dpc1192

Which bike would you go for ? The Felt is from Craigslist and is a 2014 model, but it's in mint condition. It was bought by the owner and then only used a handful of times because he had never ridden fixed gear and I guess didn't like it. The Fuji Track and Jamis Beatnik would both be brand new from a LBS.

I'm a 24 year old in NYC, and this will be my first bike in the city. I've only been here a little less than 2 years, but used to ride fixed a ton before my move from Florida.

I am heavily leaning towards the FELT because it is the cheapest, and it also has a quality brand name to back it up.

Is there any reason I should spend the extra money for a brand new bike? I am going to be riding to work, and for fun. I was something I can ride into the ground and that I will be able to use for the next few years at least. I'm also going to put some money into it, getting new pedals with straps, grips, cog, and possibly a new stem right off the back.

Later on I will probably buy new cranks, saddle, etc.

Is the Felt Brougham a solid enough starting point for my city fixed gear adventure?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP BECAUSE I WILL HAVE TO BUY THE BIKE TONIGHT BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WILL BE SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE !

ceelint

I like my Brougham... I say go with it

ceelint

Started with this... got it from my neighbor for $35, was pretty rough.. rode it like this for a while before I couldn't stand looking at the thing. I found it to be an eyesore.



Decided it needed a change. Here it is now



The frame could be a little bigger but it works, I'll probably upgrade to a larger frame eventually.

Leukybear 

$280 is a good deal for the felt assuming it fits you.

rreahard

+1
I'd go with the felt if it fits.

ceelint

It's a $500+ bike so its a great deal

dpc1192

I got the person down to $250 and decided to pull the trigger. I paid via Venmo (an app similar to paypal) so it was incredibly easy and ridiculously cheap.

Now that I have it, all I can think about is how to make it look sick and also ride better as well as finding ways to make it as light as possible. If anyone is familiar with the bike could you please let me know what components are on the weak side and that should be first on my list to be replaced?

First things first. I'm going to go to my LBS tomorrow to get straps for the pedals. It looks like it has BMX style pedals on it now which is perfect for the addition of straps. Also I will probably get a 17t or 18t cog because 47-16 seems like too high a gear for me. I used to ride 46-17, but in NYC I'm thinking it may be better to go with a 47-18t setup because I will want to ride a little more on to cruiser side of things for safety. Any suggestions on best gear ratios for a 47t crank for new york city?

Also I am not a fan of stems that have a positive angle. I will probably replace the stem very quickly with a level one. Al

Regulatori

47x18 might be a bit too spinny. How fast do you see yourself going? I run a 47x18 or 19 but that's because I have hills...I'm spinning around 100rpm at 20mph though. If you had a 17t before, I would first try an 18t before skipping straight to 19t unless you really enjoy higher cadence.
47 is one of my favorite chainrings...tons of skid patches with every cog.

You can get a Dimension stem in many sizes/angles for $30. That way you can experiment a little without committing to an expensive stem that ends up too long/short or wrong angle.

Wspsux

I rode a brougham and I loved it. All those bikes are pretty similar. I'd shop on price and color . Go with the Brougham.

dpc1192

There she is with new grips, bars cut a bit, and switched to fixed !

<---- CLICK, don't know why thumbnail is so small.

47-16T gear ratio currently. I wanted it to be 47-17t with a new silver KMC chain but they didn't have the 3/32 size it needed.

ceelint

Flip the stem and it'll flatten out

Married4Now2015

Dude that is a sick ride. My first FG was a felt brougham. NEVER got a flat tire on that bike. Swear. EVER. It was so magic.