Street rider

Been there. This last time was a bit different though, because my dad was looking for a road bike that he's using to race in duathlons with. So he wanted something close to entry level, so that he could learn on and not care too much about wiping out or crashes in his first handful of races. He ended up getting a great deal on a Raleigh equipped with Shimano 105 for less than a specialized he was looking at that was equipped with Sora. Good times.

graceyhwang8

thanks! ive been lookin into Pure fix. a lot of people have been telling me about it

Street rider

Pure fix is junk. I get that you're going for looks, but I'm pretty sure that even Big Shot is better than that. BD is still going to be your best bet for the money.

SinX7

Np. If anything, there HQ is in Burbank, CA. You can probably go down and take a look at the bike and stuff they got, if you want.

But the Kilo TT's looks good. Might replace the PureFix for that.

seau grateau

I've been to their warehouse. Not the kind of stuff I would buy, but lots of shiny stuff and they don't seem too bad for the price.

eyeomegasquared

For budget-conscious and quality, I recommend craigslist and patience. There are too many of these internet companies now slapping together fixed gear bikes out of the cheapest components and selling them for $300-$400.

JDMKidBill

I agree, don't fall victim to such companies (like I did). Research BikeForums for homework.

Soo__Fuego

Wasn't JDM enough for ya brah?

JDMKidBill

It wasn't. That's why I have Centurion bikes- Japanese steel, brah!

Soo__Fuego

Very nice, you know that red one looks like it'll fit me better. Can I has?

graceyhwang8

Since purefix is junk, do you guys recommend me building a bike from scratch?
Ive been on craigslist as well and there are a lot of bike shops advertising so I never know which ones are legit or not !

tomgnarly

I rode for about 2 years on a cheap fixed conversion before I actually built a bike from the ground up. I say get a good enough conversion, swap the parts as you learn what you need out of your bike. If this is your first bike then anything will work, also if this is your first fixed I'd suggest a helmet or at least a brake set up.

calv

Have you looked at the Kilo TT Pro?

eyeomegasquared

Yes.

While there is something to be said for starting small, taking things slow, and easing into a new pursuit, there's also something good to be said for just going balls-to-the-wall.

zazenzach

I realize this is probably no longer helpful for her, but to anyone else who comes upon this thread, do NOT take the advice that many of these guys are spouting.

fixnation and republic bikes and all that other hipster crap is junk. crappy components that will brake down in a week. anything made of high ten is a boat anchor and quite frankly, shouldnt even be ridden nowadays (unless you got it for free).

building a bike when you don't have experience is stupid and time consuming for newbies.

if your spending less than $500, buy a mercier kilo tt off bikesdirect, or get something used off craigslist. period. going to you local bike shop is always the best answer to atleast figure out what frame size you need and to figure out what to look for. the shop might even have a bike in stock you will want.

eyeomegasquared

Opinions. They're everywhere.

Getting a box of parts in the mail isn't exactly great for newcomers, either.

To the OP, build your own if you have the $. It doesn't need to be a solo endeavor. If you find a local shop that specializes in FGSS, they can help you pick out parts and properly assemble everything.

seau grateau

That same bike shop might also have bikes for sale.

Just sayin...

striknein

Why in the world would anyone want to spend double the price for the pleasure of going to the work of procuring, then assembling a batch of components that would normally already come as a complete package for less? Furthermore, why would anyone recommend that someone who clearly knows jack about specific components to go to the effort of shopping for said components to procure?

There's a reason Kilo TT gets mentioned in EVERY thread like this. It's the best bike you can get for a reasonable budget, without having to have the experience that goes with reading a forum for a year or more. If someone needs to ask "What fixie should I get", you can be damn sure they'd need to ask about a dozen more questions about component choices. While I find that exercise to be entertaining due to having awareness of the market and options out there, this is simply not a good option for an apparent new rider. Consider that it's not just a question of getting the parts for the bike itself, there's also the question of procuring a tool kit for the sole purpose of assembling a single bike that said buyer doesn't even know if they'll enjoy riding. That's an additional minimum investment of at least $100, and then you have to learn how to properly use those tools. That's all well and good for someone who has "the bug", not so great for someone who seems to know next to nothing about bicycle assembly. Frankly, it can be downright dangerous.

calv

+1

Training.Wheels

^^ +2

I know most of us here are bike snobs but what I actually suggest for this girl is to go to her local bike shops, get fitted, and test drive every fixie each shop has until she is happy with the ride quality and price of the fixie. If it ends up being a Pure Fix, who cares, it's her bike. I think buying from a bike shop will be her best bet so that she has the support behind her in case she needs to make adjustments later on. I doubt this girl has guy friends that are really into bikes who can help her with a bikesdirect bike or she wouldn't be here asking for advice. Once she has experience with a bike, then she can sell her bike and go ahead and get that Kilo TT or whatever.

eyeomegasquared

It feels like you guys didn't even read what I wrote. Let me put this another way, but keep in mind this is exactly what I said above...

She would be better off not ordering from Bikesdirect. The bike doesn't come assembled and sometimes there are missing parts, the wheels are not true, etc. It's not a good thing for a person with no bicycle experience.

I also said that building your own bike doesn't need to be a solo endeavor. You walk into a bike shop that specializes in fixed gear, you tell them you know nothing about bikes and you want to do a custom build, they break out the catalogs, you look, they make suggestions that go with your aesthetic preferences, they order everything, they assemble it and maybe even show you how some of it comes together if you want to learn, and you ride off on your new bike. At least that's how it works at the FG shops I've been to. Now exactly how is that a bad experience for someone new?

Spoonrobot 

You have any idea how much that costs? Custom builds generally have a premium of $200+ dollars, in addition to massive retail mark-up for parts, a fairly long wait time and general shopbro dickheads you have to deal with. This will end up costing $1000+ for a low-endish fixed gear.

or

Buy a Kilo TT for $400ish dollars, take it to a shop, have them build it for $60-80.

You give bad advice.

And learn how to take some pictures without using the flash.

striknein

Nobody said you had to build your bikesdirect bike yourself. Ever.

eyeomegasquared

You'll note the part where I said to the OP, "If you have the $". You don't know the OP's financial position. Maybe $1000 is not much for her and maybe she'd enjoy a custom build more.

My advice is good if you take it for what it is...a suggestion. I'm tired of seeing Kilo TT's shoved down every new person's throat. If they want to go with that, fine. But you don't need to bash every opinion that doesn't involve buying a damn Kilo TT from Bikesdirect.

P.S. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eGJOqMHsDI

graceyhwang8

haha funny.
and yes if anything, im gonna be getting brakes