series and in the future buy a sealed bearing. Thoughts?

As for handle bars, stem, etc. I will more than likely buy those used as they are durable, however, is there anywhere else I should look?

your best bet on the last of the parts you need is to look at the used & "take off" bin's at the bike shops around your hood.

For the life of me, I can't figure out which 40 series headset I need to be using. Is this right?

http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Creek-Series-Traditional-Headset/dp/B004XW7S06/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2

You're better off with an FSA Orbit-X.

I agree. The Orbit X is an awesome headset.

I ordered an Orbit X from Amazon a few days ago and yesterday I was contacted by the seller. I was told that they didn't have any stock of the Orbit X and neither did FSA.

I have been to 3 LBSs today and none of them carry the Orbit X. Is there something comparable that I should look into? My crankset came in today and my fork and frame are coming in tomorrow so I was hoping on having it built up tomorrow, so shipping at this point seems to be out of the question.

Any ideas?

That's ridiculous. My shop sells tons of them and constantly orders them.

I'll just leave this (http://www.retro-gression.com/product/fsa-orbit-x-headset) here.

It seemed fishy to me so I checked your website earlier. If I can't find anywhere local, you will definitely be getting my business. Too bad you don't sell through Amazon, or I would have purchased everything through you...