NYC... need a singlespeed
 

So i have just recently landed a job in NYC(woohoo) and i would like a track bike for the commute. It makes sense. I save money, i get a workout blah blah blah... I dont want to be taking my 'nago into the city, again, blah blah blah.... I just want a track bike lol. So i was looking in the pricerange of about 600-700. But i want quality. Ive always had my eye on a pista, but my recent trip to my lbs Im actually feeling the schwinn madison. However, I dont know if i can get over the personal stigma of a schwinn making non serious cruisers( whether thats relevant or im an idiot, its cool)... But i would really like a nice looking, clean cut, singlespeed company/model that specializes in singlespeed that maybe I havent heard of. PLease respond, I need some help. Thanks..

Also, I was looking into IRO, they seem nice... thoughts?

Also, when i do acquire my bike, i would love to get together with some nyc riders bc i am a good rider and would love to do some city riding and actually know people that cycle; because I know one haha.

Regards.

If you're going singlespeed, why go for a bike without cable stops(pista & madison). I believe the IRO mark v has stops and is a pretty well liked frame. The specialized Langster isn't a bad option if you want to go ss either.

Schwinn is owned by a big, evil corporation that hates bikes. For reals. Don't forget about that. Madisons are cool though.

I hear good things about IRO. I know a big problem with a lot of the stock track bikes is that they have **** components and IRO has good stuff. This is all hearsay.

The components on a stock IRO build isn't any better than the components on most of the stock track bikes.

Lukewall- I care to disagree

IRO come stock w/ Andel cranks. Andel cranks are better than the FSA Vero or w/e else typically comes stock on pistas, Madisons, whatever. Andel are pretty solid cranks. Also, IRO wheelset is just as good as a Formula/Deep V wheelset (which despite what people may think is actually a nice, strong wheelset). IRO wheelset is much better than the alex/generic hub wheelset that comes stock on a lot of bikes. I don't know about IRO saddle, but I think they are great frames. Not to mention, if you get the Angus you get 631 tubing which is nicer than the 4130 that comes stock on most bikes.

I have a Jamis Sputnik, and I LOVE it. 631 tubing w/ CF fork...so smooth. Check it out. IF you are tryin to run SS, the sputnik has cable stops. If you are gonig fixed, rear brake cable stops shouldn't matter.

Another frame I like is the Soma Rush but you would have to build that one up yourself.

Also, Surly Steamrollers are good bikes made by a cool company.

Masis are also really nice.

I don't think the IROs come with Andel cranks. The IRO comes with an IRO branded 130bcd ss crank and I thought the Andels are 144bcd. And even if there were Andel track cranks, there isn't much difference in quality/durability between that and the Vero/Touro cranksets on most stock track bikes.

And the IRO comes with an IRO branded wheelset with "IRO Cold Fusion Rims"??? What do you think those are? More than likely rebranded Alex rims with straight gauge spokes on formulas. Nothing wrong with that, if built well its going to be a durable, yet heavy, set of wheels.

I have an Alex wheelset that came off a Rush Hour with roughly 1500 miles on them. Ridden through rough streets regularly and they're holding true. Every 6 month or so, i'll go to true them and they're never more than 1mm out of true. I can't see the stock IRO wheelset being that much better for a set of beater wheels.

the IRO cranks are commonly thought to be a rebranded Andel. They do have a diff. BCD (which is puzzling) but most people still consider them to be Andel/Alien/etc. Also, the IRO rims are pretty much rebranded Deep Vs (I think)

At any rate, IROs are good bikes that you can customize to your preference (bullhorns, drops, colors, etc) and they have great customer support.

Scarpie
Some of the complete SS bikes out there are overkill for just ridin on road, I race on the track(I save the track bike FOR THE TRACK), but have an 80's era Italian Rd bike converted to fixed gear, and this is the best way to go, you get a forgiving ride with road geometry.Its easy to do this with any retro road bike with horizontal dropouts (steel, vintage, non vertical rear axle slots) that allow chain tension adjustment. There are bikes on ebay like this for cheap. Save money for a NIce carbon Rd bike Like a Roubaix.

there are 2 common andel cranksets - one is 130 and the other (and newer) is 144. the IRO crankset is the 130 bcd one with a laser-etched IRO logo.

the IRO wheelsets are handbuilt wheels with rims that are identical in specs to velocity fusions -- knock offs, basically. hubs are debranded gran compes. no idea on the spokes. I think they're quality wheels.

everything else on an IRO complete is the standard stuff found on alot of other completes.

sounds like a job for the good ol' sputnik. all it takes is one ride and you'll fall in love.

I would go with an IRO or a Steamroller. I just got a Steamroller myself in NYC.

or

Save a bunch of money at first and get a bikesdirect bike and upgrade it eventually.

Righty-

I'm glad to hear you are liking your sputnik a lot. I'm obsessed w/ mine. i think its my favorite bike that I have ever ridden. Such a good combination of speed and comfort. I like it more than my nice Fuji road bike even. I spout the virtues of the sputnik to anyone willing to listen haha.

yup, i love the sputnik. you dont see many on the road. the carbon fork makes it so smooth... im goin to tennessee for a week and im gonna bring my bike with me. thats how much i love it lol.

the steamroller was my 2nd choice. i like the versatility of the bike. also heard it was a pretty tough bike.
maybe you should go to king kog and check out some of their frames. i dont know who will have more fixed gears than they would.

Lotta' good SS bikes out there to choose from. It really comes down to how much you want to spend, and your own personal preference.

If you're planning to buy from a LBS in NYC, you should have almost every brand available to you.

GET A GOOD LOCK!

What kinda job did you get? Just curious : )

I like the Masi for that price range...it's a really classy looking bike

I second the Masi....since I own the Speciale Fixed! :thumb:

i'm pretty sure he said "track bike" in his discription of what he's looking for.

they're made by kinlin, were designed exclusively for iro, actually, and are pretty good wheels. why would you assume (and then post) that they're rebranded alex rims??

I know it goes against probably everything you want in your new bike, but if you're using this as transportation in the city, consider something with clearance and/or eyelets for fenders. Full coverage fenders.

Consider an IRO Phoenix. I've got a Mark V that I built up and it's a wonderful bike, but definitely not the most practical for a commuter; I use mine to train on the road for track racing when I can't get my nice race bike out to the 'drome to train.

Also the Steamroller has clearance for fenders and you can use p-clamps to attach them. You still have your "clean" look when the fenders are off since there are no eyelets for fenders.

singlespeeds aren't allowed in nyc