tonythomas

I live in NYC and commute to work/generally get around town by bike. I've got a dented, chipped 20 yr old Trek 310 road bike that I've been able to lock up and not worry too much about (although I wouldn't be surprised if some day my $20 Animal pedals get jacked). Got my first fixed gear bike a couple months ago and I'm really loving it and not enjoying riding my road bike nearly as much (I'm sure the novelty of learning something new has something to do with it). Anyway, my fixed is very nice so I don't/can't lock it up anywhere. It just goes from my apartment to my office at work and back again. Anybody got a structurally sound dinged/scratched/repainted steel fixed frame fork combo (like a Bare Knuckle) with a ST of 51-53 or recommendations on a quality *budget* frame set? I'm looking to spend $150-$300 depending on fork/headset/bottom bracket/other extras. The frame I have now is pure track and love the way it handles, but for my lock up beater I'd prefer something with a front fork drilled for a brake (I hate how ugly the Dia-Compe clamp on brake is on my current frame but I'm too much of a noob to ride NYC w/o it).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

hamfoh

my big block is pretty boring looking.

prooftheory

Since this actually happened, I don't think there is any such thing as a frame that thieves won't steal.

Leukybear 

Thief could've took it back to walmart for store credit...

carleton

OP, that's life in the big city.

Any clean bike -- rather any bike, period -- is subject to being stolen in a big city. There are just as many people upset that their beaters were stolen, too.

The key is money. Don't invest more than you are willing to lose.

Understand that it might get stolen and don't be upset. Consider that a part of city life like traffic, pot holes, glass, and idiot cabbies.

tonythomas

Wow.. that looks like a Whammo! (tm) Superball. Wonder why he didn't bother to use the lock he says is wrapped around the seat...

Crandrew

My SE Draft lite Frame is cheap, heavy and everybody says the bike is crap.

tonythomas

Thanks Ham -
Yeah, I was kicking around picking up a big block since I've seen a few old stock hit my price point. I take it you're happy with yours? The thing holding me back is the bigger wheel clearance since I only wanna run 700's. But what the hell - bet it would be fun to also have a bigger set of wheels with a freewheel to throw on so I could bang around Central Park.

Mumonkan

+1

a friend of mine had a $1000+ bike stolen when he went inside a store for 5 minutes to get snacks for a century ride
last week he got side swiped by a cabbie on his $3k carbon bike on his way to do laps in cp

he has no intention of stopping riding. just gotta accept the risk and hope for the best

that being said if it generally has chipped paint, rust and/or stickers and mismatched parts, people tend to leave the bike alone. no matter how much it actually costs

fwiw: i ride cp all the time and i dont have brakes, but i usually only go when the road is closed in the mornings/weekends so you got a lot more room to maneuver around the rent a bikes and other idiots

ThermionicScott 

Put Huffy stickers on it.

caloso

Nashbar Nekkid. https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...49_-1___202337

Inexpensive and pretty decent quality. It has a weird flat blue paint job which would ordinarily be a minus, but it's a plus for an innocuous city bike.

Wendell F

A bike that doesn't scream "STEAL ME" in NYC? One that's heavily locked up. Then it's only whispering.

You could also cover your bike in chocolate:

toasterweasel

City Grounds has a bunch of cheap frames on clearance right now if you have parts laying around. If not I'd start searching craigslist for a beater

tonythomas

Thanks Carleton. Yeah man - I've lived in NYC for 20 years and before that I lived in Philly so I know the score. Just trying to glean advice finding that sweet spot where enjoyable ride/investment meets acceptable loss. Like *that* exists <g>. About 25 years ago, I actually got followed to my door in Philly by three kids that were gonna jump me for my Gitane as soon as I got off it. Had to stay on the bike and ride in to a 7/11 and call some friends <g>.

Jared.

Why not convert your Trek? Keep the parts if you want to convert back, upgrade some of the parts that you may have been wanting to change for a while.

Mumonkan

this too, conversions generally seem low key

jimmytango

Did I just hear him say he spray painted his SHIFTERS??? He didn't make it ugly, he ****ing ruined it!

tonythomas

That's awesome! Is that Dennis Kucinich?

tonythomas

Believe it or not, trying to convert my Trek eventually led me to buying a Keirin frame (long story and I was drunk). Really though, couple of reasons - It's got vertical drop outs and even though I'm trying to build a beater, I want it to be clean so I'm not crazy about those tensioners that hang from the derailleur fitting. And honestly, I prefer the way my fixed feels/handles to the Trek. I missed out on a $290 dented, scratched, "Cadence" branded Bare Knuckle frame/fork (with a Chris King h/s) that I think woulda been perfect and I'm looking for suggestions for something else along those lines. Really leaning towards the Big Block right now.

carleton

The same goes for racing. When I started, people told me, "Don't race anything that you aren't willing to lose in a crash. That's part of racing."


+1

Then you probably know more than most around here.

$300 (give or take) will get you a decent city bike. I wouldn't cry if my $300 bike got stolen.

It's like the $1500 1992 VW GTI (Montana Green, best VW color ever) that I had when I lived in Baltimore. I didn't mind street parking it. It was a "city car". It got booted, bumped (via others parallel parking), broken window, dents, stolen grill, etc... I shrugged them all off.



(not actually my old car)

toasterweasel

By the time you build up a used Bareknuckle or Big Block you are going to have at least $600 into the build with wheels, tires, cog, lockring, bars, stem, bb, crankset, pedals, brake, seatpost and saddle, and that's with cheap/used parts. Unless you have a box of parts laying around, I'd try and find a complete bike. It might not be as fun as building a bike from the frame up, but it's a beater..

I've never heard of a Cadence branded Bareknuckle. Are you sure it just wasn't a Cadence sticker on the frame?

jdgesus 

what a chocolaty bike

tonythomas

Toast,
I know what you're saying. I'm pretty much set for parts except stem, BB and head set and it'd probably *still* cost me as much as a complete. But the stuff I have is probably a little better than what would come on a cheap complete and I wouldn't have the extra stuff lying around my tiny BK apt or have to go through the haggling hell of Craigslisting 'em. Or I'm just attempting to fool myself and I'm looking for an excuse to build another bike. And be able to say "the guys on bikeforums said it wouldn't get stolen!" to myself when it does <g>.

As for the Bare Knuckle, maybe "branded" was too strong a word. It was on Ebay a few months ago and had the "Cadence" logo on the down tube in what looked to be a professional job (i.e. dinna look like a sticker someone slapped on as an afterthought). I figured it was finished for Cadence or made for someone sponsored by 'em.

jpsawyer

you could get a pake rum runner. I have one as my ugly beater bike. its the one i dont mind leaving outside in a city or for hours in Boston or anything like that. It is a pretty plain frame. nothing special about it at all. But it has great ride quality. a lot more quality than people give it credit for. and the frameset can be had for $200ish. you could make a fun ride with it and not be too worried about it being stolen

PeDDeR27

It may not be the exact quality you are looking for, but the Eighthinch Scrambler is what I use as my beater bike. Very solid bike for the money, and rides quite well. A little heavy, but it's a beater, so it's meant to take some beating. $150 for the frameset and it includes frame, fork, headset, seat post, and seat post clamp. Or you could get a complete for $330.

https://ws-outlet.com/c-43-track-bike...?section=-263-