Trying to choose between 2 bikes
 

Hi guys, total newbie alert here. I'm trying to decide between two bikes for my first fixie. I've got my eyes on a silver/gray Shogun 400 as well as a tangerine Schwinn Le Tour II. The Schwinn looks great in pics, but due to its location would take a bit of a commitment to pick up. Anyway I just wanted to see if there were any opinions about those two bikes in particular. I appreciate all your input!

Look for forged dropouts. If both bikes fit you but one has them and one doesn't, get the one that does. I don't know anything about those frames specifically, but this system has generally worked well for me.

Thanks for the quick response. What do you see as the benefits of the forged dropouts?

Be sure to check:

http://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm
http://bikesdirect.com/products/moto.../messenger.htm
http://bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/thehour.htm

Generally these just need a new cog/lockring to make sure its in a good operable state.

Thanks for the tip, I've been looking at bikes direct for a while but at least at this point I really want an old bike :) As school has just returned those seem to be tough to come by, in which case I would probably buy a bikesdirect bike.

Shogun good












Schwinn bad

Based on what though?

arggh...schwinn bad...me no like em schwinn. But in all reality, as long as it doesnt have a kickstand, one piece cranks and weigh 40 pounds it should be aiiiiiiiiiiiight

Cool. Any idea what exactly the forged dropout is? I can't say I've ever heard the term, in my limited experience :)

Without knowing exact age on the Shogun I would say it might be a toss up. The Letour II would be an older 1020 steel model from the late 70's with stamped dropouts. So in that respect the Shogun might be an 80's model with better forged dropouts and better lighter tubing. I would vote the Shogun only knowing what the Letour is.

If this helps, here's the listing for the Schwinn
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/415812766.html

and the Shogun

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/415374377.html

Those bikes aren't the same size. Buy the one that fits. If neither of them fit don't buy either. :D While that's not a bad Schwinn, it's not that nice either. If it fits and it's in you're price range it will work.

My whole goal is to get a cheap(er) bike and a total POS rust bucket. I'm not really looking for anything top of the line as I'm sure eventually it will get stolen or vandalized here in the city. Thanks for the input, Kemmer! Oh btw, my size is 58cm, but I could go a cm or so either way if need be, so that's why they're different sizes.

seriously. go with the shogun or a Bikes direct bike (im partial to the messenger, they should've named it the "mullet" Track in the back, road in the front.)

I'm not exactly sure which schwinn executive in the 80s got everybody thinking that their heavy/****ty bikes were cool, but he made a fortune none the less. I had a shogun road bike for a few months, it was a light, smooth ride. I had a schwinn varsity for a week before i ditched it for twice what i paid on CL.

edit: i have a 58cm raliegh rampar frame for sale for a case of beer. i suggest finding stuff like this.

I've been buying old road bikes for awhile now and converting them. I know what is generally worth over the $150 mark and that Schwinn is about $100 high. 27" wheels are undesirable and they shouldn't be charging that much and I think one or both of those bikes had one piece cranksets too, if so that's more hassle than it's worth unless you have the right tools; I would guess that you don't. Also, if you don't have friends at a shop you should do the math....my guess is that when paying over $100 for the original bike you're going to be right up there with the bikesdirect bikes to get it rideable. Even factor in the gas since you have to travel for one of 'em. And are you converting a freewheel, or are they freehubs, do you need a track wheelset, etc? I was selling on Ebay and making decent money while I searched for a new job right up until bikesdirect got their new line in; there's a reason for that. The prices are cheap and the bikes very rideable as-is for beginners and beyond.

Those 2 bikes are way overpriced, maybe $50 would be a half decent deal. At anything over $100, go to bikesdirect and buy the Windsor The Hour for $300 or Kilo TT for $350. Those aren't top of the line but are excellent values for the money.

how is that kilo? that seems like an unbelievable deal. i was planning on finding an old steel frame and building one myself but this bike seems cheaper than even that wheels and a crank alone are like 250ish.

Basically, it's an unbelievable deal. The components aren't the best, but they're basically equivalent to any other off-the-shelf sub-$600 bike, and they'll do just fine for most casual riders. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the three fixed gear bikes that Bikes Direct offers.

To the OP, by the time you end up converting either of those ugly beasts, you'll be at about what you paid for a Bikes Direct bike, only you'll have something halfway decent and with a good resale value.

Sorry to respond quick and then bail. Check out this link:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_dr-z.html

Find "dropouts" on the page. It has examples of forged, stamped, and track ends, and the variations of each. Basically, forged dropouts are higher quality and generally are an indicator of the quality of the bike itself. I'm not saying that it's impossible to find a good bike with stamped dropouts (though a Schwinn won't likely be one of them), but it's sort of like using standover height as a check for fit. It won't be a pro fitting, but it's a great guideline if you don't know anything about buying a bike.

i love my kilo frameset, fwiw.

otherwise, if you want old, shogun.