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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

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Old 03-27-20, 03:47 PM
  #1  
QPM
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Noob

Hello everyone! What a great place this is! I am new to the forum and singlespeed/Fixed gear bikes in general so am asking for help.

I have a Giant warp ds1 that is about 19 years old, and is still a pretty good bike for my purposes-except it is a bit heavy. Not uncommon to ride 20-30 miles for a fun ride. I only say this so you know what I am used to. Bike was locked to rack which was locked to truck and some sob stole my wheels.

I am thinking about commuting across a city environment, about 12 miles each way and instead of getting new wheels (for now) I thought it would be a great time to get the fixie I always wanted. I don't know which one, and here is where I could use some help. I am looking at spending 200-400ish USD and would hope to get the most I can.
Here are the contenders (you could probably guess them)
BIGSHOT 300
SE Lager on sale 329
Golden Vader 229
state rigby 325
Please share your experience/recc on these bikes, as I am really new to this...any clear winners? losers? The bigshot business model is neat, but I do wonder if they are charging a bit of a premium for the build your own bike business model, which might result in different quality parts?

Thank you very much! Glad I found this place.
QM
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Old 03-27-20, 04:54 PM
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Consider spending a little more and getting a Kilo TT: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm
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Old 03-27-20, 06:19 PM
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+1. It's just a little out of your range but much, much better value!
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Old 03-27-20, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by TMonk
+1. It's just a little out of your range but much, much better value!
+1 for the Kilo TT! I have 8 or 900 miles on mine now. Steering, acceleration, and fit are great. It rides really well, and comes in that amazing green color! .

Dave
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Old 03-27-20, 10:49 PM
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Originally Posted by oouellette
Consider spending a little more and getting a Kilo TT: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm
Agreed, or the Kilo WT for gnarly roads.

Have you looked at your local Craigslist to see if something decent is available there?
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Old 03-28-20, 05:54 AM
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Roads here are terrible. They do have WTs left for sale:at bd

While it is a little more money, I would rather spend it and have a product that works well and will last than get something that has a higher chance of failing/disappointing.

I appreciate your feedback! In short, no one said anything bad about the bikes I mentioned (maybe being polite?) but no one said anything good about them either... lol
If I roughly double my budget I can get in the game with something that should last a long time....
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Old 03-28-20, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by QPM
Roads here are terrible. They do have WTs left for sale:at bd

While it is a little more money, I would rather spend it and have a product that works well and will last than get something that has a higher chance of failing/disappointing.

I appreciate your feedback! In short, no one said anything bad about the bikes I mentioned (maybe being polite?) but no one said anything good about them either... lol
If I roughly double my budget I can get in the game with something that should last a long time....
I try to refrain from raining on someone's parade. Pretty much all of those listed made me go "meh", but that doesn't help you. With a solid frame you can upgrade components over time as they wear out or you find deals. You also will have a better idea of what you want/like a year from now.

After a solid frame that fits the biggest improvement is the wheels.

Make sure urge you order the right size too. There are threads here that discuss how Kilos fit.
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Old 03-28-20, 01:36 PM
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Reynolds 520 is super durable. I've have both a TT and a WT - my current WT is my favorite and most versatile bike. All of the components are serviceable until you get the itch to do some upgrading.

Check bikeisland.com periodically too, they have blemish models for reduced prices sometimes. Also run by the excellent BD folks. I got my WT for under $400 shipped.

Originally Posted by QPM
Roads here are terrible. They do have WTs left for sale:at bd

While it is a little more money, I would rather spend it and have a product that works well and will last than get something that has a higher chance of failing/disappointing.

I appreciate your feedback! In short, no one said anything bad about the bikes I mentioned (maybe being polite?) but no one said anything good about them either... lol
If I roughly double my budget I can get in the game with something that should last a long time....

Last edited by oouellette; 03-28-20 at 04:13 PM.
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Old 03-28-20, 05:05 PM
  #9  
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Ok guys. Now we really opened Pandora's box. I ramp up the budget to 500$ and checking out the WT when I realize that a lot more choices than my original budget offered at the new price point. I must say I am a sucker for % off.... for example the motobecane fantom cross uno pro is in that price range as is the CF Record.

So, now that my budget isn't so puny are there other bikes I should be looking at in addition to the WT, or is that (as it seems might be the consensus) still the clear victor?

Thanks again guys, I think you have already helped me a lot!

QM
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Old 03-28-20, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by QPM
Ok guys. Now we really opened Pandora's box. I ramp up the budget to 500$ and checking out the WT when I realize that a lot more choices than my original budget offered at the new price point. I must say I am a sucker for % off.... for example the motobecane fantom cross uno pro is in that price range as is the CF Record.

So, now that my budget isn't so puny are there other bikes I should be looking at in addition to the WT, or is that (as it seems might be the consensus) still the clear victor?

Thanks again guys, I think you have already helped me a lot!

QM
I'm not sure the WT is the clear victor, however, I looked at many bikes (and bike reviews) with a budget of $800, and I went with the WT. I have zero regrets, but that said I've upgraded the WT considerably...but not because it was required to enjoy riding it...more that I had the budget and I wanted to personalize it.

IMHO, you can take all the advice thrown at you, and read all the reviews available, but it's going to come down to personal preference.
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Old 03-29-20, 08:17 PM
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Originally Posted by QPM
Ok guys. Now we really opened Pandora's box. I ramp up the budget to 500$ and checking out the WT when I realize that a lot more choices than my original budget offered at the new price point. I must say I am a sucker for % off.... for example the motobecane fantom cross uno pro is in that price range as is the CF Record.

So, now that my budget isn't so puny are there other bikes I should be looking at in addition to the WT, or is that (as it seems might be the consensus) still the clear victor?

Thanks again guys, I think you have already helped me a lot!

QM
Keep in mind the BD prices are not off of anything. Those are all fake prices made to trick you into thinking you are getting an amazing deal. Motobecane, Mercier, Windsor, et Al are no longer the brands they once were and were bought by BD to give their generic bikes some faux prestige.
The Pound Sign: KiloTT isn't a terrible bike and certainly if you bought what you were originally looking at you would be doing worse but it is not that great of a bike. It is a fine starter bike and while rife with odd sizing would still work fine.

When in doubt always ramp up your budget. Life is too short of cheap bikes. Get something nice that fits you well and is comfortable and in the case of single speed and fixed gear is nice and quiet and smooth. I hate clunky drivetrains and with a fixed gear it is cheap to build a smooth drivetrain compared to doing it with a geared bike.
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Old 03-30-20, 08:01 AM
  #12  
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Bianchi Pista looks pretty nice. There are a couple of Crew bikes on sale that cost about as much as the Mercier. I will probably go with the 'starter,' then if I consistently commute with it will move up the ladder. It is a bit of a chicken or the egg dilemma, as if you have to climb on a janky hoopdie every morning you may be less enthusiastic about the trip, so won't ride, so won't be able to justify getting the bike that you would actually want to ride every day.
Again, many thanks for your input I really appreciated it.
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Old 04-12-20, 07:05 PM
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Thanks again guys! Well I bought a starter set up and was riding about 10 miles a day. There are some things that aren't great...and I saw I really good deal on new oldstock so went ahead and bought a Pinarello Lungavita which should last me a while.

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