Raleigh Marathon Conversion
 

I'm looking to buy and convert a bike to a fixed gear, and I'm wondering if this Raleigh Marathon is a good candidate (also, if it is what do you think about the price?):

http://denver.craigslist.org/bik/1318261704.html

I'm new to the world of fixed gear, but from what I've read on Sheldon's this might be good.

What are some other bikes that I should keep my eye out for possible conversions? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ant

Hey there Ant,

Although converting is a pretty good learning experience, it isn't by any means for everyone. First off, I would only consider it if you have all the tools at your disposal. Also, keep in mind that you will probably end up spending more money on your conversion and it will probably underperform a BD bicycle.

($100 for that bike isn't a great deal by any means.)

Offer $50 or less for it.

find a bike co-op in your city and do your work there... membership fees are usually cheap or free and they'll have all the tools you don't plus a bunch o' sheldon-brown-wannabes hanging around to give advice.

why convert a bike that works? rebuild something dead instead

That's what I think too.

Meh, there's quite a premium on conversion candidates right now, so it's probably "worth" close to that since that's what it will sell for, even if I and others would consider that over-paying. You can do better with some hunting, but it takes time and patience. There's nothing at all special about that build, and serviceable frames with mediocre components like stem shifters and turkey levers are often good conversion candidates. My main concern with that frame would be the rust; if it's not in the "joints," it sounds like there's rust elsewhere. If it's mild and limited to the surface, okay, but if there's any uncertainty, it's not worth converting at all.

Earlier advice about cost/effort is spot-on -- you'll typically end up spending more cash and certainly more time doing a conversion than buying an entry-level bike complete. I prefer conversions for the geometry and features on older frames, but it's not a budget-informed preference.

I paid 30$ CAD for my 83 nishiki. 100$ is nearly a third of the cost of a bd bike. Your going to need to buy a new wheel set. Re lacing the wheel plus the cost of the hub will cost roughly the same as a decent 700c wheel set. The current 27" wheel set makes your tire choice limited if you would keep them. You'd most likely want a different saddle, long reach brake and cross lever for the 700c wheel set. bar tape, foot retention, labour if you cant do all the work yourself or have the tools, cog, lockring. The cost adds up little by little if you can get the bike for 20$ go for it otherwise it will most likely cost more. If thats no big deal convert away! I found that my conversion was a great learning process but like tohers have said it's not for everyone.

I was in the same position you are now about half a year ago. I was considering converting my old Free Spirit 10-speed until I realized that I was about to spend almost as much as I could get a new bike for. I would highly recommend getting a bikesdirect bike instead, I love my Windsor Clockwork like I gave birth to it and it's a much nicer bike than my conversion was going to be.

Also, the Motobecane Track is only $270 right now, it's highly probable that you'd be spending more than that to convert that old Raleigh.