What do you guys mean when you say Windsor the hour frame has "flex"?

flex at the bb all steel frames flex just about all frames in existence flex it is just a matter of how much

Just got '07 KHS flite with the aero-ish downtube/threaded fork.

So far so good. It's a 53 and fits well, the geometry is great, and even though it's basic Reynolds variety 4130 double butted tubing, it's not too heavy.

the geometry on the 55cm and under si slightly more slack only by about a degree on the ht and st vs 57cm and up

From the KHS website.

Anyone know if the Paddy Wagon is still available as a frameset? I'm looking swap out my Soma Rush frame for something a little bigger and more road-ish without spending too much money.

The IRO Mark V and Milwaukee Orange One are the other frames on the short list. I would like cable guides as I will be running two brakes.

No one mentioned the Trek T1 which can be found used on eBay for the price of a Pista. I have one of each and the Pista is going up for sale. Oh yeah, for those who hate aluminum, I live at the beach so it's a good choice for me, and with a carbon fork it's quite compliant.

yup. at Bikeman

http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/KON-PADDYWAG

Pake Track Bike
 

Where can I find a Pake Bike Complete at online? I looked at their website and all it was was for a frame, I am VERY interested in purchasing one of these if all possible. Any information would be greatly appreicated

the pake, which has been covered a lot on the regular forum recently. I like it. that said, i paid cost for it, but even for $320

+1 on that comment, especially if you're already well used to road bikes.

Now, I'll take it one step further: If you're doing the yard sale, etc., bit for a bike to convert; look for a lugged Japanese road frame, 70's or early 80's. Even the base line models had better build quality than most of the classic European bikes of that era (say, anything under a full Campy/531 bike), the frames were very solid, paint jobs were usually very good. Stay with the 5-speed freewheel models as that keeps the 120 rear stays. 6-speed freewheels means the rear stays are opened to 126.

More importantly, these were the bikes that finally standardized the bicycle industry. They're why you have English bottom brackets (unless you have an Italian bike, of course), English threaded stems, forged dropouts and a bunch of smaller details. If you decided to swap parts, there's very little chance you'll run into nasty surprises.

Now, if you want a little class in that nice ride (and plan on keeping the paint at least somewhat stock), look for a Japanese built Bianchi. They were invariably good bikes in their price range, decent paint jobs, and good level components. I've done a few conversions on these for other people (primarily road bikes, but a few other jobs in there) and have invariably wanted to own the bike once I had it completed. Schwinn's of this period (not the Chicago built TIG welded jobs) were extremely good bikes, too. They're easy to find if you look around a bit.

I was thinking bout spending 200 on a PAKE frame. Does anybody have any experience on them. What other frames are around the 200-250 range ( w/ out fork) would u recomend?

Bikes Direct is going to be selling the Kilo TT frame and fork as a stand-alone for $175 in February. If you can wait, I would, because that's far and away the best deal going.

How would u compare the pake to the kilo tt?

by riding one and then the other.

oh cmon, no need to be a tool.

Well, the Pake is an ugly-ass tank with a unicrown fork. The Kilo/KHS 100/Spicer frame seems to be a little lighter, and with a much more attractive flat-crown fork. Really though, they're both just cheap, basic steel frames, which is why I suggest that everyone get the cheapest 4130 frame that they can find. In this case, it's the Kilo TT.

hey guys im new here and have a few Q not sure if this is the right thread but i couldnt find any conversion Q threads. anyways i have a old Schwinn traveler and Murray road bike that i would like to convert to a fixie. would either of these be worth converting or would it be a big hassle.

I've heard the Pake rides like a sofa.


I went the conversion route and didn't save any money but I had a nice frame (see pics in my sig). Neither of your frames are nice, I wouldn't bother personally. Get a Kilo TT shipped for $350, but a front brake for $25 sell those frames for $40 each on CL to some hipster for converting a fixie and you are way ahead of the pack.

After some research and reading through this thread I'm leaning toward Windsor The Hour as my first fixie. Any objections/suggestions? Would it be worth it to drop another $50 to get the Kilo TT (they don't have it in my size on bikesdirect currently). Feedback welcome, thanks!

thanks sanchez

Availability is really limited here, so I'm looking at choosing between Raleigh Rush Hour and Cannondale Capo. I'm inclined toward steel, but the salty air and frequent downpours here makes me wonder if aluminum isn't a better choice. I'll be running it as a SS, at least initially, so front and rear brakes are a must. Rush Hour is cheaper and I like the understated look. I'll be using the bike mostly for commuting and errands/around town.

So.... Capo v. Rush Hour?

This just came to my attention via BikeSnobNYC:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=3040

Am I been missing this for the past few months or is $299 for a threadless/brake-d complete rig a pretty sweet deal. Anyone know anything about this?

just threadwatch

yeah I just saw that after the additional 15% deal already ended. I'm trying to find out more about it.

Wow, I'm so interested in getting a FGSS after reading many pages in this forum. After reading this thread, I can't decide between these:

Surly Steam Roller

IRO Mark V
IRO Angus
-The two different steels between the IRO's have me confused. Which is better?

Kona Paddy Wagon

Bareknuckle
-Where the f do you buy these in a complete or frame?

Thanks for any advice. I really just want a bike that I can have some fun on and not worry about rain, potholes, and random stuff happening.

-Barry-