Gino71

I just bought a cheap near mint PureFix fixed gear bike. I'm going to eventually upgrade some of the components before I possibly splurge on a high end bike if I enjoy this. I am looking to upgrade the wheelset, crankset and bottom bracket.

I was wondering if anyone was familiar with some of the components I'm researching. Weight isn't a priority so much as reliability and durability. I'll primarily be using the bike to ride around town to get accustomed to fixed gear riding and to get me out of the house with the intent of improving my cardio and my basic riding skills. I live in Florida so the area is very flat, I was thinking maybe a 48/17 gear ratio.

For the wheelset I came across a pair of Aeromax Pro HD wheels on Amazon. OK price , decent reviews, seem sturdy enough. I'm not into the deep dish wheels, more of something I can used a medium tire on for small town riding and decent pavement protection.

For a crankset I found the FSA Metropolis set that looks solid but it doesn't come with a chainring. Any suggestions on a sturdy chain ring? I'm about 5'6" and 180 lbs, I just want something strong that won't warp or fail if I put in a little effort peddling.

I've yet to decide on a bottom bracket, but I prefer sealed.

Any advice, suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated or if you have other recommendations for components I'm open to suggestions.

Jbo26

I always use my mechanic at my bike shop. I trust the professional.

CliffordK

Why don't you post some links or photos to your components.

Isn't the FSA metropolis a 2-speed crankset... not "fixed"?

katsup

If the bike is "near mint", why change parts? Ride it as is, you may be happy with it or decide you want a different bike all together.

Wilfred Laurier

What are you hoping to accomplish? Is some part of the bike broken or manfunctioning or worn out? There is pretty much zero value to be added through your plan. Save the money and get that much better bike when you decide to make a real 'upgrade'.

Phil_gretz

This will fall into the "any advice or feedback" category. The quoted text (above) is not internally consistent. If you want to extend the durability of your current bike, then you should have begun with an assessment of its current reliability and any mechanical issues that could lead to a risk of failure. My advice, re-state your objective as the following:

"I am excited to own a new fixed gear bike, and I'm curious as to the performance benefits to be gained by upgrading select components on the bike. Since the frame is a given until a further future date, I will focus on the wheelset, and crank/bearing combination. Can anyone help me prioritize where I spend my money by suggesting which component to start, and recommend the best gain for the money spent. My budget is $350 in approximately 6 months."

My advice would be to adjust the gearing to suit your riding goals. 48x17 is a pretty steep gear. You might want to investigate gear ratios/gear inches to target what you can handle in admittedly flat FL. I've found that 70-72 gear inches is just about right; 19 mph at 90 rpms. If you already have the 17, then you'd need to go to a 46T chainring. Start there. Phil

CliffordK

Any upgrading should have a "goal".

What do you want to accomplish that the existing bike doesn't accomplish?

"Coolness" is certainly a viable factor. Yet, you also have to research the parts to see if they fit your needs. Are the cranks you've chosen 2-speed cranks? Nothing in your description mentioned wanting multi-speed.

If you are wanting a new chainring, then look at the specs of the crank. Does it use the standard 110mm or 130mm bolt circle? 5 bolts?

Then choose the number of teeth.

I don't ride fixed, but I'd certainly consider some of the "drop-stop" rings of various designs.

dedhed

Fixed are also typically 1/8" chains, cogs, and rings

Gresp15C

My advice is to upgrade only when parts actually wear out. The money you save can be applied to the new bike, and you're already well set up to test the waters with the gearing. Parts, purchased individually are never as economical as they are when attached to a full bike.

The main factor contributing to durability will be your initial assessment of the condition of the parts, by re-packing and adjusting the bearings, so you know that they are maintained according to your standards.

Gino71

The bike is all stock. I was just looking to upgrade the wheelset to something wider so I can use tires with a bit more grip, better puncture protection and have a plusher ride. Since summer is coming up and it's also our rainy season where I live the extra grip would be welcome after the daily torrential downpour. I had come across this wheelset on Amazon and I hadn't heard of that particular brand.

The stock crankset is 44T and 16T freewheel / 15T fixed gear, 110mm BCD 5 bolt. I have read up a lot on the Purefix bike brand and the model I have, The Original. The crankset was usually one of the first components upgraded after the wheels. From the reviews I had read about the bike the crank had been known to snap or the chainring to warp. Again this is a $350 bike and depending on the situation to cause the failure of the components is taken into account.

As for the bottom bracket, I had thought if I went to a heavier / sturdier crankset I'd upgrade the bottom bracket as well to accommodate the cranks.

The FSA Metropolis crankset I found on Amazon is just the crank arms with a chain guard. You might be thinking of the Metropolis Patterson 2 speed they had in production, it was also called the Patterson Transmission.

veganbikes

So you can put wider tires on the current wheelset and you can go for plush or you can go for puncture protection pick one and you will be all set. The nice soft supple tires aren't as puncture protectant and the nice chunky puncture protectant tires aren't very supple. If you want soft and supple I am a big fan of the Vittoria Corsa G+ (I think now G2.0) or Challenge open tubulars are great (usually found under the Pro model) or I hear great things about Compass now René Herse tires. If you like puncture protection the Continental Gatorhardshell is a good one or you could go with the Vittoria Rubino Pro Endurance which also has the Graphene for excellent grip (especially in the wet)

There is a nice chart on Sheldon's site that will help you
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Don't buy random wheelset on amazon, I cannot imagine they are going to be that much better than what comes stock on a Pure Fix and if so only marginally. Run the bike into the ground and save your money on a new bike the only reason to change anything out is if it is worn out or broken and you want to keep riding the bike or you are going to take these components and swap them to a better frame in which case upgrades while silly on the current bike might not be so terrible for the new one.

katsup

You are replacing lower end parts with lower end parts. If you want wider tires, why not install them on the wheels you have? A $170 wheelset is not going much better than what you have on the bike already.

Warning: Your frame probably doesn't have a lot of space for wider tires.

Gino71

On my next day off from work I'll take it to my bike shop and see what other tires they might recommend. I had been looking at the Continental Contact Plus to replace my current tires.

ThermionicScott 

Why? They look heavy and slow.

CliffordK

You can look at the frame around the chainstays, brake bridge, and fork crown to see how much clearance you would have for larger tires.

Bent chainrings are often due to loose crank spider bolts. So, make sure they're tight. Nonetheless, as others have indicated, I'd ride until the problems show up.

Do you skid? Perhaps that puts significant strain on your bike, as well as wearing down tires.