anyone know if i should pick this up? are Shogun's even good? haven't looked at it yet; still emailing the owner. any chance i could convert it to a fixie?

thanks! mark

almost any complete bike/running bike is worth $25, at least in my market.

oh and (s)he says its 27/28 @ from the bottom to the top of the tire. hmmm. my inseam is 31, maybe 32. woder if it'll fit. i hope to go look at it today or tomorrow...

what i've read is that japanese bikes are good for making fixies because most of the parts are english standars such as the BB and head tube.

might want to check with some more experienced ppl though seeing how i haven't even finished mine yet... but at $25, i couldn't resist it seeing how most bikes in my area like that go for $100-$300 =(

just saw ur post. you need a different measurement to go off of... such as Center of bb to top of seatpost (i have 32" inseam and i can fit a 53cm/21" bike at this measurement) or standover height which you want to be ~1-2" less than your inseam

That's a good price. It's low end, has minimal braze ons and will make a nice little fixed gear conversion. Looks to me like it's a small frame somewhere around 50cm or so......

I'd guess 52 cm.

fwiw, the seller is measuring the wheel size - not the frame size.

Just out of curiosity, how many fixie's does this world need?

thanks all! i think i need about a 54cm frame, by the numbers. i could get by with a 50, 52 though, right?

"that would be an ecumenical matter" --father jack

The same as any other kind of bike, N+1.

Or standover height, from OP's description. In answer to your questions about size and suitability for fixed, OP,

How tall are you? I'd say a 52cm frame for you if you have a 30/31" inseam is going to feel kind of cramped w/o a longer stem and a seatpost w/ setback. I'm 5'9" w/a 30" inseam, and 53cm is about the smallest I can ride; even that feels tiny.

As far as converting to fixed, yeah, you can easily convert a Shogun to fixed. And I agree w/ whoever else said $25 is a good price for any bike.

Oh, and if you're converting to fixed and switching over to 700c wheels, then you should be aware the frame's going to drop a bit more--4cm. So pedal strike might become an issue there, depending on the height of the bottom bracket. But if you're just planning on gluing a fixed cog onto the original hub, then don't worry about that.

Rim radius is 4mm difference, not 4cm. The tires you choose will can affect the bb height as well.

When in doubt, go up a size rather than down.
I acquired a Shogun 400 a few years ago and hung it in the barn, as it was too small for me at 52cm. My daughter is riding it now, and as happy with it as a 14 year-old girl is happy with anything. Very nice bike, good tube set and finish, and I've updated it to 6-speed index.
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That Shogun is a great fixie candidate if it's just going to die as a heavy geared bike.
No braze-on shifter bosses, no bottle cage bosses it will be nice and clean.
All the decals are actually stickers above the paint; a little hair dryer action and you've got a slick one.
A frame with accented lugs and pinstripes. No problem.
Heck, you've already got the clip pedals.

I ride a 56 and my 58cm fixed gear was too big, the 53cm was just right, since I use an MTB stem.
They're fun, and some of the younger folks in my area are getting into them with track bars and no brakes.

If you are a 54, this is a really small bike and will not fit you.

On the other hand, if you would like to make a little money, buy it, clean it up, and resell it. I buy any bike like that for that price. My most recent bike buys: 19 inch Giant womens bike, 19 inch womens Nishiki bike, and a 26 inch frame Schwinn. I ride a 54, so none of these fit. But I have already flipped the Giant for 3X of what I paid for all three bikes....

This helps fund the bikes I end up keeping.

If the ad is on Craigs List, someone like me will likely pick it up fast. It won't be there long.

$25 these days can't even do one fill up. If the wheels turn, go4it.

Looks clean but that pic isn't great and could hide alot. Looks original as well so it probably hasn't been ridden much.

It is lowline (stem shifters) and probably pretty heavy. If it has alloy rims it should roll pretty well despite the weight. It might get some re-sell interest as an older cheap 10 speed. You might get 50$ for it, or maybe not.

Fact of the matter is that it might bring alot more money with a fast and cheap fixed gear conversion.

Shogun imported an entire range of bikes. Their lower models were like this one but they had topline racers and time trial bikes that were very nice.

thanks everyone for your opinions. i'monna go look at her tomorrow evening, and if all goes well, i'll take it. no worries. for $25 the least i can do is give it a good home...

so i know that there's a formula for figuring what size frame you should get. how useful is it, really? isn't there more to it than just [inseam x .62 = seat tube length = bike that will fit you?] if i hop on this bike in question here and its a 52 and feels ok to ride, but the formula tells me 54 is my size, what does that mean? that i can only ride this bike 2 times a month?

Do a search on frame sizing, you will find a lot more info that way than getting a couple of answers to this posting. Yes, there is a lot to sizing. You will discover, perhaps through some trial and error, what size works best for you.

The good news at $25 it doesn't matter. If you decide you need a larger bike, you would then sell this one at a tidy profit, and move up. If you decide you can handle it, then keep it. Its a win win. Its when you drop $500 or $1000 on a bike and then discover you have the wrong size. OUCH!

Ha. Whoops. Thanks for catching that.

Fearfeasog, in answer to your question, I've learnt mainly through trial and error what sizes I like to ride. Sometimes, a 21-inch/53 cm frame will fit, but sometimes, it just feels too cramped: top tube lengths vary. Unfortunately, however, 22-inch frames usually crowd me a bit in the crotch. This is where adjusting w/ stem lengths comes into play. You sound like you have a slightly longer inseam than I do, though, which gives you more options.

I've found the general rule-of-thumb works well for me as far as the top length: if I look down at the front wheel, the hub is not visible beneath my handlebars. When the hub is visible by anything more than about a cm, I tend to feel crowded when tucked into the drops. That's how I tend to gauge it. One of the pieces I've read about bicycle fit is at https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/. He basically describes what kind of 'feel' factors one should look at as far as fit goes. And that's really the most important part--not numbers or measurements, but feel.

One thing that might render that Shogun unappealing, btw, is the seatpost--make sure it's not stuck into the seattube. If it is, realize you will have to kill yourself to get it out.

good point. never would have thought of that, thanks!

you're absolutely right. i think i'll take my pump and some tools and see if i can get it to the point where i can ake it for a spin. then i'l have a better idea. it may just end up being a good fixer-upper. that'd be fine too.

thanks again, all!

Bikes like this are a win win situation, its cheap, rideable, and you can learn alot of mechanical skills, before you pursue more expensive bikes. Buy it, once its rideable do what you want with it, I let the neighborhood kids, ride my beaters, they have never ridden road bikes.

hey i bought it! here's some close ups. i know this bike isn't anything special, but its my first fixer-upper and i'm pretty excited. so based on these, if anyone has any suggestions...i was thinking of grabbing a cheap flip-flop hub for the rear. i like how the shift levers are just clamped. they'll go bye-bye. and i was pleasantly surprised to see the brake levers have the extensions that allow you to brake when hoding the bar on the flat part. brings back some memories. foam handlebar grip!? sheesh! why don't i replace it with pipe insulation? (i'm so funny...)

i'm not claiming to be a very good bike photographer! but here's a few details. um, yeah. i'm gonna take summore and post them later.