Welshy

So I've been doing some research on these forums and via Sheldon Brown and a few other resources on the internet over the last couple days and have a basic grasp of the idea of converting an old road bike to a FG. That's not to say I know all the components of the bike (far from it) or that I could go out and successfully do one tomorrow without help -- I just have a basic idea of what you need to do.

Basically, my question is...if I am serious about riding a FG as my everyday street bike, should I skip looking for a conversion and just go straight into a track frame and save myself time and possibly money in the long run, or should I work on converting an old bike and then buy a new frame in the future and swap the parts from the old bike to the new one, adding things when necessary.

I don't want a Kilo TT or another complete where I would have to replace sub-par parts, but at the same time I don't know if its a good idea for a beginner to pickup a leader frame and a bunch of expensive parts with little to no experience building or riding fixed.

Also, whats a reasonable top end and bottom end price estimate for a complete bike with something like a 250$ leader frame to start with.

I apologize for the handful of indirectly asked questions, I'm just really struggling to decide what I want to do and seek the opinion of some of you bike gurus.

I seriously love this forum. Such a great resource for a beginner like myself. Thanks to all the contributors. You know who you are.

ddeadserious

Converting a road bike is not a bad idea if you're not 100% sure you want to put a lot of time and money into fixed gear cycling before trying it out for a bit. They can generally be had cheap, then pick up a cheap set of wheels from velomine.com, which you can then swap onto a build or another bike if/when you decide to upgrade.

Building a bike from scratch is going to prove to be more expensive, even if you use lower-end parts.

The Kilo TT is so highly recommended because it comes complete and is a great starting point for a beginner. It comes with decent components and nothing needs to be replaced immediately.

TejanoTrackie 

The most cost effective strategy is to buy a complete good quality FG bike such as an All-City Big Block, Surly Steamroller or Wabi Lightning/Classic/Special. All of them are designed to be used on the road and cost under $1000. Figure that building something comparable from an individual frame and components will cost about twice as much, and you will need to also purchase a lot of extra expensive tools. People build up bikes for the learning experience, joy and individualizing of the bike, rather than practicality. If you are new at this, it will cost you even more, because it is certain that you will make mistakes. The final decision is yours as to what you wish to make of this and no one here can tell you what is best in your particular case.

Welshy

I think this really sums up what I would have gone through, I'm definitely going to look into those 3. All 3 look pretty sweet right now I just need to figure out what the draws are of each/which I like more aesthetically.

Seriously this advice and ddeadsrious both helped a ton. Thank you.

Sixty Fiver

Converting a road bike into a fixed gear can be as simple as purchasing a fixed wheel for the rear and swapping that out with the geared wheel, removing all the stuff that shifts gears, and converting the crank to a single.

In many cases running the chain ring in the middle of the spider will give a near optimal chain line and in other cases one might want to install a narrower bottom bracket so they can run the single chain ring on the outside of the spider... shorter stack bolts or spacers will be required to do this.

Benefits would include a bike that has a geometry that is better suited for the road and the ability to run fenders if you plan to ride in wet or snowy weather.

EpicSchwinn

Welcome to Bike Forums Welshy!

As a guy who in your situation chose to convert a roadie: I converted my road bike to fixed and loved riding it so I ended up slowly upgrading components. In the end I ended up just switching to a track frame and moving everything over. Conversion definitely isn't the cheapest way to go if you get the upgrade fever, but then again nothing is. It just helps to have some experience riding a basic FG so you get a good sense of what kind of higher end parts you will want. It would suck to blow a bunch of cash right off the bat and realize that you like a different style of bike better.

BoozyMcliverRot

Tejano,Sixty,and Epic know whats up.

I did the same with my last bike.I had a Specialized sirrus frame from the 80s and built that,Bought a kilo frame from BD and by the time I was done I had a 1700 dollar Kilo.Dont make my mistake

Welshy

Thank you for the pro tips, seriously. I would have forked out a bunch of money for stuff YOU guys liked instead of learning my own preferences. I love everything you guys have said. To be perfectly honest I was a little hesitant to post this because you guys (the regulars) are definitely harsh on people who ask stupid questions and don't do research (which I can understand...I actually quite like it as long as I manage to dodge the trollin directly.)

I think the best bet for me is either a) a mid-range complete (500-1000$ range) or b) a convert which I build up and eventually move to a track frame in the future.

To be honest, I'd prefer b) for the sake of customization but I don't feel like I know enough to do it by myself and the LBS near me is so inflated its disgusting. Also, converting would be a lot more intimate and I would learn a lot more about the bike then if I was to just buy a complete and slowly upgrade it.

Ugh, decisions decisions. The other problem is I am impatient and hate checking craigslist on the daily (sifting through the bull**** and cheap-o bikes is getting old and I don't REALLY know what to look for exactly yet) and I am just ready to ride!! I have 3 bikes to ride right now, a mtn bike, a road bike and a cruiser but all are geared and fitted for my dad and not my style.

EpicSchwinn

As far as looking for frames to convert goes, just focus on getting something with
-Horizontal dropouts
-Fits like a glove
-Doesn't weigh a ton
A lot of times people on here get crap for bastardizing a high quality road bike. You shouldn't go in looking for a high end vintage frame if you're going to take off lots of nice components and devalue it. Some things to avoid
-Old Peugeots (They have lots of irregular and hard to find parts)
-Really old bikes (pre 80's)
Basically, you're trying to avoid bikes with parts that are obsolete or irrelevant to the FG world (Funky cranksets, french threaded bottom brackets and headsets, weird sized stems etc.). If you're skimming craigslist and want a second opinion we have Craigslist Finds thread where you could ask or you could just bump this. In reference to the hazing we do, it's usually reserved for people who ask questions that are googleable in 2 seconds or posters who ask for advice and then do exactly what we warn them not to. You're neither of these so we cool

Jaytron

IMO $500~$1000 is too much to spend on something you're not even sure on yet. I'd go the cheap route first, kilo or cheap conversion, then if you find out you like it, buy a better bike. This also works for the "n+1" rule.

sirensfade

I think the most valuable thing to me about starting on a conversion was the learning experience as far as getting to know a fixed gear bike bike, using the proper tools, etc.

I converted on old road bike on the cheap with a rear wheel at first, then eventually got cranks and a front wheel and was satisfied for about a year before upgrading to my IRO Mark V Pro (after the road frame was damaged in a car accident).

If I had bought a kilo tt or similar to begin with it might have taken me longer and cost me more money on swapping out parts I might have thought needed replacing to reach a certain level of comfort maintaining/appreciating a bike.

Just sayin'.

Welshy

I'm sure for a few reasons, just unsure of WHAT I want, now why I want it!

I know the pros and cons, have rode a friends before, have always sat in one gear on road bikes anyway, and am doing it to force myself into stronger cardio while learning something new. I'm super set on doing this, have the money and the time and want to have it done before christmas so I can get myself a trainer and practice riding to get my endurance up during the cold and rainy winter months.

Thanks for the what to look for/what not to look for Schwinn, I'll definitely be posting some more craigslist finds (already posted some flop ones already in the cl thread a few days ago actually). That really helped narrow down my search. Can somebody throw together a short list of popular names of brands that would fit that category of those bikes?

Sirenfade that was also some great advice and your path seems a lot like what mine is going to be. I am so ready to have a bike to call my own and have done my own work too.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2659608625.html

Too bad that thing is ugly/terrible and the guy has no knowledge of it, its also not my size, and it also doesn't look like any leader frame I've seen LOL
Also, I could be wrong but bent fork much????

mihlbach

Just spend $300 on something from BD with brakes, like the windsor timeline and be done with it. I don't know why everyone thinks you need to upgrade these things. They are perfectly good bikes and anything more expensive will be meaningless to a beginer. Anything more expensive is way beyond the point of diminishing returns. Converting a bike inevitably ends up being more expensive and will take longer to get you riding, unless you have access to tools, a bunch of spare parts, and bike building experience. Building a bike a la carte is best left to experienced riders...its worth it if you've done lots of riding and have a well-developed sense for what will work best for you, otherwise you'll just end up spending more money changing it later.
Get a cheap durable bike and start riding it. It will serve you well. Experiment with different gear ratios, handlebars, tire sizes, pedal systems, etc, develop some mechanical skills workimg on it and RIDE IT INTO THE GROUND. If you are still committed, then build you next bike a la carte, or hold out for that perfect vintage conversion frame.

carleton

Start with these rhetorical questions:

If you could have any bike in the world, no matter how cheap or expensive, what bike would it be and why?
What are and are not important to you? (speed, looks, reliability, brand name, low weight, durability, versatility, single-purpose...)
How do you think you'll use the bike? (commuting, not really, really long miles, around campus).
What's your terrain like? (flat like Florida, Hilly like SF)
Is there a chance that your bike will be stolen? (campus bike rack, work won't allow bikes inside, bars won't allow bikes inside...)

Maybe answer some of those questions in this thread and it will help guide the discussion. For example, if brand name isn't important and your bike is in a high bike theft area then a certain type of bike might be better. But, if the bike will always be safe in your home and you simply use it for long weekend rides or commuting to work where they allow you to bring it in then something nicer might be the way to go.

As far as converting goes...

Converting was popular when there weren't any relatively inexpensive fixed gear frames/bikes available. Before 2005 or so, if you didn't get a custom frame made, pretty much the only options where purpose built track racing bikes that weren't cheap. That's not really the case anymore. Plus, people converted bikes that they already had or had access to in their parent's basement or found cheap at thrift stores.

Don't spend money to buy a frame just to convert it. That's like buying a rectangle to see of you can shave it into a square. Why not just buy a square? I'm not dissing conversions. There are some great conversions out there.

Also, buying a-la-carte will always cost more than buying a complete bike. The sum of the parts will be more than a complete bike, PLUS you have to pay for labor to build it or buy tools to build it yourself.

Welshy

But the thing is, I have owned bikes all my life and have always just had bikes like you mentioned. I want something that not only signifies me, but is my style, my preferences, etc etc. I want to learn through making mistakes (not big ones, hopefully), I want to learn, and I think a good way to do that it is to be intimate with the experience by building something from the ground up, not by just putting a bunch of parts together in a prepackaged box.

I have been riding a Trek 7.5FX (my dads) for a while now and I don't want to downgrade from that if you know what I mean. Haha. I think that might turn me off of riding fixed!

carleton

Do some window shopping. Spend a few hours strolling through the bike pics thread and note the bikes that catch your eye.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...tos-%282011%29

Welshy

I'm just going to answer them all.

1) Not sure, don't know enough about bikes yet! Something I couldn't afford now (obviously! LOL)
2) looks, reliability, brand name (notsomuch, just known reliability), durability (i'm heavy, this is huge), versatility (want flip-flop)
3) weekend rides, around town, trails
4) live in sacramento valley, not hilly like sf and not as flat as florida, doable
5) not a worry, won't be leaving it very often (will always be locked if I do) and live in a really really low crime community

You definitely make converting sound like a poor choice, and I can see why -- I don't have something sitting around I would literally have to shave the **** out of a rectangle, lol.

I have tools by the way and if I don't, I probably know somebody who does (most of them anyway.) Thanks a lot for the input man, really appreciate your opinions. This is hard!



And by the way, I've pretty much gone through every page of the last 3 years of post your bike threads over the last few days. I guess you could say I'm hooked. Seriously, been looking on Pedalroom, fixie ****** (tarck bikes) and fixed gear gallery for hours on in! I want one NOW!


I love this:
https://www.******.com/r/FixedGearBic...tta_go/c2wj106
https://i.imgur.com/4FwSO.jpg

Seems like it would be affordable to build something similar! I may have a lead!

nuhtowel

Are you the kind of person who likes tinkering with things or will just use something and be happy?

Welshy

Tinkering for sure. I take everything apart/customize everything! Especially when I know a lot about it!

pkpyro

I think most of this forum's members were all in your situation. I just started riding FG about a month ago myself.

Some of your options are:
1a) Buying a wheel set ($150~) online and just putting it on your roadie, and stripping all shifter components.
1b) To add on to the above option, removing some of the chainrings and installing spacers and what not to make it run just right
1c) Even more work but is highly unnecessary unless you really care for asthetics, shearing or filing off any shifter mounts on frame (downtube shifters) and deraileur hangers.

I'd recommend this ONLY if you've got a roadie already and is 90% sure that you'd like a fixie in place of your roadie.

2. Buying a "beater" bike from a guy on Craigslist.

Most fixie riders know their stuff. This means you're (usually) not going to run into sh***y bikes, and hey, if it IS sh***y, it's a beater bike. The upside to this is that you can sell the bike later for about the same price. For eg) I buy a $200 bike, I can probably sell it a year later for $200.

3. Buying a beginner bike from an online dealer

Vilano and Micargi are some bike brands. Not the best ones, but does work. If you go this method, though, you'll probably end up upgrading your bike along the way. These are typically $200~, so you're getting a complete bike for the price of a frame.

4. Buying a bike from a bike shop.

Only if your town has a fixie shop. Small fixie shops know their stuff and sell bikes that are tuned to perfection. The downside is that these typically run $700+

5. Building your own bike.

NOT recommended unless you have lots of bike mechanic experience / have a nearby co-op that you can go to for some hands-on help. I'm assuming you don't have all the tools necessary to build a bike (most people don't) so that's going to cost more to you. The upside is that you can end up with a dream bike, the downside is that it takes time and is often a hella more expensive then your beginner stock bike.

Final thoughts:
I'd say buy from Craigslist or an online dealer for $300- if this is your first bike. Saves work from conversion and generally looks neater, too. Upgrade parts as you see fit. You can sell these later for not much lower then the price you bought em for.

Once you've got some FG riding under your belt and know exactly what you want, (you can only find this out from riding FG) upgrade to a higher end bike.

Or you can just buy a higher end bike outright if you're stinking rich.

PS: If you ARE stinking rich and you're throwing out some parts from your high-end bike.... I accept donations.

Welshy

I have nearby help (LBS, dad, friends) and my dad knows some guy at work that rides fixed to work every day and lives about 3 minutes away. He just told me about him and how he builds his own rides. Kind of a crazy guy my dad says but it sounds like he knows his stuff. I know it doesn't mean much but he rides clipless and trackstands stops while commuting so he sounds like a boss to me. Hopefully he would be willing to help.

I put together a list of parts needed and some prices (obviously not exact, doesn't include shipping, tax, etc and some are just downright guesses). It's running a little more expensive then I want it too. Do you think shooting for a 700$ price is possible with a complete build or no? What parts would be acceptable to go cheap on?

wheelset - 170
seat - 70
Pake Rum Runner Frameset - 260
seatpost - 75
stem - 25
handlebars -50
headset/bottom bracket - 40
brake lever - 35
crank set - 80
pedals - 45
tires - 45
cog -14
chain - 15

Sixty Fiver

I know a great number of people who only ride fixed gear road bikes (conversions) and won't ride anything else... I only have one purpose built fixed gear and it is a road bike and if I had the parts at hand can convert a road bike into a fixed gear in about 45 minutes.

Hardest part is finding the right frame that will give you the right fit and after that it just a matter of following some simple steps.

pkpyro

Nearby help is good. Clipless is more of a personal preference and so is track standing - most FG riders will learn that within a couple months or so. Not a hard skill. Though if the guy lives 3 minutes away and rides clipless, I think that's just stupidity... putting those shoes on and taking them off will be another minute added to his 3 minute commute.

Again, building a bike outright is discouraged by people because you can't know what you want exactly on a bike unless you rode that type of bike for a while.

For example, I didn't know that I wanted right-side pegs only on my BMX and just got two full sets (expensive pegs, too. $80 for the two pairs) and didn't really do anything with the left-side pegs that I took off. Nor did I see that I didn't need gyro brakes ($40) because flatland riding for me didn't involve me using back brakes.

That's $80 that I spent on parts that I gave away as time passed by because I didn't know what I really wanted.

You will make those mistakes on a fixie if you build it up and it's also your first one.
It is possible to build a fixie bike for $700. My estimates don't include labour expenses, though, as my friend has all the tools I need and I know how to build a bike except for the bottom bracket and forks (my buddy helps me with this).

Frame material is important for preferences and preferred performance.
Frame geometry is important for preferences and preferred performance.
(Same deal with forks)

Parts that you can cheap out on IMO (some will say you can't cheap out anywhere, I disagree)
-Handlebars. You can pick up cheap ones off a co-op. Look through their "used" bin.
-Wheelset. Pretty essential so I actually don't recommend this, but a $150 wheel set and $600 wheel set will feel the same to a beginner anyways.
-Pedals. You can again look a co-op's "used" bin. I recommend MKS Sylvan Track pedals though, will run you about $40 but will improve quality of the ride.
-Cogs. You don't need a $60 cog, a $5 one works just as well.
-Chainring. Same deal as cogs, except prices will be more expensive.
-Chain. If it works, it works.
-Cranks. If it works, it works.
-Grips. You can tape it down with road bike tape or get some cheapo grips from a local BMX store.
-Saddle. Though, this is your ass we're talking here, so feel free to go all crazy.
-Tires. Most stock online bikes actually come with pretty decent tires - makes the ride comfy. If you're building from ground up, though, I'd go for Gatorskins. $60 ish.
-Brakes / levers are one thing that's iffy. Some people start only running front brakes after 3 days of riding fixed, and some people go brakeless within a month. So that's $60 you essentially wasted. Get some cheap brakes that work, but you'll most likely be only running front brakes. I don't know anyone that's running both brakes on their FG.

PS: More expensive =/ better performance!
I can buy a 61cm decked out custom made frame but it won't fit me.
A 53cm hi-tensile steel frame would perform better for me. Fits me.

KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND.

Welshy

I know that that track standing and riding clipless doesn't mean your a great fixie rider or have a lot of knowledge, but from what I gathered hes rather practical when it comes to riding and he definitely did a lot of the work himself from what I gather. Oh and about the clipless commute, he lives 3 minutes from ME, his commute is much further than 3 minutes. I'd say at least 15, but I'm sure he rides more than just to work.

I will definitely keep everything you said in mind. Protips on the things to cheap out on too. Thanks.

Sherblock

I'd only use clip less if the commute was longer than 30 minutes.

And don't worry about track standing or skidding. I can't do either and I've been riding fixed for 4 years.