I have a quick question and hopefully I dont get flammed. I am new to the fixie scene and am in the process of purchasing a very nice imo and hopefully some can chime in and let me know if its a good deal or not.

The bike is as follows:

Pictures:










The asking price is $500. To me it seems worth the price and seems to be a well equipped bike. Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated.

well, it's an odd build, but a good price for it. I sent you a PM, by the way.

Too bad. TAKE THIS:

that bike has been for sale for a while now. I'd say you could do much better. You don't want to deal with tubulars with this being your 1st fixed

How do you know that?

As for the tubulars, that is a good point. It will be a pain if i get a flat and expensive. Maybe ill just try to build myself one from frame and learn in the process. Any suggestions on a good place to start for building up a fixie?

Did you check this...

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/510358-fixed-gear-single-speed-start-here.html

I have now, thank you for the link. There is tons of information there, I better get to work. I am looking through the pre-made bikes. Is there any suggestions on a bike that is $500 or less that will be good for daily commuting 10 miles round trip. Seems allot are in the $700+ range and I don't think I know all that much for my first bike.

Thanks for all the help.

if it's your first track bike, build it. it will, essentially, be cheaper that way (even cheaper than $500). i realize you say you don't know too much about bikes, but hmm:
-LBS (go to several of them... they'll all say different things but in the end, they'll help)
-BF can be somewhat helpful...
-you MUST have a "huge bike nerd" friend somewhere, like we all do that can help with labor

start off with a really cool frame... that you really like. that's not a whole lot of $. from there, you can probably go to a charity bike organization and grab parts from there... as well as LBS, ebay, benscycle.com, etc.

good luck!

Well I decided to pass on the bike. I figured its not the ideal bike for a first SS/Fixie. Although I have found a very nice 2005 Bianchi Pista for the same price. I think that would be a much better route for a first SS and clinchers would be better for a daily commuter. Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

why would someone put so m uch time/effort on a converted bike.

YES.

Here - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/trackbikes.htm

The downsides are that the stickers don't come off, the paint jobs aren't to everybody's taste, and they'll need a little assembly/truing.

On the plus side, the frames are the same as a number of "name brand" fixies since they're made in the same factories in Taiwan and just have different paint, they're equivalent in terms of build level to a lot of the $500-600 bikes, and they're pretty sturdy.

motomess

I have looked through that site and like the prices, you can't beat it. But I don't know none of those stick out to me and im sure you get what you pay for it. Wouldn't a Bianchi Pista be a better route to go? Or is it all preference. I hear the Motomess allot , but i guess its between that and the TT Pro on their site. Choices...Choices!

there is no reason to get a pista over a bd bike.

Get the Pista!!! They are great bikes that will be at home on the track or on the streets as a commuter. And they look good, and they are reasonably cheap, and they are made by Bianchi! The BD bikes are absolute crap and ugly as sin. I say, you get a Pista, throw a brake on it, and be done with it.

You are going to get a lot of conflicting information here when you ask a question like this. Everyone has their own opinion. I personally hate all those cheap BD bikes, but some people have bought them and loved them, so who knows? You definitely made a good choice by not getting a bike w/ tubulars. Those are a pain and if you are new, you don't want them b/c you will probably get a lot of flats form not knowing what things on the road to look out for and those flats will be more expensive to fix if you have a tubular tire.

Building up a bike is a really good option. Pake frames are pretty cool and you can get one of those for fairly cheap. I have never ridden a Pake frame, but I bought one of their cranks recently and it came in very good condition.

Also, if you are not planning on going to the track, a conversion might work well for you. Conversions can look really cool and they can also be REALLY cheap. Search ebay, CL, find an old frame w/ horizontal dropouts, and then buy a wheelset and maybe a new crank and you're done. I just built up a conversion and i LOVE it.

There are more reasons TO get one over a BD bike than NOT to. The only thing the BD bikes have going for them is price.

Get a BD bike and sell it if you realize the scene's not for you.

This is pretty bad advice. The only thing different than the Bianchi Pista and the BD bikes is that you are paying for the Bianchi name. The parts are pretty mediocre for both of them and are, at face value, interchangeable.

Get a Kilo TT for $350, it is a very hard deal to beat. Check the Kilo TT superthread to get inspiration...

Aesthetics aside please explain what the advantages of a generic made in Taiwan Pista are over a generic made in Taiwan BikesDirect bike are that make it worth another $200?

Your wallet is $200 lighter when riding the Pista, which helps you go faster.

I just think the Bianchi looks better, and lets face it, that counts for quite a bit to most people. Also, I do feel more secure knowing my bike was made by one of the most reputable companies in cycling. And also, I'm not familiar with Kilo geometry, but I know the Pista has really good track geometry if you do plan on taking this bike to the track.

Here is what I will say, though: It depends on how important money is to you. If money is a BIG factor in this purchase, go with the Kilo. Sure, it's not quite as nice, but I think that it is pretty comparable for a big difference in price. If you are willing to spend a bit extra cash, get the Pista because in the long run it will probably be a better bike. And, by the way, I am sick of this "made in the same factory in Taiwan" crap. Even if they are made in the same factory, which they probably aren't, a single factory is capable of producing different quality bikes. who cares if they were both made in taiwan? My Fuji Roubaix is made in Taiwan and it's way better than a Mercier road bike which was also made in taiwan...

You think your Fuji Roubaix is way better.

I know it is. My gf has a Dawes road bike and I have ridden Motobecane road bikes and other off brand ones. Fuji just rides better, looks better, and will probably last longer.

you are funny.

This.