Bicyclettes

[photo]

smaller clip = no toe overlap.....

This is a good or bad thing?

[TragicBliss]

This is a good or bad thing?

A good thing.

[mlproject]

1. After the frame, what should the money be spent on? I am thinking about a Soma Rush frame and fork which only leaves me with $500 for the rest of the build.

you can find some nice frames for cheaper than that rush. i say go used. i just bought a pista concept for $375. bargain hunt! forums are amazing places to find trades or sales on lightly used frames. don't sleep on those.

other places you shouldn't cheap out are your wheelset and cranks. sugino 75s will last forever if you can drop the $200 (w/ring) and a good wheelset won't have you wanting to upgrade immediately.

2. Are there any well-known manufactuers in the fixed gear world? Like I found over a dozen different companies that make hubs. Is there any particular ones that stand out?

best deal out there on a wheelset are the formula/deep V sets on ebay. they're usually around $200ish but are a really nice, low maintenance (sealed bearings) set. buy one, get them trued, etc at a local shop after shipping.

you can go more expensive, but that's the best value in a set out there.

3. Does the concept of threaded/threadless apply to fork, headset, and stem? Or just the first two? Or ?

you either have a threaded or threadless fork. you buy a stem appropriate for your fork. threaded are the "goose neck" style quill stems and threadless clamps around the fork neck isntead of going down into it.

4. If I buy a wheelset, to make the rear wheel functional, do I simply have to screw on two cogs and two lockrings? That's it?

you need a properly dished wheel with a track hub. a track hub has two sets of opposing threads for cogs and locrings. you need one cog and one locring.

do not run a fixed setup on a road hub.

5. If I have a flip-flop hub, can I take off the rear wheel easily and flip it? Will the chain have enough slack to allow this? Or will I need a chaintool? I ask because I am used to taking off my road bike's rear tire the dérailleur makes it easy to create slack. The fixed won't have one.

yes.

6. Should I just buy a complete Angus instead? If so, what (if anything) should I upgrade ($1000 total)

7. Should I just get a (diffferent) complete bike, one from a larger mfg such as Raleigh Rush Hour, Redline?

buy whatever you want. completes from other companies tend to have truvativ cranks which are pretty good, a suzue jr wheelset which you will grow out of and OK other bits. the jamis sputnik probably has the best parts package out of any of the production bikes.

8. What would your $1000 build be? I can be a little bit flexible.

- eBay or craigslist steel frame (reynolds 531 or nicer columbus tubing) ~$300 budget

- formula/deep v wheelset ebay ~$225 shipped

- sugino 75 cranks w 49t ring ~$200 shipped form aebike.com

- eai 17t cog $25

- dura ace locring $8 (thick. great. don't go with a shitty one)

- izumi eco chain $20

- michelin pro race tires $60 on ebay

- tubes $10

- old cinelli 1a or 2a road stem ~$25 on ebay

- alloy 2" 25.4 risers $30

- oury grips $12

- shimano cartridge bb $15

- MKS sylvan pedal kit from bensbike on ebay $50

- whatever seatpost $15ish

- old school san marco saddle $50ish

- decent headset $30ish

that puts you at $1075 with solid parts that you're not going to break or hate after you get used you your wheels.

if you want to do a conversion, you can save about $200 on your frame doing it from an old steel roadie. you could also just buy a stock bike and swap out parts. my friend recently bought a stock pista then sold the wheels for about $150, cranks for $75 and seatpost/stem for about $40 then just investedin new gear.

if you're building your own, you'd also need tools so you're not spending another $200+ to have someone assemble it. plus, you should be doing your own maintenance anyway!

basic tools:

hozan locring wrench: $30

wheels mfg chain whip: $35

14mm socket depends on how nice you go

15mm wrench $8

crank puller $15

allen key set $10

park chain tool $20

presta valve adapter $2

tire levers $4

shimano bb tool $12ish (fits on a socket wrench)

stuff like headset installation is usually best done at a shop. cup presses are about $150 and you'll rarely have to do that, especially if your frame already comes iwth one installed.

i'll come back and add to this later, but its a primer

[sygyzy]

mlproject - Thanks for your help. It's been really invaluable.

I have some follow up questions.

1. If I get the Velocity Deep V's from ebay, should I care what sort of hub is included? They are usually Formula, IRO, or Velocity.

2. Does the ability to have a fixed/free rear wheel depend on the hub or the cogs? I thought it was a funciton of the hub since I've seen them listed as fixed/fixed or fixed/free but a vendor told me that if you get a flip-flop hub, you can attach any combination of freewheels and locked cogs. So which is it?

3. Is it possible to get the Sugino 75 crankset with different sized ring?

4. If I run fixed/free do I need a lockring for both sides?

5. What are risers for?

6. How do I determine the correct length I need for the stem?

7. Is 700c a fine wheelsize?

8. How much should I expect a shop to charge for a build?

Thanks again.

[mlproject]

1. If I get the Velocity Deep V's from ebay, should I care what sort of hub is included? They are usually Formula, IRO, or Velocity.

formula = iro = velocity ... they're all the same hubs that get rebranded.

same for a lot of frames (just different branding and shittier components on the ebay completes) --

mercier = khs flite 100

windsor hour = fuji track

2. Does the ability to have a fixed/free rear wheel depend on the hub or the cogs? I thought it was a funciton of the hub since I've seen them listed as fixed/fixed or fixed/free but a vendor told me that if you get a flip-flop hub, you can attach any combination of freewheels and locked cogs. So which is it?

fixed/free is the hub. both of my wheelsets are fixed/fixed because i never run a freewheel. flip flop = fixed/free = stepped, opposing threads on one side and just one set on the other

3. Is it possible to get the Sugino 75 crankset with different sized ring?

if you buy them separately, yeah. that is just the cheapest deal on them. you can always sell the ring and buy a new one. sometimes you can find them where you're just buying the arms.

4. If I run fixed/free do I need a lockring for both sides?

no. a freewheel doesn't have a locring... and you don't need a freewheel if you're only running a fixed setup.

5. What are risers for?

they're handlebars ... a lot of dudes run 2" ones

6. How do I determine the correct length I need for the stem?

do the fit guide on competitivecyclist.com ... this will tell you ideal frame and component sizes. shorter stem = tighter positioning.

7. Is 700c a fine wheelsize?

700c is the modern standard wheel size. depending on your frame you'll be able to run thicker tires. if they have really low clearance in the fork, you'll probably be running around a 23c tire.

8. How much should I expect a shop to charge for a build?

i really have no idea. i've only had headset cups installed and wheels trued at a shop. do it yourself and learn how your bike works.

[vee_dub]

8. How much should I expect a shop to charge for a build?

i really have no idea. i've only had headset cups installed and wheels trued at a shop. do it yourself and learn how your bike works.

I think you should buy a complete to save money. The LBS expect to charge around $70USD. But building it up urself is way better cause when something goes down u wouldnt be as frustrated, since u can fixed it on the spot.

Cheer,

Dub.

[mlproject]

I think you should buy a complete to save money. But the shop expect to charge around $70USD. But building it up urself is way better cause when something goes down u wouldnt be as frustrated because u can fixed it on the spot.

Cheer,

Dub.

i'm going to agree with this since you obviously have no prior bike experience. its going to make your life a lot easier and you're looking at $600ish on the top end instead of dropping $1200 in bike and tools.

[vee_dub]

i'm going to agree with this since you obviously have no prior bike experience. its going to make your life a lot easier and you're looking at $600ish on the top end instead of dropping $1200 in bike and tools.

Schwinn Madison?? wouldnt that be a good choice??

I am thinking of getting one, is it that heavy as many said?

[mlproject]

i haven't seen one of those in person, but if you have the cash, the jamis sputnik is probably the nicest off the peg complete at around $700.

[sygyzy]

Thanks for your help guys. I still think I'd rather go the build route because I have to start somewhere right? I don't think having little to no experience prior should negate me from trying. Maybe instead of bringing it to a LBS to build, I can take it to a bike mechanic friend and watch/help him build it. That way I can learn too.

So are the IRO/Velocity/Formula hubs on the eBay wheelsets fine?

[mlproject]

yes. i know tons of people that ride those.

i definitely recommend having them trued/tensioned properly after shipping as some of those wheels are machine built.

[sygyzy]

do not run a fixed setup on a road hub.

How do you tell the difference between a road hub and a track hub? I guess you can tell visually but oftentimes online you cannot see the threads that closely. Is there another way to tell?

I noticed many of the handlebars I want to run are 25.4mm but the stem you recommended is 26.4mm. Is this a common problem? Do they sell shims to help with this and is it safe to use one, or should I just find different handlebars?

shimano cartridge bb $15

What does the "cartridge" refer to? Is it just the name of the Shimano model or is it some special type of fitting? How do I insure that the crankset is compatible with the bottom bracket?

[vee_dub]

How do you tell the difference between a road hub and a track hub? I guess you can tell visually but oftentimes online you cannot see the threads that closely. Is there another way to tell?

Track hub have threads the accommodate the Lockring, which is left head threaded. But old school road hub only have threads that accommodate the cog only.

I noticed many of the handlebars I want to run are 25.4mm but the stem you recommended is 26.4mm. Is this a common problem? Do they sell shims to help with this and is it safe to use one, or should I just find different handlebars?

Very common problems, buy a different stem. Ie: 3ttt mutant NICE AND CHEAP.

What does the "cartridge" refer to? Is it just the name of the Shimano model or is it some special type of fitting? How do I insure that the crankset is compatible with the bottom bracket?

Catridge refers to bearings, all the tiny balls packed and sealed in a single module, hence u cannot take the each balls out to do a services.

[vee_dub]

My question:

How do u take the headset off?? I mean the bit that stuck in the top tube??

Cheer,

DUb.

[canice]

How do you tell the difference between a road hub and a track hub? I guess you can tell visually but oftentimes online you cannot see the threads that closely. Is there another way to tell?

I noticed many of the handlebars I want to run are 25.4mm but the stem you recommended is 26.4mm. Is this a common problem? Do they sell shims to help with this and is it safe to use one, or should I just find different handlebars?

What does the "cartridge" refer to? Is it just the name of the Shimano model or is it some special type of fitting? How do I insure that the crankset is compatible with the bottom bracket?

track hubs have two sets of threads. the outer set is reverse threaded so the lockring will prevent the cog from totally unscrewing itself off the hub when you're applying backpressure when riding.

shims are safe, but don't use a homemade version (ie: cut from a pop can). nitto sells em for $10, and are slip-free.

most parts these days will have cartridge or sealed bearings. sealed bearings are maintenance free, but don't spin quite as freely. cartridge and cup&cone bearings need to be cleaned and repacked every so often. see this: http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ba-n.html#bearing

[mlproject]

My question:

How do u take the headset off?? I mean the bit that stuck in the top tube??

Cheer,

DUb.

on a threaded headset has races that are pressed to the crown of your fork and both ends of the headtube. the bearing sit between the races and then the top race/nut tightens it all together.

i thought those cinelli stems were a 25.4. you can find 26.4 handlebars. 3ttt and nitto also make nice, inexpensive older style road stems.

[hawkeye]

Thought this was interesting: http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2007/07/the_sanctity_of.php?comments=10#comments Seems really rediculous that you can get a ticket for not riding in the bike lane while it's being blocked by cars parked in it. This hasn't happened to me yet, but I'll have to watch out in the future.

[mlproject]

you can get a ticket for a lot of shit that is rediculous. you are required to obey all laws that a car does and can theoretically take the lane. with bike lanes, however, they can pull that kind of shit. i almost always take the lane because its safer - no parked cars with doors opening, no cabs swinging over in front of you to get fares, no delivery bullshit and no pedestirans not looking before running into the street.

not sure where that post about a 3ttt mutant was from, but that's style suicide. those things look like a pierced penis.

[stuntastic]

I took lanes because it IS safer. Even wen you ride as close to the curb as possible, theres always an asshole whos gonna think he can just zoom pass you. Sometimes they can, but I dont wanna pay for another assholes mistake...

Ive had cops tell me I CANT take the lane, then after my accident, cops telling me I CAN... Make up your minds you idiots.

[vee_dub]

you can get a ticket for a lot of shit that is rediculous. you are required to obey all laws that a car does and can theoretically take the lane. with bike lanes, however, they can pull that kind of shit. i almost always take the lane because its safer - no parked cars with doors opening, no cabs swinging over in front of you to get fares, no delivery bullshit and no pedestirans not looking before running into the street.

not sure where that post about a 3ttt mutant was from, but that's style suicide. those things look like a pierced penis.

I have to agreee with the 3ttt mutant it does looks like a penis!~~~~

[mlproject]

chrome peen!

[Pin]

Has anyone seen this?

[cureOne]

I've been biking to work (26 miles round trip, fuck) and the last hill is like a fucking 90 degree grade and i can only make it like 1/3rd of the way up, this is on a geared bike also btw. I have to walk it up the rest I am scrawny and a weakling. It's cool though because I know when I can finally charge up it, it will be the best feeling yay

[BodiesOfLight]

wild style: Turbo Bio. Made in 1986, holla

That is awesome.

[zelah]

I've been biking to work (26 miles round trip, fuck) and the last hill is like a fucking 90 degree grade and i can only make it like 1/3rd of the way up, this is on a geared bike also btw. I have to walk it up the rest I am scrawny and a weakling. It's cool though because I know when I can finally charge up it, it will be the best feeling yay

scrawny is no excuse for not being able to climb

[BodiesOfLight]

Nothing special here, but that was my point--cheap, reliable, inconspicuous/plain.

Another picture http://velospace.org/node/1439

[mlproject]

keep pushing it hard on the way up the hill. you'll eventually slam it.

[cureOne]

scrawny is no excuse for not being able to climb

yes thats why i threw in the 'weakling' part

[photo]

I am going to replace my crankset and possibly the bottom bracket. I have been reading up on park tools website for help however with not knowing exactly how my old bikes are setup I am not quite sure. Is it a hard task to replace the crank and bracket and I should swing by the LBS or should I try it myself and figure everything out? Thanks O ya and that bike girls video that PIN posted is gnar.

[vee_dub]

It wouldn't be that hard..just buy a crankset. Oh also you have to find the right measurments and stuff. Or else the chainring wont be straight.