Elements

So all I decided after a week with the " thruster fixie" the cheap parts gumming up and loosing smoothness by the minute, I'm gonna get a used older bike, most likely but I decided road biking is just as fun as mtb.
I spent hours googling, looking on eBay and local bike trader, which had some great deals but I'm mainly lookin for a decent wheelset seems to make quite some difference but what hubs should I keep an eye out for and some tough frame models remember it will be used. So lay it on me even if you throw out your dream combination. This will most likely turn into a fixed gear, at ten miles round trip, maybe 5 days a week what should I look for remember realistically I need cheap or used parts so ya parts, tips, tricks, all welcome I live in a small town all kinds of roads everywhere, brick, stone, curbs.

also I use small sport bags to carry my work stuff lock etc. so I want a very simple light weight bike D.I.Y project.

jyl

I'd ask in Fixed Gear, they should be all over this stuff.

Elements

Thanks man

Andy_K 

It turns out that it isn't often very economical to buy an old road bike and convert it into a ss/fg. You can do it, but it's generally cheaper to buy something new. The one exception to this is if you happen to score something in pretty good shape at a yard sale for under $25. Of course, if you find something that someone has already converted the economics work in your favor, though a bit of negotiating might be needed.

What is "gumming up" on your current bike?

A new set of tires might make you happy with the bike you have. If not that, then a new set of wheels perhaps? If that still doesn't work, a new crank and bottom bracket would almost certainly do the trick. And, of course, at that point you can get a new frame and you'll have just about everything else you need.

Elements

Haha more of a car term I guess, but I had it out in the rain a lot since I got it and have not been taking the best care of it shame on me. It needs greased its not pedaling smooth anymore and i guess its better for cardio haha bit its kind of a pain.its a thruster fixie and I think the bb is gonna give me problems and I don't much want to spend money on it since its a cheapo as is might try the soda can trick see if that helps. I got it to try a new style of biking and I like it so I'm gonna cruise on it for a while and get my technique down. And to be honest I'm really hoping on that yard sale haha, around here people don't realize the potential or just don't care.

Andy_K 

I'd say there's a reasonable chance that the bottom bracket is just poorly adjusted. It sounds like you're mechanically adventurous, so opening it up, cleaning and regreasing the bearings may be all it needs. In the long run, I'd want to replace it with a cartridge type bottom bracket, but that would depend on finding one that is compatible with your crankset (or upgrading the crankset too). If you've already regreased the BB bearings (I seem to remember you saying you did something like that) then you might need new bearings, or again a whole new bottom bracket if the cups and/or axle are pitted.

Obviously it can become a money pit in a hurry, but it sounds like it at least uses standard sizes, so new parts can move forward if/when you replace the frame.

Elements

Awesome thanks man I really appreciate that, you gave me a little more confidence that this bike may not have been the worst choice. I got some cloudy cold days to work on it.