i'm fairly new to the biking world.

but i need to get a bike to get to and from school/work with.


my uncle owns a bike shop.

and said he can get me an 08 SE Lager for pretty cheap.


from what i've seen of the bike, i like it.

but being fairly new to bikes, i don't know how to judge anything correctly.


from what i've read on these forums, people say they don't like certain components it comes with.

and some people didn't even give a reason, just said they didn't like it.


i'm a full-time student working part-time just to pay rent.

so i don't have too much money fork over all at once.


so what i'm asking is, is the SE Lager a good bike?

does anyone have any real complaints about it?

Testimonials?


thanks guys.

how many km's are you going to be doing on it?
for an alternative, try the mongoose maurice.

I bought the SE Lager 3 months ago. Personally I love it. I replaced the cages and pedals, eventually get new tires but other than that I am happy with it.

I have a Dawes SST (which is the same bike as the SE Lager) and I love my Dawes SST. Love the road geometry, and it's a very comfortable, fun bike. Great first fixed gear.

i think the lagers are pretty alright. it's the se draft that most people aren't a fan of.
go for it.

ok cool.

thanks guys.

get the motobecane messenger instead, its cheaper, has better tubing and similar components....

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../messenger.htm

moto messenger is a 4130 CrMo bike, just like the Lager/Dawes SST. The messenger is also more expensive that the Dawes SST. I'll bet his uncle can get him the 08 SE Lager for cheaper than either also.

New clips/straps, new tires, 17T cog/lockring and you're ready to roll. It's pretty good SS too. (for the 5 miles that I rode it home)

The no-toe-overlap is pretty cool too.

if your uncle can hook you up with a bike, then what is there to consider? perhaps if you find the bike not to your liking, you can always get another one without too much loss on your part.

You might wanna replace the brake pads too, the ones on the stock brakes are pretty bad. I think alot of the stock components are low quality/cheap, but they work fine if all you care about is getting from point A to point B. Plus the Lager has a reputable warrantee, unlike the Bikedirect bikes.

People are going to talk a lot of trash to you because of your Lager if you buy it. If you can handle that, by all means get the bike. I have it and love it. Aside from the stock components being absolute junk and the fact that the bike is embarassingly overpriced, there's not much wrong with it. I mean, unless you want lugs.
Please do me a favor and don't build it up all jackass. I keep seeing Lagers with these super ridiculous builds and it's embarassing to be associated with that ****.

why would people talk trash?

and what do you mean "build it up all jackass"?

all i was really considering on eventually doing was changing out the tires and getting a comfy seat.

but im not sure what you mean by jackass.

And why would people talk trash? Yeah and whats up with the jackass statement? Personally I see nothing wrong with building up a Lager, I see nothing wrong with the frame. Seems you have a lot of anger towards the Lager, why did you buy it in the first place.

Lastly who cares what other people think, it is only a bike.

What sort of saddle are you thinking of getting? I hope by "comfy" you don't mean one of those really thick and squishy gel-filled things. They might feel comfy for a few miles but anything over that and you'll be in a world of hurt.

Hey man, the HED3 on my Lager was a joke.

You know if I knew what I know now than I did about 3 months ago I would of gotten the IRO Mark V pro. A complete bike would of cost me $600 or so. I do think the Lager is over priced. But I was very green to fixed gear bikes when I bought the Lager. Amazing what 3 months of research can do into the fixed world, you need to start somewhere I guess.

The bike snobs over at brianforums give gerund a lot of crap about her Lager. She actually takes them seriously and cares about her "image" and "cred".

The Dawes SST at bikesdirect is the same as the Lager for $330, so don't pay more than that.

i think im starting to get the jist of it all now.

most people who dont like the lager simply because it is over priced.

but like i said, my uncle would get it to me for pretty cheap.


i guess i should have been a bit more specific.

i know most peoples problems with these bikes are the cheapy component.

i guess i really wanted to know if it is a good frame and whatnot to build up from.


not that i have the money to put really nice components on it right away.

but eventually i could, i just wanted to see if this was a good candidate for that.


i wanted to get a black b17 brooks saddle.

everything ive read on those is pretty good.

that when they break in they become super comfortable.

plus my birthday is coming up soon, so hopefully someone loves me enough.

The components aren't great but they are serviceable. You're not going to get great components unless you spend lots of money. Period.

Nothing is wrong with frame it is the exact frame as the Dawes SS, nothing diffferent. Its a tough frame and a great ride. If you can get a good deal on it go for it, you seem to want it. If you like it who cares what other people think.

yeah i do like it, but i was just making sure it was a good solid frame to start with.

thanks guys.

The Lager is quite nice and I get quite a few compliments on it as if I would give a sh*t.

Only the Tarck poseurs with dayglow, Hello Kitty components and c ock bars look askance at it. Change out the handlebars, stem and seatpost/saddle (which you want to do with stock components on most lower end bikes).

Frame, wheels and drivetrain are fine.

bf

Don't forget the pedals, the pedals suck.

I actually like the saddle.

I haven't done any 30+ mile rides yet, but fwiw i like the saddle too.