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Help me find lightweight fixie that can go mostly everywhere

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Help me find lightweight fixie that can go mostly everywhere

Old 09-28-19, 09:53 AM
  #26  
Philasteve
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Originally Posted by HourPlus
Thank you soooi much for this MUCH needed dose of reality. I love it when I see a $250 SS road bike w/23mm's (e.g., TheHour) beat a $2k mtb over the kind of terrain you mention. You simply can't buy the strength, skill and guts it takes to race a 48:16 against mtbs.
One of the most important aspects of a new bike that can completely ruin even the nicest bike. Is making sure that whatever you get fits your properly, use a fit calculator, take all of your measurements and see what you get. So you know what size frame you'll need. But keep in mind some run smaller or bigger and some measure their frames differently than others so you'll have to consider that too.
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Old 09-28-19, 11:01 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Philasteve
One of the most important aspects of a new bike that can completely ruin even the nicest bike. Is making sure that whatever you get fits your properly, use a fit calculator, take all of your measurements and see what you get. So you know what size frame you'll need. But keep in mind some run smaller or bigger and some measure their frames differently than others so you'll have to consider that too.
Your right. Being a complete novice I can't jump a 6in curb on my Windsor Hour. I think my seat is set too high. It feels like I'm leaning down over the bars. But my short legs gets much more leverage sitting high.
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Old 09-28-19, 02:04 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by HourPlus
Your right. Being a complete novice I can't jump a 6in curb on my Windsor Hour. I think my seat is set too high. It feels like I'm leaning down over the bars. But my short legs gets much more leverage sitting high.
Your saddle height is a fixed number only altered a little bit for different shoes or pedal types and is determined by your cycling inseam. It has nothing to do with not being able to jump a 6 inch curb. If the saddle is too high, learn how to set the correct height, or too low, the same thing. Jumping a curb is a good way to ruin rims, bicycles, chainwheels and other expensive parts not to mention crashing.
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Old 09-28-19, 02:21 PM
  #29  
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Don't feed the troll.
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Old 09-29-19, 04:08 PM
  #30  
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Bikes are not as delicate as people tend to think. Practically any bike is capable of being taken off road under a couple of general conditions: 1) We're not talking about trails that are deliberately designed to be challenging for MTB'ers. 2) We're patient about reaching our destination, willing to carry the bike over major obstacles, etc.

I have a couple of bikes that would fit the descriptions given here, except they are thrown together from old parts. One has 28mm, the other 32mm tires. In both cases, I've taken them on all sorts of terrain, including the longer bike trails in WI that are mostly crushed limestone and occasional gravel. Like @rustystrings61 says, good tires are the skeleton key. I'd add, a comfortable saddle and good fit, which mean getting close with frame choice and then fine tuning it yourself.

I've never seen a Kilo WT in person, but on paper it looks great, very much like the bikes I've built for myself. Gearing, and the overall sanity of riding fixed, well... you'll figure those things out. Budget for trying a couple different sizes of cogs.

Now, riding extensively on rough terrain will probably get old on any non-suspension bike, so I'm assuming that's not part of the plan. If things change, then it's time for a second bike.
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Old 09-30-19, 02:24 PM
  #31  
Broctoon
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@eazyace, it sounds like you don't like the aesthetics of skinny (steel) frame tubes.

Aventon, Brakebrake17, and Dolan all make frames with oversize and/or funky shaped tubes, in other words, modern looking bikes. All have reasonably good reputation for quality, with Aventon perhaps being the most questionable. For your first adult bike, you probably won't go wrong with any of these, or the Throne brand previously mentioned.
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Old 10-07-19, 10:19 PM
  #32  
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I agree that $1500 is a lot to spend on a fixie/singlespeed that’s just going to be ridden around on roads and trails. It’s probably best to try and find a bike that can clear at least 28mm tires (the max for standard rim brakes). That’s a rarity with track bikes, since many of them use the narrowest tires they can find. Many won’t even list tire clearance because it’s largely irrelevant. Many SS/fixies will also have very aggressive geometry, which is quite fashionable or even useful on the track, but can get quite old for someone who is just riding around at a low intensity.

However, if you still want a light, fast fixed gear bike, the ribble eliminator seems like a good option that isn’t very well known (I have no experience with it). Stock, at $700ish, it weighs in at 7.05kg with no brakes or pedals. Add both and you’re looking at around 7.5 kilos. If you’re willing to splash out, you can build a nice alloy wheelset with Miche EDIT: Mack* hubs and chop 800g or so off. That will bring you to 6.3kg or so, which is extremely light.

The state bicycle co undefeated is a more well-known option that might weigh a touch more.

Last edited by smashndash; 10-11-19 at 09:48 AM.
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Old 10-11-19, 09:42 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by smashndash
I agree that $1500 is a lot to spend on a fixie/singlespeed that’s just going to be ridden around on roads and trails. It’s probably best to try and find a bike that can clear at least 28mm tires (the max for standard rim brakes). That’s a rarity with track bikes, since many of them use the narrowest tires they can find. Many won’t even list tire clearance because it’s largely irrelevant. Many SS/fixies will also have very aggressive geometry, which is quite fashionable or even useful on the track, but can get quite old for someone who is just riding around at a low intensity.

However, if you still want a light, fast fixed gear bike, the ribble eliminator seems like a good option that isn’t very well known (I have no experience with it). Stock, at $700ish, it weighs in at 7.05kg with no brakes or pedals. Add both and you’re looking at around 7.5 kilos. If you’re willing to splash out, you can build a nice alloy wheelset with Miche hubs and chop 800g or so off. That will bring you to 6.3kg or so, which is extremely light.

The state bicycle co undefeated is a more well-known option that might weigh a touch more.
That's pretty light for a bike that costs 700 bucks.
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Old 10-11-19, 09:47 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Philasteve
That's pretty light for a bike that costs 700 bucks.
I’m just quoting their website. No idea how true it is.
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Old 11-03-19, 06:43 PM
  #35  
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My steamroller and I have gone thousands of miles with 72 gear inches and 35 mm tires which are slick, cyclocross or studded winter snows. Simple, easy to work on, a joy to ride, easily modified to meet changing needs etc. It's that reddish brown color that Surly calls beef gravy but others "bloody stool". I used to ride fixed but now single speed as it is hilly here and I don't love 140 rpm descents. I visited the Smithsonian space wing where I found a Wright Bros bike amazingly similar to the steamroller.
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