New Guy - Looking for some advice
 

Hey guys I've read through the noob stickies and I've been reading up as best I can recently. To put it simply, I'm new to cycling but I am a fairly fit guy who has always had an interest in getting started. I really feel single speed is where I want to start and where I'll likely stay. Maybe I'll work into Fixed Gear once I feel confident riding Single Speed. I live in Ohio, in an area with some "hills" if you want to call them that.. Mostly just winding, country, roads and some killer bike paths so I won't be doing any serious climbing. I'm taking the plunge though, and hope that I'll find joy in this sport and fitness. So here it goes:

Not asking for fit but here is what I'm working with. I'm about 5'11 and 225 pounds. So I'm on the large end of the spectrum for cyclists. I lift weights and do cardio 5-6 times a week so I have an athletic frame, very wide shoulders. My real question is more on the side of frames or complete bikes I should be looking at. I'm looking to spend around $500-600 (not opposed to spending less). From my reading here, I have already eliminated several brands that I've been looking at, simply from a quality standpoint (ie. PureFix, Unknown, 17teeth, Crew, the citygrounds phantom brands). I've been looking around at some complete bikes and these are what I've come up with.

Kilo TT (of course)
Leader 721 (on sale on citygrounds right now, $500 for complete bike)
Aventon Mataro
Fyxation Eastside or Possibly the Pixel (These guys seemed legit?)
Specialized Langster (if I can find it slightly cheaper than the average $650-750 price tag)
State Bicycle Core Model or Contender (I know there are mixed reviews on State)
Jamis Beatnik or Sputnik


I'm looking for something I can ride on the road or paved bike trails. I doubt I'll be going off road much. I won't be doing sidewalks or city riding (I live in a very rural area). Something comfortable for 20 or possibly 30 miles.

I know "track" bikes ride a bit harder on road surfaces and being that I'm heavier I'd guess it would only exaggerate the harshness.. So I'm at my own wits end here trying to figure out the frame material (aluminum might be too stiff with my weight?) and geometry.. But being heavy I probably want the lightest I can get?

I'm heading down to Columbus this weekend (3 hours away) and while I'm there I may stop in at a Bike Shop to get my fit sorted out and maybe get my hands on some bikes in person. There aren't many (if any) bike shops near me that can offer what I'm looking for.

Sorry for being long winded, but am I looking the right direction? Any of those bikes stand out above the others?

First off, welcome to the forum and congratulations on making a commitment to cycling for health. Although you can do cardio with weights, cycling is far superior for this purpose. From your description of the areas where intend to ride, a SS setup seems to be a good choice. As far as bike choices, I would first try to work with a local bike shop before buying something online. Based on your weight, you are going to want a bike that can take wider tires, and some of the choices you have listed are limited to smaller tire sizes. Also, Some of those bikes like the Kilo TT are sold as fixed gears and do not have brakes on both the front and rear wheels. So, instead of a Kilo TT, I would get a Kilo WT, which is set up specifically as a SS, and has wider (700x32c) tires by default. As to materials, I'd just stick with steel in your price range.

I would get a complete bike and ride it for a while. You'll start to figure out what you like and what you want to change. I'm 6' and around 200 lbs, and I've been riding a Jamis Beatnik for a while now and like it. It's nothing special, but it is cheap and will get you going. After about a year I replaced the pedals, bars, and saddle and find it comfortable. For what it's worth, I'm not a huge fan of the blue 2015 Beatnik. So bright.

edit: you'll also want to think about the other things you'll need to buy. you probably want a lock and helmet, so if $600 is your total budget, you don't want a $600 bike.

Thanks Tejano, I wasn't aware of the Kilo WT! But they're sold out :( I'll have to dig into that more. I figured steel was probably the better option for me but I was unsure. I'm definitely going to stop into a bike shop soon! Just want to have an idea of what I should be looking for and this gives me a start :)

I was sort of thinking this would be the case. This is all the more reason I want to get a frame that I will feel comfortable with for awhile and something that will hold up. I figured I can always upgrade components down the road but I've got to have a good base to build on. I'd say my budget for the Bike is about $600, I figured a helmet would be an added cost.. I'm really working with about $750 and the extra beyond $600 would be for things like a helmet and lock.

On that note, are cycling shoes as essential as something like football cleats or track spikes? Or will a pair of Nikes do the trick for awhile?

If you are doing casual riding, regular shoes will do the job just fine. Also on a single speed, foot retention is not a necessity, it is nice to have but not necessary like it is on fixed.

Welcome to the addiction, I mean the forum. :)

They will work fine. When using regular shoes and some sort of platform pedal, you may want to use something with a harder sole (like a Vans shoe or something similar). A lightweight running shoe with a thin sole may be uncomfortable.

The important thing in shoes for cycling is to have soles that are as stiff as possible to provide good support and avoid hot spots, so soft soled running shoes are not the best choice. Also, I'd suggest getting wide platform style pedals to provide the largest foot contact area. If you want to get the most pedalling efficiency, then some sort of straps can also be used, but this is not essential on a SS setup.

Thank you guys for all of these replies so far, very helpful!

Another question, on tire width as I understand it will help with the fact that I'm a bigger rider. I see some of the bikes/frames accept up to a 700x35C tire. Would this suffice for tire width if I wanted to upgrade from the base tire to something wider?

That would be more than enough. You don't really need to go that wide, perhaps something like 700x28c front and 700x32c rear would be fine.

It's personal preference to some degree. Some big guys still like narrow tires. You may enjoy how 28s feel, or not. I'm 165lbs and 32mm tires feel skinny and harsh to me. But that's just because of my (non roadbike) cycling background. But in general, I think 35s would be considered quite adequate.

Good to know guys, making a little checklist of things I should be paying attention to. There is a lot to learn! I appreciate it!

I am 6'2" 208lbs and I ride 28c which seems just right for all the road conditions in my area. just to give you a point of reference

Pump (for home with gauge)
Pump or Co2 kit for the road
Spare tubes
Patch Kit
Tire levers
Multi tool (or basic tools for roadside fixes)

Also, if you buy a bike like the Kilo WT online, budget about $50 to have it properly assembled and adjusted by a bike shop. You should also assume that some items like the saddle and pedals will not be very good and need to be replaced, which will add another $100 to the price.

What do you guys think of this deal? This frame has clearance for up to 700x35c according to fyxation's website. This bike appears to be brand new and comes with an extra crank (used) and the original unused.

Fyxation Eastside Fixed Gear Fixie Bicycle Fixie Commuter Messenger Bike | eBay

Also was poking around Leader's website and saw the Cretin and the Cure are both in my price range. Leader seems to have a solid following on these boards.. The bikes both come with aluminum frames and carbon forks..

http://www.leaderbikes.com/products/...retin-complete


Really just want the best quality for my price range.. If it's a matter of upgrading components down the road I'm okay with that.

Well, it's a fixed gear, so you'll need to buy a singlespeed freewheel. Apparently, no brakes, so you'll also need to buy those. No pedals. So, figure at least another $100. Then, don't forget the cost of shipping and the reserve price may be close to the BIN price. So, it will probably cost more than a Kilo WT. Nothing wrong with the bike itself.

In the description it says it will come with brakes even though they aren't pictured, and the flip flop hub for freewheel single speed. But I'll still need pedals and with shipping it'll bring me in around $430 which is considerably lower than the price of the bike anywhere else.

If NIB is the better way to go I have no problems with that, just scouring for deals is all!

I also expanded/edited the post you read to include the link about the two Leader bikes.. I don't know if you had any advice on that front either.

First, you will still need to buy a SS freewheel to mount on the hub, which is about $25. As to the Leaders, I have a 721tr, which is similar to a Cretin / Cure and like it for me, but I'm only 135 lbs and have skinny tubular tires on it. I'm not sure how wide you can go with them in tire sizing. Also, they don't have water bottle cage mounts, which you do get on the Kilo WT and Fyxation Eastside. I'm still going to recommend that you go with a steel frame for your first bike.

Messaged the seller to ask if the hub would be included and he said this:

"Yes sir, and both the fixed gear cog and coasting freewheel will be included"

So it looks like it's got all but the pedals.

OK, that's good. Just for clarification, the hub is part of the wheel (hub + spokes + rim) and the freewheel is a separate part that mounts on it. A flip / flop hub just means that it has threading on both sides, so you can mount a fixed cog on one side and a singlespeed freewheel on the other side. It doesn't necessarily mean that it is supplied with both of them.

Gotcha, put that together after your comments explaining I'd need the cog and freewheel.

+1 on anything State Bicycle. Excellent customer and service. Contender has carbon fork that will drop weight and improve road feel if you are looking for a really nice ride. I tried the brands you listed and owned a PureFix and leader. Not terrible but I really enjoyed State more. I hear of Aventons having issues with broken forks...don't know if that's been fixed yet.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned Wabi yet. Its a little bit more than you are looking to spend ($750 for the classic) but a significant step up in quality. Its worth a look if you have any wiggle room in your budget. Richard (the owner) is great to work with as well and will make sure you get the right size if you need any help in that department.

Sure. I love my Wabi, but it's not quite within the OP's stated budget, and will cost a lot more when you factor in shipping, freewheel (+$10 premium), pedals, wider tires (stock are 700x23c) etc. Also, the OP will spend more on items like a helmet, floor pump, flat tire fix stuff, misc tools etc.

Another newbie here....

If I was spending 'real money' on a new bike, it would be the Wabi.
I've been avoiding spending 'mid money' and got a used SE and am building a cheap run-around-grocery bike now.

There are a few models that are just out of the range of what I would like to spend that I could definitely afford but I also want to ensure I'm going to enjoy this sport as much as I hope to. I figured whatever I buy now should get me through a year or two of real riding before I make any serious investment into cycling. By the time I'm ready to do that I'll know exactly what I am after and I'll feel confident dropping some cash on a better setup. I will have also hopefully acquired all the odds and ends that I need beyond the bike itself by then. Ie. Helmet, pumps, tools etc. I'm really interested in getting something that will make my experience enjoyable and in something that will remain reliable. So far everything you guys have said has really helped me narrow this down a bit more! While I am sure I would love a Wabi, I also probably won't appreciate why it is so nice at this stage anyhow so a marginal improvement over other bikes for the price isn't quite worth it for me at this time.

That might sound sort of silly but I hope that makes sense.

So this auction ended. Did you buy it?

Congratulations ! I think you made the right decision and gave it a lot of thought. You are probably the most rational newbie in the history of the SSFG forum. Make sure to post pics of the bike in the 2015 SSFG thread when you get it put back together.