Hey everyone, this will be my first time building my own bike and i'm having a hard time finding a frame. I've been riding an old road frame that's way too big for me (i'm 5'10'' and it's a 59cm frame) and it's time that I upgrade. I've been using this thing for work for about a year and a half now and I want to start building my own because it's kind of falling apart. I've been looking at used lugged steel frames because i'm probably going to beat this thing up. Steel frames can also be locked up easier in the city. Anyway, i have some seemingly random questions that i need answered before i make a purchase. thanks in advance for any advice. cool.

- I looked at some charts to try and choose a size and 54 cm seems to be right, but if i find a frame thats a cm off (53 or 55) is it going to make a big difference?

- Can any fork be drilled for brakes?

- There's a store on ebay that sells used NJS approved Keirin frames. Do keirin frames have geometry that would be way to aggressive and impractical to ride around NYC all day long? also, are these frames worth their price?

- last but not least, i have a budget of ABOUT 500 bucks (give or take 100). in your opinion, what would be my best bet overall for a pretty good steel track frame? haha preferably used for a better deal

COOL thanks everyone

1) Top tube length is more important in sizing than seat tube length. Read this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespee...ead-first.html

2) If you want to mount a front brake, buy a frame with a fork that is drilled for a brake.

3) Don't buy an NJS frame. They are invariably overpriced and not suited for regular street use.

4) Wabi Classic frameset is only $375 and a great choice for the street Wabi Cycles Classic fixed gear bike specs

that wabi bikes is looking good. Never i had single gear bike.

I echo what TT said above about skipping the Japanese bikes for now. Many of them use ultra thin steel that can be a little fragile for street use. The problem is that many frames don't have a label saying what type of steel...so you don't know what you're going to get. Plus to get anything decent, you need to spend $5-600+
Definitely don't go for the ultra cheap Japanese frames on ebay. They'll have damage...large dents/creases in the top tube, impacted head tube, etc.. Just remember that these frames were most likely crashed at 30+ mph so there may be more issues than what's readily seen.

Now...when you have more money ($5-600+) to spend and have ridden a steel bike for awhile, don't be hesitant to check out Japanese frames. Often times the higher prices frames will have framing stickers so you can pick and choose a frame based on your strength/weight. Plus you'll have a better idea on what fits you which is nice because the Japanese frames can come in a wide variety of sizes and not the usual 55 seat tube/55 top tube...you can get stuff like 55/52, 53.5/55, etc.. You can now be more choosy since you know what works/doesn't work for you.

For now, that Wabi that TT mentioned above is a high quality frame. Another option if you like chrome is a Soma Rush.
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...-rush-frameset
That will definitely get your foot in the door for a quality frame.

I mentioned "upgrading" to the Japanese frames later...both the Soma and the Wabi are great frames. You might find yourself keeping the frame for a long time and never wanting to buy another.

I love my wabi classic (granted its my first bike since I was a kid) the frame and complete bike is pretty damn light and fun as hell to spend all day on and I get a lot of compliments from random people who admire it. The geo is a very relaxed and I sometimes worry about pedal strike because of the lowish bb, but so far it has yet to actually happen.

If you are Pauly Shore go out and find a custom builder and spend lots of money! Don't worry about it. You are freakin' Pauly Shore you were in movies and probably made some cash and should get yourself something nice.

This:

When I was a kid I wanted to be your character in Encino Man.

Where do you live? Make sure to keep a keen eye on sites like Craigslist/alternative for good used stuff.

Pauly! We hung out after your stand-up show in Boston a few years back. That night was a hoot!

My mom hanging out with Pauly Shore after a show around '91-92. They were COMPLETELY trashed.

And you just happen to be in your mid-20s.

I'm 35 breh.

haha. buuuu-dy.

I remember when he used to do all of those MTV Spring Break deals. Do they still do those shows?