Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
Reload this Page >

I must be blind....

Notices
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

I must be blind....

Old 01-13-05, 12:39 AM
  #1  
Zen Cyclist
Thread Starter
 
jslopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458

Bikes: Orbea Orca Campified...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
The next bike...

So I started a thread a few days ago about people with more than 1 bike mainly because I was trying to get idea on how to acquire a second bike as my commuter that was relatively cheap ($10-450 depending on what kind of bike), good quality (ie not the bottom model or no name brand), good training (ie relatively harder workout) and works well.

I have since discovered two options
1) Buy used - This will require some hard work and luck as it means scouring garage sales, used bike stores , ebay? The ultimate score would be some classic bike that's in great condition that the owner sells for dirt cheap because they do not know any better. Downside being getting a lemon. Budget $10-150 plus (hopefully just) a little more for repair but no timetable as to when I can "find" this score bike


2) A track bike - I don't know a lot about these aside from the fixed gear (which I assume would make the ride have more effort?) I've always liked the look of the Bianchi Pista but the no brakes makes it iffy for me in terms of the daily commute. A friend did point me out to the Specialized Langster (that do come with brakes) and I'm sure there are others out there. Question here: a do you have this bike? b) is this a harder workout c) if you know of track bikes with brakes, what brands would yo recommend. budget - 250-450

Anyway your thoughts welcome...
jslopez is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 10:34 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Surferbruce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Los Angeles/Aveyron France
Posts: 5,308
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
i got my bianchi pista for 400$ on ebaY including a couple pricey upgrades. i spent about 15$ on some shiamno exage road levers and 30$ on a tiagra caliper and it's on the road. riding fixed is a trip, but in some ways i now feel like i didn't really know how to ride a bike before experiencing the fixed reality.
now i love it.
Surferbruce is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 11:16 AM
  #3  
Grease Monkey
 
matt swindell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: cleveland, ohio
Posts: 196

Bikes: Schwinn LeTour, Giant TCR2, Fetish Cycles SAC Aero, Fixed gear Pursuit bike, Fixed gear Raleigh, Hoffman Momentum Flatland

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
i believe the bianchi is drilled for brakes, and you can usually find a decent one on ebay and add brakes and be at about 450(maybe a little under?)
matt swindell is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 11:44 AM
  #4  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
r.e.i has a house brand bike, novarra buzz. it has flat bars with mini bar ends, 700c wheels, compact drive crank set, avid mechanical brakes (i have this brake on my road tandem, very nice all conditions) for 699. i know it's a little more than you want to go but it's got everything including eyelets. you can also use it as a bad weather bike.
rv5869 is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 12:25 PM
  #5  
dbg
Si Senior
 
dbg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Posts: 2,669

Bikes: Too Numerous (not)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 8 Posts
My neighbor had an older (non-suspension) Gary Fisher up at his grarge sale last summer for $40. Nobody would buy it (flat tires). I convinced him to keep it for his kids even though he tried to give it to me. It was a great bike. (His wife is mad at me now.)

Point being: lots of good deals at garage sales.
dbg is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 12:30 PM
  #6  
dbg
Si Senior
 
dbg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Posts: 2,669

Bikes: Too Numerous (not)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 8 Posts
If you have wrench abilities I think a great option for commuter (or second) bike is an older road bike with 27inch wheels. I've fished several from neighbors' garbages and converted to 700c wheels. That leaves plenty of room for larger tires (35's) and fenders. I've given away several such conversions (don't have any more just now).
dbg is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 12:42 PM
  #7  
He drop me
 
Grasschopper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Central PA
Posts: 11,664

Bikes: '03 Marin Mill Valley, '02 Eddy Merckx Corsa 0.1, '12 Giant Defy Advance, '20 Giant Revolt 1, '20 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1, some random 6KU fixie

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 138 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
I don't get it. If you budget is ~$450 then why not have that also be your cap for the used bike? I got my Marin off of eBay for $486 shipped or $451 plus shipping if you prefer. I would guess you could get a lot more bike this way.
__________________
The views expressed by this poster do not reflect the views of BikeForums.net.
Grasschopper is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 01:38 PM
  #8  
Zen Cyclist
Thread Starter
 
jslopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458

Bikes: Orbea Orca Campified...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Grasschopper
I don't get it. If you budget is ~$450 then why not have that also be your cap for the used bike? I got my Marin off of eBay for $486 shipped or $451 plus shipping if you prefer. I would guess you could get a lot more bike this way.

Well like any purchase I (and probably many others here) have made, the need has evolved from just wanting to get a used, cheap commuter road bike from, to looking at options if I pay a little more.

Not to say that $500 is a huge amount of money and I may go that roue but it's kind of stretching my initial "cheap" budget. Then again this was the same dilemna on my road bike where I had a budget then proceeded to go over it by twice the amount...
jslopez is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 03:33 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: fogtown...san francisco
Posts: 2,276

Bikes: Ron Cooper, Time VXSR, rock lobster, rock lobster, serotta, ritchey, kestrel, paramount

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
first, ride a GOOD bike. it doesn't matter how much it cost, you could spend a little or a lot for a good bike. I mean, why ride a bike that you're not happy with, it doesn't matter if you're doing a weekend ride or commuting, a ride is a ride and you should have a good bike (fit, comfortable, good handling, fast, and durable...not in any order). Sure, if you have certain needs for a bike (rack to carry pack, fenders, wider tires, etc.) you should still ride a bike that you love to ride.

I have a track bike and find that the work out on the flats is less than a road bike. Thats because you have a top speed you can maintain and your legs learn to spin. Spinning is good and it is a workout, but on a long flat road, spinning is easy. But climbing is more of a workout. And decending is a workout. In San Francisco, a fix gear is a great workout.

here is an interesting website: https://www.nycbikes.com/index.php

they have a fixie for $750, but they have a cross for $550! I don't get it, if they can build a cross bike for 550, why can't they build a fixie for that price? less parts should be less money!
fogrider is offline  
Old 01-13-05, 04:16 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the loop
Posts: 180

Bikes: Spooky Metal Head ,Kona Stinky Primo,SE Flovel flyer,Bianchi Cross,Waterford Track,Fuji Track

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
the bianchi and fuji are both great commuter bikes for the money. the main difference is that the bianchi is only drilled for a front brake unlike its counterpart
Romoni_63 is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 11:01 AM
  #11  
Zen Cyclist
Thread Starter
 
jslopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458

Bikes: Orbea Orca Campified...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
So anyway this is not an immediate buy but should a good opportunity arise to get either (good used bike or nice fixed gear bike)then I want to be prepared.

On the fixed gear end, I can see why a lot of people like it. Just riding today with the whole "no coasting" mentality in mind, made the trip a whole lot faster and somewhat easier. Main difference being when you do coast or slow your cadence I'm assuming that the fixed gear will nudge your feet forward and the slowing cadence will act as a brake. My main concerns are with starting and stopping as there is a tendency not to pedal for a few seconds when doing either. Then again that's something to learn on a real fixed gear bike I guess.
jslopez is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:27 PM
  #12  
Nameless
 
Serbaside's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 219

Bikes: SS Road bike (nothing outstanding), Fixed Batavus (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
1)
Just don't stop pedeling, have a front brake for learning.
Also turning is harder, since you can't scrape your pedals, or you might be in trouble.
2)
Personaly I think that is a very relative question, hard to tell. Your legs are always moving so they might be getting stronger. Mentally you have to be more aware since you don't have the freedom of coasting.
3)
Well there are to sellers on eBay that sell strictly fixed gear conversion bikes. (off the top of my head) "applecart2" being one of them. The winning bids end up being around $75-100.
Serbaside is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:28 PM
  #13  
Iguana Subsystem
 
dolface's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: san francisco
Posts: 4,016
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
this https://sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html is a great place to start, as is this forum.

welcome to the club!
dolface is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:32 PM
  #14  
Zen Cyclist
Thread Starter
 
jslopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458

Bikes: Orbea Orca Campified...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by dolface
this https://sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html is a great place to start, as is this forum.

welcome to the club!

Thanks I've gone thru quite a bit of online articles (sheldon included). Just hard to be from the imagining point of view to the reality of actually getting one.

I'll be going thur this forum more thoroughly later and will be sure to ahve more questions.
jslopez is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:32 PM
  #15  
Slower than you
 
Judah's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: SF, CA
Posts: 1,800

Bikes: IRO Mark V & Don Walker Custom

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
My $0.02:

1) No, I believe that a good fix is as safe or safer to ride as a commuter. Why? Because you need to be much more aware of your surroundings and you learn to modulate your speed to fit the environment. I commute everyday on a fix, somedays I ride my brakeless trackbike.

2) Definitely makes you a stronger rider. The fact that you do not ever coast means that you are always using your legs for something, be it accelerating, keeping pace, or slowing down, they get a fulltime workout. Although the first few weeks take a bit of getting used to (you'll sleep like a baby at night if you commute daily on a fix), after that it'll feel unsafe when you get a bike with a freewheel.

3) There are two bikes on ebay that are cheaper than the Pista, first there's the Mercier, which looks like a KHS flight 100 clone: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...126464066&rd=1
and second there's the Windsor: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...126336956&rd=1
Personally, between the two, I would buy the Mercier...

Hope that helps....
Judah is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:36 PM
  #16  
more ape than man
 
timmhaan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: nyc
Posts: 8,091
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by jslopez
2) Does this make you a stronger rider?

not sure about muscle strength, but you will be a better rider overall. better pedal stroke, reading traffic\pedestrians better, to just all around more fluidity.
timmhaan is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:53 PM
  #17  
SuperstitiousHyperrealist
 
jinx_removing's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Boston
Posts: 433

Bikes: unknown road conversion, half built Benotto track

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
1) A fixed gear is no more dangerous than any other bike that is available out there. I have heard of no evidence to prove this. I think this is a rumor started by guys that ride on $2k carbon fiber bikes that are too afraid to try it.

2) Riding fixed will make your legs stronger due to the fact that you must stay in the same gear during climbs. If you live in a hilly area you are destined to get a better leg workout. Also, as stated in this forum several time before, it will make you a better lover.

3) You can get a really crappy setup(applecart) from ebay as mentioned before but it isn't really worth it. If you are even in the slightest bit handy I suggest finding an old used road bike or frame and building your own fixie (I did this and it only cost me about $200, others have for way less). This is part of what makes riding fixed so rewarding for me and I'm sure a lot of other people too.
jinx_removing is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 01:56 PM
  #18  
cxmagazine dot com
 
pitboss's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: WI
Posts: 8,269

Bikes: Titus road, Fort CX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
everybody gotta die sometime, Red
pitboss is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 02:03 PM
  #19  
Traffic shark
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: California
Posts: 4,612

Bikes: 2 fixies, 1 road, 29er in the works.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by [165]
everybody gotta die sometime, Red
Dieing ain't much of a livin' boy.
SD Fixed is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 02:03 PM
  #20  
hang up your boots
 
ostro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,574

Bikes: 84 Pinarello, Trek Liquid 30, Torker CX 24, Gromada Track

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
it makes you insane too...you'll start visiting this forum...youve already got the sickness....you will talk eat sleep ***** drink cough bikes...you will be asked by your boss not to view the forum on work time.....you will eventually join the clan of the red star
__________________
SF Radar 7 day Forecast
ostro is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 02:19 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
dabern's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 334

Bikes: Rock Lobster track, Colnago Dream, Ti Paramount, Litespeed Vortex compact, Santa Cruz Blur, Bianchi cyclocross...always wanting more...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by William Karsten
Dieing ain't much of a livin' boy.
Josey Wales reference; way to go WK...
__________________
Rock Lobster
dabern is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 02:20 PM
  #22  
ya'll can't mush me
 
vomitron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: san diego, ca
Posts: 839
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jslopez

I need your guidance though:
1) Is it necessarily more dangerous than road bikes?I plan to use this on the everyday commute so will add a front brake but outside that I'm just wondering if somehow riding this type of bike leads to more accidents
2) Does this make you a stronger rider?
3) For the SoCal people, can you direct me to a place where I can get a cheap bike (really on a budget here). What's cheap? Well a Specialized langster or Bianchi pista is about $4-500 + dollars and something (much) cheaper than that, I want to check out. w

Thanks in advance for the insight.
1) If you ride in Los Angeles, I'm sure you're already aware that not only to motorists not care, it seems as though they are TRYING to hit you. That being said, it's probably no more dangerous than a freewheel bike, and perhaps less, due to your precise control of speed.

2) Probably. Most TdF champs trained on fixies, and most couriers I know can spank all of the roadies I know. You tend to do more anaerobic muscle gain due to your inability to shift on hills like Grand Ave or the Arroyo, which is a good for training for sprints. This is in addition to better spinning technique, smoother pedal stroke, and a more refined cadence. The only downside is, you might end up never riding your geared bike.

3) Well, you have some choices. You can buy a beater frame (all you're really looking for is long dropouts) and take it to an LBS (I would recommend someone who knows fixed gear, like Open Road in Pasadena). Alternately, you can take that beater to the Bicycle Kitchen where they (maybe even I!) will help you convert that bad boy (or girl) to fixed gear on the cheap. The *official* opening is on the 23rd, since they moved to a new space, and they open on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the last Wednesday of the month (ladie's night!). You might want to call ahead for stand time.

Hope this helps. If you want more local fixie parts, Velo Pasadena has cogs and stuff for not-insane prices. Outside of that, a lot of bike shops will just look at you like you're crazy.
vomitron is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 06:11 PM
  #23  
Zen Cyclist
Thread Starter
 
jslopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458

Bikes: Orbea Orca Campified...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Very interesting outlooks I must say, especially the part where people are steering me toward the cheaper route (so different from the "Get dura-ace" mentality).

So would there be some sort of advantage of getting an "expensive" brand new, branded fixed gear vs building your own and going cheap? From what I'm understanding I'll need to lookout for a decent bike, strip a few parts (add a few) and voila, instant fixed gear bliss.

As an admirer of foreign bike though I myay get the Bianchi pista but that's maybe ore from looks than anything else. I just want to know all the factors involved, regardless.
jslopez is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 06:18 PM
  #24  
無くなった
 
HereNT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Sci-Fi Wasabi
Posts: 5,072

Bikes: I built the Bianchi track bike back up today.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
There's not really an advantage to new fixies IMO - most of them seem to have cheaper components. Especially if you've never done it before, it's a waste of money.

If you like the Bianchis (I love my older, pre-pista track), find an older road Bianchi with horizontal dropouts and switch it over. You'll probably end up with better stuff (headset and BB on the Pistas are somewhat notorious) and a more classic looking bike.
HereNT is offline  
Old 01-14-05, 06:39 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Msngr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: south side, you got a problem with that?
Posts: 993
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dabern
Josey Wales reference; way to go WK...
by far the best quote from any movie. ever.
Msngr is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.