Is this bike good for a fixed gear?
 

I picked it up today at a second hand store for $20, I figured why not? I don't really know anything about it, just that its a Columbia Deville 10, it kinda looks like that front fork is bent and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if it is. Enjoy. Oh and sorry, I mean single speed..... (possibly with a flip flop though)

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/MVC-042S.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/MVC-041S.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/MVC-040S.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/MVC-039S.jpg

im getting sick of these threads. sorry, im no help.

Keep the kick-stand and replace everything else. (I'm no help as well)

honestly, that bike looks pretty ****ty. One piece cranks and dropouts crimped into the stays are pretty much giveaways that it's most likely heavy and poorly made. On the other hand, it will probably last forever and nobody will want to steal it. If I were you, I would put a bmx freewheel on it and not spend any more money on it.

ok thanks! thats all i needed to know. and to the two other guys.. why are you getting sick of those type of threads? Im not *****ing Im just wondering... I dont want to start off with something that sucks. Looks like I did, but thats no big deal, its was only $20.

Heres a different question then, What should I look for when Im looking at older bikes for a fixie?

cause there are like 5 a day. same thing over and over. I think someone should just make a new thread(and keep it alive) dedicated to asking this question.

edit: im also kind of in a crap mood. someone dented the **** out of my top tube in my panasonic. im really sad.

that sucks.. sorry to hear that dude. well um, i dont know then.... I guess Ill keep looking.

Let;s start yet another sticky thread displaying every type of bike than can be converted!

P.O.S.

(The reason so many of these threads keep popping up is that there are so many of these "bicycles" around.)

What to look for? As somebody on another thread wrote (and I'm paraphrasing here), "avoid anything with the 'big disc between the freewheel and spokes', one-piece 'Ashtabula' cranks, shifters mounted on the handlebar stem, or 'safety levers' on the brake levers."

All of these are markers of heavy, old (sometimes not THAT old) clunkers that are better off in the trash. Sorry if I sound like a cranky old guy.

What's wrong with dork disks? All derailer bikes came with them.

*shrug* The one piece crank is a nice indicator that the bike is crap though.
I've seen plenty of bikes with stem shifters converted, and they're clean since there are no bosses on the downtube. Just like every other bike, there can be cheap fixies, midrange fixies, and high end fixies.

yeah but id rather have a cheap fixie that wasnt a total peice of crap. So basically, I should look for an aluminum frame or lugged steel, with a 3 peice crank, and none of those funky brake levers correct? My mom has an old shogun i might be able to talk her out of..

any flavor of chromoly steel will be at least decent, and forged dropouts are a good indicator of a nice frame although there are plenty of decent chromoly frames with stamped dropouts.

If you pick up the bike and it weighs a ton just walk away. A bare frame and fork shouldn't weigh more than 7 pounds (that's on the heavy end of decent) and a complete bike should weigh closer to 25 than 30 pounds. a light bike would be somewhere near 20 complete 5 for frame and fork.

Throw it away.

If you can keep that Deville rolling as is I'd ride it till it broke. As everyone else says, it isn't worth converting unless you've got a stash of free parts and plenty of free time.

no free parts what-so-ever. thats why im saying screw it. ill keep looking. il keep all that stuff in mind. like i said my mom has that shogun, and there is a really nice schwinn at a pawn shop down town.

i think they meant the huge metal ones. those are usually indicators of 70 pound monsters. s

shiet my conv had all of these sans ashtabula cranks

let me guess. it weighs 45 pounds now and will weigh 30 when/if you take all the junk off. and the frame is well over 3 kilos?

I'm glad I noticed this thread before starting a new one. :>

I just got a Nishiki "custom sport", which (from descriptions on this forum), I'm thinking may be one of the 70s "gas pipe boat anchor" type clunkers. My gf just got an 80s (guessing here [ok - she says actually probably early 70s) Japanese bike (a Zebrekenko), which feels significantly lighter and rides really well. The guy who sold it pointed out that the bike would be lighter with most of the components taken off, but it's still pretty heavy. I can lift it with one hand, and it's still lighter than my Bianchi Milano, but it's definitely on the heavy side. The frame is in pretty good shape; not really any rust and not too many dings / scratches. There's a license renewal sticker from '81 on it, but based on pictures and descriptions, I'm guessing it's a 70s model.
looks somewhat like this, only with maroon paint:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/spo/336549139.html

It does have the stem shifters, safety levers on the brake levers, possibly the metal disk in the wheel; don't believe the crank is one-piece at least.

I'm planning on replacing both wheels, and removing the rear brake, etc., and will possibly replace the crankset etc. later. I guess if it's still too heavy, I could find another frame later and move over the components... but am I going to regret this? Should I cut my losses and try to sell the frame and parts? Or will I be happy to have a slightly heavier frame for riding around town?

I can take a picture later if folks want.

You're better off, but 80 is a little steep for a lot of rust.

Sorry if I wasn't clear... it's not that bike - just a bike LIKE that one (in terms of the components, age, etc.). As I mentioned, the bike I got is in pretty good shape and without any significant rust (i.e., nothing that won't come off with a scrubby sponge).

I had converted an old Huffy for fun many years ago. It still weighed about 35lbs when I was done, but it looked pretty cool (26 inch tires, one piece crank, chopped bars) anyway, I rode the **** out of it for a few years then sold it on Craigslist for $100 last summer (had SO many offers, it was comical... people were willing to pay me the money without even seeing the bike, I think Philly is a little fixed gear crazy). The person who bought it was a courier who uses it as his Polo bike. The thing gets hit with mallets all day and nothing can destroy it.

I have no point to this post... but I like stories.

I like stories too!

Another sign of clunkiness is a fork with an exaggerated rake - and the shape of the blades. Also, the heavy rack in the same colour as the bike. Sometimes these are integral part of the frame.

Is that a leather seat, though? I'd keep that. I find them really comfy, reagardless of the shape.

Other parts you might re-use: front and rear wheels, handlebar, brake levers. Maybe the brakes, too.