Fixie for $300
 

I recently decided to get a new fixed gear for the spring, I have a tight budget of $300, and I really don't want to buy an old bike, i want something for daily commuting, and something to build off of

Sounds like you need to find a bicycle co-op.

Go to www.nashbar.com and order the Schwinn Madison frame, if you're either extra tall or extra small.

Otherwise, order the Sabrosa Ocho mtb single speed frame.

25% off, if you order today. That would make the Madison about $75 and the Sabrosa about $150.

Next, get to the co-op for parts and instruction.

Good Luck! :thumb:

I suggest you look at Bikes Direct. I say this even though I'm not a huge fan of the company. However, they probably provide the best quality given your budget constraints if you want a brand new bike. Most of their fixed gears come with drop bars though and some folks would prefer flat bars or risers. My son bought a Clockwork Plus from them and changed the bars and pedals. I wouldn't say the quality is super great, but good for the money he spent.

Their Kilo WT model is pretty popular but you'd need another $100 or so.

I recommend nashbar. Their service and warranty are decent and they have been around for a long time.

Nashbar - Single-Speed

They have two cheap fixies on sale for $180 now.

I like Nashbar as well, but these look like Hi-Ten frames whereas the Bikes Direct bikes in the $200 - $300 price range are either aluminum or butted chromoly steel.

bikesdirect has an aluminum frame fixie for $229 right now:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=378544

good point. nashbar doesn't have the availability issues that bd has.

Even though the price looks good, avoid Hi-Ten (High Tensile Steel) frames if you can. For your budget, I think I would go for Save Up to 60% Off Fixie | Hipster | Single Speed | Track Bikes | Road Bikes | Windsor Bikes - TimeLine | Fixed gear bikes that fit wide tires | Save up to 60% off new singlespeed bikes

I've always liked the Madison and I actually bought a Sabrosa frame from Nashbar a few years ago. It's probably not what you think of when you picture a fixie but it's a versatile frame that can take wide tires and could easily converted to an IGH or derailleur bike down the road if you like.

The advantage of starting with a bare frame is that you can use whatever components you like. The downside is that unless you have a bunch of spare parts lying around, the total cost is probably going to go over your budget, - even if you find some good used parts. There's a lot of little things that add up like headsets, seat posts, stems, seat post clamps, bottom brackets, etc. Then there's bigger ticket items like wheels. With the Sabrosa frame you're going to need to find the right size fork too.

Finally, once you have the parts you need to put everything together. Even with the know how, you will need some specialized tools or access to them through a co-op. It's a process that can be fun but you probably want to be comfortable working on bikes before taking something like that on.

whats the opinion on the windsor "the hour" from BD?

Just Google: Windsor, the hour, roadbikereview

Checkout what ToddMW has to say...

There are a number of reviews around (both here and elsewhere), but FWIW I love mine (and so do many others: http://www.bikeforums.net/singlespee...dsor-hour.html)

Themohesus,you should prolly ask this question over in the SS/FG forum,since that's what they specialize in.

Also might want to consider local co-ops/bike kitchens. Here's a list to see if there's one in your area:
Bicycle Collective and Co-op Links