Looking for suggestions for my first ss/fg
11-05-08 | 03:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 22
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Looking for suggestions for my first ss/fg
Hey all,
I'm new to the forums, and rekindling my love for biking after being away for some years. I grew up riding mountain bikes in the hills of Northeast PA, but now I've just moved to Philadelphia and I'm thinking of picking up a single speed track bike. I wouldn't be doing a TON of riding (say, less than 25 miles per week), and I'd be keeping the bike outside . . . and I'm poor . . . so something cheap, simple, and suitable for light use would be best. I don't have the space, tools, or (frankly) skill to build something from scratch, so I'm looking to find something ready-to-ride or requiring minimal assembly.
The options I've come across so far:
-Alpha Mercury, made in-house at Frankenstein Bike Worx here in Philly. $350
-Pull my 18-speed Fuji Ace out of storage and convert to single speed.
-Buy a second-hander and have it converted at a local shop.
I test-rode the Alpha in a 62cm frame (I think), and I thought it rode nicely. Was my first time riding with bullhorn bars, which made the bike feel quite responsive. I'm 6'1" with 33" inseam, but I like to sit "low" on the frame, so the geometry seemed to fit well. Internet impressions of the Alpha seem to be less-than-stellar, however.
I'm a little hesitant to bring the Fuji down, because I don't want it getting stolen. Also, it would take some time to ship it down and have it converted to single speed -- I'm itching to get riding, and from talking to shops around here it sounds like the single speed conversion could be somewhat expensive. None of the second-handers I saw at shops around town particularly caught my eye, and the cost of purchase + conversion would apparently run pretty close to the cost of the Alpha.
So, what other affordable, ready-to-ride options are there for a first-time single speeder?
(Sorry for the newbie questions guys
)
I'm new to the forums, and rekindling my love for biking after being away for some years. I grew up riding mountain bikes in the hills of Northeast PA, but now I've just moved to Philadelphia and I'm thinking of picking up a single speed track bike. I wouldn't be doing a TON of riding (say, less than 25 miles per week), and I'd be keeping the bike outside . . . and I'm poor . . . so something cheap, simple, and suitable for light use would be best. I don't have the space, tools, or (frankly) skill to build something from scratch, so I'm looking to find something ready-to-ride or requiring minimal assembly.
The options I've come across so far:
-Alpha Mercury, made in-house at Frankenstein Bike Worx here in Philly. $350
-Pull my 18-speed Fuji Ace out of storage and convert to single speed.
-Buy a second-hander and have it converted at a local shop.
I test-rode the Alpha in a 62cm frame (I think), and I thought it rode nicely. Was my first time riding with bullhorn bars, which made the bike feel quite responsive. I'm 6'1" with 33" inseam, but I like to sit "low" on the frame, so the geometry seemed to fit well. Internet impressions of the Alpha seem to be less-than-stellar, however.
I'm a little hesitant to bring the Fuji down, because I don't want it getting stolen. Also, it would take some time to ship it down and have it converted to single speed -- I'm itching to get riding, and from talking to shops around here it sounds like the single speed conversion could be somewhat expensive. None of the second-handers I saw at shops around town particularly caught my eye, and the cost of purchase + conversion would apparently run pretty close to the cost of the Alpha.
So, what other affordable, ready-to-ride options are there for a first-time single speeder?
(Sorry for the newbie questions guys
)
11-05-08 | 05:13 PM
#2
.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 12,769
Likes: 38
From: Rocket City, No'ala
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 5.2, 1985 Pinarello Treviso, 1990 Gardin Shred, 2006 Bianchi San Jose
Jamis Sputnik, Redline 925, Bianchi San Jose, Bianchi Pista, Bianchi Fremont, Specialized Langster, Cannondale Capo, Trek Soho S, Gary Fisher Triton, Giant Bowery, Masi Speciale Fixed, Masi Speciale Commuter, Soma Rush, to name a few.
I'd get the Alpha Mercury since you seemed to like it. Get the Fuji out of storage and ride it as it is. Then buy the second hander and fix it up yourself. Everybody needs n +1 bikes. It's a law. (n = # of bikes you currently own)
I'd get the Alpha Mercury since you seemed to like it. Get the Fuji out of storage and ride it as it is. Then buy the second hander and fix it up yourself. Everybody needs n +1 bikes. It's a law. (n = # of bikes you currently own)
11-05-08 | 05:31 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
I used that rule to justify the many Jeeps I owned simultaneously while in college. Now I know that my financial ruin was due not to poor purchasing decisions, but to misapplication of The Rule Of n+1.
Thanks for the suggestions!
