Well I have been stalking the forum for a while now and have finally joined. I have a question and I know it's a typical one, but I am new to fixes and need advise. I finally live in the inner-city and am wanting to get a ss/fixed gear bike to cruise around on downtown. Going to shows, restaurants , etc. with the wife. I am also interested in riding with the local bike clubs in their events. I have visited all the LBS in my area and three have ss/fixed gear bikes. They have your typical SE drafts and lagers, but one has an old Giant Bowery they said they would sell me for $ 300 brand new and the other has a Treck Earl for $499. I know these two are different breeds one is aluminum and the other is steel, but the $300 does sound nicer to the wallet. I did ride both and felt very comfortable with either. Is the Earl worth that much more over an old Bowery or does the stock Bowery have just as good of parts for less money. I know the Bowery was priced at around $600 when it first came out.

Get the Bowery. The Trek is overpriced because Treks are overpriced.

You probably need to check this out but weren't the Bowery's popular?

yeah treks are overpriced unless you get them more than half off
I personally think the Earl looks a bit generic in frame geometry.

Yeah I was leaning a little more towards the Bowery. One more question. I am 5'8" and weighing in at around 275. Which is another reason why I am wanting a bike to go around town with cause I hat running and love riding. Should I be worried about the aluminum frame with the Bowery. I had read some reviews of people saying they are still like tanks in how strong the frame is even though it's aluminum. The roads here are also not incredibly great lots of pot holes and cracks. With all this in mind does the Bowery still make a better decision and what should I invest in to make it stronger for my weight and all.

Treat your bike with respect and it'll be fine. It's heroes who imagine their bike is a battle tank and treat it as such who have problems.

The Bowery frameset and wheels should be able to handle your weight. The only issue with aluminum vs steel is that it has a shorter fatigue life, however, it will probably last for decades before any deterioration occurs. The main issue is to have sufficiently wide tires to prevent pinch flats due to underinflation. You will probably need at least 700x28c tires inflated to at least 110 psi in front and 120 psi in the rear to avoid pinch flats and possible rim damage. Keep in mind that not all tires are rated for those pressures.

Awesome thank you for the info I should be getting it pretty soon as a birthday present I'm stoked!

https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/bik/4448278457.html

I also found this on Craigslist maybe someone could tell better than I can if it's a good deal or not, or just stick with the Bowery.

That frame/fork is not as sturdy as the Bowery, so I'd pass given your weight.

Yeah that's what I thought from looking at it. It made me a bit nervous.