I clicked on the BikesDirect Track Bikes page today and was shocked to see them now selling the SE Premium Brew for the same price as the Kilo TT Pro. Is there any question as to which one is the better deal ?

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/se/premium_brew.htm

Yeah, saw that too, too bad about the hideous graphics. Good deal though.

I really can't get past those graphics

As some of you may recall, I had a green Premium Brew frameset.

The lugged frame and fork are really nice - made by Maxway in Taiwan - and the Sugino RD Messenger is a nice touch but the other parts on that complete bike are crap. The bars and stem are the same as what comes stock on the Fuji Feather and are some of the worst I've ever seen. Also, those wheels (despite having Novatec hubs) are anchors and the BB is considerably lower than that on the Kilo, which may be an issue for some riders. Lastly, the graphics/color scheme would look best at the bottom of a river.

Anyone interested in buying one should also know the axles come with alloy track nuts. No me gusta.

Good to know.

so having listed the issues with the SE, is the stock Kilo better than the stick SE(ignoring the aesthetics)? After upgrading each to decent parts, are they still going to be around the same price?

I'm not a vain person.....but I can't ride anything with dragons on it. I just can't.

Considering TT was comparing the PB to the Kilo TT Pro - which requires fewer "upgrades" right out of the box - I think the Kilo TT Pro is still a better value.

Blasphemy!

Hmm. I'd say the headset and pedals on the Kilo TT are cheap garbage, whereas they are decent on the PB. Other components like the chainring and seatpost are nicer as well. The aluminum track nuts are easily and inexpensively replaceable with steel ones. Then there is the much nicer dropouts and seat binder lug on the PB, which can't be upgraded on the Kilo TT. Finally, there's the simple fact that it's a nice lugged frame with a threaded headset and quill stem that so many people would prefer. No need to convert a Kilo TT to threaded. As to the low BB on the PB, that won't be an issue for those riding it as a SS, and it comes standard with both a freewheel and fixed cog, whereas the Kilo is supplied fixed only.

But it's the year of the dragon, so at least the bike is . . . topical?

whoa. this is the new kilo tt
*edit: wow sugino rd and messenger
*edit: wow really nice track drops too, with grips
*edit: novatec generic hubs, ok. at least its sealed.
*edit: wow contintental tires

It will match my dragon bro tat

Great deal! I agree the graphics are horrible but I've read that they look much better in real life.

I have the Fuji version -all black- and it's great. Love it.

My wife got the Fuji Betsy (all-white, lord help me I have to keep it clean for her highness); I think its the same bike, minus the nod to ALTBM.

If you could find air-guitar spoke cards, that might actually have a place in society.

Fuji Betsy is not the same frame at all.

The PreBrew is a lugged frame with a lot of nice details

I would take the SE, simply because a 47cm slategrey Kilo TT Pro is not a possibility for me.

Haha, well. I hadn't considered that.


Oh man. Those lugs are pretty and it's awesome that it comes with a quill stem. It's so close to being really cool.

I love maxway lugged frames, but the premium brew's graphics are downright ugly.

dear god how the **** hard would it be to get them to make a ****ing alien v1 copy? screw this. if i ever get another non-custom, non-njs steel track bike i'm getting the affinity lo pro.

tired of half or so of the features completely ruining these bikes for me.

those ****ing dragons, egads!

^^^this many times over!
how else can you explain a bike with a fantastic frame & decent enough parts that has been hoored all over the interwebz for years by discounters?
simple...it is too damn ugly!
i had a green pb & loved that frame so much that when i was run over & it got wrecked i wanted the same bike again but could not bring myself to buy that blue/white monstrosity & got the nickel-plate maxway frame off bike island instead.
speaking of bike island...bikedirect must have got a boatload of these things & is parting them out too cuz bi is selling the frame & wheels separately on their site.

If the colour is the only reason you wouldn't buy it just plastidip the frame and it can be mat black/red/white and be able to withstand bumps because of the rubber coating!

Aesthetics aside, I stated a number of other reasons why I wouldn't buy the complete bike.

ugly as sin