nerdsgirth

^^ Awesome thanks guys.

nerdsgirth

Btw - Parts Unknown (TM) has a sweet Columbus chrome fork for a 54 if anyone is in need.

brock_boogie

Hey everyone,

I'm a Toronto resident (live downtown) and have been looking into getting my first bike since high-school. I'm set on getting a single-speed/fixed bike for a few reasons (love the challenge of riding with one gear, love the simplicity, easy to maintain).

My budget isn't huge & I don't want to drop $800 on a bike and have it stolen.

I've looked at a bunch of different rides at various bike stores in the city & really like the Masi Speciale Commuter, Kona Paddy Wagon & KHS Urban Uno. All three of those bikes are over $700 before tax. I was also thinking about the Fuji Track for $450, but would have to add components which would make it more expensive.

Long story short, I'm looking for the following in a bike:
* Steel frame & fork for a more comfortable ride & longevity
* Flip-flop hub so I can start off with single-speed, then switch to fixed (and have the option of switching)
* I really want to be able to add a rear rack for running errands (groceries, going to work, gym bag, etc)
* I would feel better with front and rear brakes, too.
* The ability to add fenders for commuting in bad weather

Can you add a rear rack to a bike that doesn't have braze-ons? Someone told me that you can buy rear racks that attatch to the seat post, but how reliable are they? It would certainly open up a lot of options if this could be done.

Also, there are a ton of single speed conversions on craigslist going for $250-$400. Am I better off buying new, or are these reliable? Here's an example: https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1334223685.html

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm new to the game & would love your feedback.

Cheers!

cavit8

Given the bike you exampled is a home-painted 27" conversion with stamped dropouts, you'd likely be better off finding something like this https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1332767383.html or this
https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1332098131.html and spinning a BMX hub on yourself (which is pretty much all that was done on the bike you posted. Once you decide you like SS, then consider going fixed. You could probably do this for around $100 or so, maybe less.

My experience with racks is to stay away from seat post mounted ones. You can't get near as much on them and they're not rated to carry that much weight due to the torque they generate.

What I did originally is buy a fixed/single wheel, put in on an old Apollo frame (27"/***) rode it for a year or so then found a nice Ciocc on ebay for $150 and it's been a great conversion for me.

operator

If Fuji track is out of the question price wise, you're pretty much looking for conversion deals on the cheap. If you're not dead set on fixed, single-speed is much more economical - you don't need a proper track wheel.

skuz

I'll throw my vote in for the Kona Paddy Wagon. I bought a new 2009 Paddy Wagon a few months ago, although I didn't pay over $700 before tax for it. The 2010 Paddy Wagon is going up in price, I believe, along with getting a new colour scheme (that I think is kind of fugly, to be honest), new cranks and slightly shorter stems for the 54-56 sizes, and actual track drops instead of the nice anatomical road drops it has now. With the 2010s coming soon, you could probably swing a deal on a 2009 Paddy Wagon without too much effort.

As for the bike itself, I love it. Fender eyelets front and back, room for fat tires (28s) with fenders, or 32s without. The bike feels quite solid, and it has one really smart commuting feature that I noticed quickly: the seatpost cutout faces forward, so water doesn't spray in to it from your rear tire, and it's protected from rain from the front by your seat and legs. The rear fender eyelet is kind of interesting; it looks just like a rack brazeon, except that it's open on both sides, so you can put both a rack and fenders on using the same mounting point (I think, please don't eat me if I'm wrong). If you do end up getting fenders, take a serious look at getting ones with SKS quick release clips. They are really meant as a safety precaution in case something rides up between your tire and the fender, but they also make it super easy to take a fender off a bike with track fork ends if you need to change a flat.


I did have a few mechanical problems with the bike, but I don't consider them serious. My chainring was slightly ovalized, so I needed to run a slightly more slack chain to prevent noise and binding, and my cog and lockring came stock with no grease at all. My only criticism of the bike is that I think the stock stem on the 54-56 sizes is too long, which Kona corrected for the 2010 bikes. If you do end up buying a Paddy Wagon, make sure to have the store take off the lockring and cog for you, grease it up and put it back on nice and tight!

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me, I'd be happy to help.

brock_boogie

Thanks for the feedback so far!

I'm torn between getting a cheaper conversion and buying new. I haven't used a bike to commute with since high-school and hear horror stories of people's bikes getting stolen all the time (hence my hesitation to buy new). I could easily drop $700 on a bike...but can't afford to drop it again if my bike gets stolen.

I'm also not mechanically inclined with bikes (having not owned one for so long), so buying an old road frame and doing a conversion might not be that cheap once taken to a LBS for the parts & labour.

So I can either buy new, or wait for a decent single-speed conversion to pop up on CL for a reasonable price. My only problem there is I'm not very component savvy, so I won't be able to tell if the parts are cheap, etc. lol

Skuz: I really love the Kona, too. It's a pretty sweet ride! Love the look of the 2009, too! Can you pm me with details of where yu bought yours for less than $700?

Thanks again for your replies...any other feedback is much appreciated!

Cheers!

LordFoo

Allocate $100 or so of your budget toward locks. This seems like a lot when you're spending $300-400 on the bike, but will save you a lot of worry+grief.

Get a good U-lock (higher end Kryptonite/Onguard) to lock your frame+rear wheel to a rack, and a cheaper U lock or chain for the front (+ preferably the frame as well). Be sure that the rack is secure -- I was locking to a ring+post the other day that pulled right out of the ground!

brock_boogie

Thanks for the tip, LordFoo. I'll definitely be getting a Kryptonite lock. Should I make my front wheel a quick release & take it off when I lock it up? Or do you think two locks is better?

LordsOnly

my old fork

skuz

I'm using a Kryptonite Evolution Mini u-lock and a Kryptoflex looped cable. Some people consider my locking strategy overkill, but I quite like having my bike remain in it's location while I go to class. I use the Mini for my rear rim and seat tube, and the Kryptoflex for my front wheel, and an extra loop that goes around the 'post' in the post and rings, before meeting up with the u-lock. I add that extra loop around the post so that even if the side of the ring I u-locked to fails (a few years ago people were snapping the ring bits with a 2 by 4, I don't want that to happen to me), my bike is still attached to the post, albeit with a moderately thin braided cable.

I personally think using two different kinds of locks (say, a u-lock AND a cable or a chain) is the best defense. These locking systems require different tools to break, and a tool that is useful for one kind of lock (say, a bottle jack for u-locks) can be entirely useless for another.

shapelike

Is it fall yet? Is it fall yet? Threw the knobbies on this week and did some CX drills in the park. Looking forward to the mayhem, and hopefully on a new geared bike later on in the season.

kergin

I'm pretty amped for the Fall Colours ride.

brock_boogie

Thanks for the help so far!

My apologies if this is a noob thing to ask, but is this a good deal for a converted Miele?:
https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1340407840.html
Also, I see quite a few Miele bikes pop up on CL. Is Miele a decent quality road bike?

Thanks again for any help!

shapelike

Not a good deal. Miele's were local and you'll see a lot of used ones around. They're mostly middle of the range or crap but there are a few nice ones hidden away.

brock_boogie

Cheers, Shapelike! The search continues!

shapelike

What's your budget for a bike? I don't know how people every come in at $300 or less. Looking at my bike it's basically:

- ass area: $100
- bars area: $150
- cranks area: $200
- wheels: $300
- frame: $200
- misc: $50

... and there you go, you're at $1000 already (more actually, I forgot about the fork). If you go with a new bike like a KHS Flite 100 (just as a point of reference) that can be bought walking on off the street for $750. The thing about bikes is it's really hard to buy some cheap-ass craiglist offering, get really into cycling and then just leave the bike as-is. You're going to get hooked and then you're going to want to put more into the bike but it'll quickly become obvious that it's not really worth it. Maybe spend a bit more out of the gate and get something a lot nicer (or at least something worth keeping around and slowing improving).

Maybe take a look at some of the close-out options around town. I prefer the 2009 Kona Paddy Wagon to the upcoming 2010 model. Maybe Cycle Solutions on Parliament has some kicking around still that you could swing a deal on (pay cash?). You know that there's no PST on bikes under $1000, right? Also, check out IRO (www.irocycle.com). That's what my bike is and I like it. They're nothing fancy but they're decent and they're cheap. You could find out if anyone's selling completes in town ... OR ... you could keep an eye on the "bargain basement" section on the IRO site. Good deals to be had there. Ask around this thread for an idea of how much you'll pay to get a bike from the states to Toronto.

</$0.02>

cavit8

Keep in mind shapelike is a bike junkie. As are we all.

https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1340268214.html

Remove rear freewheel install bmx freewheel. Done. Not a stellar setup (I have an old Raleigh as my winter beater), but enough to get you going. Honestly if you're looking at mid 200 and 300 conversion on CL, bite the bullet and see what kind of deal you can get new as vendors try to clean out their stock. I agree with shapelike that it's nice to buy something nice that you can add to, but if your top priority is something to ride that you don't need to worry too much about, spend as little as you can and do the conversion yourself. You can do some basic maintenance courses as the community bike network or bikechain once it starts up again at U of T. You might consider calling www.communitybicyclenetwork.org and seeing if they have a road bike in your size that you can convert to a SS.

cavit8

shapelike what ratio are you running on that cross? I may go SS on my cross if the freewheel I ordered takes much friggin' longer to appear.

brock_boogie

Cheers for all the comments!

I'd buy new, especially if I can get a deal on the bike...I'm just a little worried about it getting stolen (will have to invest in a couple decent locks).

I agree on getting the right frame to start. I want a light steel frame that I can upgrade components later on. My one issue is finding a track-like frame with braze-ons to add a rear-rack for commuting. The KHS Flight 100 looks sweet, but not too sure I can add a rack.

Any suggestions on new frames that would suit my requirements?

Cheers!

kahoon

fyi, bike zone in the 'ssauga had a flite 100 a few weeks ago for $695

kahoon

anyone know where the best place is to pick up a set of Phil Wood hubs? i know urbane carries them, any good deals elsewhere or online?

thanks in advance!

jeremywhitehorn

before i start putting my unused bike stuff up on ebay i thought i'd ask here first: are any of you guys interested in a 62cm lugged steel road bike (mostly 105/nitto)? i just don't ride it enough. ideally i'd like to replace it with something like the gary fisher simple city cruiser-type thing.

PM me if you're tall enough and interested....

shapelike

Friend of mine just snapped a seat stay and needs a (cheap) replacement frame. Any of you (really) tall kids have a cyclocross frame kicking around you're willing to part with? Even an old touring frame might do. Get in touch please.

shapelike

You'll have to hit up Sheldon's calculator for the gear inches info but here's what I run:

38:14 - road (that's what I used for Toronto-Montreal)
38:16 - Paris-Ancaster
38:18 - cyclocross

The singlespeed 29er normally hangs out in 32:20, FWIW.