Got a Fixie free, looking to upgrde please help.
 

I got a Magna Fix-D for free. It fits me and rides alright. But the front wheel hub keeps coming loose and is pink. What is a cheap wheelset that would work with this bike? It has 700X38C tires and I like them. I have seen some Vuelta rims at a LBS but they are only "good" for 23-32C tires. I am having trouble finding rims that will take a big tire.

Also it has pink cranks, I want a 165mm 46t crankset. What do you guys recommend, again I need this stuff cheap, since I got the bike for free.

Anyone have any used stuff sitting around.

It also had a pink handle bar riser which I changed out for a black Origin 8 one for $30.

I have seen Project Fixie stuff on Amazon, and Retrospec, is it worth the upgrade?

Is this a joke?

all joking aside, I wouldn't upgrade any parts on that bike unless you NEED to replace something and its cost effective. That is a very cheap bike (and I don't mean your free price) and its not financially advisable to put money into it.
For a wheel I would look on craigslist for something in the $20 range if it needs to be replaced. and what do you mean the hub is coming loose? the bolts keeping it on the fork are backing out? or are the spokes loose?

It would be more cost effective for you to save up and buy a new bike even though you got this for free. A bottom end wheelset is going to cost you around $150 and you can get a new bike for around $300.

The axle is loose, wheel moves side to side on axle. What bike do you recommend for $300? Craigslist where I live never has any wheels for bikes. Or parts for that matter.

You can probably just tighten the bearings to fix this.

Sounds off hand like a cone adjustment, or cone locknut needs tightening?

Cone Adjustment

$300 gets you this:

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Not an incredible bike but worlds better then what you have. $300 might get you something better than that used on Craigslist but depends on your local market.

I agree that you shouldn't spend a penny on upgrading that bike. But if it's ridable you might as well ride it till it breaks to see how much you enjoy riding fixed/single speed before investing in a new bike

Have a chat with your lbs about the hub, the fix is probably fairly simple involving proper adjustment and the correct locknuts (one missing maybe).
The pink can be fixed with judicious use of spray paint (mask the bike please) or oven cleaner to remove it. Anodizing can be removed this way - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNAB45zQUtk

He already tightened it once came loose the very next time I ride it.

Looks alright. But runs a thin tire, and does not have a flat handle bar.

Pretty much any Magna, Lè Huffy, Roadmaster, or bike bought from a department store is good to run into the ground but not put any money into it. They are built by the same people who built that patio furniture, grills or whatever else that they could bolt together. The parts that they use are as cheap as they come and aren't usually worth the money you would pay for them in the store. Typically when they come into the shop they need at least $150 worth of parts and labor but usually closer to $200 or more. Run the bike into the ground and save your money.

There are sometimes true deals on Craigslist (that aren't stolen bikes or people unloading bikes because the work required is too much for them). Be wary of those looking for quick sale or that have no info or sparse info and make sure you can test ride the bike before you buy it and meet in a public place.

That Windsor while not the greatest of bikes is going to be a huge improvement over what you have currently and it might be worth putting a bit more money into on down the line. You also might get lucky and find a frame in your size and you can build that up. One of our new kids at the shop just did that used mostly origin8 and a few parts that were laying around the shop and so far it worked out for him. I might talk with you LBS nicely without bugging them and see if they have anything to help you out.


I found this funny from the description for the Magna on Targèt
Includes: Kickstand, Spokes

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Let's say I find a frame, what makes that frame better than the magna frame I got for free?
And I would not buy that Windsor if I wanted to spend money on a new bike I would look seriously at the kilo TT I have read so much about on this forum. I got a free bike, what I wanted was better wheels, or at least a front wheel that was not loose and pink, and some not pink cranks.

My phone did not let me finish. If anyone knows about a cheap front wheel, maybe your own used wheel, let me know. I do not need anything fancy. Just a front wheel and new crankset. Crankset I can get origin 8 don't need help. Need help with front wheel.

No problem. Always happy to try and help and give whatever nuggets of knowledge I might have to others.

It is cheap heavy steel (or aluminum) poorly welded together. The Windsor or Kilo TT is a little bit higher quality and most likely welded by people who know something about bikes. You can find decent frames from older bikes that were built in a time that had more standards and less junk coming out or are just older bikes that were really great in the day but are trumped by modern tech. Old lugged steel frames can be quite sexy but a lot of people see it as not worth much because it is an old used bicycle or it just has been gathering dust/taking up space in the garage so any money they get is profit. Maybe the paint is worn or maybe there is a lot of work that needed to be done but since you are just going to turn it into a fixed gear all of that work is nill with new parts.

I honestly wouldn't put money into the bike at all. Cheap wheels are still probably going to be about $100 or so and that could be money put into the new bike. I don't have any extra wheels and not sure of any good place to find them except maybe at a bike co-op but that can be a crapshoot. I don't know what your budget is and time frame for getting bike monies together but I really would just put all that money into the new bike. You have two bikes currently plus this Magna so you probably aren't in a rush for a bike so save up and you will thank yourself.

Sorry if I rambled or just didn't make sense at points. I am writing and editing this while sort of falling to sleepy time so maybe my typing is no tso good right now.

$300?

take your choice

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If you are considering a Kilo TT, for the same money you can get the Kilo WT. Better components then the Kilo TT and it will take up to 700x47 tire

More considerations.
 

Thanks for showing me the WT. Obviously, it has a nice wheelset and will take a wide tire.

But, I have been thinking about what people have been saying. So I am looking seriously at some of these bikes at Bikesdirect.
Please tell me what you all think about these 3 bikes.

First, the Dawes SST1, it is very cheap, $250. The top tube angles down toward the seat, makes for a more relaxed ride right?
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Second, the Windsor the Hour Plus, $300, and Windsor Clockwork Plus, $330. I am not seeing much difference in these three bikes, the Dawes looks as good as the Windsors. Are the Percision Bearings worth $80 over the Dawes?
Save Up To 60% Off Windsor Fixie Singlespeed Bikes - Clockwork

And finally, what makes a Kilo WT worth so much more than these guys?

Thanks.

The answers to those questions are literally ALL OVER this forum, hundreds of times over.

Welcome to the conversation, some links would work, since you are eager to help.

Should I wipe your bum for you after you make a poopy too?

How about you look around the forum for yourself and use the search function?

If you want, I live in Myrtle Beach, let me know when your coming. I need Charmin extra strength, anything else and you wont be happy. When you are done searching like you said, you can summarize for us, or post some links. Your very helpful thanks.

Kilo too aggressive, Windsor looks more relaxed.
 

The Kilos look too aggressive. Look at how the top tube is perfectly horizontal, and how close the front tire is to the Frame. At this point the Windsor Clockwork Plus is looking better. What else is better than the Windsor, but not the Kilo that you guys recommend with a relaxed riding position?

How about you either help out or **** off? Take your smartass comments somewhere else.

Anyway, so many bikes that are very similar but slightly different. I want a bigger tire, so I should stick to those bikes that come with bigger tires. But if I can get 32C on any of the Windsors or Motobecanes, I want to go that route. So I am tired of looking over and over at these bikes. Right now I am between the Motos or Winds.

If anyone wants to chime in about the Motos or Winds, go ahead, and if you have ran with bigger tires, let me know.
Thanks, and I will check back on this thread tomorrow.

This is a highly modified Motobecane Messenger that I easily retrofitted with tires that measure about 31mm wide. So yes, you can probably fit 700x32c tires on most of the Windsors and Motobecanes, since the frames are basically the same.

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