freeganval

I know, it rides like a brick.
Even after replacing the hub cones, crank cones, bearings, and repacking/regreasing. The real salt of the earth. FWIW, it's still fun to ride, and worth every penny (4000) I put into it.

Huffandstuff

Edot : i can't math this morning

seau grateau

The O8 is in much better condition, so definitely a safer purchase from that point of view.

Philasteve

Do you know if the Bigshot fits you? If it does I would just say buy that, yeah the Origin 8 looks nicer, but those cranks are sick. I'm sure the wheels aren't going to explode on you. And there's definitely good priced wheels around to swap them out later for something better. Just inspect it really good before you buy it. I just took another look at the Bigshot, considering the fact that I missed the last picture the first time. The included hand drawn wheel insert of Marvin The Martian is included with the price it's a no brainer.

striknein

Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit!

Kindaslow

Impossible!

Hatred was banned!

veganbikes

I would rather ride the brick. There is a chance that brick was made properly and has good craftmanship in it, heck it could even be an American made brick which would up the ante even more.

TenSpeedV2

Out of the three bikes, the Thruster, the O8 and the BigShot, if I had to choose one, it would be the BigShot. That crank is nice and really on the level of those bikes, given the bikes themselves, they are all about the same.

freeganval

I haven't gotten either bike because one is a 90 minute drive (and I have to borrow a car to get it) and the big shot, it's a 60cm frame and I should be riding a 56. I used to ride a 59cm Peugeot and it wasn't a problem, though. Still tore up trying to decide whether to get it or keep holding out for better.

Scrodzilla

Sheer insanity.

This is equivalent to saying, "They're size 14 shoes and I should be wearing a 10. I once wore a size 13 and it wasn't too bad though."

hairnet

Hi, my name is Hairnet and I ride a Thruster. It's the best bike ever, all you haters suck my balls.

freeganval

Sometimes. Sometimes a bike a bit too large can be fine, as long as your hips aren't rocking when you extend your legs. Just my experience.
Besides, the frame is temporary. I've got a really nice 4130 frame (probably a maxway Y6R03, but I can't be 100% certain) that is 56cm...
Just as soon as I get the freaking seatpost out of it...

Kindaslow

I can see going up or down 2 cms with bikes that have very different geometry. However, he made it sound like a 59 was already big for him. Then, a 62 is likely to be terrible in that case.

Philasteve

Have you tried using a vice? I would honestly pass on that 60cm Bigshot for sure. It might feel like it's fine until you finally get a bike that fits and realize how much the other one sucked.

freeganval

Yes. It is an aluminum seat post. And it was a pretty beefy one, too. And it's very long, and goes in deep. And it sat unmoved in the weather for months or more. There is nothing sticking out of the frame at this point. I've cut it at the frame with a hacksaw, and corked it off. Then I filled the seat tube with a solution of NaOH and water and let it eat away at the aluminum. Drained it, neutralized it with acetic acid, used a very long WOOD saw blade on a reciprocating saw to cut 3 slices into the seatpost from the inside. It's difficult to cut through the aluminum with a wood blade, but it's even more difficult to cut through the 4130. Wouldn't want to use a metal bit and accidentally slice up the seat tube now...
Still not coming out, tried soaking in ammonia. Will need to let this soak longer than I have.
Driving a flathead screwdriver behind the 3 separate sections of post. Problem is, aluminum and steel have a galvanic reaction... they've become one metal where the aluminum has oxidized. It's like they're brazed together. I need to find something longer than this screwdriver now that I can drive all the way down, since I've only been able to free up the first 1/2 of each of the three sections from the seatpost... Once I can break them away from the seat tube all the way down, they should slide out... here's to hoping...

Someone said on this forum once that you if you wanted a nice bike, you had to pay for it. Well, I don't have much money, so I'm doing it with my sweat.



On the topic of this topic, I've decided against buying either bike. Still on the hunt for wheels (as once this frame is free, I have all the other parts I need), or the right deal.

Philasteve

Naoh and acetic acid, the Dahmer treatment huh. Yeah to be honest, I hope you can get that out of the frame but it doesn't sound good. Deals will come your way eventually, on craigslist in Philadelphia there were 100's of Fixed gear bikes a few years ago. Now there's probably half as many but a lot of the time the nice ones are cheaper than a few years ago when you do find them on there. Just be patient, ride your lemon and keep saving and searching. Once you have something solid, it should last. And it's definitely good to listen to the most of the people on here trust me.

Scrodzilla

This thread just got super awesome.

Euthyphro

Smells like troll.

IAmSam

Troll or not...OP - you were on the right path with the sodium hydroxide, maybe you just didn't go far enough. Try changing the solution daily for 4-5 days.

Good luck...

Wspsux

have you tried going irish abortion on it and using a straightened wire hanger? These look good!
Wire Hangers & Garment Covers - United Wire Hanger Corp.

Philasteve

It's science

Ultra

^^

rex615

That is just such a disturbing mental image.

freeganval

Not a troll. Images attached of said frame & fork in their current progress (including now stuck handle-less flathead screwdriver and chewed to **** seatpost). Also a picture of my uber cool pew pew pew thruster more like BUSTER mirite? Anyway...




Thanks! Appreciate the encouragement. I will try this. I tried to do a second treatment of NaOH, but since there is no place to cork now, I rubber banded two ziplocks over the seat tube, and hot glued any other holes on the frame that I thought might leak. The ziplock bag wouldn't react with the NaOH, but since the reaction is exothermic, the bags melted from the very high temperature, dumping my solution on the ground. I don't have much NaOH left, and it's a little expensive, but I will try your suggestion the best that I am able.


Wouldn't do me much good, I'm afraid.

This. I'm a nerd.



So anyway, another update on this topic is that I'm going to possibly be getting this today:
https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/bik/5430567786.html
It's a BD bike, supposed to be the same bike as a Fuji Track about, which the validity of is a topic that I'm sure is a debate. I doubt anyone will debate, however, whether this bike is better than a Big Shot or not, especially when they are the same price.

I was looking at this, which some folks list as a viable alternative to the Kilo TT, but it's out of my price range and I would still need to add brakes, and besides, Scrozilla says the welds on it are terrible. But the real reason I'm not getting it is because it is a 90 minute drive to get, and honestly I'm not trying to do that.
Aventon Street/Track bike

TejanoTrackie 

OP - I have two of the Chinese chromo bikes from bikesdirect, Motobecane Messenger and Windsor Clockwork, which are equivalent to the Windsor Hour. While they are certainly nothing special and not as good as the Kilo TT, they are light years better than the other choices you have listed and certainly better than any upgraded Thruster. That $150 price for the Windsor Hour on CL is reasonable, however, beware that if you ride it as a singlespeed you will need to add a rear brake.