need help with mercier kilo tt,,,(noob)
 

ok so i bought a mercier kilo tt glittergold on bikesdirect.com and its coming this monday (7/20/09), and im trying to get stuff ready for it.

Ive read alot of forums about how the hubs that the kilo tt comes with arent that great (something about them not being sealed, i have no clue about what sealed and unsealed hubs means). so i tried and tried searching for what type of hubs i should get but i have no clue of what my options are. im new to fixed gear bikes so if you would please tell me what kind of hubs are best for the mercier kilo tt.

and i want to know what tires i should get to replace the ones it comes with? some nice durable tires that are cheap.

also, is there anything wrong with the saddle? is it not comfortable or whats the deal with that?

You made a good choice. I just got my glitter gold Kilo as well and absolutely LOVE it. The stock rims/hubs are perfectly fine. No need to replace them right off the bat, especially if this is your first bike. The tires are indeed garbage. I have a set of CST Super HPs and despite them getting a lot of disapproving comments here on BF, I find them to be durable as well as inexpensive. I've been using them for a while now...on my old bike as well as my new KTT...and have never gotten one single flat (the roads around here are pretty bad too). They come in rad colors as well as black. Here's a link:

http://www.eighthinch.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&
Product_Code=cst_hp_tires&Category_Code=tires_tubes

The saddle was no good for me, but I would at least give it a shot before replacing it. The Kilo TT is a great first bike right out of the box. Hell...it's not even my first bike and I think it's amazing, especially for how well it is equipped for the price. Enjoy it!

Just for sh*ts and giggles, here's a pic of mine with only a few modifications from stock:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../mybike1-1.jpg

Oh...and get a brake. Please.

:D

vittoria zaffrinos are good and cheap.

all you need is a brake.

oh
 

well thanks for telling me what youve done with your mercier, i have completely no idea what to get for it , well i do but i dont know whats good and whats not.ill have to check out those tires , i really do not trust the stock tires that it comes with.. feels unsafe and i havent even rode on them :D
but really, thanks for sharing your bike experience with me

yea, im gonna try it out with out breaks the first week i ride it, then ill see if i need breaks or not ;but i think i will put them on just for emergencies

The stock tires are fine, just dont last long skidding. Neither do $50 tires.

i dont think i will be skidding much..
 

i dont know how to skid lol. but i might try skidding
im just gonna try looking for some cheap tires that are durable (like the ones recommended above) for a week or so , then keep replacing new ones instead of spending alot of money on tires that will last the same amount as the cheap ones

Please Please Please put a front brake on there. Especially since you've never ridden fixed, and you can't skid yet. You will be thankful with one on there, believe me.

I'm still riding on the stock tires...

CSTs are crap. I've had a pair in red. They were cheap and I couldn't resist. They weren't worth the 30 bucks I overpaid for the pair. Crappy rolling resistance, durability, grip, etc... Just very cheap all around. Like cc700 mentioned, vittoria zaffiro's are cheap and do come in colors (although not full solid). You can get em for easily under $20 each online if not an LBS. I got a pair in blue for $35 and they are great so far. There's also a couple other options for colored tires out there, just search around for reviews (continental, michelin, etc...). If you don't care about colors there are a ton of tires cheaper than $40 a set and way better than CSTs.

As for the stock tires, I never rode them. They look pretty cheap but I can't say anything further than that.

Jesus... PLEASE dont worry about replacing stuff until you RIDE the darn bike at least once. Especially your hubs!

Two thing I will suggest:

1. Order your brake kit from bike island RIGHT now.
http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1569

2. The only thing on the Kilo that pretty much is universally replaced is the stem. I cannot imagine a combination of handlebars / arms that could work with such a long stem.

3. I really didnt dig the pedals, they were jettisoned immediately. BUT.... YOU may like them! I have HUGE feet!

4. Ride the s'hit out of it.

I have Vittoria Rubino pros on mine, i've practically swapped out everything on the bike, it's almost to where i want it at but not quite there yet. It's a great bike and is fun as hell to ride, friend and i went on a 30 mile ride the other night and had zero issues with the bike.

I agree with most posts, you definitely don't have to do much. I had a descent Vuelta wheelset from a previous conversion that was an good upgrade. Not saying that they were necessary, but I already had them. I purchased a new saddle the day after the bike arrived, the stock saddle didn't do it for me. Though I have heard that some like it. Pedals would be my first suggestion as an upgrade, they aren't super expensive but well worth the price. A front brake is a must for your first bike.

A note on the stock wheelset: I let my roommate use the rear wheel for his conversion for a couple of months and within a couple of weeks something was stripping on the hub. He took it to the LBS and they said the hub was aluminum and was stripping. I took the lockring off and replaced it with an extra one that I had and the cog hasn't slipped since. I would suggest getting a new cog and lockring asap just to be on the safe side. Besides the 16 toother will kill a tire when you do start to skid. I went through one of the stock Kendas with one skid (on a bet) but I still have the front and it looks new.
Hope this helps! Enjoy the Kilo, I love mine

You don't need to change anything. Wait until a part wears out or becomes unserviceable before replacing.

Unsealed hubs are perfectly fine, they just require a little maintenance. You will soon learn that repacking hub bearings is not a difficult task. Most people will only have to do it 1-2 times per year depending on weather conditions. This is also a great way to build your mechanical skills.

You really only need to do 2 things when you get the bike.
1. Add a front brake (Tektro makes some inexpensive brakes that work very well).
2. Make sure the spokes are properly tensioned. The machine built wheels that are specd on the TT aren't anything wonderful, but they should be reasonably reliable if you keep them properly tensioned. If you're not sure how to do this, find someone who can show you. A great way to learn bike mechanics to practice on a junk bike.

I haven't experienced any of this with either of my sets of CSTs and I've used "better" tires that were worse.

At any rate, your bike will be good to go for a while right out of the box. Replace things as they wear out or to fit personal preference.

the CST's are like 30 something tpi.
$10 special at best. just like the stock nylon Kendas.

whatever keeps you going though.

Like I said...I've never had a problem and the roads I generally ride on suck. Don't knock 'em unless you've used 'em!

I'm getting Vittoria Randounneurs when it's time for new tires though. I have a thing for white tires.

I don't trust those tires. I had them on my road bike and they started to get tears along their length. Maybe I just taking them over some bad roads but I have switched tires and these new ones show none of that wear from the same roads

people are talking about rolling resistance on low-level street bikes probably going 20mph tops... Gimme a break. the tires are fine.

someone tried to talk me out of getting Gatorskins because of their rolling resistance.