I'm wanting to convert an older bike to a fixie, but am having trouble finding a decent bike for a decent price that fits me. I found this bike on CL today, but not really sure if it's worth $120. I really don't need the components to be in working order as I'm planning on stripping the bike. This one looks to be in excellent shape. Let me know what you think of the price, and maybe what you'd pay for it.

https://denver.craigslist.org/bik/1033111943.html

Not a bad looking bike but the price seems a little steep. offer $80.

id max at 75..i got mine for 55 cause it was a little rusted on the wheels and rear casette but i didnt care, got new ones.....

My fixed gear ride's frame is from a 1984 World Sport, which I pulled out of a dumpster. If all you're after is the frame (and a presume the fork, headset, etc), $120 isn't a bad price if it's good condition. In retrospect I'd pay that much for the frame I have now. It rides nicely enough, has eyelets for front/rear fenders, and can take a water bottle cage/pump mount on the down tube.

One thing you should know about which may or may not be the case with this particular frame, but was with mine: The semi-horizontal rear dropouts are mostly filled in by the factory with a thin bit of steel, preventing any back-and-forth adjustment of the hub. I had to spend a day with a hand file filing out this thin steel fillet to allow adjustment. See attached for the "before" picture.

If you are just going to use the frame, $120 is a bit steep.

Also, they came with a decent crank/bb/headset... (IMO) no use upgrading for the sake of upgrading.

Yes, a little bit high price.
If the bike has good tires and it all works then you are paying for more than you need since you are getting a geared bike that works well.
I would offer less or move on and look for a bike that has a good frame but parts that don't work so well so it will have a lower price.

I did the same thing a year ago when looking for a good frame to convert. I got a nice geared bike and took all the components off, hacked all the hangers off for the "clean" look. I should have kept it as a geared bike and ridden it.

I ended up buying a frame and fork to make a fixed gear and got a really nice geared bike and left it alone.

Ask this same question in the C&V forums, I think they'd mention that the World Sport is one of the lower ranking models in the Schwinn line up. I agree with the $75-80 bid, especially if it's not a complete bike.

Here are the 1985 bike models:

Competition:
Paramount
Peloton
Super Sport
Tempo

Touring:
Voyageur SP
Voyageur
Le Tour Luxe

Sport/Recreation:
Super Le Tour
Le Tour

Recreational:
Traveler
World Sport
World
World Tourist
Collegiate

Track-Single Speed:
Madison

My first fixed gear was a schwinn world sport and I made the same mistake you are about to do. $120 is just the beginning of what you are about to spend. Next comes a wheelset in 700cc, a crankset, BB, cog, lockring, long reach brake, and then extras if you want new tires, saddle, etc. You are buying only the frame and spending too much for a schwinn (which is very heavy). You could buy a real track frame from bikeisland.com for that much and you will be happier later. Or even better, buy a used trackbike off ebay for less than the total of what I listed above and be even more happy. Pay more now and u pay less overall, or pay less now and get nickle/dimed to death later.

Why new crankset and bb? The one on there is fine. A new rear wheel is all you really need, and if you don't run a rear brake, you won't need a new brake either.

I got my World Sport for $30 xD. Just me though, I think thats too much.

What was the purpose of this move- like the 'Lawyer lips" on forks?

i did my conversion for 300 with a flip flop hub from bikesdirect.com.... couldnt be happier...

lowered the stem and took off the brake...

Just a thought: If you're trying to score bike stuff on CL, make sure you put up a want-to-buy ad. There are tons of people who've got crap laying around, but won't put up an ad themselves. When I wanted to do a conversion, I just put up an ad asking people for their old road bikes, and ended up scoring a World Sport for free. Guy just wanted it out of his basement, I guess.

I got my schwinn world for free. it used to be my dad's.

the ride is damn comfy. its not an aggressive geometry, its not the easiest to do tricks on. but for distance, it can't be beat.