New to fixed gear/singlespeed, looking for recommendations
 

I recently acquired a 2016 Fuji Feather (April 2017), relatively new to cycling and have enjoyed riding the hell out of it. As it is starting to get cooler and in anticipation of winter months when I won't be riding as much I was wondering if anyone had recommendations on upgrades. Like I said I'm new to cycling but I feel like there is certainly room for improvement as the bike seems to be somewhat noisy and I feel the ride could be smoother. I'm extremely open to suggestions, want to improve performance while still maintaining the bikes simple, elegant design. I've read about changing the chain, gears, etc. but I cannot understate the fact that I'm extremely new to biking and really not sure where to begin. I'd like to be able to do most of the work myself. Thanks in advance for any help or opinions you may have.

I have a 2015 Fuji Track which is essentially the same thing. I wouldn't bother changing anything other than maybe the cog and lock ring if you plan to ride brakeless. Otherwise everything else is pretty decent and not worth messing with. It's a great value for a complete bike to learn on or as a back up bike. Ride it and find out what you like/don't like and then build up a frameset the way you want it.

I'm surprised the bike is noisy with stock components. It would be a good idea to see if you can diagnose where the noise is coming from. The parts that you notice the most when upgrading are first the saddle, then other contact points like the bars and pedals, then the wheels. Changing cogs, chainrings and chains doesn't usually make a vast difference unless you are changing the gear ratio, in which case it can make a huge difference.

Without knowing more about the noise and the rough ride, the biggest improvement for me was always giving my bike a thorough cleaning. I'm not great about regular maintenance (which I know is bad for longevity), so when I finally get around to cleaning the drivetrain, it always makes a huge difference in noise level (from some noise to silent) and the smooth feeling in the rotation of the cranks.

So... does your bike just need a good clean?

I started working with less expensive steel frames. Having made some changes and looked at a lot of components, I feel you should consider purchasing a scale if you have time to devote to being a home mechanic and rider. I was looking at the specs for your bike and feel the FSA bottom bracket might be very good, and don't know any reason to criticize other components. But, you might want to take the bicycle apart to clean. Not easy to learn to take it apart to clean with the right tools, weigh, size up and understand materials of components, consider new components, and install new components with the right tools, especially if you aren't getting help. Took me a few years to get the tools I need, understand bearings, nuts, components, and geometry, and do some good work.

When the problem is the bike is noisy and doesn't feel smooth, clean it. This will solve the problem about 90% of the time. While you're there, make sure drive train parts aren't excessively worn. Make sure things that spin can spin smoothly. Replace stuff as needed.

You will need: degreaser, scrubbing brush, rags, lube, maybe a chain tool if you want to give remove the chain and give it a thorough cleaning.

I concur with DanBell and seau grateau.

Start with a good cleaning/lube/adjustment on all spinning parts: pedal spindles, bottom bracket, wheel hubs, and headset. If they're rough, stiff, sloppy, or noisy: disassemble, clean, repack with new grease, and reassemble with proper adjustment (in the case of loose ball & cone bearings) or just remove and replace (if they're cartridge type).

Thoroughly clean and lube the chain.

Carefully inspect the whole bike for loose hardware.

Check wheels for bent or wobbly rims or loose spokes.

This will all require minimal cash expense and should only take a few hours, maybe one day. It can make a BIG difference on the bike.

Since this is all very new to you, you should get a good book. I like Park Tool's "Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair," but there are others too.

Once you've sorted out all these minor maintenance issues, you can start looking at upgrades.

Since you're new, check out Articles by Sheldon Brown and Others