fencefry

First off, I know you guys cry inside every time someone asks about the "cheapest" fixie, so thanks for taking time to answer.

Personally I've been riding fixed (upgraded Kilo TT Pro) for a year and love it, and as a result a really good buddy of mine has become more and more interested in the concepts of fixed gear and general cycling. Now with his birthday coming up, some (broke) friends and I have been trying to figure out what the best option is for a newbie (who doesn't care about/won't notice the finer things in bikes yet) in our strictly sub-$300 price range (Even that is tough, we're hoping for less than 250).

The options so far:
Old raleigh conversion - $200 (He says he's put more than 200 in new parts into it, decent, new no-name wheels, vuelta crank, new stem and bars, shimano bottom bracket. Guys says its 24 lbs)
Nashbar Hounder - $175 (Seems like a decent bike after some googling, but 27 pounds? Whew.)
SE Draft Lite - $220 (Seems like a similar story to Hounder)
Gravity Swift - $200

TL;DR: Looking for a ~$200 bike that won't fall apart, but it doesn't have to be anything special (he thinks my TT is the epitome of quality).

Thanks!

UberGeek

Making a fixie is cheap.

* Find old 10 speed.
* Strip the der's off.
* Shorten chain.
* Replace front brake is needed.
* Remove read brake. Use it in front if the front needs replacing.
* Buy flip-flop hub

You're only in for the 10 speed, the flip-flop hub (They are pretty cheap, $40-$50), and a couple of hours of time.

fencefry

We're definitely keeping that option open, but we're just trying to narrow down the buying options before we decide how much work we want to do.

UberGeek

Well, I heard there's this one at Wal-mart

Robofunc

You'll spend more than a couple hours, especially if you're lacing a flip-flop hub to the original rim. Also, you'll want to get all new spokes and nipples if going this route, obviously.

bluepencil

That Raleigh looks pretty ok, assuming it fits your friend.

UberGeek

Except now, it looks like the person raised the price to $325.

fencefry

Nah it's always been that, I just texted him and offered 200.

Street rider

I actually have the Swift, and I've had a whole slew of problems. But thats just me and bikes I guess. Another member has the Swift 2, and hasn't really had anything wrong with it yet.

ddeadserious

I've got a Swift 2 and haven't had any issues as of yet. I am planning on replacing the crank set this winter though, just for piece of mind. Overall I really like the bike, despite the relatively harsh ride(compared to my old steel Schwinn). In hindsight, I would have bought a bike from BD that came with more brand name components. I don't regret this bike though, I'm really enjoying it, and the geometry is nice.

cruiserhead

check out bonktown they have a SE Draft that comes up once in awhile for really cheap
dept of goods has SE's and other ss for cheap too.

highonpez

I can't possibly see a better way of doing this than an old 10 speed conversion. Toss on a wheelset like this? Check your fit, obviously. With used prices in my area I don't see that whole thing costing more than 150. If it were my friend I'd rather put a bit of work into and so would most of them.

But, is this an image thing? Is he going to feel lame on some old steel? Because then just go with the hounder.

Elvo

Pick one:
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Catalog...rchTerm=nekkid

carleton

I call BS on that.

cruiserhead

I have most of the parts to make a fixed gear, including an old frame and it's still cheaper to just buy a new bike. SE Draft was going for $180, that's a no brainer for a cheap ss.
Making a fixed out of old parts would be unique and a fun project, though.

sillygolem

Agreed. You can't just put a new hub in an old wheel - the old spokes seat into the original hub and will be weak when adjusted, and that's IF the new hub is the same size. Even a used wheel with a flip-flop hub is going to be at least $70 by itself, and in most cases you'd want to get a wheelset and switch from 27" to 700c anyway.

I don't think $200 for the Raleigh is unreasonable if he did a decent job. Those frames are desirable in general, and while I can't see the tubing sticker it's probably something higher end since it has a chrome fork.

Keep in mind any bike you look at on the low end is going to be heavy, but that doesn't matter as much as you may think.

longjohns

ive seen a lot of se drafts around and they seem like decent bikes.

FastJake

+1

I rode an old ~30lb 10 speed when I was first getting into biking, and I thought it was just great at the time. Reliability is more important than weight for a newbie. If the bike breaks they won't get to ride it as much.

SE Draft and Gravity Swift both seem like decent choices. Not enough info on that Raleigh to decide. You'd have to go check it out for yourself.

Jandro 

kilo tt

hadeone

Cheapest Kilo TT is around $400. This guy said he has half that to spend.

pylea

I rode my friend's SE Draft Lite once. Hi-ten is noticeably heavier, which sucks, so it's better to get some lighter steel.

highonpez

No one on their first bike is going to notice hi-ten being heavier. There is no comparison to make. And it's really not that heavy. It's not like you're getting them a Schwinn Collegiate.

Jandro 

Craigslist.org

fastbartender

I've never seen a Kilo tt on craigslist but I live in the midwest. I managed to buy a frame, fixed wheelset, new chain, new tires and a few other necessities for under 200 bucks though. I think if you build yourself you could potentially get a lot more bike.

spearsgary

killer deal. https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...AID=1009372833