BillK

I got back into biking this past Spring ('03 Marin Portofino) after a long hiatus and am hooked (again). During the "off" season I decided to improve my maintenace skills and signed up for a Park Tool class at my local LBS. Well...during the third class it dawned on me...."what better way to put these new skills to use than build myself a singlespeed/fixie bike?!"

So the research began....reading/searching through this forum, visiting manufacturer's web sites, reviewing ebay auctions. But now I have a question.

I'd like to take the bike out on the weekends for my training rides (30-50 miles). With that criteria, is it better/easier to look for a track frame (Bianchi Pista, Fuji Track, Surly Steamroller, etc.) or follow Sheldon Brown's advice and try for a 1970's road bike frame (more relaxed geometry, horizontal dropouts, generous tire clearances, etc.)?

BillK

One follow up...my goal is to spend ~$500 for this project (i.e., a mix of old and new; $150 - 200 for the frame, $150 - 200 for the wheels, and $100 - 150 for the rest of the parts).

Cynikal 

With what you are looking for I would recomend a complete used older raod bike (with horiz dorpouts). Getting a complete bike will give you most of parts you need. You can always upgrade. I would recomend getting a track rear wheel from the start. Find a flip/flop hub and you can have both a ss and a fixie. Depending on your riding style a track frame might be too tight of geometry for a longer ride (some will argue with this, some will agree).

Like you my fixie was the first bike I built entirely on my own (including the wheels). This could be why I have more of an attachment to it more than the others in my stable. There is a lot of information here and some very wise people. This was a great resource during my build. Just remember to use the search function because so much has been discussed before.

Good Luck.

xylx

I got my Fetish Fixation SS frame shipped to my door for $188. Ebay. Thru on a bunch of parts I had lying around. Under $400. See my post in the photos section of this forum for a photo of it. It's an alu frame, and overbuilt, but it's cheap. Plus it has a derailleur hanger if you decide you want a few gears for commuting or something.

BillK

Any brand/model recommendations? Pictures on eBay don't always include a clear shot of the dropouts, so it's hard to judge vintage.


Thanks....I have been. There's where I got the information on Bianchi, Fuji, KHS, Soma, etc.

inkdwheels

Just get the fuji track bike. It has road geometry and provisions for brakes if you want. Good price for the bike, If you are still wanting to go 70's road bike. Look for a schwinn. I have a letour in my closet, but its pretty big.

thechamp

tell us where you live. Chances are you can do better than ebay if you live in a decent sized city.
I'd spend the bulk of your $500 budget on a materials to build a solid wheelset. IRO hubs, open pros, spokes, cog (s), ring, tubes and tires can cost you $300. I have a couple of really nice freewheel wheelsets that I got off craiglist for <$100 (campy, etc) but If I had to do it again I'd absolutely build a set with a track hub. When you feel funny about building a $300 wheelset to put on a $20 bike remember that the wheelset is probably the only one you'll need for the next 5 - 10 years and you can always put it on a good frame next year when your $500 budget renews. Anyway, while you're waiting for parts, then building wheels, keep on the lookout for a good used bike.

some schwinns are dogs some are great. I have a letour that I love so much I won't ride it in the rain but it's heavy.
I like centurions, univegas, and french bikes (though I wouldn't reccomend the french.)

When I'm looking at frames I tend to look for something light and what I look for are aluminum parts - especially cranks, bars, hubs, and rims (even though you're not going to use them), and if parts are steel, did they try to make them light? I also look at seatstays and chainstays- on heavy bikes they'll be big and chunky, on light bikes they'll be slim and elegant. Somone else might want to chime in on preferable tubing (often advertised on stickers).
Buy a bike for $50 and replace the steel seatpost, bars and padals with aluminum (shop parts bin, nashbar, whatever). Buy some bearings (from loosescrews.com) and overhaul the bottom bracket and headset your self.
You still have $100 to spend however you want.

BillK

Thanks for the advice. I live in the suburbs of Washington D.C.

Cynikal 

[QUOTE=BillK]Any brand/model recommendations? Pictures on eBay don't always include a clear shot of the dropouts, so it's hard to judge vintage.

I went down to the eclectic old shop and dug around in the back. Found a frame for $30. 80's steel lugged Araya. Painted it up and was done. During the bike boom (70's and 80's) there were so many good frames built that a specific brand is difficult. Look for an old racer if possible because the geometry will more aggressive (but not track aggressive). Half the fun is looking.

BillK

Agreed. Thanks for the advice Cynikal.

BillK

Well....looks like I found a frame:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

A 57cm Nishiki Steel Bike sans wheels. At that price ($26 + shipping), I couldn't resist. I'll have to see what shape the paint is in befrore deciding to paint it or not.

I'll post pics once I finish my project. Cheers.