queerpunk

my job at a bike shop is dangerous, because it tempts me to buy things that maybe i shouldn't.

one of my coworkers offered to sell me a frameset for $150.
4 or 5 year old Fuji Professional ProGram3, with a Kinesis carbon fiber fork and a shimano 600 headset.

it's light and has a nice tight geometry, much better than the wack superslackness of my current frame on my fixie. i really want this frame. but it's got vertical dropouts, and i can't afford an eccentric hub.

how good of a deal is this for me, all things considered? considering that i can't really put more money into it. considering that i'll have to put spare-parts stem and bars in, considering that i'd have to switch over the bottom bracket from my current, old, secondhand, assortment-of-old-parts fixie--a job that i have neither tools nor experience to do. not to mention chainline...

feedback? advice? discouragement?

bostontrevor

Assuming you like an Al frame and it's in good shape, never wrecked, etc, it's probably a good deal. But if you can't afford to build it up, that sort of defeats the purpose, eh?

Bringing in old parts ain't a big deal. It's not like they'll hurt the frame, just know that if you want to really take advantage of that slick ride, you'll have to put together a piece-by-piece upgrade plan.

r0cket-

I'd say pass. It's a good deal if you're looking for a road frame to build a geared bike around, but not such a good deal if you're looking for something to run fixed.

Judah

I wouldn't even think about it, beer-can frame, plastic fork, drop-outs. Not something I would fix or ride. Good price, but if you're looking for a nice conversion-candidate keep searching. Those ENO hubs aren't cheap, you could have a very nice real track hub for that price. That said, I ride a plastic fork right now and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I keep picturing myself hopping a curb at speed and realizing that my fork has shattered and I'm rapidly approaching the ground...

LóFarkas

Yeah, and Formula 1 cars fall apart if they accelerate over 100mph, right?

queerpunk

the thing is, i feel like this is the kind of deal that i won't really get again, or at least any time soon...