ChetLansky

Hey all,

I'm in the market for a single/fixed gear bicycle. This community looked like a darn good one so I figured I would sign up, introduce myself and jump right in and get to know everyone.

A little background. I live in NYC. I'll be commuting from Queens to Manhattan everyday. I'm a husky guy, about 290lbs and I know absolutely nothing about bikes.

I've been searching all over the internet and found some bikes that I like but I saw people on these forums knock those bikes pretty hard. I was considering buying a SOLE bike. They are in my price range. They look great and most importantly I e-mailed the company and told them my size and this was their exact quote. "The entire offensive line at USC rides our bikes so you will definitely be ok"

So overall I think I really want a fixed/single gear bike. I'm 6'3 so I need something that will work with my height. I'm 290ish so I need something that will hold up (tires and rims). A buddy mentioned gaterskin tires or something? Not sure.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys and look forward to the convo!

Nagrom_

Use this fit calculator. Get someone to help you, and try and do them as accurately as possible. It's a calculator, so if you put in junk, it will just give you junk. After you get your results post them, along with your measurements. This will help us in sizing you.

Start there.


Regarding gatorskins, they ride like crap and are expensive. Lots of alternatives.

ChetLansky

Alrighty. Tried to do these as accurately as possible.

Inseam - 33 inches / 84 cm
Trunk - 28 inch / 71 cm
forearm - 16 inch / 40.5 cm
Arm - 28.5 inches / 72.5 cm
Thigh - 25.5 inches / 65 cm
Lower Leg - 24.5 inches / 62 cm
height - 6'2.5 inches/ 187 cm
STERNAL NOTCH - 64 inches / 163 cm

Thanks for the assistance everyone. I really appreciate the help.

Noted on gatorskins. A buddy said they were durable so that's why I mentioned them. Keep in mind that i'm like 290ish lbs, so keep that in mind when sizing me.

Thanks again.

Nagrom_

You're missing the Sternal Notch measurement?
my guess is 61in.

seanifred

SOLE bikes are in the high $300 price range. there are way better bikes in that range.

bikesdirect.com

ChetLansky

Sternal notch added!

I'll definitely look at bikesdirect. I was looking there earlier but aside from what style that I'm fond of, I don't know what would support my size and measurements...

Yeah, there's a deal going on with the SOLE bikes, only reason why they jumped on my radar, that and the fact their team said it would support my body weight, that's my biggest concern. It's actually 299 for any of their bikes through Fab.com.

Also, I like the fact that I can switch from fixed to single/glide gear (so I want that option with whatever bike I choose).

Visually - these are some bikes that catch my eye. Loving these!
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/thehour.htm (I think I want straight handlebars though. I think I would kill myself on those curved ones)
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ehour_plus.htm
https://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...essenger_x.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...cane/track.htm
https://bikesdirect.com/products/merc...ott_pro_xi.htm (love this but a little high in price)

So yeah, those are some that look visually appealing to me.

Nagrom_

Any frame will support your body weight. It's the wheels you need to be mindful of. That being said, anything with 32 spokes and properly built will support you fine.

seanifred

the kilos are highly thought of around here. and i believe most if not all the bikes on BD have a flip flop rear (fixed/glide? gear).

i have had big friends that have owned them for years without problem. the only thing(s) i would change off the bat are the saddle and the tires.

its a good starting bike. upgrades can be had later to match your desires.

Nagrom_

That inseam seems short for your height. That isn't your pants inseam, is it? I bet it is.

Probably off by like three inches based on other measurements.

SpeshulEd 

I went with the hour plus because I only wanted to spend $300.

One not on their main page but findable by searching is the clockwork plus...if you're looking for something more colorful/similar to the SOLE, it might be worth looking into:
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...kwork_plus.htm

SpeshulEd 

Might be worth checking out some of the bikes on city grounds too:
https://www.citygrounds.com/all-produ...clearancebikes

I mean crap, for $130...spray paint is cheap. Or maybe you're a fan of pink?
https://www.citygrounds.com/schwinn/s...bike-2011-1378

skielbasa

+1 I love mine. Note that it comes as a single speed (or at least its supposed to) whereas the hour is a fixed.

SpeshulEd 

My hour plus came setup with single speed as well. I'm guessing thats because the fixed gear cog and lock ring was junk...haha, I didn't have a good first experience with fixed gear. I've now upped the ante with a new all city cog and lock ring. Much better.

I wish I would have went with the clockwork plus actually, the components seem a little bit better.

europa

Ignore the fit calculator, they're only accurate for the average bear which you most definitely are not. Bike fit is NOT a mathematical thing, it's a dynamic, biological thing determined by the size and shape of your body combined with how it works - twins could end up with a different set up.

Where the fit calculator IS useful is deciding on the right sized bike and in getting an initial setup.

Now, you've already admitted that you don't know a lot about bikes - you actually know more than you think because you've gone looking for help (a lot don't).

I'm going to suggest that you look further afield, in particular, in real bike shops. This forum is great for many things but we don't know you so lack the personal knowledge to give personalized information.

Start visiting bike shops, sit on and, where possible, ride as many bikes as possible. You're doing two things. The obvious one is checking out bikes, finding out what works (and what doesn't), and getting a feel for real life bike fit. More importantly, you're checking out the shop itself. You don't know a lot about bikes so you WILL be relying on your local bike shop (lbs) to work on your bike, set it up, recommend bits and bobs, etc. You need a knowledgeable lbs that understands you and what you want. The lbs doesn't need to be fixed gear specific - my preferred lbs is run by an ex racer who regards me as some interesting and exotic life form but who listens, understands, can step away from his own fetishes and provides advice based on that rather than what the bike industry wants him to sell. He gets a lot of my money and doesn't even stock track cogs.

Don't buy on-line, find the right shop with the right bike. Build a relationship with them and give them your money. Sure, the purchase price will be more but you'll spend so much time in there asking stupid questions, gaining unexpected insight and just discovering cycling that you'll gain more than you spend.

newsballs

Go to Tony's Bikes on 23rd Ave/ 36th St, Astoria. They'll help you out.

Bakersb

I have the motobecane track from bikes direct. Although I'm not too knowledgeable, I've had that bike for three years, and its been holding up pretty great. Its relatively low maintenance. I've pretty much only lubed my chain and replaced my inner tube and tire. Maybe cleaning the frame from dirt and gunk. But other than that, I didn't need to re-grease any parts, need to true any wheel(maybe it might need a truing), etc. It comes with back brakes, which is much more fun than front brakes for the beginner if you don't know how to skid. When I first started, I always used to the brakes to skid. Though my buddies made fun of me, It was fun. Since then, I've replaced a lot of parts, and took off my brakes.

Overall, Its a great bike, I just don't like the pedals it comes with. It comes completely assembled except the front tire, brakes, handlebars, and saddle.

ChetLansky

Thanks for all the help and assistance so far guys. Still a little lost. Some people are saying stick to the fit calculator (which I did), some are saying I don't need to worry about it. Regardless, I still don't know what size bike I need.

So these are the things that I'm wondering.

With my measurements posted a couple of posts up, what's the best size bike to get for my build?
59cm
60cm
61cm
Will any of these sizes work?

Also, I'm looking to order from BikesDirect -

Do the below bikes come equipped with both fixed gear and flip flop wheel to go to glide gear? The site is a little confusing, it seems as though they come with a flip flop hub to go from fixed to glide but in the description it says you have the option to add? So I'm confused...


Mercier Kilo TT - https://bit.ly/Ooy
Windsor - Clockwork Plus - https://bit.ly/QZkFRp
Dawes SST 1 Speed Steel Track Bike - https://bit.ly/xUih0K
Windsor - The Hour Plus - https://bit.ly/QZ6ThL

Thanks all.

Nagrom_

I'm gonna ask again, was that your pants inseam or your cycling inseam? You are like +3 inches taller than me, but your inseam is a lot shorter than mine.

Jaytron

I'm going to say, you should go to a bike shop.

The fitment calculators assume a decent level of fitness and flexibility. When I started I was pretty hefty, couldn't quite fit right on my "recommended size" because my flexibility wasn't there.

seau grateau

If:

then:

SpeshulEd 

Echoing this as its very important you get the measurements right.

Echoing what others said, a fit calculator isn't the end all/be all of bike fitting, but if you're set on ordering an online bike and you're new to all of this, the fit calculator is a very important tool in order to get the proper bike.

If you're using the competitive cyclists calculator you should get 3 different fits; competitive, eddy, and french - competitive is the smallest size you should look at (generally) and french being the biggest. Do you want to ride hard and fast or laid back. I would say the eddy fit is a bit of both and a decent middle ground. Note, this is a noob's take on bike fit - I'm far from an expert.

Top tube height is important, stand over height not so much. BD suggests stand over height - make sure to look at the geometry chart and that you're getting the size you want/need.

I can't confirm the other bikes, but I can confirm The Hour Plus comes with a flip flop hub, with SS on one side and fixed on the other. Mine came setup on the SS side, 48-17 SS gearing and 48-16 fixed.

LeosLeader

Regarding the wheels, im right under your weight and ride Velocity Chukker wheels(36H) with 28c tires with no problems. Even occasionally hopping off a curb isnt an issue and they have held true since.
Heres a picture for reference.

ChetLansky

Sorry guys. Got the correct measurement now. The measurement was indeed with my pants on so there might have been some fabric sag going on. I stripped down to my boxer briefs this time and got the measurements.

inseam - 34.5 inches....

That's the final measurement.

ChetLansky

[QUOTE=LeosLeader;15448888]Regarding the wheels, im right under your weight and ride Velocity Chukker wheels(36H) with 28c tires with no problems. Even occasionally hopping off a curb isnt an issue and they have held true since.
Heres a picture for reference.]

That bike looks so damn nice! What kind is that?

LeosLeader

[QUOTE=ChetLansky;15448941]Thanks, its a Leader 722. I believe 2011. It doesnt have the cutout in the seattube.