Advice needed
 

Hey guys,

I am new to the site and looks like you guys have a big community.
I am looking to buy a fixie or a classical looking bike. I would rather have gears at least a couple.
Can someone point me in the right direction to find fixies or whatnot. Some of my buddies fix up old bikes that they find on craigslist but I dont really have the time to build one. And whats a good/average price for a decent bike?

Thanks in advance. Hope yall can help!

Get one that fits.
Any bike that fits is a good ride.

Old, Original SS/Fixie or "pista" bikes are hard to find.

Your best bet is to get a regular oldie (10spd/12spd) and convert it yourself to SS/Fixie. Will run you anywhere from $30 - $60 depending on how you do it and what you use.

Good luck

Where do you live? The market pricing on SS/FG bikes really varies by location. Start watching your local C/L and you will become an expert on pricing in your area in a few weeks.

By local, you need to consider any C/L within about 100 radius of where you are located, plus C/L where you have family/friends that might be willing to pick up a bike for you.

Be prepared to pay full market on Craigs List. Most "deals" have issues that if you are willing/able to fix, can make them better deals. But clean, well maintained, and ready to ride bikes usually go at or near full market.

The harder you look, the better deal you will get. There is no free lunch on buying vintage bikes.

I've only ever done one conversion so maybe I just don't have the experience to know where to get parts, but this seems low. You could probably run a single speed for this price, but to keep a fixed gear cost this low you will have to run a suicide hub, which I personally wouldn't do. I recommend a cheap set of track wheels with a reverse thread for a lock ring. This will probably run 80-120 for a cheap set with a cog and lock ring.

If you want a fixie, check this one out...if buy it you will save a classic road bike in the process. Nashbar also has a 30% discount code out their for a credit card problem they had earlier. They also have other dicount codes that can bring the price down. I ride a Nashbar bike, and have had no complaints with it. When they are on a roll, prices at Nashbar & Performance & Niagara destroy Wal-Mart and K-mart.

Fixie ($299 right now, less the % off from any discount codes you can come up with)

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...1_10000_201512

Single Speed

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...1_10000_201512

Nashbar Fixie: $299

Conversion Estimate:
Classic Road Bike: $200
Track Wheels: $90
Fixed Cog: $10
Lock Ring: $8
Chain Whip: $20
Spanner Wrench: $20
Chain Breaker: $15
Total MINIMUM Cost: $363

To be fair, you can always use the tools again, but the Nashbar bike may not be a bad idea if you don't have time to do your own work, which is a factor not even included in my cost estimate.

Thanks guys for all the info.

Are there any other online sites that are giving out good discounts?
The nashbar bike looks good. Especially with the discount.

I dont necessarily have to convert the road bike to a fixie. Ill be satisfied with either or.

Based on those Nashbar prices, perhaps the FG/SS bubble has burst??

To the OP, you would be hard pressed to convert even an old junker for the Nashbar price.

One potential issue with the Nashbar bike is the likeliness of scorn from your fixie riding buddies. The hardcore fixie guys will call you a poser for riding a new factory manufactured bike instead of a converted vintage bike.

Tell 'em to bugger off.

This is true. Of course you can combat that by spray painting EVERYTHING on your otherwise perfectly good new bike. Try purple and green to start with.

Original NEW fixies are plentiful in SF though. I was just at "Pacific Bicycles" during my lunch break, and they literally have hundreds of fixies and track bikes in that shop. Hundreds i tell ya!! Makes a gear fan like me nervous walking in there like those fixie bikes are out like sharks to grab and gut out my poor PSV!
But to be truthfull, though I really frown on the thought of people amputating parts from good classic frames to make a new fixie, I do love the ultra clean lines of single speed, brakeless bike. the show the purest look af the bicycle artform and I think that the new trend for fixies (notice I did not call it a "fad" this time!;^)) is mostly based the desire for this pure form.
JMOs

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV

Alright i may have found a bike online. Let me know what you guys think based on the picture. dont know any details.thx
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...august9213.jpg

Keep in mind several things when you're thinking of buying a used bike, like the Fuji above.
1. Does it need tires? Those cost roughly $15 each for cheap but decent.
2. Does it need brakes? Cables, pads? Those cost $8 per cable/casing and $10 per pad pair.
3. Does it need handlebar wrap? $15
4. Does it have true wheels?
etc.
It ALWAYS adds up. That said, in my experience, a cheap bike will have the same problems very quickly after you buy it.

Yes, then remind them that

A) they are posers for not owning real track bikes
B) most of the factory fixies have better track geometry than there converted huffys (I think)