Bicycle Mechanics - Help! Trying to assemble bike, need some advice.

Hello there,

So my BD bike came in the mail today. I started a thread before about it: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/841281-What-*specific*-tools-do-I-need-to-assemble-this-bike

However, it's arrived and I am unsure of how to proceed. First, when I spin the wheel that's attached to the bike, it appears that it needs truing. I called a LBS who said they would do it for 10-20$, so I thought great. But, then realized I don't have a tool to take my chain off. So I am going to order some more parts. Can you guide me in what I need?

So far I have:

set of crescent wrenches
adjustable crescent wrench
hex keys /allen wrenches
15mm & 13mm cone wrenches

Is this tool all I need for removal of the chain? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RZMWE0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

-For a 32mm headset wrench, would you recommend having two so you can hold one nut while tightening the other?

What does one need to true a wheel besides spoke wrenches? Can I do it while the wheels are attached to the bike? Do I need to remove the tire?

Thanks so much for the help!

You do not have to break chain to remove rear wheel.

But you may want to take entire bike have them go thru it and fine tune it.
BD bikes need to have all final adjustment done it is not done at BD before shipping thats your job when it arrives.

You will not need to break the chain to remove the wheel. Just move it forward in the dropouts and the chain will be loose enough to take off of the chainring.

You do not have to break chain to remove rear wheel.

But you may want to take entire bike have them go thru it and fine tune it.
BD bikes need to have all final adjustment done it is not done at BD before shipping thats your job when it arrives.

Thanks! Would you mind explaining how you can remove the wheel?

I know about the tuning, but I wanted to try and take my time and tune the rest myself. I am taking it slow, but it's a little too slow right now lol.

You will not need to break the chain to remove the wheel. Just move it forward in the dropouts and the chain will be loose enough to take off of the chainring.

Oh snap! Ok thanks, I am going to try it.

Yes thats all you need to do I now see its a fix gear so no need for all that tuneup stuff just adjust brakes and go have fun LOL

I appreciate all the replies. I got the wheel off, and brought it to a LBS for truing. I know the guy a little, and he checked them both on his stand and I could tell they needed it.

Now, I would like to attach my handlebars, but don't have one or two 32mm wrenches. I am about to order two, is there any cheaper way to get them on and adjust properly?

OH OH!! Okay, so the stem had a weird contraption, and I stuck it in the bike and used an allen wrench to tighten it from the top of the stem, and it seemed like it totally secured it in place. I didn't even have to tighten the two 32mm neck nuts. Is this normal? Does this make sense to anyone?

Yes. The two 32mm nuts are to adjust the headset bearings (the bearings on which the fork spins). That would be another $6 job you should ask the LBS to do, as you likely won't be needing to adjust those too often. An experienced bike repairist can usually do it with a large adjustable, of even a pair of channel-lock pliers or a pipe wrench. But the ability to do that depends on the configuration of the headset and what type of spacers are used.

The headset bearings should be set so that the bars can spin freely (maybe with a teensy weensy bit of drag) and do not make any rattling noises when the front of the bike is dropped from ~6" onto the floor (with a properly inflated front tire).

You really really really should have the bike shop go over it and pay them for it. Learn how to adjust your bike after it's in proper shape. If you don't have them do it right the first time, it may never in proper tune. I bought a cheap bike from Nashbar, and everything was wrong. I happen to be a bike mechanic, so it wasn't a problem for me, but it seems like a disservice to sell bikes to average consumers and make it seem like they're complete bikes. They're not complete until they're properly assembled.

You really really really should have the bike shop go over it and pay them for it. Learn how to adjust your bike after it's in proper shape. If you don't have them do it right the first time, it may never in proper tune. I bought a cheap bike from Nashbar, and everything was wrong. I happen to be a bike mechanic, so it wasn't a problem for me, but it seems like a disservice to sell bikes to average consumers and make it seem like they're complete bikes. They're not complete until they're properly assembled.

+1 to this.

Although please don't let that scare you off bike mechanics! learning how your bike works is an important part of riding, and getting things wrong is a valuable way of learning how to do things right. We've got loads of free info for amateur bike mechanics like yourself over on our website (see sig). Forums like this one will become invaluable to you too.

So here's a little update:

I can see where you guys are coming from, especially if I shelled out thousands for an expensive bike. But I also wanted to learn how to do this. I had such a horrible bike before this one, here it is:http://www.torkerusa.com/bikes/commute/2012-udistrict

After a year with that bike, I needed something better. OMG, this thing is AMAZING. It rides so so so smooth. It's lighter then I could have ever imagined. And the lugged frame is solid.

I did bring both wheels to a LBS to have them trued, which I am glad I did. I'm a little upset though. When I called he quoted me $10-$20, but when I got there he said $10-$25. But when I picked them up he charged me $35 flat which i'm sure he would have put the whole thing together for $60. Oh well.

Anyway, I got the thing together. The breaks were hard because they came with really long cables and housing, so I cut those and the front brake works. However, I need some help with this one...

**The brake works, but the brake pads don't touch the rims until the levers are almost totally engaged. But even then, the pads are not fully flush with the rim.** I've included pictures. I am not sure if I didn't tighten them enough or if I have something wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/Blazenarrow/DSC_0930.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/Blazenarrow/DSC_0932.jpg

Here are the two pads fully engaged:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/Blazenarrow/DSC_0941.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/Blazenarrow/DSC_0938.jpg

Two errors on the brakes:


The front of the pads should touch the rim just slightly before the rear (toe in). The right pad in particular appears to be very poorly aligned to the rim. Careful bending of the caliper arms is the way to correct the mialignment.
You have probably cut the brake housing down so far that it is preventing proper engagement of the brakes. It should have a slight bend even when fully engaged. When you apply the brake lever the cable is pulled up to actuate the right caliper but the housing has to travel down to actuate the left caliper. If the housing is too short that can't happen.

I have a feeling you have kind of "winged it" for most of the assembly. Self-reliance is great but it needs to be tempered with the awareness of your limitations. If you have not done so please study the Park Tool and Sheldon Brown sites, as well as other resources so that you understand both how individual parts are properly adjusted and assembled and, more importantly, how things work and interact together. Even a single speed bike has multiple possible failure points. If you don't assemble correctly or fail to redo those items that tend to break in or loosen quickly they can cause damage, premature wear or even injury.

Two errors on the brakes:


The front of the pads should touch the rim just slightly before the rear (toe in). The right pad in particular appears to be very poorly aligned to the rim. Careful bending of the caliper arms is the way to correct the mialignment.
You have probably cut the brake housing down so far that it is preventing proper engagement of the brakes. It should have a slight bend even when fully engaged. When you apply the brake lever the cable is pulled up to actuate the right caliper but the housing has to travel down to actuate the left caliper. If the housing is too short that can't happen.

I have a feeling you have kind of "winged it" for most of the assembly. Self-reliance is great but it needs to be tempered with the awareness of your limitations. If you have not done so please study the Park Tool and Sheldon Brown sites, as well as other resources so that you understand both how individual parts are properly adjusted and assembled and, more importantly, how things work and interact together. Even a single speed bike has multiple possible failure points. If you don't assemble correctly or fail to redo those items that tend to break in or loosen quickly they can cause damage, premature wear or even injury.


I don't get why I appear to be "winging it". I mean, yes, I am building a bike for the first time. But, i've been doing research with the time I have right now and I am not just rushing it. BTW, just by pointing out exactly what was wrong, I was able to get it. The cable/housing is fine in length, the break was just not aligned properly. But after some messing it is nice and even now.

The pads are mounted too low on the rim; they're half off the braking surface. I think maybe you have right and left mixed up too.

To get the toe-in right, I'm afraid the answer with road brakes is to tweak the calipers... and with short beefy arms like on modern road brakes, it's hard not to bend the spindle instead. Use an adjustable spanner.

Or you could try to find some road pads with concave/vex washers...

I don't get why I appear to be "winging it".


....it appears that it needs truing.... But, then realized I don't have a tool to take my chain off. So I am going to order some more parts. Can you guide me in what I need?




Thanks! Would you mind explaining how you can remove the wheel?


I won't belabor the point beyond this - Not knowing that you can remove a wheel without breaking the chain, and then not understanding how to remove the wheel tells me two things. First, that you have not used the multiple written and video resources available that show you exactly how to do these procedures. Second, and more importantly, that you are not using observation and logic to figure out how things on a bicycle work. To me that means it likely you have overlooked some things that are important.

There is a huge difference between things looking OK when you have the bike together and them being properliy tightened, aligned and adjusted. I'm not saying any of this to discourage you from working on your own bike, but rather out of concern for your satisfaction with the bike and again, for your safety.

p.s. In looking more closely at the brake caliper (the part that actually does the braking) it appears it already comes with conical washers (next to the pad, on the inside of the brake arm) meant to aid in toeing, which would mean no bending is necessary. I carelessly overlooked that originally, which shows you that even very experienced people have to use a lot of care when working on a bike. Of course part of the problem is that I started working on bikes professionally when bending the arm was the only way to adjust toe-in. Nowadays the arms are often much beefier, so bending them is more difficult and actually not advisable.

If your calipers do have washers that allow you to change the pad angle: Loosen the nut slightly that holds the pad in position. Put a couple of business cards under the back end of the pad, then grip the brake lever to tighten the pad down against the rim. Now tighten the nut fully. Do this for each pad.

This thread is a good illustration as to why a mechanically unknowing bike purchaser should never buy from Bike Direct or a similar on-line dealer. BD can be the source for decent bikes at low prices but for both safety and proper operation the owner must be competent to do the required adjustments or be willing to pay a local shop to do it for them.

This thread is a good illustration as to why a mechanically unknowing bike purchaser should never buy from Bike Direct or a similar on-line dealer. BD can be the source for decent bikes at low prices but for both safety and proper operation the owner must be competent to do the required adjustments or be willing to pay a local shop to do it for them.

+1 :thumb:

This thread is a good illustration as to why a mechanically unknowing bike purchaser should never buy from Bike Direct or a similar on-line dealer. BD can be the source for decent bikes at low prices but for both safety and proper operation the owner must be competent to do the required adjustments or be willing to pay a local shop to do it for them.

Just in case any other people come here curious about purchasing a bike from BD, don't listen to the above statement. I am 100% happy, satisfied, thrilled, excited about the purchase I made! I feel like I got a really good deal, and I am in no way upset or feel like I got ripped off.

The pads are mounted too low on the rim; they're half off the braking surface. I think maybe you have right and left mixed up too.

To get the toe-in right, I'm afraid the answer with road brakes is to tweak the calipers... and with short beefy arms like on modern road brakes, it's hard not to bend the spindle instead. Use an adjustable spanner.

Or you could try to find some road pads with concave/vex washers...

Thanks for trying to help. I realized that the breaks really really need to be adjusted. I spent a lot of time on them and I feel like they are in a good position now.


I won't belabor the point beyond this - Not knowing that you can remove a wheel without breaking the chain, and then not understanding how to remove the wheel tells me two things. First, that you have not used the multiple written and video resources available that show you exactly how to do these procedures. Second, and more importantly, that you are not using observation and logic to figure out how things on a bicycle work. To me that means it likely you have overlooked some things that are important.

There is a huge difference between things looking OK when you have the bike together and them being properliy tightened, aligned and adjusted. I'm not saying any of this to discourage you from working on your own bike, but rather out of concern for your satisfaction with the bike and again, for your safety.

p.s. In looking more closely at the brake caliper (the part that actually does the braking) it appears it already comes with conical washers (next to the pad, on the inside of the brake arm) meant to aid in toeing, which would mean no bending is necessary. I carelessly overlooked that originally, which shows you that even very experienced people have to use a lot of care when working on a bike. Of course part of the problem is that I started working on bikes professionally when bending the arm was the only way to adjust toe-in. Nowadays the arms are often much beefier, so bending them is more difficult and actually not advisable.

If your calipers do have washers that allow you to change the pad angle: Loosen the nut slightly that holds the pad in position. Put a couple of business cards under the back end of the pad, then grip the brake lever to tighten the pad down against the rim. Now tighten the nut fully. Do this for each pad.

I'm grateful that you took some time and tried to actually explain to me about the bike.

But honestly guys, one of the most disappointing things about my experience the last few days is the total lack of encouragement from people who have responded to my posts!

You have NO IDEA how many videos, online tutorials, old forum posts, real people from LBS, that I have studied to try and gather information. And I continue to do so. And about the logic? The bikes are NOTHING CLOSE TO LOGICAL. This bike is one of the most illogical things I have ever used. Want logical? Learn how an action potential is generated in a neuron.


Anyway...thanks to those (few) who tried to be supportive.

You can close this thread now because it's useless, unless you want to encourage some new comers to change their mind about learning the ropes of bicycle maintenance and scare them away.

+1 :thumb:

I love my bike! So I feel bad for anyone you guys convince to go waste their money on an overpriced POS from a local bike shop, which is what I did one year ago. :notamused:

I'm grateful that you took some time and tried to actually explain to me about the bike.

But honestly guys, one of the most disappointing things about my experience the last few days is the total lack of encouragement from people who have responded to my posts!

You have NO IDEA how many videos, online tutorials, old forum posts, real people from LBS, that I have studied to try and gather information. And I continue to do so. And about the logic? The bikes are NOTHING CLOSE TO LOGICAL. This bike is one of the most illogical things I have ever used. Want logical? Learn how an action potential is generated in a neuron.

If you can't tell simply by looking at it that removing the wheel and chain on a fixed gear bicycle is as simple as loosening the skewer and moving the wheel forward in the dropouts, people are going to question (a) your basic mechanical aptitude, and (b) your sanity in trying to do an initial setup yourself. People online certainly want to help new cyclists, but you have to realize that it is a lot easier to answer a very specific question than "how do I put this bike together?" The reason that you got referred to Sheldon Brown and Park Tool is that those guys already explain how to do most of the basic things better than any of us can. That's called "help." What they don't answer are the questions like "Well, I just used the wrong size allan key and managed to drop the expander all the way down into my steerer tube. Doh. What's the easiest way to get it out?"

With that being said, I will give you a tip that might help you with one of your questions - wheel truing. Provided your brake pads are actually aligned correctly, and your wheel isn't too far off true, this works pretty well to "ghetto true" a wheel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svMMaGMsIMw

For the love of everything holy, tip your saddle down to somewhere approaching level. And if you're going to only run a front brake, take the back brake lever off.

Thanks for trying to help. I realized that the breaks really really need to be adjusted. I spent a lot of time on them and I feel like they are in a good position now.

If that position is where they're at in the photos, you're dead wrong and should listen to someone with a clue. And they're brakes.


And about the logic? The bikes are NOTHING CLOSE TO LOGICAL. This bike is one of the most illogical things I have ever used. Want logical? Learn how an action potential is generated in a neuron.

Uh, bikes are far more amenable to logic than something as complex as a neuron. Once over a certain complexity threshold, something perfectly logical can seem completely illogical, even in the face of sustained attempts to understand; exhibit A: computers. The interrelating factors you're dealing with on a bike are generally no more than a mere handful, so you don't get emergent complexity. I guarantee that anything seemingly illogical occurring on a bike is down to a simple failure of observation.

I guarantee that anything seemingly illogical occurring on a bike is down to a simple failure of observation.

+++ Thank you, Kimmo.

Just in case any other people come here curious about purchasing a bike from BD, don't listen to the above statement. I am 100% happy, satisfied, thrilled, excited about the purchase I made! I feel like I got a really good deal, and I am in no way upset or feel like I got ripped off.
You missed my point completely. BD can provide a decent bike at a low price. However, they always require some assembly and often require a lot of adjustments to work properly. Also, there have been enough reports of missing or incorrect parts that the purchaser has to know what they are doing or be willing to pay someone who does. I'm not saying don't buy from BD, but they are not for the mechanical novice who doesn't know what they don't know.

You may be happy either because you lucked out or know how to set the bike up to work properly. Many BD customers are not so lucky or knowledgable.

I read a few posts that were perhaps a bit dismissive, but nothing that would discourage people form learning bike mechanics. On the contrary, this forum exists becuase experienced (and sometimes not-so-experienced) people offer their time to encourage people to fix it themselves. Very seldom is the commonly agreed upon advice 'go to a bike shop,' as many of the regular posters here have as much or more experience than the average LBS tech, and we have all seen the pitfalls of blindly relying on so-called experts.

I agree with the statements that you should bring the bike to a LBS for a final check - not because you shouldn't try to fix it yourself, but because you are starting from a position of so little experience that you may never know what it is like to have a properly funcioning bike. After the bike is properly set up for the first time then you can and should learn mechanics by maintaining andfixing what goes wrong, and attempt to keep the bike functioining in the 'as new' state.

It sounds like you had a bad experience previously with a LBS. I reccomend finding another one, or a bike co-op or 'bike kitchen' where there is someone more experienced to guide you when you may be going in the wrong direction.

To the OP and all the posters who think he's justified in his response:

Asking for help does not immediately transfer all responsibility to the person responding. It is not the task of a helper to accept all of your demands, expectations, communication deficiencies (slang, spelling, grammar, typos) or to tell you you are doing great when the evidence does not support that conclusion. To expect a helper to "go along to get along" is demanding protection rather than assistance. Indeed, for us to avoid honesty would be disrespectful, as it assumes you are too weak to accept straighforward information.

If you are requesting help the expectation is that you have recognized that others have more knowledge, experience and yes, even wisdom than you. Although you still have the right to expect respect, you do not have the right to be protected from the truth or even from opinions that may not sit well with you.

In addition to interacting with tens of thousands of issues as a mechanic, service manager and computer technical support person, I worked for 10 years at a crisis intervention center as a counselor and trainer and 5 years in a transitional home for schizophrenic adults. Even when a person in need is suicidal there are certain responsibilities that person still has when asking for help. If such a person becomes manipulative or abusive, continuing to "help" them, rather than setting boundaries is just enabling negative behavior. That is why you are getting the above reactions. Although you present a grateful impression at first, when confronted with frank opinions (and expressions of concern for your bike and your safety) you quickly devolved to:

"So I feel bad for anyone you guys convince to go waste their money on an overpriced POS from a local bike shop, which is what I did one year ago." and "This bike is one of the most illogical things I have ever used."

It's bad enough to insult those trying to help, but an inanimate mechanical device is illogical?

If you want what you perceive as "help" go to the Bicycletutor.com Help Forums. There you will generally find lots of people who will not confront you, and any who suggest you go to a shop, or that you are doing something unwise will be sent a message saying "Your post is not in the spirit of this forum." The help is generally unskilled but it feels good.

Your stem looks too high. There is a minimum insertion line on it. Make sure it's installed far enough so that the line is down in the fork.


And if you're going to only run a front brake, take the back brake lever off.

I assume he just hadn't connect the other brake yet.

Your stem looks too high. There is a minimum insertion line on it. Make sure it's installed far enough so that the line is down in the fork.


+1 It sure looks like the minimum is about 1 " above the headset nut

Thanks for trying to help. I realized that the breaks really really need to be adjusted. I spent a lot of time on them and I feel like they are in a good position now.

It should be close to the rubber without touching. The pads should press evenly on the rim, or a bit front first. Take some slack out of the cable to tighten them up, if you still need to after raising the pads.

It's good to do all this yourself, to the end that you know everything about your bike eventually. I did it, made my mistakes and corrected them over time without benefit of this forum. You should listen to them and get things right from the start.

Given the last few responses from the OP I don't think he needs any help or advice he seems to have it all figured out :thumb:

Those pretty rims that lack a machined braking surface are never going to stop as well as the appropriate rim would. At least until the anodization is worn off....

I get people in almost everyday who want me to do the final tweaks on their internet bikes. There are a few guys out there that know what they are doing, but most of them don't. I end up redoing everything anyway, since the last thing I need or want anyone to say is "I took it to BikeWise, but it still doesn't work right". They always leave out the part where I told them it needed more work than they wanted to pay for, so it actually doesn't work right because they cheaped out, not because I failed to fix it right! So no more partial assemblies unless I know the person and their skills are apparent.

Good luck with your bike.

"So I feel bad for anyone you guys convince to go waste their money on an overpriced POS from a local bike shop, which is what I did one year ago." and "This bike is one of the most illogical things I have ever used."

It's bad enough to insult those trying to help, but an inanimate mechanical device is illogical?



Sorry sir, but what you perceive as an insult was not directed to anyone who tried to help. It's directed to the individuals who offered NO help, only discouragement.

If that position is where they're at in the photos, you're dead wrong and should listen to someone with a clue. And they're brakes.



Uh, bikes are far more amenable to logic than something as complex as a neuron. Once over a certain complexity threshold, something perfectly logical can seem completely illogical, even in the face of sustained attempts to understand; exhibit A: computers. The interrelating factors you're dealing with on a bike are generally no more than a mere handful, so you don't get emergent complexity. I guarantee that anything seemingly illogical occurring on a bike is down to a simple failure of observation.

Strong words, oh boy!

You missed my point completely. BD can provide a decent bike at a low price. However, they always require some assembly and often require a lot of adjustments to work properly. Also, there have been enough reports of missing or incorrect parts that the purchaser has to know what they are doing or be willing to pay someone who does. I'm not saying don't buy from BD, but they are not for the mechanical novice who doesn't know what they don't know.

You may be happy either because you lucked out or know how to set the bike up to work properly. Many BD customers are not so lucky or knowledgable.

I agree, that getting a bike from BD is not easy. In fact, I wouldn't normally recommend it but I feel like the deal I got was too good that it justifies the other hassles i've faced.


I read a few posts that were perhaps a bit dismissive, but nothing that would discourage people form learning bike mechanics. On the contrary, this forum exists becuase experienced (and sometimes not-so-experienced) people offer their time to encourage people to fix it themselves. Very seldom is the commonly agreed upon advice 'go to a bike shop,' as many of the regular posters here have as much or more experience than the average LBS tech, and we have all seen the pitfalls of blindly relying on so-called experts.

I agree with the statements that you should bring the bike to a LBS for a final check - not because you shouldn't try to fix it yourself, but because you are starting from a position of so little experience that you may never know what it is like to have a properly funcioning bike. After the bike is properly set up for the first time then you can and should learn mechanics by maintaining andfixing what goes wrong, and attempt to keep the bike functioining in the 'as new' state.

It sounds like you had a bad experience previously with a LBS. I reccomend finding another one, or a bike co-op or 'bike kitchen' where there is someone more experienced to guide you when you may be going in the wrong direction.

I live in Davis CA, with many bike shops. What I have found is this: their bikes between the ranges of $300-800 are WORTHLESS! They are so cheap it's just not worth it.


Your stem looks too high. There is a minimum insertion line on it. Make sure it's installed far enough so that the line is down in the fork.



I assume he just hadn't connect the other brake yet.

Thanks, but the stem was only that high so I could use the stem to hold the bike up on the stand.


+1 It sure looks like the minimum is about 1 " above the headset nut

It's set up to the minimum now.

Those pretty rims that lack a machined braking surface are never going to stop as well as the appropriate rim would. At least until the anodization is worn off....

I get people in almost everyday who want me to do the final tweaks on their internet bikes. There are a few guys out there that know what they are doing, but most of them don't. I end up redoing everything anyway, since the last thing I need or want anyone to say is "I took it to BikeWise, but it still doesn't work right". They always leave out the part where I told them it needed more work than they wanted to pay for, so it actually doesn't work right because they cheaped out, not because I failed to fix it right! So no more partial assemblies unless I know the person and their skills are apparent.

Good luck with your bike.

Thanks for the heads up! It seems to break okay now, but it's good to know it will improve upon wear! :O)

I live in Davis CA, with many bike shops. What I have found is this: their bikes between the ranges of $300-800 are WORTHLESS! They are so cheap it's just not worth it.

The $300 - 800 bikes available in Davis are the same $300-800 bikes available in Cincinatti and Kansas City and Waco and Cleveland, and they are fine bikes in those locations and thousands of people have bought htem and seem to be happy with them... and others in the Davis CA area seem to be OK with the bike in the shops. What do you know that everybody else doesn't?

It's directed to the individuals who offered NO help, only discouragement.
Perhaps the "discouragement" wasn't directed at insulting you but at insuring your safety.

Thanks for the heads up! It seems to break okay now, but it's good to know it will improve upon wear! :O)

You hope they won't break while using the brakes.

Got it?:thumb:

The $300 - 800 bikes available in Davis are the same $300-800 bikes available in Cincinatti and Kansas City and Waco and Cleveland, and they are fine bikes in those locations and thousands of people have bought htem and seem to be happy with them... and others in the Davis CA area seem to be OK with the bike in the shops. What do you know that everybody else doesn't?

I work on bikes for a living and I will say their lower priced bikes are pretty cheaply spec'd. Far better to buy a used higher quality bike than blow your money on disposable crap that isn't even worth upgrading. Anyone with an internet connection and a modicum of motivation can find something pretty quickly.

You hope they won't break while using the brakes.

Got it?:thumb:


I always find it interesting when someone can perceive disrespect that is not present but yet fail to see the disrespect evident in not bothering to spell correctly or write clearly.

Glad you got a fixie and not something with gears.
I offer one last tip and thats clamp the seat post not the seat tube.

Thats a tip, advice nothing more so don't take it wrong OK :thumb:

Good luck and enjoy

You may be happy either because you lucked out or know how to set the bike up to work properly.

Or because you're subject to the Dunning-Kruger effect.