sbpark

So just a little bit about me, 36 years old, used to me a messenger in Philly and NYC in the late 90's, rode a fixed gear back then, basically just bikes that friends built, then about 6-7 years ago bought a Pista on a whim while I was in a shop one day and rode that all over the place when I was living in Denver, then sold it a few years ago when I moved to Southern California.

Probably going to move to LA soon and want something to get around the city with. I around $500 for my Pista new years ago and cannot believe how expensive they have become since.

My question is, should I have someone build a bike for me, or just suck it up and get one off the shelf like another Pista, or are there other options for off the rack fixed gears?

I actually gave up fixed gears because it has become the hipster thing to do, and honestly, we rode them back in the day as messengers because they were cheap, lightweight and had nothing that could really be stolen off of them. I don't give a crap about colors, brands, etc, and want it to be as low key as possible, and will purely be for transportation. Also, I've never ridden a fixed gear with brakes, and do not intend to. (My personal belief is if you;re using a brake on a fixie you;re cheating!) Now that I'm a little older, I don't have the time to search around for parts to put one together myself.

Suggestions, recommendations, comments absolutely welcomed! Thanks!

Spoonrobot 

That's stupid.

Re: Your actual question:

How much do you want to spend?

$400ish+ gets you a good off the shelf bike.

$700ish+ gets you into custom builds by a shop.

Also, we don't call them "fixies" anymore.

sbpark

yes, it was a stupid thing to do, i admit, but i'm stubborn! so get me up to speed here, what do you call them now?! as far as what I want to spend, i can afford $500, and can go a little higher if it's worth it, but again, the reason I started riding them back in the day was because they were cheap, so spending a fortune on one sort of defeats the reason i got into them in the first place. but $500 to me back then WAS a fortune, but now i am lucky enough to be able to afford some nice things, so spending more for quality is not an issue. thanks for the quick reply, btw!

Spoonrobot 

$500 isn't going to get you a very good build. I'd recommend buying a complete bike, which should get you a very nice $400 Kilo TT and then you can spend the additional $100 on a new saddle, pedals and a helmet.

Or the Dawes SST AL since the TT is out of stock in most sizes.

https://bikesdirect.com/products/merc...ott_pro_xi.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._al_carb_x.htm

Nagrom_

I'd wait until fall for when when the Kilo TT Pro restocks, and pick one of those up. They are $450, and the $50 gets you quite a bit over the standard Kilo TT. It gets you a much better wheelset, with sealed bearings, and it also gets you a $110~ crankset, as well as a pretty bangin paint job. Then you can spend your remaining 50+ budget to upgrade what you feel. saddle, pedals, etc.

You could even take the nice set of brakes they give you, and put them up on CL to make 50 bucks back to put towards more upgrades.

cobrabyte

Wabi cycles is a good option to look into, or a Surly Steamroller. Both are a little above your budget, but under 500 a Kilo TT is really the only way to go these days

Scrodzilla

The best off-the-rack bike out there right now (IMO) is the All-City Big Block.

sbpark

So how much more are we talking to spend for a really 'nice' bike? i know thats a pretty relative question, but I don't mind spending more, as long as it's worth it. What I'm trying to say is, if spending another $250-$350 puts me in a totally different category as far as quality, components, significantly lighter, etc. then I can justify it.

sbpark

I liking this bike and what I am reading about that company. Looks like a really nice bike.

Spoonrobot 

Jeff Frane seems like an alright dude.

https://bikejerksmpls.blogspot.com/search?q=big-block
https://allcitycycles.com/blog/big_bl...er_and_winter/

bfloyd6969

Looks like you may have found your next bike

And, welcome to the forums!

BigglyPuff

I'd seriously consider option C, which is looking for a used bike.

Going new and off the rack, to me, should only be done when you don't have time, you have a lot of money, or the deal is too good to pass up. Building your own is the way to go, but your budget is limited. So if you have time, I'd play the waiting game, especially if you're coming to L.A. Plenty of solid, used fixed gears you can get for $500 around here.

Nagrom_

option D:
Buy a $450 bike, and then put a thousand bucks into it.

only kidding, unless you're an idiot.

wait.

Ultraspontane

All City Big Block
Wabi
Soma Rush
Spicer (handmade in USA, reasonable $)

If youre willing to spend a bit more, Milwaukee Cream City.

mkeHENRY

If I could turn back time, I'd do a thousand hours of research and build my bike from the start.

sbpark

any opinions on the Langster? An old roommate of mine when I was lving back in Hoboken, NJ had one and it looked nice, but I could care less about brakes (would take them off) and no need for a flip flop hub...I sort of do like th look of the 2012 version, but it may not be for everyone, since it has a more modern look and compact geometry.

https://store.citygrounds.com/store/p...e-Black-White/

sharmaji

i think the langster's a great bike, but it definitely yells STEAL ME!!!!! when locked up next to a thousand shabbier-looking bikes.

sbpark

good point, and I have to say i do like a more classic look, and so far the All City is the leader in my book.