I vote for s300 + thomson.
IMO you should save up a little more and go with omniums. I have owned both and think the omniums are worth the extra money.

i thought about it but i dont need that much crank, the frame flexes before my origin8 cranks im using now and im not a world class sprinter

only reason id want the noms would be for the bcd so id have more access to 1/8" chainrings

Should I get a unicycle? I did some real online searching yesterday and found what I would buy if I choose to.

Should I;
Get m520s or r540s with these shoes?

Main concern;
I initially thought the double sided SPD would be good for engagment, but is it that helpful?

Additional information;
-I commute to work 3 miles each way, and I change into uniform at work. If my timing is right, I don't have to stop at all on the way.
-I will occasionally have to go out to appointments and changing out of uniform/shoes is not an option. Through the googles, people ride on their clipless pedals with regular shoes and have not exploded, and if I'm in uniform I'm not going to be hauling ass anyways, and I run a front brake.
-Not really fond of the a530 because the base is wider and would increase the chance of pedal strike.
-I know walking in cycling shoes is a chore already, and a road shoe with a metal cleat would be even more challenging. Possibly get SPDs + pontoons?
-On weekends I go on longer rides (20+ miles).

Are there other factors to consider when choosing?

I wouldnt bother using those shoes with SPDs. And yeah, it is easy to ride on road pedals with regular shoes.

Road pedal engagement isn't drastically difficult riding fixed? Obviously there will be the initial learning curve

Riding on road pedals with regular shoes isn't the best, but it is not painful. Riding on mountain pedals with regular shoes is very painful after about 3 blocks.

Getting into road pedals is only a tiny bit harder than getting into double sided mountain pedals.

I dont think riding fixed with road pedals is difficult. I commuted for a long time with them and ride around LA with no problems. LA has a ton of lights everywhere so I constantly am stopping. After awhile you get use to flipping the pedal and clipping in quickly.


The other day I picked up a barely used kilo tt for $150. Its gonna become my commuter/bar bike. Should I do drops with hoods or risers??? I kinda want to throw a front rack on the bike as well...

Thanks!

E:
Thanks for the info, sorry I missed this response the first time.

That's a good deal. Have you considered bullhorns ? Makes more sense to me than risers or drops w/hoods for what you plan to do with it.

Should I buy Time ATAC XC2 pedals for $55?

New- definitely. Used in good condition with cleats included- yes. Otherwise- meh.

Brand new, only downfall is that it'll take anywhere from 8 to 14 days to ship.

You got pedals to ride in the meantime?

keeping with the topic du jour - i'd love to go clipless for longer rides but like my cages for shorter commutes, etc.

should I these?

Not if you plan on keeping toe clips on them. They're gonna scrape the ground all the time, which will both annoy the hell out of you and destroy your clips.

if the cages go on the other side, wont they scrape?

ha damn - great point!

A unicycle is one of those things that I consider a worthy endeavor to learn if you are into that. I got one long ago and learned to ride it (barely), there is some sense of accomplishment to that. I still take it out every few years, air it up, and ride it just to prove to myself I still can. I grew up in the third world, so I never had one of those kiddie trikes. The unicycle was the technically the first fixed gear I owned.

I say go for it.

I do not. Well I do, but I don't wanna bring platforms to longer rides and/or the velodrome.

I'd invest in road pedals if I had a velodrome in town and planned on riding there.

Can you recommend anything in the $30-50 range?

Shimano R540's, or Shimano 105's are solid and in that range, anyone with more experience with different pedals feel free to chime in.

Wait - Do you have 3-bolt shoes or MTB shoes?

I'm also in the market for a new pair of cycling shoes, so I'll go do that, after I pick a pedal type, locally so I can get something that fits properly.

I got SPD stuff solely because of the walking around when you get there aspect. Now, I wish I did have something like 105s but I'm not gonna buy more shoes.

I've got these saved in my eBarf wish list:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271068686755...84.m1424.l2649

$40 isn't bad, has anybody tried these??