Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Frame decision: I CANT DO IT

Im going nuts, I cant seem to make up my mind on which frame i want to get :( its between one of two styles of s spicer frameset and an affinitys frame sets.
Spicers pursuit or track frame with 1" steerer or affinitys lowpro or metropolitan.



Im going to be making a purchase within a month and im going friggin insane. Im thinking about spinning in circles then pointing at a piece of paper.

:twitchy:

All I can say is that I love how my Affinity Lo Pro rides, best frame I tried so far.

Here's her: http://www.pedalroom.com/bike/affinity-lo-pro-champagne-money-5561

so sexy so sexy.
very nice bike guy, very nice.

Heres a spicer pursuit for comparison
246191

If you're looking for a "pursuit"-style bike, why would you even consider the Metropolitan?

ahh sorry for not clarifying ill edit, Im looking at spicers pursuit frame and his regular frame along with affinitys pursuit and regular track frame.
Thats why im pulling my hair out :| Two styles and two brands. GRAAAAAAAAA

I think you should narrow down whether you're looking for a pursuit frame or not before you attempt making any other decisions and think about things that actually matter - like geometry and what you'll be using the bike for.

Well for now ill just be riding on the street but the idea of track racing in the future is something ive entertained although thats a ways down the road and at the moment im leaning towards the pursuit style frames they both offer although i do really like spicers track frame as well, i do understand i am still fairly new into these forms of bikes but from what ive read from the geo charts if i read them correctly spicers seem to have tighter geo.

as of know i ride full time, no vehicle either. So i generally ride everywhere i need to go if that matters.

If you're going to primarily ride on the street, do yourself a favor and get something with a longer wheelbase, lower BB, road drops, brake levers.

If you care nothing about comfort, then this discussion is pretty senseless. Get what looks "good" to you.

pardon my ignorance, but what is the purpose of the persuit geometery ie. front sloping top tube? is it to have a more "aero" riding position? if thats the main reason, then i would think persuit geometry wouldn't be the best choice for the type of riding you tend to do, ie. riding around on the street, commuting, primary mode of transportation....i will admit i have never riden a persuit frame, however it does look like it would not be suited whatsoever for rides longer than 5 miles, like it would really hurt your back. correct me if i am wrong but i was under the assumption persuit frames are made for going as fast as possible for a short period of time with less focus on riding comfort. i could be wrong tho...just speculating. they do look cool though lol

I've done long rides on my Kagero - which is in no way as aggressive as an Affinity Lo Pro - but I would still never want to "commute" on it or use it as my 'everyday, go everywhere' bike.

You sure these bikes will fit your desired riding style?



Edit: Whoops, illd and scrod sort of beat me to the point.

One of the reasons being i wanted a bike which was more aggressive because i go out on rides often with a friend of mine and we ride pretty hard and the bike i have now just IS NOT cutting it. lax geo, low bb, i pedal scrape quite often as well. I will also be building up a second wheelset anyway so ill probably have two bikes in the end so this build may or may not be a 24/7 ride. So for super long rides i wont be to worried because ill have a second bike to ride and at the moment i have a 8 to 10 mile ride each way from work depending on how i go and im only on the bike for about 20 minutes each way anywhow.
oh and my schwinn ways like 24 pounds :|


I do appreciate the advice thats been given so far.

I've done metric centuries on my affinity and I can say that it all depends on the build you will do, mine is set up for comfort no tarck nonsense (track drops, track pedals, anchor wheels, ****ty tires). Does it demand more then a relaxed geo? Sure, but I do not find it unconfortable.

re sloping top tube: it's a track geometry as any other track bike, people usually call it a faux pro (instead of 650 forks), the top tube doesn't change the bike geo, it just means that there will be less seatpost apparent.

i definitly will not have it tarcked out, i have nitto road drops atm and i love them and will probably be switching them over.

i had thought about a flight 100 but my friend rides one so i passed that notion over.

+1 on the are you, or should I say, your back, sure about choosing a pursuit style/ oriented frame?

Why does the Affinity site have question marks in the geo charts where they should be listing head tube angle? Looking at the Lo Pro

i saw that too but couldnt figure it out :|

re sloping top tube: it's a track geometry as any other track bike, people usually call it a faux pro (instead of 650 forks), the top tube doesn't change the bike geo, it just means that there will be less seatpost apparent.

id read that some where but wasnt sure if it was true or not, that was one of the reasons id been looking at the low pro, is because its track geo with the "look" ofa pursuit without the 650c front and severe geo

If you are planning on track racing(which means moving for you) neither the spicer or the affinity will be a very good choice.

It still forces your handle bar to be pretty low. If you want it higher then you need a stack of spacers, but that effectively takes away from the reach and it looks like the bars will still be pretty low - at least it seems more so with the Spicer



Heres a spicer pursuit for comparison
246191

246205

it didnt look all that severe in this picture, Im not disagreeing with any of you guys and am absorbing everything youre all saying. Ive got time to make a decision and it may not even be a pursuit styled frame.
Here is one of spicers other frames ive been looking at.
246206
minus those awful risers that is.

I think you should get a leader 722ts.

Getting a pursuit frame won't make you any faster. What are you riding now?

He's on a Schwinn Madison, if I recall.

I was going to say a Leader or Wasi Lightning if he still had one in his size.

You live in Arizona. None of your bikes are ever going to see a velodrome.

Understand this.

oh im not necessarely looking to go faster, i just want more aggressive geo thats a bit lighter than what im on plus something more appealing to My eye not others.

schwinn racer :| picked it up uber cheap on clist, threw a wheelset, road drops, saddle and recently went clipless.

i should point out that i used to ride a track oriented motorcycle on the streets and would drive to and from vegas to phoenix so whether something is uncomfortable or not i may not notice lol

oh, no 1 1/8 for me, quill only lol and no aluminum

oh im not necessarely looking to go faster, i just want more aggressive geo thats a bit lighter than what im on plus something more appealing to My eye not others.

schwinn racer :| picked it up uber cheap on clist, threw a wheelset, road drops, saddle and recently went clipless.

i should point out that i used to ride a track oriented motorcycle on the streets and would drive to and from vegas to phoenix so whether something is uncomfortable or not i may not notice lol

oh, no 1 1/8 for me, quill only lol and no aluminum

Ah, you lost me at quill only. I was going to suggest All City, Pake or Surly as good lower cost options that have a ton of quality built in, they're all 1/8th though if I recall.

im kind infatuated/in love with the old quill stem look, narrows the market down a bit eh lol

Nothing quite like setting limitations for limitation's sake.

The LoPro is in my top three favorite frames list.
It's also the only one on the list that I think is reasonable. Meaning, I doubt I will ever own a LOOK 596 or a Dolan Forza.

Get a Lo Pro.
Motivation, here:
http://www.pedalroom.com/p/teal-affinity-lo-pro-1747_17.jpg

Nothing quite like setting limitations for limitation's sake.

see again, just like in the other thread. Saying useless **** for what? ****s and giggles?

Yes bikes should be 100% functional, But there is no reason one cannot build a bike to their liking and with specific style of part or design that may not be as good as the current setup. Its still in use and 100% functional and i probably wont push the headset to the limits where it will EXPLODE IN MY FACE MAIMING ME.

you seem like a rather intelligent person scrod but then at times you seem like a tool, a plain old ******* looking to kick dust in peoples faces. anyway


if youve nothing to contribute you know where the door is.

nagrom_ oooooo nice sir

You really do have some sort of issue with realism, don't you?

It's pretty clear that you don't even really know what you're looking for - but it MUST have a 1" threaded steerer. Therefore, you're imposing a limitation on yourself before you even get to the starting gate. I'm not against quill stems or choices based upon aesthetics, I just find it really odd to have your choices revolve around that restriction.

Oh, and stop being so damn sensitive.

see again, just like in the other thread. Saying useless **** for what? ****s and giggles?

Yes bikes should be 100% functional, But there is no reason one cannot build a bike to their liking and with specific style of part or design that may not be as good as the current setup. Its still in use and 100% functional and i probably wont push the headset to the limits where it will EXPLODE IN MY FACE MAIMING ME.

you seem like a rather intelligent person scrod but then at times you seem like a tool, a plain old ******* looking to kick dust in peoples faces. anyway


if youve nothing to contribute you know where the door is.

nagrom_ oooooo nice sir

I don't really see anything wrong with what he said.

You're really grasping in this thread, between senseless aesthetics and not really know what you want functionally. You want a bike that feels stiffer, more aggressive, but a jello quill stem?

I think you'd be doing yourself a favor by steering away from a quill stem. But it's your bike, do whatever you want.

Does your madison have a quill stem? Probably not. You'd be severely downgrading by going quill.

lol
what is this your way or the highway? Just because threadless is a better headset doesnt mean threaded cannot do the job just fine.

besides am i building this bike for you or for me? maybe i should buy a kagero and build it up just like yours and grow some dreads and zoom around. would that suit you?

i wasnt aware this was the ask scrod thread and i wasnt aware that i asked if threadless or threaded was superior and which i should pick. Nor did i ask you to tell me i should buy a leader, I mearly created a thread explaining that im having a difficult time deciding which frameset i should buy. Thanks though, have a cookie.

Mr. Starwind, please keep it together, just for a little longer. The whambulance is on its way.

lol
what is this your way or the highway? Just because threadless is a better headset doesnt mean threaded cannot do the job just fine.

besides am i building this bike for you or for me? maybe i should buy a kagero and build it up just like yours and grow some dreads and zoom around. would that suit you?

i wasnt aware this was the ask scrod thread and i wasnt aware that i asked if threadless or threaded was superior and which i should pick. Nor did i ask you to tell me i should buy a leader, I mearly created a thread explaining that im having a difficult time deciding which frameset i should buy. Thanks though, have a cookie.

You might want to read my post again. I said nothing in regard to whether threadless setups are "superior" to threaded and I never told you to buy a Leader.

Time to relax, dude.

yes i run a quill stem at the moment and no its not a madison. all the bikes i also originaly listed are EITHER 1" or can be 1" threaded.

im not a ****ing cat 1 racer, i dont need the best of the best, i want better than i have now that is also pleasing to the eye, i seriously do not understand what is wrong with building Anything up that has the ability to perform a job well and look good in the process.

so sexy so sexy.
very nice bike guy, very nice.

Heres a spicer pursuit for comparison
246191

This bike is so pointless...pursuit geometry, with a huge stack of spacers and shallow drops.

I think it's funny that the most of the people willing to ride bikes with such aggressive geometry (standard track bikes included) are those who probably will never need the benefits.

Insanely short wheelbase. Makes me cry. Super twitchy and not comfortable at all. I know I own a bolt, but it's quite relaxed compared to some of these crazy pursuit geos.

so sexy so sexy.
very nice bike guy, very nice.

Heres a spicer pursuit for comparison
246191

That bike wouldnt look too out of place in the jackass thread...

I think there has been a rash of people going off the deep end emotionally about comments made on the Interweb.

I didn't get the impression anybody told you that you were wrong in making a bike for yourself mate. Enjoy whatcha like. Relax, deep breaths.

Lo Pro. I have one. It rules. I used to do anywhere from 20-50 miles a day on it, including my commute.