Conversion vs. New Complete entry level?
 

I've definately got the bug and want to get into fixed gear riding after reading this forum.

Here's my dilema. I have an old Univega Supra Sport lugged steel frame that I bought for $40. I'm not crazy about the blah gold pain. Should I convert this or buy a new entry level bike?

I'd probably spend ~$140 for a new wheelset, ~30 for a lockring and cog, CR bolts ~$10 and possibly new bars and levers for about 60 bucks. Painting a bike seems iffy from what I've read here. Considering I could get the Mercier you all write highly of for 349 what do you think?

Is it foolish to fix up the old bike? It would eventually cost about the same when I eventually get a new crank, brooks, etc etc.

I think it would be fun to learn by converting though. I'd also be recycling a frame and I'd feel like I'd be kinda cheating buying somethin new.

you answered your own question.

don't reject a frame based on its paint. if it fits, use it. you'll get more use out of a conversion, IMO.

Buying new isn't cheating; it's just riding bikes. Still, if you like riding the Univega and want the experience of converting, go for it.

*Edited brain fart* Building is definitely more expensive, unless you have a big parts bin you can cheat with. However you can think of the additional expense as tuition for bike school. You'll definitely learn a lot and have some fun. Converting an existing bike can be cheap, and also fun, though the end quality of the product will vary with your skill and the amount of $ you throw at it.

Get a new bike ... less suffering involved.

But again, I am a cyclist and i am no stranger to pain.

re
 

build up has the advantage of you getting to know the bike inside and out and will know when something is not right and have the pride of knowing you built it. On the Mercier you'll have a 'track frame' that you can replace with better parts as the ones the bike comes with wear out.
Its up to you.........

it depends. a conversion can be as cheap as the cost of a new rear wheel, or way more expensive than an off the shelf bike if you start replacing a bunch of components.

univegas make great conversions too.

convert, you sinner!!!

For sure. I will revise my earlier point: pound for pound, converting tends to be more expensive. A bike as nice as a $500 off the shelfer will probably cost you more than $500. There are clever people out there who can build a sweet bike for cheap, but this is pretty tough and I still havent't figured out how to do it.

i think i'd rather pay a few extra bucks and take a few extra moments to learn how a bike works through the conversion process. all in all, its quite priceless to be able to diagnose a problem or know your limits, rather than buy a stock bike and not know the first thing about that little creaking sound or how to tweak it to match your preferences.

What are thoughts on that windsor fixie? I've got the cash.

conversion is great for learning, but unless you've got a lot of money to throw into it you'll end up with a sub-par bike that always has something to replace.

Do you like working on bikes?

Do you have confidence in your work, or the help of someone you do have confidence in?

How would you rather spend your time, wrenching and finding parts or just riding a turnkey bike?

A lot of people love the process of building a bike, but I'd rather have something that I have confidence in and can just ride (even if I look like a poseur to the cool kids).

I don't think there's a good answer to this, depends on the person really.

I kinda just fell into converting my bike. It went from an old 10 speed to a ghetto single speed to a crappie fixed to a pretty decent fixed. Pluses are that I learned a lot, have the tools and know how to fix it, and fix it fast, doesn't look that great so it probably won't get stolen when parked with most other bikes and I feel proud to know I built it and have set it up just the way I like it.

Negatives... probably cost more in the long run, especially if you include tools, and time, it just isn't as nice as the newer bikes cause it'll take a lot of work to get the paint just right...

If you know you want a fixed gear bike, I'd probably go right for a new or used complete bike.

This is simply untrue. Spending a few months and starting with a decent frame will almost always result in a bike nicer then any comparably priced ss specific.

$20-160 for decent frame with crankset stem and seatpost
$140 wheels
$100 other crap
=
$260-400 for something far nicer than any off the shelf bike. If you spend an extra $100 on the frame you will end up with something nicer then any sub $1000 pre-built.

You just have to know what to look for and have patience. I have no clue what level univega he has but it may be much nicer then any of the cheapo 4130 frames he would be considdering instead.

If you have an older freewheeling bike with decent wheels, decent cranks, basically a good bike and you have the necessary tools and skills, conversion is a snap. Otherwise, buy a built bike and learn how to work on it. You'll save yourself time and a lot of headache. I bought a frameset and parts to build my bike like I want it, but I would have been money ahead to buy it complete. Maybe not by the time I upgraded everything, but you know what I mean. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck and most of all, have fun with it!

Mark

just buy drugs and imagine you're riding a bike, you'll feel more satisfied, and you will be cooler in the eyes of your peers.

one of the advantages of a conversion is that you can take an otherwise unused and very nice old road frame and make something awesome out of it. it will unique to you, rather that something that twelve other people you know ride to. and really, most of us dont really want track geometry, so those old road frames will ride awesome and also can be found at local places or dumpsters for cheap.

^^^yeah 666pack is full of it. GO DUTRET SCHOOL TEH NOOOOOBS

Likewise, buying a cheapo entry level bike and upgrading part by part can be expensive.

If you convert, I recommend stopping down at the boneyard and picking up as many "vintage" components as you can-- on the cheap. 20 year old Campy or DA is still better than what you will find on a bargain basement bult "track" bike.

how soon do you want the bike
?

When I converted my first bike, I wanted to see how much it cost me, so I wrote down all the parts, their costs and where I got them from. Here is the breakdown of my latest bike, which is mostly the same parts as my first conversion:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frame
Frame:$10-Miyata 310 (Garage Sale)- Came with 1st gen shimano 105, bent fork, bars, stem, Sakae cranks, heliocomatic wheels and rusted stiff chain

Drivetrain
Cranks:$80- vintage Sugino Track (Ebay)
Chainring-Gipiemme 50t (Came with cranks)
BB:$5- Shimano cup and cone (Bike Church)
Cog:$21- Surly 19t (Bike Church)
Lockring:$4- Formula (Bike Church)
Chain:$14-SRAM PC1 (LBS)
Pedals:$10- MKS GR-9 (LBS)
Clips And Staps:$20 Generic Plastic clips and Soma singles (Parts Bin/LBS)

Wheelset
Wheels:$135-Formula hubs laced 3x to Mavic CXP22s (Greatdealsonbikes.com)
Tires:Front:~$18-Michelin Dynamic (LBS)
Rear:~$40-Continental Gatorskin (LBS)

Saddle and Post
Saddle:$0-Selle Italia Flite (from a bike I am flipping on CL)
Seatpost:$5-Generic Used post (Bike Church)

Brakes
Brake Levers:$5 Shimano Exage 600EX Aero (Bike Chruch)
Brake:$0-Cheapy Shimano sidepull (Came with frame)
Pads: $2-Some generic **** (Bike Church)

Steering
Stem:$0- SR (Came with frame)
Bars:$0- Sakae Road Champion drops (Came with frame)
Bar Tape:$8-Cork tape (Bike Church)

Labor:$25-5 hours at Bike Church installing bb and straightening fork blades
$1.55-Tecate tallboy and 2 hours at the house putting the rest together

TOTAL:~$403.55, unless I ****ed up the arithmatic
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If i tried to build this bike up without a bike coop like the Bike Church, I would have spent a lot more on parts and labor at the LBS. The BB for example was only $5 because someone donated a whole box of them. A comparable BB at an LBS would have been at least $25-30. Digging through used parts bins can also shave some $ off the final cost. Also, you can find quality bike parts in some unusual places, go dumpstering and look at thrift stores. I recently found a pair of beautiful 9 speed Campy Daytona deraileurs at a thrift store where you pay by the pound. I think I paid a dollar.

I had a ton of fun building a conversion, taking it apart and putting it back together, plus I did it for almost insanely cheap by fishing around the parts bin and learning to do all the work myself with borrowed tools. I love it and I wouldn't do it any other way, but... the bike is pretty crap by the standards everyone keeps around here. I knew what I wanted- a cheap, functional, bike that's not even worth stealing but still turns heads somehow.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

yeah, just buy the drugs and act like you know how to use them. once you've mastered the technique, go out and buy a track bike and repeat.

I want drugs. Who has drugs?