guy needs help designing a fixie from the ground up
 

Hi everyone. I have been doing research for the past few weeks on fixed gear bikes, and after riding one, have decided to convert. I've been riding hybrids for about 5 years now, and currently ride a Motobecane Elite from bikesdirect.com, and I hate it. Before I was even aware of this whole fixie sensation (which does not exist here in Mississippi) I had a grudge against all the unnecessary crap on my bike. I ride in the same gear about 95% of the time, and removed my front brake immediately. So, imagine my surprise, when I started searching for single-speed bikes, and found out about how popular these have become. Then I rode one, and it was over. This is everything I've ever wanted in a bike.

So anyway, like I said, I've been doing research for the past few weeks on complete fixies, conversions, and builds, and have come to the conclusion that I think it would be best for me to do a build from the ground up. After riding daily for 5 years, I feel it's time that I invest in something suited exactly to my needs. The catch is that I don't know nearly enough to do this all by myself, and I'm asking for your help.

So, my hope is that I can find some genuine people to help me choose all my parts one by one over the next few weeks. I'm not interested in elitists coming in and telling me I'm ********, so I'll go ahead and get that out of the way for you. I'm clueless. I just like riding my bike, and I want one that I don't hate.

So, now that all of that's out of the way, I'll give you a little summary of what I'm looking for:

My budget is between $500 and $700, depending on the amount of time it takes me from purchasing the first piece to the last. My plan is to purchase each piece, hopefully over the course of the next month, and then have it assembled professionally. I intend to have the option of riding fixed, or freewheel, so I know for sure that I want a flip flop hub. I would like to have a somewhat relaxed riding position because although I do ride for long periods of time, I'm not quite in the best shape. I would, however, like to keep the bike reasonably lightweight.

So, first things first. I need to choose a frame. I'm a bigger guy (250 lbs) and according to the research I've done, I'm going to want a steel frame (right?) with a high spoke count, around 32 (right?) and relatively wide tires, around 32mm (right?) which has led me to the Motobecane Jury Cro Moly frame seen here: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2009-Motobec...38276976038819

So, is this a good choice? Do you have other suggestions, around the same price?

Well you might want to consider some completes before building on up. I definitely understand to draw to building your own frame, but you typically get on the bike in less time for less money with a complete.

Notables for you Price range: Biachi Pista, Kilo TT, Schwinn Madison, GT Gutterball, Redline 925.

I'd look at the Schwinn First, its a good price and a little later when you have the money you can upgrade to a beefier wheelset.

+1

Hey, thanks so much for the quick and quality feedback. My concern though is that it seems that every complete bike I've researched, including the ones you listed has some things that I don't like about them. And since time isn't really a factor, being that I currently have a bike that I ride daily, I'd just prefer to build one custom. But I have researched all the bikes you listed with the exception of the gutterball, and I really do appreciate the feedback. It's just that I'm really not looking for a complete. Thanks though!

Btw, how wide of tires would the Kilo TT accept? I've been looking at that frame too, but right now I'm leaning towards the Motobecane because it plainly states it accepts tires up to 40mm.

Well most people I know ride 23's and 25's around the city. The kilo doesn't come with an ideal front brake, the caliper actually drops below your fork forcing you to use a max 25 with the stock front brake. If you change the caliper out, the fork itself is capable of definitely 28's and I would bet 32's. I'm a small guy, so for me I don't have to worry about my tire size, so this would be better answered by someone closer to your size, but I'd bet a good set of 28's with reinforced sidewalls will be more than proficient for you.

What about the completes don't you like? Specifically the Schwinn, Redline, and Kilo, as those are the ones below your max budget leaving you room for changes.

That's not exactly designing a bike from ground up...just buying a frame a putting parts together.
Also, why did you take off the front brake on your hybrid...?

Anyways...

The Jury frame has weird measurement for brakes...
http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1184

Velo Orange has good looking stems for good price.
http://www.velo-orange.com/haandst.html

VeloMine has a good selections of wheelsets for reasonable price.
http://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...x&cPath=87_172


More sites for fixed gear stuff...
http://www.benscycle.net/
http://store.somafab.com/
http://www.cyclingcloseouts.com/Mini...4-0934a2ba746f

Actually the Kilo WT is very similar to the Moto Jury, and will only set you back $440, leaving you with plenty of extra cash to tweak it to your liking. It comes standard with 32mm tires, but there are people like Gyeswho that have gone up to 40mm with no problems. >>> http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../kilott_wt.htm

Yeah, I gotta admit I'm just scared of 23mm tires at my size. 28's do seem like they could be reasonable though. Guess I'll have to await feedback from another big guy like myself. I'm riding 40's now.

Are you suggesting that I buy a complete and switch out what I don't like? I haven't fully considered that option, but my line of thinking was telling me it'd be easier/cheaper to start from scratch. I'd be open to the idea of buying a complete and switching out though. Do you think that's a better/cheaper/more effecient approach? That would raise some new questions for me.

As far as what I don't like about those completes, for all three the tire width and decals (which I know is just aesthetic but that's part of what has drawn me to building from ground up), the drop bars for the kilo and madison because I intend to go bullhorn (easy switch though right?), something about the 925's general appearance turns me off, and most importantly, the general uncertainty about what size tires I can get on them. I understand that ultimately the aesthetics shouldn't matter as much, but like I said, that, along with being able to choose my parts is what has me leaning towards going from ground up.

Thanks again for all your help so far.

wow, you guys are already super helpful. I expected to wait days for any feedback, and then get "you're an idiot" type replies. Haha. So, really, thanks.

Vixtor, I only took of the front brake on my hybrid, not the back. I never used it. And thanks for all those links. Looking now.

Tejano, I don't know how I missed the Kilo WT. That may be a game changer for me. Thanks.

Front brake provides the best stopping power out of the two brakes but we aren't here talking about brakes.
Annnnnnyways...

You should get the Kilo WT and use the rest of the money for eventual upgrades you want to make. Also, building a bike from scratch would be a more expensive option out of the two.

If I were you Id look for a complete. Custom builds are almost never cheaper than buying a well priced setup. Oh, and I live in Oxford. I ride fixed daily. I picked up my 2009 Langster 3 months before the 2010s came out for $500 from Oxford Bike. Its a great ride with quality parts and is wicked fast. Remember, you have one gear, every bit of weight you can save is going to help and you will feel it much more so than you would in a geared bike. So you can build your bike custom sure. But its going to be heavy, middle of the road parts, and no warranty to speak of. Put that up against aluminum frames, carbon fiber fork and seatposts, sugino messenger cranks with a warranty and I know which one Id pick.

Well so much for my idea! Haha, 5 people in an hour telling me to buy complete makes it pretty obvious I had the wrong idea. Thanks for setting me straight guys.

So, to compleeeeetely change the purpose of the thread, aside from the bikes already mentioned, anyone got any suggestions? I know it's kinda lame that now it's just another "what bike should i get" thread. But if anyone has any other suggestions feel free. Defnitely want something that's gonna accept 32mm tires, simpler looking the better, lighter the better, can go up to I guess about $500 since I'll need to have some of my budget set aside for swapping out.

What about the IRO mark v and IRO WTF? I've read good things about those, and I'm wondering what size tires they'd accept. and what size tires they come with stock for that matter, since their site doesn't appear to list it unless I missed it.

Capo, what brands does your LBS in Oxford carry? I visit Starkville pretty frequently which isn't too far away. My LBS here on the coast doesn't sell any fixies at all.

Oxford Bike Shop carries Specialized, Trek, and Gary Fisher. Where are you in MS? Jackson? I might be able to find you a bike shop closer by with a better selection. The only reason I bought my Langster here was because my last bike got stolen and they accepted my 500$ cash offer which is $330 less than the MSRP :)

Once you get on the road with a well designed off-the-shelf bike you'll be better equipped to decide what nice bits and pieces would best suit you on your custom build...and so it goes.

I'm on the coast, specifically Ocean Springs, which neighbors Biloxi.

Guess I'm leaning towards the Kilo WT as of now. I hate the decals though. I'm trying to tell myself that it doesn't matter, and I know it doesn't, but my brain won't let go of it. Haha. I'd really prefer to have a completely blank bike.

Surly Steamroller seems comparable, but better than the WT, accepts wide tires, and their decals are over the clearcoat. A bit out of my price range though. I wonder what the chances of finding a used one would be.

Can anyone suggest any good completes that fit wide tires AND come blank or with un-clearcoated decals?

HMMMM. Ok, after looking at BikesDirect.com again, and getting feedback from everyone helping me realize I should buy complete and then change what I want, I came across 2 very promising prospects. Someone help me out with the pros and cons of each of these. Seems like the Kilo TT "stripper" is the better deal. I really need to know if either, or both of these will fit 32mm tires. If Charnek was right, he said the Kilo would hold 28's for sure, and probably 32's. I guess I'll email bikesdirect and see if they're able to help too.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...cane/track.htm
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...t_stripper.htm

Both blank frames. Just need to know if the componets are good, if they'll accept wide tires and how wide, if the Moto is decent since most people seem to agree that the Kilo is, and anything else noteworthy.

Comments?

IRO IRO IRO

Check out their site news, and you will see that they have pre-built Mark Vs selling for $399. This is a steal. Seeing as the Mark V frame usually sells for $275 or so, and this bike is a complete. You will also like IRO's crash replacement policy. I put about 2000 miles on a set of their wheels before I sold that bike, and the wheels were still straight. I had an Angus, and my wife still has, and enjoys, a Mark V.

The Mark V can handle 28s, and maybe more. 28 was as big as I ran on my Angus.

The frame isn't blank, but it isn't covered in logos either.

With this price drop, the IRO is in the Bikes Direct price range, but looks to be of much better quality than the Bikes Direct bikes I have seen. That being said, I have never ridden a BD bike.

I'm your size and am planning on getting this bike as soon as I have a 'spare' $400..!!
it fits the bigger tire sizes and plenty of folks on here are stoked on it..!!

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm


Whichever way you go, please report back with a review..!! Rock on..!!

It's surprising huh? And pretty amazing. There are plenty of guys who would give you stupid replies. They must be asleep under the troll bridge or getting their helmets fitted to ride the short bus to school.

spaceballs, it's funny you suggested IRO. I just spent the last couple hours researching their bikes, and have all but decided that that's the direction I'm gonna go. The Kilo TT Stripper is still a possibility cuz I've heard lots of good things about it, but I really like that IRO is a reuptable, ethicly run business, and by all accounts have great bikes for the price. I'm also drawn to the lightness, customization options, and even considering purchasing a partial build.

The partial build thing actually seems ideal for me. If you read higher up in the thread, my original idea was to select parts individually. With the partial build, I literally get everything I want EXCEPT the exact parts I intend to switch out anyway, so I think it's perfect.

The only thing left to decide is WHICH of the IRO's to get, and then which other parts to buy. Spaceballs, you've had experience with both the Angus and Mark V. Which would you recommend for a bigger guy looking for a more relaxed and less aggressive fit? People seem to think the Phoenix is the best choice given those criteria, and the Phoenix accepts up to 38mm tires. By that logic, the Phoenix seems like the best choice for me. Would you agree? Or do you think with the right handlebars and seat height I could ride the Mark V comfortably? Worth considering for the price difference.

Snacklord, the Moto Uno looks like a good bike too, but the decals are just way too loud for my tastes. It looks like the fixie version my Moto Elite. That's the kinda thing I'm trying to get away from, aesthetically speaking. I appreciate the suggestion though. Maybe you wanna look into an IRO too? Wish you the best with whatever you decide. I'll definitely make it known what I choose. Thanks.

Hmm...look at this: http://www.bikeshacksonline.com/prod...lete-Bike.html

a complete steamroller for $450? Is this a trustworthy site? There's not even an option to select your size? Anybody know what's going on here?

DO NOT ORDER FROM THERE. It is a fake website. After a little poking around I wanted to take a look at privacy and contact info.

http://sg.88db.com/Buy-Sell/Handphon...s/ad-843276/1/

http://www.eups.cc/trader_market.php?item_id=3903

http://smallbusiness.att.yahoo.com/r...ch+advertising

All of that came up upon putting their phone number into Google. So I would say no thats not a trustworthy site. Its someone in England making fake websites to sell a bunch of non existant merch.

I wouldn't trust that site. It has no rating from WOT (world of trust), and is located in the UK. Maybe the bike costs $450, and the shipping is like $300. Anyway, if it sounds too good to be true......

haha yeah, i figured as much. thanks guys. if it smells like poo, and looks like poo....

just checking.

And each website is listing the same contact phone number, a different england based address and a different Yahoo.com email account. This guys running multiple scams at the same time. From what I read online he replies to orders with "Our credit card system is down customer service will be contacting you" and once they do they request money order or other form of payment. They will not accept Paypal for obvious reasons. Just stay away.