DH360

So I decided to get a bike- actually I've wanted one for a long time. A friend of mine got me into it and now Im seriously looking. I know for sure I want to go fixed gear, and I will be off-roading somewhat (bike trails, non mountainous) and I wanted to know if the particular bike I'm looking at will work for that purpose.

I was looking at this beauty and I was wondering if it would work with some cyclocross tires perhaps, or a really durable 28cm tire.

Also, since the tires that come with the bike are 700x25c does that mean ANY 700x25c tires will work?

Thanks

oneeyedhobbit

That isn't a particularly good bike. For the price I'm sure it will serve, but a hi-ten frame/fork and generic components is nothing to write home about. If you're serious about off-roading its even worse.

I'm sure if you search you'll find reviews of this bike and plenty to point you in a better direction.

hairnet

if you really going to off road and want fat tires, https://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt.htm

striknein

Or fantom cross uno.

DH360

Thanks for the help. I was hoping to start off with something in the sub $300 range, and maybe one or so years from now take a step up. I am not serious about off-roading, but there may be 1 or 2 occasions per month, which is why I am curious about that. Otherwise its a commuter bike.

First and foremost its a commuter. It will be used for off road MAYBE once or twice a month, and some months I may skip.

I like that bike, just a bit out of my price range. What makes this particular one better than the one I posted? Im still learning these things

PeDDeR27

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...r/timeline.htm

Cheaper than the Kilo WT and Fantom Cross Uno.

DH360

Thanks! So what features make this one superior?

oh and is the timeline a fixie?

And how does this bike compare: https://www.solebicycles.com/collecti...he-late-blumer

BP88

Keep your track bike off the dirt! Less **** to clean and you lessen the chances of breaking components.

DH360

Well Im not ready to buy two bikes yet, and I am mostly commuting- hence I wanted to get a second set of tires if possible.

striknein

Really the only difference is materials. The bikes we recommended are full CrMo, which is lighter and can provide for a less springy ride than hi-ten. Honestly tho, every bike under 300 bucks is gonna basically be the same, geometry differences aside.

My biggest issue is that if you buy a 300 dollar bike, you're almost guaranteed to have loose ball hubs and headsets. Which means that as you ride it in the dirt, you're going to be filling those bearings with crap that has to be regularly cleaned out. More expensive bikes will have cartridge bearings everywhere, which require much less maintenance.

Consider going to craigslist and finding a conversion. '80s road bikes usually have huge clearance for tires and fenders. Buy a better bike later with the money you saved.

hamfoh

Dh you're linking low quality high tensile bikes that are made to look pretty instead of worrying about quality. They basically exist to attract people who see people on pretty fixies and want a pretty bike too immediately.

If you want a fixed gear, then the kilo is a good option that's already been suggested. If you're really talking about once a month, twice max as far as off roading goes, then just get a road/track bike and resist the temptation to go offroad with it for a while. Then you can grab a used MTB or something on craigslist down the road and punish it. The having an extra set of x38 or x42 tires around for a wider clearance frame like that timeline around is of course an option, but I really don't see a lot of people off roading in drops either, so you're also looking at a handlebar swap

The two things you want to do with your bike are pretty different. I really think the best thing to grab a fixed gear if that's what you want and keep an eye out for a MTB / Cyclocross bike for when you get the itch to do that

DH360

I think I will go with what you said and just get a good mtb when I get the chance. I dont see my self going to the trails anyway in the winter. Now a question: For commuting, will CroMo really have that much better performance than Hi-Ten? The first bike I suggested had favorable reviews, as did many of the other bikes from that company which caught my interest. So Im wondering if those bikes are superior to other hi-ten bikes.

And If I get a bike, I of course would like it to look good, and the Timeline which is in my price range is... ugly. I guess that doesnt matter since I can swap out handle bars, tires, (would it be worth it to change the rims?) etc. I really hate the handle bars. If I get this, which it looks like I might, what should I look for in terms of handle bars? I mean, what size/socket/whatever would I have to look for?

Oh one last thing: What is the difference between the kilo and the timeline?

Thanks so much you guys have helped a lot so far

Oh and sorry if it sounds like im rambling, its late here :/

Edit: If I were to build my own, what should I look for in a frame other than CroMo? Id likely get a used frame and new components

BP88

DH360, I know it's your first bike and you don't want to spend a bunch of money but I highly suggest spending the extra cash for a quality bike. Like many other things in life you're going to want to eventually upgrade and most of the time you get what you pay for. I'd rather 'do it right' the first time instead of spending more money on fixing/upgrading my bike; however, it's your hard-earned money and I completely understand not wanting to spend a lot.

I'll admit that I spend more money than I should but that's because I'm still living at home. I figure I may as well buy everything I need before I have to move out on my own.

Trust us. At least buy a Kilo TT.

hamfoh

building up is a lot more expensive than people really calculate. I think your best bet is buying a complete bike.

a lot of people change the wheelset on their kilos after they get them, nothing wrong with that, pedals and saddle are normally something that is switched often by people as well. check out the stripper kilo for a prettier version, since you don't need the clearance if you're going the two bike route; I wouldn't waste time with the timeline https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...t_stripper.htm - I see a lot of raw ones built up and they're quite nice to look at

charlie's swapped out of a lot of stuff on his kilo and it looks great, just for one example. but don't go in just wanting to replace every thing to make it look pretty, that's a moneypit. if you have a bigger budget than this $3-500 range, then maybe look at some of the 'prettier' fixed gear bikes sold by your local LBS, like bianchi, etc.

also check out wabi if you can go north of $500. their cheaper steel bike is $700 but it is 10x the bike as that sole

edit: oh and I think the surly steamroller could probably do okay on some lighter trails. a good bike with 38 clearance

DH360

iminusd is right next to me (https://iminusd.com/) but their stuff seems so overpriced usually...

I like the stripper kilo, but if I eventually change out the saddle, pedals, wheelset, whats left? It seems that If I got a good deal on a frame, the rest would work out ok. If im going to exceed my $300 limit (and listen to BP88), It better be something thats 100% mine.

I found this in my area:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/2750194038.html

Whats your guys' opinion on that?

BP88

IRO frames are great from what I've read. He's based somewhere on the East Coast.

You have to remember that if you buy a Kilo TT or any other complete bike you'd probably just want to replace the saddle, pedals, bars, etc. not every single thing on the bike so it'd be cheaper than building a complete bike. If you want to stay close to budget I would definitely just buy a nice used bike or a decent new one and replace what you feel is right.

hamfoh

I don't mean everyone changes out the wheelset, I just mean there's nothing wrong with it. saddle is totally a personal preference

allroy71

https://www.departmentofgoods.com/kona-paddy-wagon-bike
I just got this bike 3 weeks ago and it was $421 then! If you can fit a 56cm and up, check it out. Has brakes and flip flop hub. Just no pedals. Geometry is set for road. It can fit wider tires, but I don't think I will be putting any knobbies on it. Good luck in getting a new bike!

markaitch

welcome to the bikedirect satellite sales office

anyway...i was just looking at department of goods myself & alroy71 is absolutely correct, if you can fit on any of the sizes they have that paddywagon in stock...imho it is one of the best deals going at the moment. or check out all their charge plug variations for only $280 to see if any of those are available in your size.

or...
if you really would like to be able to ride a fixed bike off-road, & you can afford it...hamfoh's mention of the surly steamroller was right-on. i just built one to use as my fg "hipster mtb". am riding it on gravel roads & horsepaths, & even took it out to a local bike park for a little singletracking this past week.

have fun & good luck...

hamfoh

good call on that kona

Scrodzilla

Why be afraid to get your bike dirty?

You're giving bad advice all over the place here.

DH360

Thanks for all the replies. The Kona looks great! I probably should have mentioned this before, but I need a larger bike so that was perfect. I just have one concern. Maybe Im getting too ahead of myself? I just want to go from A to B, and be able to have fun and go for a ride when I want. Is the $70 price jump between the kona and the bike I initially posted justified? And if the only benefit of Cro-Mo frames is the lighter weight, the bike I initially linked to is only 3 pounds heavier.

Oh and should I get the Kona, would these bars work? https://www.retro-gression.com/produc...-os-riser-bars

BP88

If the Kona comes with a stem that has a 31.8mm bar clamp then it'll work

Scrod - I guess I'm just anal about keeping my stuff clean. I try not to ride on dirt, through puddles, etc.

hamfoh

yeah their site doesn't say the size of the clamp, but keep in mind those brakes aren't going to fit on the urban risers either. so grab something, ride it a lot and you'll figure out what you want to change after a while

the $70 price jump from your initial post to the kona is worth it. tommaso was sold a long time ago I believe and newer bikes like the one you posted have nothing to do with the original brand (I THINK).

plus for the 100th time, the first one is hi ten steel and probably the cheapest parts they can find. I know someone who has a kona and they are very happy with it, plus the paddy wagon seems designed much more for commuting than a lot of the other options in that range

DH360

Thanks for the input, and thanks allroy71 for the PM. I decided the same thing actually, I will give it a try and see how I like it.

Does anyone know what the clearance for this bike is? I am a a bigger guy (6' 2") and I work out. Someone told me to look for clearance of 700x35c or more so I dont look silly on a smaller bike. Any suggestions?