flyingbuttons

Hi!

Looking to buy a fixed gear/single speed, specifically a Kilo TT.

I found a Kilo TT Pro (shark grey) in my frame size (44cm) for sale on OfferUp in my area (this is the specs on Bikesdirect). The seller has had it for a year, and is asking $280 for it. It looks like he has a freewheel on it since he's listing it as a single speed as well, but he also included in his post that it's missing a rear brake (but the photos show the rear break?), and he's including a cable lock and a pump.

However, I've been looking at a "Kilo TT Deluxe" on BikeIsland (same vendor as Bikesdirect) complete, new with scuffs in the dropouts, in my size for $299.

I glossed over the parts, and the only difference is the frame (Special Edition Chromed Rear Seatstays vs solid color w/ some chrome) and the hubs (pro: TrackSpec High Flange Aluminum, sealed precision bearings, vs BI: TrackSpec High Flange Aluminum, sealed cartridge bearings).

My question is, should I get the newer bike from Bikeisland, or just try to haggle the guy for his Kilo TT Pro? Thanks!

bonsai171

Sounds like the BikeIsland bike might be a little bit better. Having sealed cartridge bearings on the wheels will mean you won't have to service the bearings, which can be a fun job. With sealed bearings, you will just keep rolling and rolling, for a long time (granted i've had to service my non-sealed bearings only once or twice in 7 or 8,000 miles, sealed is a plus!). Make sure you have a front and rear brake on the bike too. Did that bike come with a freewheel? If not, you can always add one later on if the threading is on the rear hub (acs crossfires are pretty nice and also relatively affordable).


As far as the scuffs, you might be able to get them out with some car wax and an old towel.

Dave

SquidPuppet

New bike comes with warranty. Wheels and hubs are the same.

Unkle Rico

For a $20 difference, i'd say its good piece of mind buying new

steve-in-kville 

How tall are you? I have that same size!

silvaeri

[delete]

Philasteve

It's not worth saving an extra 20 bucks. Cable locks are almost useless depending on where you live, and a pump can be had cheap. So it's not like it's an amazing deal, wheels might be out of true along with other things. I'd buy the new one without a doubt. I'd never buy something as abundant as a Kilo TT used unless if it was close to free or had a bunch of extra nice parts on it while still being cheap.

flyingbuttons

Hi again Dave!

I agree, after thinking about it, it would be risky to get it off the guy. I have heard about sealed vs unsealed bearings, I used to skateboard when I was in college and going through bearings was a pain in terms of having to clean and lube them every now and then. I will make sure of the bike having brakes! I have heard too many horror stories of fixed riders crashing when doing down hills and running stop signs because they couldn't break in time. The bike did come with a freewheel, but I realized it's something I can get anyway. Thank you for the suggestion, I wouldn't know which one to get... I might need to have someone install it too.

I would rather get a newer bike than a used one at this point, esp at the price difference.

This is good to know too! I emailed a guy at BI and he said they're barely noticeable.

flyingbuttons

I am around 5'2"!!

How tall are YOU? I'm curious because I'm really unsure if I should go for a 44cm or 47cm. I don't want to be hunched over on a smaller frame but I will lose some clearance when straddling (I don't mind this too much because I will be riding it a majority of the time )

flyingbuttons

Agreed! The dude sold the bike already anyway, that was added confirmation that I should get a new one now. 20 bucks less isn't worth it!

flyingbuttons

I agree at this point. I realized it last night that it wasn't worth it, especially since he was missing parts in terms of the back brakes. I have a pump and a U-lock already, so I wasn't after the accessories, I just though the precision bearings made a big difference?

I'm not an experienced biker so I didn't know if it was worth it or not, but knowing how small the price difference was for something new and guaranteed versus not new and not guaranteed, it's better to have that peace of mind.

He just sold it too anyway so there's my answer lmao

Scrodzilla

Seriously, come to Retrogression in North Park and talk to my wife, Angie. She's the same height as you and will be able to help put you on the right size bike, even if you don't buy it from us.

Maybe once you get all set up, you can roll with the SD SheWolves!

bonsai171

+1 on that. Have to agree. My LBS helped me do a fitting on a Shimano 105 multi-geared bike. Positioning is very important on the bike, and will affect your long-term comfort, especially on longer rides. I've used measurements from that fitting as a basis for my SS/fixed, and it is nice taking the guesswork out of that. (and will save you from having to monkeying around with a wrong-size frame to try and make it fit-been there done that :-p)

Dave

SquidPuppet

steve-in-kville 

I'm 5' 2" (or 4' 14", depending). Small bike frames can get frustrating, but I've learned to deal with it.

steve-in-kville 

Now that's a real bike shop right there!

flyingbuttons

I'll come by this weekend before I make a final decision for sure! It's good to know she's the same size as I am, and I appreciate that you will still help me with this regardless. I actually didn't find out about your shop until a few days ago through browsing Yelp. I appreciate that a lot Scrod, especially with the bad experiences I had at two shops I went to for sizing. After those experiences, I resorted to doing online research.

It was disheartening that neither of the store owners took me very seriously, or even wanted to help me with what I came there for. I guess it's because I'm younger and I'm a girl? Their body language and how they talked to me made me feel really bad.

That all being said, I will stop by this weekend since you guys are closed by the time I'm off work. Your the kind of LBS I want to support.

SD SheWolves looks like a sweet group! The cycling cap looks legit, that may be the first one I buy.

flyingbuttons

I appreciate Scrod's type of shop, it gives me hope after the two bad experiences I had already.

I'm realizing this now because I haven't started to actually seriously bike again until recently, since I work regular hours and get off at 6pm. I've been trying to force a ride in after work whenever I can, and it's usually worth it even though I can't go too far (physically and because I have to get ready for work the next day).

Everything was sore the first longer ride I did (I think I biked 8 miles?) and I think it was partially due to the frame size but mostly my lack of being physically fit LOL.

Yes I do not want to make that mistake and have buyer's remorse with a bike that doesn't fit me. Especially since there is somewhere that is willing to help me with this, I want to take full advantage!

flyingbuttons

You're my height! It is frustrating because we're all proportioned differently. I know there's bikes built for women but even then I can see that costing more.

Super agree!!! Scrod is awesome!

steve-in-kville 

I don't really think they are, at least not that I can tell. Plus, a lot of bikes are considered "uni-sex" now. Gone are the days that a woman has to ride a bike with a dropped top tube. This is 2017. You can ride whatever you want.

And as for your height... us short folks gotta stick together!

JeremyLC

You're confusing mixte (step-through) frames with women's specific geometry. There are definitely women's framesets. The previously mentioned Georgena Terry still sells them, and major makers like Trek, Specialized, and Giant, among others, also offer women's bikes. They're not just shorter, there are also differences in proportions, should widths, hip width, etx.

steve-in-kville 

Perhaps I stand corrected. My first *real* bike was a Jamis Allegro hybrid. That was considered uni-sex. I guess I thought step-thru frames were a thing of the past.... since women don't predominately wear skirts/dresses as they did a few generations ago. But that's a subject for another day.