Need a Black Fixed Gear Bicycle but unsure what to buy.

[glottore]

I live in Manchester, UK and I need a black single speed bicycle to commute around my city. My height is 175cm and I have up to £400 to spend.

I really like the look of the State Bicycle Matte Black 3.0:
http://www.statebicycle.com/product_p/matteblk3.htm
Unfortunately on every website I've looked it's sold out.

These are the bicycles I'm currently looking at:

Bike 1
http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/urban-bik ... -2013-p101

Bike 2
http://www.fixedgearfrenzy.com/nolobi-2 ... frame.html

Bike 3
http://www.fixedgearfrenzy.com/no-logo- ... frame.html

Bike 4
http://www.fixedgearfrenzy.com/black-fi ... ranks.html

Bike 5
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-SIN ... 1c3bc03c16

Bike 6
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fixed-Gear-bi ... true&rt=nc

Is it worth trying to buy the parts to a bicycle and then finding a retailer who specializes in bike craft to build one for me? Or are any of these bikes worth buying? If you guys have any suggestions of bikes or sites I should look at please message here, would very much appreciate it.


Also, please let me know if I've posted in the wrong sub-forum.

 

[47p2]

Why not get yourself a good quality second hand bike, something like a Genesis Flyer. I bought a used Genesis Skyline which is the older variation of the Flyer, it had done 20 miles since new, was unmarked and looked like it had just left the factory. I paid a lot less than your £400 budget and since I bought it last November it has covered almost 2000 faultless miles

Mine is a 52cm frame so you should be looking at around a 54cm frame

This is mine

 

[Bats]

First up, do you want a fixed gear or a single speed?

Everything you've picked out there is the really low end stuff, sold on appearance more than quality. LFGSS can tell you these bikes are infamous for pretty much everything on them breaking. Even the brakes themselves have been found to snap from using them too hard!

Can spot the nasty buggers a mile off. wide MTB risers on a hi-ten frame, deep rims and absolutely no known brand parts anywhere on them. They get away with the shocking quality for the price by selling to the sort of person who's more interested in having a "black fixie" than learning what a quality bike can be. Sound familiar?

Consider if the premium of a fixed gear is worth it to you. If it is, save up and get something like a Charge Plug or a Genesis, or learn what quality parts there are, find a reynold's frame, powdercoat it, screw it together yourself. Everything you need to learn is online.

A decent fixed gear is fairly expensive, an absolutely rubbish one is still pricey. If you can't afford the time, effort, and cash to be serious about it, I advise you to strongly reconsider.

 

[glottore]

Re:

Thanks for the replies guys.

First off, that's a really good looking bike. I'll take your advice and check online, see if I can find one of those two models second-hand.

Secondly, you're right. I'm a sucker for appearances. When I first started looking for bikes I found that Matte Black 3.0 and after spending several hours looking for a website to sell it to me and failing I was bent on getting a bike as close to it in appearance as possible. I realize now that's a pretty stupid way to do things.

Third, I wasn't really clear if I wanted a single-speed bicycle or a fixed-gear but the truth is I don't mind. My knowledge on bicycles is horrendous at best but I've done some research and found that bicycles without gears are generally better for city commuting, and so that's what I'm trying to get.

My student loan arrives on the 17th and I want to buy a bicycle as soon as possible from that day so I can ride to and from the library - it'll let me be more efficient with my time as I revise. Because of this, I don't have time to research parts and building bicycles and therefore I'm not sure it would be plausible to make my own bike (it would be a poor attempt).

 

[47p2]

I would suggest something with a flip flop rear hub, that way you can try both single speed and fixed gear riding and decide from there. Fixed gear for commuting is great if you know what you're doing but it takes time to get the hang of it so going single speed for a week or two will let you get some pedal work done without endangering yourself and others around you

 

[glottore]

Re:

Yeah I'll look for a flip-front hub.

These are the bikes I found, tell me what you think:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/amazi ... 1054140296

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Utah-Jupiter- ... 1c3ecebb05

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/custom-built- ... 1075132084

I really like the first bike, it's just a shame I couldn't find any Genesis Skylines or Flyers anywhere. Is there a place I can find people selling their bicycles besides Gumtree, eBay and LFGSS?

 

[Bats]

The first two are geared, I assume you already know.

The last one is a good half finished project. So you're looking at the cost of pedals, straps, front brake, koolstops, outer and inner cable, the lever, and bar tape.

You'd end up with a lot of bike, assuming it fits you. The drop bars look very deep.

Mine is a 52cm frame so you should be looking at around a 54cm frame

A five foot ten lad on a 54cm! I'm only an inch taller than him and a 60 is just about big enough for me with the seatpost up on it's max height line :shock:

 

[47p2]

The first 2 are geared bikes, the 3rd has no rear brake bridge so if you go single speed you'll be breaking the law


How about something like THIS You need to check the size as I don't see it on the advert


Also be careful buying from Gumtree, best go and collect and hand over the money only when you're satisfied that you aren't buying stolen goods

 

[47p2]

A five foot ten lad on a 54cm! I'm only an inch taller than him and a 60 is just about big enough for me with the seatpost up on it's max height line :shock:

I'm 170cm so another 5cm height won't equate to a 60cm frame (I don't think)

 

[CTK]

Re:

That Boardman is a good deal