dlittle

Or what to avoid. I have yet to own a fixie and I feel like it is time to give it a shot. Is there a short list of critical things to look for when searching for a victim? Are there certain brands/models that are just better suited to fixie conversions?

Lazyass

I don't know about conversions, that isn't my thing. But the first thing I look at is if it has bottle cage mounts, preferably two. If just one it needs to be on the downtube, not the seat tube. That instantly takes 90% I look at out of consideration as soon as my eyes hit it. A very weird and stupid anomaly in the single speed world.

bassboy1126

I'd say for your first fixed gear bike, you should go for a steel frame. Steel frames tend to be on the lower cost side, but do watch out for what kind of steel the frame is made out of. For example, double butted 4130 grade chromoly steel and Reynolds 725 chromoly steel are definitely the best kinds of steel frames. My first fixed gear was a 4130 core-line state bicycle. I bought 4 years ago and haven't had a problems with it. Wabi cycles makes great steel bikes. There's also All City, Pure fix. There's also the Aventon Cordoba. it has a double butted 6061 Aluminum alloy frame. I've ridden this bike a couple times, and you definitely get a bang for your bike. The specs on this bike are good for the price point. As long as you look at the specs of a bike, and they look good then it'll last you a while. I would go more into it, but I'm not an expert. You should look up Zach Gallardo on youtube. He seriously knows what he's talking about in the fixed gear/single speed world. Check out "How to Spot the Best Beginner Fixed Gear bikes" on his channel.

3speedslow

veganbikes

The best thing to do is go to your local shop and test ride some bikes and find the right fit. Easiest thing to do and a lot of fun. If you are dead set on conversion and have no interest in a dedicated platform I would suggest looking for an old quality steel frame with semi-horizontal dropouts or even better actual track ends. Look for a good straight frame that doesn't have any internal rust (external rust can be dealt with but if it goes inside that is bad) Ideally try and find something that has a BSA threaded BB as it is easiest to find BBs for that these days but you can still get swiss and french threads from Phil Wood (they also have other old threads like Chater Lea), IRD and Velo Orange (at least french) and Italian is still fairly easy to find but it might limit some crank choices. Make sure nothing is seized in the frame because that can be a pain to get out and can sometimes be more trouble than it is worth. Old steel frames can be stretched to 130 spacing at the rear pretty easily from 126 but if the frame is already 120 you are good to go as most track hubs and frames are 120mm. Carbon cannot do this and aluminum is iffy.

When looking for components look for sealed cartridge bearings on things like hubs and bottom brackets and headsets to make your life easier. If you are racing track and using the bike only for that or are really keen on maintenance loose ball stuff is great because it can be faster but easier for grit, grime and water to ingress and you will want to regrease more often but for racing you can use minimal grease or really thin stuff to have less friction. Generally for chainrings and cogs, the higher quality stuff is going to run a lot quieter and smoother and have a lot better teeth profiles to better engage the chain some of them will be coated with Titanium Nitride or something similar to make it smoother with less friction. There is plenty of cheap stuff out there but if you are looking to save money in the long run get mid range or higher end stuff and you will likely have that longer. If you are running a bike fixed you will want some good foot retention. I prefer a clipless pedal and shoe usually SPD so I have walkability. I hate toe clips and straps just because it can be difficult especially when used as intended to get your foot out. One final note on bars, don't go super short you want something wide enough so you can breathe easily, don't be constricted and also lose out on leverage.




@bassboy1126: You forgot the tons of other great steel 4130 is generally the generic name for stuff but Reynolds, True Temper (R.I.P.) Tange, Columbus, Ishiwata... makes all sorts of other great steels and some frames have a mix of different tubes to tune the ride. Many custom builders use a variety of tubes even from different manufacturers to get the bike they are looking for or one that will work best for the client. The best steel frames are ones that are customized to you using whatever tubes the builder chooses generally. Yes something like 853 or S3 tubing might be among the lightest but a frame made purely of that might not give the right ride quality you need for what you are doing. However yes 725 is a fine steel but then again most of what Reynolds has done has been excellent though I would say 531 is the iconic tubing that probably has graced more bikes than most (at least from a non-generic standpoint, I am sure hi-tensile steel would win overall) so it would probably have to win on that point. Either them or something from Columbus Tubi.

seau grateau

If you're planning on doing a conversion, there's lots of steel road bikes from the 70's-80's still kicking around that make really nice fixed rides. Keep an eye on your local used market. Look for horizontal dropouts and avoid stem shifters and one piece cranks.

prooftheory

Are we okay with "fixie", now?

j_e_r_e_m_y

I am, but only because I've got better **** to worry about. Still lame, tho.

bassboy1126

@veganbikes

You're definetely right my bad

veganbikes

No worries. So much steel so little money to buy it and room to store it and time to ride it.