front and rear brakes are needed

Id get a track specific frame as the bottom bracket is about 20mm higher than a normal road bike. This giveing the pedal less chance of hitting the ground. Also track frames look so much more cool

the kilo tt is my all purpose bike at the moment but only because my other bike(commuter, rain bike) is out of commission. the geometry of the kilo feels great to me, but it's definitely not the best commuter and all around bike for most people.

If you're going to commute a lot, you'd likely prefer something with better clearances for bigger tires/fenders and maybe something with more relaxed geometry. But I guess that depends on your riding conditions and preferences. Just something to think about though.

If you're looking for a new bike cause you don't want your road bike stolen, then I would go for something cheap, like sub-$200. I would not spend ~$400 on a beater. The Kilo is entry level, yes, but it's still a nice bike and would suck to have stolen, especially if you upgraded any parts (it's hard not to get the upgrade bug). Check craigslist for some good deals. If you find something that seems decent feel free to post the link and get some opinions from forum members.

Although I will always love riding harder and pushing myself on my road bike there is an obvious place for a SS, and you have just mentioned it above. However, I do that to say that I am a little bewildered as to setting the tension as a lot of people have mentioned on here. -- How do I know? Again, forgive the ignorance here but.... I don't wrench on my own bikes yet and cannot do a lot of the conversion and over-haulin' that most of you experienced riders do dalily! So, with that said, how do i get a good barring on what I should be set up on- tension/gearwise? I get the whole bike fit etc... but to figure out what tension/resistance I ride is completely beyond my skills. -- ?? As a lot of you have mentioned, I need to pick a gear that seems like a solid one in most all situations then rock it out for the next 2 weeks. -- So after I do this how do I buy one that is rigged for my exact liking?... or do I just figure it out then spin into a shop and have them rig it for me?! Hmmmm, input is appreciated but remember as much as it sux, I'm a newbie so U are probably gonna have to simplify your "tech- speak" a little so this rookie can follow what your sayin'!! LOL! And thanks, you all have been crazy helpful up to this point!

TBH for SS, I'd go for something like the Windsor Clockwork. Since it comes with front/rear brakes and a freewheel cog. The Kilo TT won't come with these.

Although since you say you've never wrenched on a bike before, a Bikes Direct bike may not be the best choice for you. You may want to head to your local LBS to see what affordable single speeds they have. At least if you buy from an LBS you will have some kind of support. When you buy from Bikes Direct, you pretty much have to take the whole bike apart and rebuild it. I mean, I guess you could always pick up a Bikes Direct bike and take it to a shop to look over, but that's kinda just bad juju.

As for gearing, it's different for everyone and how hilly your area is. I think a good place to start is around 70gi (gear inches).

Thanks Jaytron.... alot of peeps have recommended bikes direct and as much as I would love to build my own bike....unfortunately I'm just not there yet, so your advise is priceless. P.S. Where I'm riding is pretty flat.

The BD bikes are pretty simple to put together. All you put on is the bars, pedals, front wheel, seatpost/saddle, pump tires, etc. Most bikes you order online are going to be that way.

Yeah, but with BD bikes you have to check their work over and take everything apart or be prepared to suffer the consiquences.

Refer to this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...m-bikes-direct


Yeah, you get what you pay for with BD. If you're not ready or prepared to wrench on your bike, I would think twice about it. Any friends that work on bikes?

Gearing: If you're typically riding flat, 70~75gi seems fine. Somebody else can chime in here.

I run 48/17 which is about 74gi myself. It's pretty good for flat San Jose, CA but it also works when I bring it to places like San Francisco.

Of course, so it doesn't seem like I'm being too nice:

get somthing pink!!!! Winner!!!

At the hub we have a couple of sizes left of 09 sputkniks for $500. Do you know what size you ride?

I ride a 54 or a M depending on the bike. I'll have to spin into a few more shops and check it out. As of right now I've done a lot of looking online & on Craig's List. -- Thanks for the heads up! ...AND... Since I dropped this post in the Commuter Forum and the SS/FG Forum I just wanted to say a big THANKS to everybody that has contributed in both the commuter, and SS/FG posts! You have all been very helpful, and I find it AMAZING that the biking community is so supportive of each other...even to us, " newbies"!! Sure there might be the occasional "digger" or side comment in there( to be expected with passionate riders) but for the most part, you all just want to see us out there breakin in our miles and pushing ourselves to become better, more experienced riders. -- Thanks for all the advice and for the direction....Plus, It's good bike Karma... EVERYBODY was a rookie at some point in their biking career!


[URL="https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=222940&d=1318650885"][IMG]https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=222940&d=1318650885&
Here is to continued group rides, and bike tweaks....hopefully I will keep soakin' it all in!

i feel like this really does apply to bikes as well.

Dude I'm pretty cute and no one ever sups me when I'm on my bike, I blame my helmet!!!!!

Come to Chicago. You'll get sup'd hard.

If you're not sure about your size... here goes.

FITMENT QUESTION?




>>>FITMENT CALCULATOR<<<




Maybe you're just mashing too hard, intimidating everyone.

Wow... this veered off in a hurry.

This IS BFSSFG. The fact that we stayed on topic for more than a page is pretty good imo.

Come to Man Jose and you'll wish you never complained

Tru dat

When I first got my Kilo TT, I was running 48/16 (approximately 81 gear inches), which was mostly fine here in NYC, but could get a bit annoying sometimes since I wasn't spinning very fast.

Here's a good diagram about gear ratios. https://wheelgirl.typepad.com/.shared...dspotchart.jpg

81gi is pretty rough for a newer person imo. Starting and stopping with that gi is no fun.

Agreed 100%. On my new bike, I'll be running 47/17, which I'm definitely looking forward to.