So - what do I buy for my first fixed gear bike?

I came here for the expertise!

Riding will be around town for fun, hauling ass, wreaking havoc on the roads and sidewalks, riding fast and in control, etc.

i live in HC so anywhere i go i am climbing back home up Wash or 5th or god forbid Bachman by the hospital!

At 6'-2", 205 lbs, i consider myself an expert bike rider. my history lies in road, mostly mtb and bmx and lots and lots of street urban assault.

i want something with a flip-flop to ease out of fixed virginity.

im not rich (my wife is, but she doesnt share) so i want to keep it on the downside of 600 bux or so.

i like the Langster, SE Lager & Giant Bowery. I can build a bike if i knew where to start.

i welcome any suggestions! Thanks in advance - PB.

I think I'd get the Langster Steel, but I've heard good things about the Bowery, too.

punkbrad wrote:

I came here for the expertise!

Riding will be around town for fun, hauling ass, wreaking havoc on the roads and sidewalks, riding fast and in control, etc.

i live in HC so anywhere i go i am climbing back home up Wash or 5th or god forbid Bachman by the hospital!

At 6'-2", 205 lbs, i consider myself an expert bike rider. my history lies in road, mostly mtb and bmx and lots and lots of street urban assault.

i want something with a flip-flop to ease out of fixed virginity.

im not rich (my wife is, but she doesnt share) so i want to keep it on the downside of 600 bux or so.

i like the Langster, SE Lager & Giant Bowery. I can build a bike if i knew where to start.

i welcome any suggestions! Thanks in advance - PB.

Well im still newb to this whole fixed gear thing. But from what I have learned the track bikes from bikesdirect.com are the bang for the buck bikes. I personally, own the Windsor Hour. I can tell you right now I am more than 100% satisfied especially when paying only $280 shipped. The only problems I dealt with are the plastic pedals and uncomfortable saddle. I repalpced the pedals with MKS sylvans and MKS clips/straps. The saddle is all preference and I just looked up reviews online. I love mine which is the Selle Italia Turbo. Its been around for years and they just recently updated it with a new version.

On bikesdirect.com many people prefer the Kilo TT. The only problem people had from it was toe overlap (your toe touching the wheel when turning). But unfortunately mine had that problem as well but to be honest IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL. Unless youre wanting to do bar spins and sharp turns.

If youre looking for something a little pricey $600. The Eighthinch scrambler is what people look at. You can get it on cyclingcloseouts.com. All of the components on that bike have been reviewed and from what I have read people say its more than a bang for the buck. Its the best bike they've owned over their mega pricey ones.

On top of all that starting from the ground up might be your best bet. Langster steel is what everyone wants. And just getting all the parts one by one would be fun and exciting for you. We all eventually change everything on a stock bike (well I will eventually)

Hope I kind of helped you out. Good luck to ya!

^^^ that was along the lines with what I was about to say...but with 1 or 2 sentences haha..good advice man. I should have just talked to you instead of doing all that research and review reading.

Yeah, a lot of discussion seems to be centered around a lot of those bikes that Mandrew listed.

One thing to ask yourself to start out is exactly what do you want to use your bike for. The bikes that are popular run everywhere from being designed for commuting and riding around town to being designed for the track - and sometimes people like to commute on a slacker geometry townie bike, sometimes a very agressive track bike.

If you want to get into racing on the track, that will be a big consideration, as you'll want to look into bikes that have what you need for that and can also be used on the street. If not, you still may want to go for something designed for the track, but may not.


I ended up building off of a KHS Flite 100 frameset, and have been happy with it, but I haven't ridden any of the other lower cost fixed gear offerings to compare.

I read a lot about the Flite 100 / Kilo TT (people say it's the same frame, and comes down to component choice), Windsor, Bianchi Pista, Bowery, and of course the conversion option.

theres so much out there! Thanks to you all for the feedback. i was looking at bikesdirect and cyclingcloseouts and i jsut dont like buyign offline when my LBS's are struggling to keep lights on, next think i know when i need them they are gone! plus the free lifetime repair that they all offer is appealing.

im considering the langster in alum at the moment. i found an 09 San fran for 600 new but i hate that hippy writing on it. i love the moscow and new york but u cant find them in 61 anywhere....

the components seem a little better than the bowery or lager - after i start bustin parts i will upgrade but thne i consider the cost to upgrade and i just buy up instead.. ya know? CF forks & seatpost, better wheelset, flip-flop hub (which i want) - it seems to be the best deal.

Your best bet is Choosing an appropriate gear ratio for your fixed gear or single speed bike. its as important as any other factor to ensure happy riding since climbing hills is important then you will need to select a lower gear ratio.. try a 44-18..

im on a 46-16. Im not the best biker in the world but it definately is beast

msg joe wrote:

Your best bet is Choosing an appropriate gear ratio for your fixed gear or single speed bike. its as important as any other factor to ensure happy riding since climbing hills is important then you will need to select a lower gear ratio.. try a 44-18..

thanks joe - i would want a lower ratio, but i am used to torque'n my way up hills on my beefy DJ bike at the moment, its a 30-15 hhahaa.

looking at the bikes direct stuff, it seems like decent stuff, but how good can they be for so super cheap? i like the 09 kilo TT pro - it sez it was a 1000 dollar bike but i dunno... like the watch my old man got me for my birthday, it said it was a 1000 watch, but i saw them for 80 bux on ebay all day long.. ya know..?

punkbrad wrote:

msg joe wrote:

Your best bet is Choosing an appropriate gear ratio for your fixed gear or single speed bike. its as important as any other factor to ensure happy riding since climbing hills is important then you will need to select a lower gear ratio.. try a 44-18..

thanks joe - i would want a lower ratio, but i am used to torque'n my way up hills on my beefy DJ bike at the moment, its a 30-15 hhahaa.

looking at the bikes direct stuff, it seems like decent stuff, but how good can they be for so super cheap? i like the 09 kilo TT pro - it sez it was a 1000 dollar bike but i dunno... like the watch my old man got me for my birthday, it said it was a 1000 watch, but i saw them for 80 bux on ebay all day long.. ya know..?

hahha i feel you man. Theres a member selling his kilo tt on here until friday for $350 if you decide to change your mind. Atleast you can see what youre buying before you decide

punkbrad wrote:

theres so much out there! Thanks to you all for the feedback. i was looking at bikesdirect and cyclingcloseouts and i jsut dont like buyign offline when my LBS's are struggling to keep lights on, next think i know when i need them they are gone! plus the free lifetime repair that they all offer is appealing.

im considering the langster in alum at the moment. i found an 09 San fran for 600 new but i hate that hippy writing on it. i love the moscow and new york but u cant find them in 61 anywhere....

the components seem a little better than the bowery or lager - after i start bustin parts i will upgrade but thne i consider the cost to upgrade and i just buy up instead.. ya know? CF forks & seatpost, better wheelset, flip-flop hub (which i want) - it seems to be the best deal.

They have a few Langsters at Holland's in Coronado, you might wanna check it out.

Paulo wrote:

They have a few Langsters at Holland's in Coronado, you might wanna check it out.

thanks - i will look there and at B+L... MHBS has some 07's or 08's that are nice too... thanks guys!!

there was/is a nice leader frameset on craigs for a halfway decent price

After a lot of research I decided on an 09 Giant Bowery.

The price is right and the LBS i prefer to shop at has it in my size and they will swap out the track drops for bullhorns and levers and such. i think saturday i will go get her and ride her home. shes a real beauty.. the only thing i will get on top of the stock setup are clipless pedals i think.

pros:
* price is right on target with my budget
* size for my build
* its at my prefered LBS
* decent components
* feels great
* looks great
* shop will hook up the bars and new brake levers
* shop incentives were the best around

cons:
* integrated headset (more expensive to replace parts)
* alum frame (this is only a con as a matter of some people's opinions, but i believe in the frame and the ride of alum is nothing im scared of)
* cranks are FSA and not sugino, but again, thats a matter of opinion and again the price is RIGHT for me.

thanks to all who helped out - it was between the Langster, the Raleigh and the Bowery, and for the money the Bowery was the best bet, and i wanted to get it from a shop who will back my purchase and take care of me after sale - so i ruled out a private party buy...

with the money i saved i will snag some pedals and shoes on the cheap and then i will be set...

thoughts welcome.. see you on the next ride-- PB

ill also be hanging out here too!

Thanks for the update and write-up. Hope to ride with you soon! +rep

Thanks guys for all yoru help and suggestions and insight.

I ended up today buying and riding home on my new 2009 Bowery.

Its size XL and before i rode it home i had the shop swap the bars (had track drops on it) and i put on some bullhorns and gel bar tape. i may want to get a shorter stem but we'll see after a week or so riding it.

i put in about 5 miles on my way home and i can already tell how much fun this bike will be. its still on the freewheel side of the flip flop hub, but ill try the fixed soon enough.

last thing i need to do is give her a name.

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punkbrad wrote:

Thanks guys for all yoru help and suggestions and insight.

I ended up today buying and riding home on my new 2009 Bowery.

Its size XL and before i rode it home i had the shop swap the bars (had track drops on it) and i put on some bullhorns and gel bar tape. i may want to get a shorter stem but we'll see after a week or so riding it.

i put in about 5 miles on my way home and i can already tell how much fun this bike will be. its still on the freewheel side of the flip flop hub, but ill try the fixed soon enough.

last thing i need to do is give her a name.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Looks good! I love the chrome accents. Once you flip it to fixed, you'll never want to go back.

just for the record, the kilo tt is one of the most solid bikes you can buy especialy for the price. Yes it is the same frame as the KHS flight 100. They can take a beating for sure. If anyone decides to get one, i will warn you that they run big.