Hi,
I recently had my road bike stolen... I'd like to replace it now with a fixed gear tracking bike, and I don't really want to spend more than $350-$400 for it (as it would suck to have another more expensive bike stolen again!)...
Any suggestions in this price range? LBS doesn't stock any tracking bikes, perhaps a good online source / or Ebay??
Thanks!

Well, you could build one up yourself, for starters. Pick up an old bike and convert it. I recon this could be done with about ~$100/150 ..?

Here is one on Ebay:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...135977696&rd=1

I considered this one but decided on the Bianchi Pista instead.

Track, not tracking.

I would suggest making one yourself. Find an old bike with horizontal dropouts and read Fixed Gear on the Cheap. Or just take your old bike and throw a fixed rear wheel on it for $100 (suggest one from IRO).

Ahh, yes.

Well, one thing you can never get a good answer on in this particular forum is cost. Unless you know how to re-dish and re-spoke your own wheel, a fixed gear wheel (from IRO or anywhere else) is going to cost you--those hubs aren't cheap, nor are the attendant costs.

I fell for the whole, 'it's really cheap to do yourself' thing, and ended up spending a lot of fruitless energy searching for the perfect 'cheap' frame that has everything in working order. If you can get lucky, you'll get yourself a roadbike with nothing seriously wrong with it for 100 bucks. Then you'll want to at least replace the rear wheel (though most people in this forum, when NOT discussing price/costs, will tell you to replace both.) Many would also advise replacing the chain. And then you'll have to get yourself some cogs and a lockring. Then you might want to replace your pedals, get nicer clips....and on and on and on.
And this is assuming that you have all necessary tools, which if you don't, everyone will tell you you should buy as you do the project. And that will add up, son, that will add up.

People, be realistic with the person. Do you have experience working on bikes, along with most necessary tools? Do you have the time and the patience to do this work yourself? Do you know how to find yourself a good deal on an old used bike? Do you know how to re-dish a wheel? Do you care to learn? Me, I want(ed) to learn all of this stuff, but it's taking time and costing far more money than I anticipated. In the meantime, I found a decent bike on ebay, ordered it, and finally discarded the notion of the first project just to try out RIDING. RIDING is fun, and so is the build-up/breakdown, but it DOES take time and there IS a learning curve. That one, by the way, didn't have one crank tightened on to the bottom bracket enough, and after a day+ of light riding, I had to replace the thing at an LBS for the ripe old cost of 10 bucks for the part plus 15 for the labor (didn't have the wrench.) THAT's how ignorance will get you in trouble--BEWARE.

My advise is to find something decent on ebay (make sure it has good wheels/hubs), ask people here, try and get it cheap (mine cost under 150--it has a decent Suzue rear hub and the tires are in good condition). Then when you get it, try it out and get used to it. Once you feel good about riding it (took me about ten minutes), then start contemplating your own project. But don't fall into the money pit without actually riding one first. Better yet, borrow one from a friend and tool around in that for a while.

Now one thing I WILL say is that I'm in NYC, fixed gear mecca, so getting a good old, cheap frame/bike may be far more difficult here than in other places--people know what they are selling and they inflate prices as a result. But since I started, I have begun to accumulate MANY cheap old frames--found one out on the street the other day, in fact. Just be realistic with yourself about what you will need to replace--things like stems, chains, cogs, chainrings, pedals, cranks can all end up costing you, along with the tools you'll need to replace them.

If you want, PM me with your questions, also.