Should I get a Fixie?
 

My bike was stolen :twitchy: and I've been keeping an eye out for a replacement... I found this really nice fixie:

http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/bln...062517_20.jpeg

The colour makes we want to run away and hide so I'll add a few cans of black paint to the price, but it's listed as $300/negotiable and I think it could be really sweet to ride. What do you guys think?

I've never ridden a Fixie before but I'm fairly fit and not really in a hurry to get to work each day. My only worry is my commute includes is a 5% climb that takes me about 5 minutes to ride up (on my Giant CRX City that was stolen). I usually use mid to low gears on the climb but I think I could easily do it with higher gears, and I don't really mind walking up the last bit for a few weeks if I need to build my fitness level up.

Should I give it a try? If I decide it was a mistake, is it a difficult conversion to add in-hub gears, or will I have to sell the bike?

Obviously I'll have to ride it before I buy. The seller only lives a few blocks away from me.

That is not a "nice fixie."

Get a kilo TT.

Why not?

There are none for sale where I live, and postage would be higher than the price of the bike itself... remote Australian city.

Judging by the picture, everything on it is junk, but being where you are, it may be your only choice.


How's your road bike market?

The road bike market is pretty good, but so far I've only seen bikes that are either too expensive, too old/beaten up or the wrong size frame.

I can wait until something else shows up, but I've already been looking for about 4 weeks.

I'd like to know what makes it "not a nice fixie," too. I'm guessing the cranks and pedals are the telltale signs of what to expect from the rest of the bike? How can one tell if the frame is junk even? What if it was a nice vintage frame that was just painted over? :cry:

I'd keep looking for a fixed gear, or pick up a sweet vintage roadie.

Not to sound snooty, but I literally can't see a brand on the thing. Now, this doesn't automatically make it bad, it just tilts the scale that way.

Ahhhhhh... got it. :thumb:

Or I could offer him a cheaper price after taking it for a test ride. If the frame is fairly light and it rolls easy, that should do the trick right? I don't mind replacing/upgrading a few things later on.

The only thing I can see that is obviously cheap are the peddles, but he might have had clip ons and just picked these up for $5 to sell the bike.

Looking at the bike, I doubt the owner knows clipless pedals exist.

Offer him 200.

Might be a Kilo TT, with different fork. Rear rack holes in seatstays me think it's gotta good chance of being some kinda BD frame.

True, but I've never seen a straight fork on one.

IT looks an awful lot like the ones at http://purefixcycles.com.

All the seller says is "Custom fix gear bike. Completely unique, won't find another like it. Good condition. Willing to negotiate."

I think it's worth having a look, maybe try to negotiate the price down a bit. :)

Bikes direct doesn't ship to Australia.

It depends on the spacing of the rear wheel. Start here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-595221.html

Fork looks about right but do they have a model with rack mounts? They have 15 models on there, but they're all the same frame, right?

They don't even ship to Canada IIRC but sometimes people go places and bring things with them.

Maybe a fab is doing a little Aussie grey market BD/PF frame/fork combo action.

It's a State bike.

That's the ticket! Good eye, Scrod!

Wonder why the seller is selling? Must have gotten tired of being chased around by members of the opposite sex.*



*sounded better than "tired of sqrls throwing their panties at him."

They call 'em Sheilas down there. :)

Thanks!

All the bikes on that page are $429 or $579, so I guess $300 secondhand is a good price (btw, $300 AUD is about $297 USD at the moment). Somebody must have paid freight/import tax on it too.

If it's in good condition I think I'll buy it. :-)

so these are the people your thread was referring to ;)

You are better getting something from BD as the obvious answer, if you cannot get the Kilo TT then go with a Windsor Hour if money is the issue.

hahaha. Well, I never said it was a negative thing. I think. :p

Why do I keep writing this sentence? Bikes Direct does not ship to Australia.