passerby

alright so i made the mistake of buying the MTA instead of saving up a little more for a kilo or a windsor. what upgrades if any do you guys think i should make? thanks in advance

Critical Jeff

I don't know what you are talking about.

passerby

ok well its a bike i purchased to get me started with SS/FG. The price was perfect for me and i ordered it. Now i have it and i am wondering if others with this same bike have upgraded parts and are willing to give me some suggestions.

Steev

What parts are not performing to your satisfaction? Replace them. Otherwise, ride the thing and don't worry about what others think.

europa

There are probably some here who know what bikes you're talking about, but I'm not one of them so I can't comment on what you have.

People get excited about wheel sets and cranks, but to be honest, if what you have is doing the job, you may not be gaining much by changing them. Wheels are a case in point. There may be little benefit in changing the wheels you have when they're near new. However, a hard winter may ruin a cheap hub or rough roads may find the weaknesses in your rims, that's the time to think carefully about buying good quality wheels.

The easiest way is just to go out and buy top quality stuff now - do that if you have the money and don't mind spending it. If you're at the shallow end of the money pool, like I am, you use what you have until something needs replacing, then replace the bit with a good quality part.

Richard

667

Ok. Hold on. Did you even ride it? You need to keep yourself in the equation.

bkowa092

First, what is the MTA bike? Do you have any more information on it, or a link where we can read the stock specs?

If the bike is brand new, I would not waste money on replacing parts that are working fine at the moment. What I would do is find a pedal setup that you enjoy, and handlebars that you also enjoy. Along with these two, a saddle that you find comfortable. If you are not comfortable on the bike, replacing the crank/wheels/headset/etc. will not make any difference.

Geordi Laforge

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=476279

PoopinFresh

No mistake man; if this is your first fg bike, ride it into the ground. By the time the parts are ready to be replaced, you'll have learned enough about what you like in a fixed gear bike to make a better, more expensive decision. Even if that ends up being before the bike is dust, you'll have a nice backup/beater bike that you can sling around without worry.

Don't let this forum fool you into thinking you need a certain level of bike; it's a hunk of metal with some moving parts.

Down the line, you'll be all the better equipped to make a more informed decision regarding how to spend even more money on a nice bike, or even build you own up.

Seriously, spend too much time here and you'll want to replace everything you've got until you have the best friggin build on earth- then realize that the single best upgrade you can make a bike is to the engine- get out there and ride.

bw286

that's nice looking for a cheap frame.
i would replace the seatpost after the brakes. those cranks also look like they would suck. a lot

passerby

Frame: Urban Single Speed Design, DuraFort, Water Bottle & Fender Mounts
Fork: DuraFort UniChrown w/ Fender Mounts
Headset: Tange 1-1/8” Threadless
Handlebars: 4130 Drop Bar
Stem: 4130 10 Degree Drop
Grips: Cushion Wrap Foam
Brake Lever: Radius 2 Finger Alloy, F & R
Brake(s): Radius Alloy Caliper F & R
Seat: Dawes Super Light
Seat Post: 4130 Straight Post 27.2
Crankset: 3-pc Alloy, Euro Cartridge BB, 42T
Chain: KMC Z410
Pedal: FPD Resin w/ Alloy Cage
Rim: Weinmann CN-520, 36H, Stainless Spokes
Front Hub: High Flange Alloy, 36H, Nutted
Rear Hub: High Flange Fixed/Free Alloy, 36H, Nutted, 16T Freewheel & 15T Fixed Cog
Tires: 700 X 28c
Extras: Front & Rear Fender Mounts, Removable Brake Cable Clips

those are the specs. my question was if i were to upgrade parts on this bike where do u suggest i start. and btw its a single speed and i want it converted to fixed. how does the flip flop hub work (ive read MANY articles but they ust confuse me even more). Im sorry for the extremely vague questions and descriptions but im a newbie and need some help getting adjusted to the SS/FG scene

bw286

where are you located? find a friendly shop or co-op if you're really confused.
this is not a place for info, it's a place for other things

passerby

Im sorry i thought forums were places to ask questions and get them answered by more experienced helpfuls.

PoopinFresh

A lot of forums are packed with people who act like they have no interest in being social; an odd thing indeed when you consider that this is discussion forum. Most people come here to either show off gear, ask specific questions about gear, or to lurk and learn a bunch (what you should be doing for now). Some come on here to post in threads they hate about how much they hate those threads, with what they think are extremely witty, dry responses.

Flip flop hub= (in most cases) a hub with a freewheel side and a side with threading for a cog and lockring. The cog screws on one way, the lockring threads on the opposite way. This is so backpressure on the pedals doesn't translate into the cog coming loose.

Please do yourself a favor and go over to https://www.sheldonbrown.com/ and read every single thing on the website.

More importantly, find yourself someone to ride with- someone with a ton of experience on a bike- and just listen to them. If you can't find this person easily, go to a co-op and learn, learn, learn.

sp00ki

1) headset
2) pedals
3) seatpost (not necessary per se, but wtf)
4) saddle

bonus: probably yr bottom bracket, but i can't jump to conclusions on that one. i've come accross lower end bikes with surprisingly "decent" sealed bb...

eventually the wheels, but i wouldn't worry about that just yet-- just have someone verify that they're trued and tensioned nicely. other than that, there probably isn't much you can change that'll actually benefit you at this stage. once you get a few hundred miles under your belt, you'll start to know what it is you want.
by then you'll be a few (pretend) grand into your fantasy build anyway, so spend the meantime getting good on this one.

ilikebikes

+1

matt wisconsin

I'd go for upgrades that will make noticeable differences besides in your wallet. Your seatpost is fine, your brakes will work fine.

I'd get a decent saddle first and ride it like that. Don't be too picky.

But that's just me.. go ahead and get a thomson if you need it so badly. and a new bb and headset if it's so unrideable......

passerby

Thank you guys so much. I have actually read that sheldon article many times and it has greatly helped. I'll take your advice ride this bike for as long aspossible just to become more experienced and familiar. I am def. going to change he saddle and pedals asap and I'll look into a new headset. But again thank you for the feedback

bw286

well, i've had bad luck on low end bikes (folders and the like) where those clamps are unable to hold the saddle horizontal if you don't have it perfectly centered.

Roy G. Biv

If you want to start riding fixed you just need to flip your back wheel around so that the side with the 15t cog is attached to the chain.

planyourfate

I think that bike is pretty good for the price as is...

With that said, if you are still looking to upgrade here's what I'd do in this order:
Saddle: if you have money to burn people round here like Brooks, Selle San Marco, Selle Italia, and Fizik. Try nashbar.com they have a lot on sale right now.
Bottom Bracket: Get a good name brand one. A local bike shop can help you.
Crankset: I ride Campagnolo, but Sugino and Dura Ace are popular. Try to see what you can find at a Co-op or a parts bin at a LBS, then try ebay or CL.
Wheels: Mavic Open Pro are in my book the best, but feel free to look into Velocity Deep V or Weinmann DP's...whatever you taste is.

In my book a properly function/good quality drive train is the best thing to upgrade for performance then come the wheels.

sp00ki

this is a joke, right?

planyourfate

Why would it be a joke?
He's obviously a noob and I am trying to make things a little easier for him. Do you have a problem with this?

cobrabyte

i don't think you made a mistake at all, you got a cheap bike as your first fixed gear, and with your admitted limited knowledge, it's a good starting point. Hell some people go out & buy $600 or $700 on their first "fixed" bike & realize they dont like it, so you're at a good point to start off.

now...."upgrading" anything on that bike......THAT would be a mistake, it's not worth the trouble or money. Save your dough for when you want to upgrade to a whole new bike, or build your own. & trust me, you will want to do that eventually. But putting a nice anything on that bike would be like putting 20" chrome rims on a Toyota Prius or something.

1fluffhead

^^^ Exactly correct. If I were to upgrade anything on that bike it would be where my body and the bike meets. Saddle, bars, pedals. Everything else is fine to use until it breaks.