I’m looking at getting a singlespeed road bike for commuting on, I ride approx 13 miles each way from work

I have a budget of approx £500 and have been looking at langsters and kona paddy wagon

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Go fixed, not singlespeed.

Don’t know about the Langster but the Paddy Wagon felt like it weighed a ton.

Fixed is a bit too scary for the journey to work!

Pompino.

(Nothing wrong with your original choices but they’re not better than a Pompino)

Nothing difficult riding fixed, far more pleasant than SS on the road…

If you can get a SH Boardman Comp SC it’s a very nice bike. Really like mine, light and looks good.

Another vote for the Langster. I’ve got the first generation one.

Genesis do a nice looking fixie/SS:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/flyer/flyer
Little bit above your price though…

Kona Paddywagon is renowned for weighing a ton.

I agree – fixed is the way forward. Really, once you get used to it (which takes a couple of rides) it really is a lovely way to cycle.

Use brakes – no shame in that and learn the art of zen cycling.

As for bike – this:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-track-13?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2froad-bikes

Has a flip-flop hub so can ride single speed or fixed (but you must ride fixed!).

Cheers

Danny B

love thy langster.

saying that, this years paddy wagon wins hands down in the looks department.

I have a langster and I love it, probably my most ridden and abused bike, and it is always a joy to ride, simple to maintain, and with twin rail couriers on not yet had a puncture

Ahem 🙂

My Pompino for sale

I commute on fixed and love it.

I have a Felt Dispatch, could be a really nice bike but the quality of components fitted is poor for the price. Most of the fasteners rusted in next to no time and the paint flaked on the frame.

Having said that, I am still riding it and it is a very comfortable bike!

I went for the Dispatch as it had mudguard eyes.

Paddy Wagon for commuting. Truly lovely geometry, takes proper SKS mudguards, needs an M-part seat clamp to take a rack. The wheels are heavy, the freewheel will rust, and it’s built down to a price, but it is so much more than the sum of its parts. I commute 10 miles each way fixed, ride a medium paced chain gang and generally love it. So much so, that I’d like a Burls titanium version of the same (with that lovely steel fork).

Mine has upgraded handbuilt wheels (Open Pro/Miche/ Schwalbe Durano S), a carbon seatpost and Ritchey bars and stem, and ride 48:16. Even with mudguards it’s sub 10 kilos (no rack). With the nice summer track wheels, it’s 9.5.

EDIT: Mine is a 2009 version – that had those yellow wheels. Funny thing is, this years now looks more like mine! And try fitting proper mudguards to a Langster 😕 . It can be done, but there is no chainstay bridge.

TiRed – do you have full length mudguards? I do and it is a right pain when you get a rear wheel puncture (because of the horizontal dropouts). How do poeple get around this, any ingenous tricks?

eskay;

You use the QR attachments you use for the front on the back too.

Cheers for the input guys

The pompino is nice but I’m a short arse so it would be too big for me

Trek 4th District? Fairly gopping colour scheme but nice alloy frame and can be converted to belt drive too if you fancy something different.

Eskay – I just undo the bolts on the chainstay and pull the wheel out. I agree it’s not ideal though.

SKS quick release is the proper answer. However, I didn’t bother in the end because it is not really needed; deflate the tyre, loosen bolts, slide wheel forward, drop chain, slide wheel back and remove. Normally, if you need to remove the back wheel, it will already be deflated (puncture).

I had SKS chromoplastics until the rear sheared due to stress, have now replaced them with some Tortecs that were obviously made in the same factory (used the same stays!). For commuting you MUST have full guards. Anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken. Racks, however, are optional.

I cannot clear the dropouts with the mudguard in place, I unscrew the bolts at the moment to release the ‘guards. I may try the front quick release fittings on the back.

I agree 100%, full length mudguards are essential for commuting, leave them on all year.

I loved my Langster, really wish I’d never sold it to buy a geared bike! Only problem was the stock wheels seemed a bit flexy when beasting it up hills, but then I had that with the Allez that replaced it as well..

Paddy Wagons are great – definitely a lot heavier than the Langster though (if that bothers you). I ride mine (08 version) through the winter and for occasional commutes. Full length mudguards fit easily (as others have pointed out). The only thing I have had to change in the last 4 years is the freehub – which as stock seems to made of cheese…

One of these?:

On-One Macinato by theseaandthesky, on Flickr

I cannot clear the dropouts with the mudguard in place

Move the guard slightly further along the stays until you can. Then it’s pretty simple.

Pearson put together some nice fixed/ free singlespeed road bikes like the Touche.
I prefer aluminium to steel because it feels more lively and goes like stink.

[quoteMove the guard slightly further along the stays until you can. Then it’s pretty simple.[/quote]

Mine are fixed into eyelets.

are you handy with spanners? Dolan do the precursa frameset (frame,fork, hset, seatpost, clamp) for 200, if you get creative you could do it for 500 quid, and you would have a proper flyer, I have one and it’s great, not twitchy but light and stiff

I did ride fixed for a few years, started off commuting but then moved over to single speed as I was doing longer distances at the weekends, riding down a big hill fixed after 70km is not much fun ( I did have front and rear brakes but single speed gives your legs a rest )

Loved my langster, regret selling it – that Edinburgh bike co-op one is tempting…

TiRed – do you have full length mudguards? I do and it is a right pain when you get a rear wheel puncture (because of the horizontal dropouts). How do poeple get around this, any ingenous tricks?

just set the back end of the guard wayyyy back when you fit it so you can get the wheel out with it in place. Fit sks and some other brand on my pompy both went on ok like that, done it on my day one with wide sks guards aswell.

Mate at work has got a 1st or 2nd gen langster, proper lightweight but a bit pants for fitting guards to. You can get clip ons but dunno how long they’d last when used full time. Fixie is scary, I never gave it a proper go, but freewheels dont last long unless you get WI ££££s so if you can hack it, fixed is long lasting, dependable and cheap, the 3 tenets of commuter bikes 😉

Pompinos are nice.

Mine yesterday, still in winter mode.
Great little bike, built the stock hubs into some open sport rims and it made a world of difference comfort wise.
So good it convinced me to sell my Lynskey as i couldn’t justify having a £1k framed bike that didn’t ride any better than a £300 winter hack.
[/url]
ss by bmclynskey1, on Flickr[/img]

Fixie is scary, I never gave it a proper go

They are great and don’t take that long to get used to, you just have to remember to keep pedalling when you first start riding them, it becomes second nature after a while.

Mr Trowel – Nice looking bike!

obiously, everything is just a matter of practice … up and down the galibier, fixed:

[video]http://vimeo.com/59996430[/video]

I picked up a Fuji Track Classic the other week. Pretty cheap at Evans now too I think. I gave fixed a try but too many hills around here for me to really get on without a freewheel as the up isn’t a problem but down scares me. Freewheel for a tenner and everything is golden.

Surly Cross Check is comfortable, good for commuting and gives you lots of options.
Been looking for something steel and more road orientated that isn’t too bling and haven’t found it yet.