Looking At Older Frames for Fixed-Gear Conversion
 

Hey All

I want to make a fixed gear bike to ride as a banger on campus next semester. The campus commute generally wears on my Allez, so I wanted to save it some hurt by buying and old frame on the cheap and converting it. I've been browsing Craigslist for a while now, and I've come by some frames that fit my size and price range. I was thinking that I could post the links here and I could get some feedback on what frames are A-OK and what frames aren't. Basically all I'm going to do to the frame at this time is strip it and add a flip-flop wheelset. I also love riding fixed gear so here we go:

Cannondale of unknown make and model:
(dropouts look vertical?)
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/3180259785.html

Miyata 112:
(No pictures on link =/)
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/3165945757.html

Miyata Pro:
http://binghamton.craigslist.org/bik/3200987752.html

Trek 1000:
(No pictures on link =/)
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/3197804644.html

Univega Arrow Pace:
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/3132379758.html

What to you guys think about these frames?

Pick one that fits you.

If I wasn't going on vacation in a few days or had some time off I'd drive out to Endicott and pick up that Miyata. I would build it up as a geared bike though... that's hot.

Bike stealer.

The Cannondale looks to have vertical dropouts.

I like the Univega. If you keep the front brake you may have to get longer calipers as it has 27 inch wheels.

That Univega would be perfect but I don't see any way it's a 21" frame. Is that what you need?

If that Pro Miyata is your size you'd be a fool not to buy it, but it would be an awfully nice frame to use as a "banger".

The Miyata Pro should be a great bike if it fits, but please don't "drew" it if you buy.

How can it not be a 21"? I'm looking for 54cm ±2cm. By banger I mean something I treat less nicely than my regular frame but certainly not badly.

What's "drewing" it?

That's where you grind off the various braze-ons to make it look more like a track bike. Not saying you will, but it makes the frame less useable in the future. It's bad karma. :p

What do you guys think of a Peugeot UO-8?

Drewing would be way too much work anyway, and I like the way the frames look with nubs, mounts, and all.

Oh, so you are gonna Drew it? Harsh, brah.

I am right out front when it comes to putting modern components or whatever you like with a vintage frame, but drewing is bad juju.

I'm not Drewing it >.<

For your purposes I think anyone of these bikes would be better left as geared bikes. The Canondale is all wrong for fg/ss rigid aliminium frame with horizontal dropouts and wrong spacing. Both of the Miyata's would be great as gaered bike but likely only OK as fixed. The Univega is the only one of th bunch I would even consider making into fixed gear or singly speed, but note it is likely to big for you if the others are your size.

I could be wrong, but judging by the head tube, it looks more like 56-57 to me. Maybe you could still ride it, I don't know, but it looks bigger than the others.

The Pro Miyata is a near top-end bike and deserves to be treated accordingly imho.

Buy the Miyata Pro and keep it geared, that is a helluva a bike for a fantastic price. Fixies are not cool anymore anyways, old Japanese racing bikes will never go out of style.

U-08 may be harder to convert. I'd avoid it unless you are an experienced French bike man. Stem will be French sized along with the bars. The BB will be French threaded & the cranks will likely be cottered.

Good chance that some of those bikes you linked to will be gone. Just pick one of them up and go from there.

The Univega....but that's no 21" frame. Looks to be 57cm frame.

Cannondale and Trek are out, vertical dropouts.

Miyata Pro....small frame....50-52cm. And top line racing bike, not one I'd make a banger. Too good.

Miyata 112 is likely a good choice, lower end, decent quality, cheaper.....but no pics though.

I was going to advise a lower end Japanese, a Giant, or Peugeot from the mid 80s.
Later Peugeots should have the French threading or sizing issues. I believe they went to ISO.
And they ride like a dream like most French bikes.

As others have suggested, that Miyata Pro is under priced by about 3x. It would be a good choice in terms of durability/weight/quickness, but I think it might be a bit nicer than you need. That Univega looks like a good candidate.

Screw em, if that Miyata fits you then BUY IT!

That's a hell of a bike and a hell of a deal. Why spend as much or more for a lesser bike just because some internet yahoo thinks it's "too nice" to beat on? I believed this for a long time and built up some *****ty bikes as "beaters" or winter commuters and hated them all. The bike I currently use as my beater cost almost 10x the price of that Miyata. I ride it almost every single day. Would I want to some day hang it in a display case or restore it to period correct and sell it to a collector? No. But I don't care about that stuff. I care about how it feels when I'm riding it.

Somebody else said it better than me before "life is too short to ride crappy bikes". My vote is to get the nicest bike you can afford (that will suit your needs--ie tire size, fender capability, etc.) and do whatever you want to it.

It looks like the ones with pics all do or have semi-vertical. Which, just means the OP is probably going to need a chain tensioner as well.

Chain tensioner + fixed gear = nunh-unh

The Univega has nice dropouts. The Miyata pro does have some crazy semi-vert dropouts.

I can't remember if Trek 1000s ever had horiz, seems like they were always vert.

But they're still fun! :)

Just got a hit for a Dave Scott Centurion.

Pictures:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267480http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267481http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267482

Looks pretty sweet!! Has the right dropouts, is it quality? What do you think?

Man I sure wish those kinds of opportunities existed out here in Vegas. Anything good is usually waaaay overpriced from what I've seen. Everything else is just junk.

As for what you want to do, plenty of good advice has already been stated. In the end, it's your bike, so do as you see fit.

Joe