Actually, does anyone have pictures of the 54 and/or 56 cm Messenger? I'd like to get an idea of what they look like in person.

just ordered a 54cm blue one, wishing it was orange.
i'm gonna rattle can it this winter anyways.
but

can someone tell me what size handlebars this thing takes?

25.4ish. i bought a 31mm and it didnt fit

so.... 25.4ish or 26?
haha. anyone got a non-guesstimation?

i want to replace the bars at some point, but i'm really clueless about how to go about it, the handlebar width is 25.4, what size do risers come in? would i have to replace the stem too?

lol, welll i have a 31.x riser bar and it doesnt fit. adn i just ordered a 25.4ish bar and hopefully it fits

so no one knows the actual size?
i want to order bars so they arrive around the same time as my bike, but i want to know whether or not the bars will fit.
i want the Nitto RM-019 Pursuit Bar, but i think they only make it in 26mm

BUT i read that it's possible (and not that difficult) to fit a 26 bar into 25.4 stem.

doesn't seem safe to me...the sizes should match

No pics yet but my Messenger (58cm, orange) did arrive last week. The pics on the site don't do justice to the orange color, it's kinda pearly and can only be described as "fresh to death".

I got the wheels trued and had an 18 tooth cog put on it and I'm quite happy. This being my first fixie I was concerned about what kind of gearing to use and how far my legs would be able to push it but the bike is so light and smooth that I'm totally happy. I did a 10+ mile ride on Thursday and only quit because it was getting dark. I rode another 10 miles on saturday until my riding partners chain broke and cut the ride short.

So far I've learned that riding fixed is fun-as-hell. I also learned that you should only practice skid-stopping in a safe direction because it's embarassing to skid into the back of your parked car.

I'm still waiting on my pursuit bars and aero levers to come in (tomorrow maybe?) then I promise to get some pics up.

Here are the stats:

Bike: 2008 Motobecane Messenger (58cm)
Color: Orange
Gearing: 48/18 fixed or 48/16 freewheel (yes, you can swap between 16t/18t gearing without adjusting the chain)
Current Upgrades: removed rear brake, added SPD pedals, 18t IRO cog, Pursuit style bars, and Cane Creek 200TT lever(s).
Planned Upgrades: replace saddle, add chain tensioner, WiseCracker stem spacer or seatpost clamp.

Mental image just made my day

which bars are these? are these the RM-019?

How much does it cost to get the wheels trued? And out of the box, does all the wheels need to be trued before riding?

Might I also add, have anyone tried truing their wheels while its on their bike?

i haven't trued my wheel yet, although they came fairly true from delivery.

there's slight wobble right now, but i'll manage just fine.

my wheels came very true, and my cog and lockring came super tight. although you should check yours upon assembly, and often

Brake pads can make pretty decent visual aids for truing a wheel while it's still on the bike. I prefer my truing stand but in a pinch, it works alright.

my wheels came true straight from the box.

only annoying thing about this bike is that the paint chips if you look at it the wrong way.

yeah. my bike came with 2 chips near the rear drops. i was upset, but after owning the bike, i have tons of chips. oh well. lol

My wheels were ridable but not what I would call "true" straight from the box. My LBS charged me just under $30 to true both wheels and install the new cog. YMMV.

Finally some pictures of the stock handlebar setup.

**I know the bars look ridiculous but I'm riding mostly on the brake hoods and this angle was most comfortable for my wrists. It'll be changed this afternoon if my new bars arrive.**



And the tire clearance which seems to be a reoccurring question about this bike:


The "made in..." sticker is gone now, I never noticed it until i was uploading these pics!

that orange looks sexual.

not all the wheels, usually just two.

i kinda would like to find a lugged fork for this, but i don't want to play with the geometry.

Pics of the upgrades:




carbon seatpost, replaced saddle.

Trans-X pursuit bars, Cane Creek 200TT lever.

I'm happy with it.

has anyone put a rack on one of these yet?

That rear brake bridge is nice looking.