I had been keeping my eye out for a cheap frame but not seen anything. Is this really going to be that bad? for the price I want to believe it would be OK. It would only be for the flattish commute to work..

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/52842/Viking_Road_2012_SingleSpeed_Bike

Anything else I should be considering?

Hi-ten tubing’s like scaffold poles.

I’d hold out for something reasonable on ebay or the classifieds.

or get a cheap old road bike in your local free ads and convert.

I preferred to refer so many classifieds and choose the best one.

Look on CRC at the Vitus SS bikes.

I sold one of the fixie variants (of the above Viking) to a local 18 year old and expected it to come back trashed very quickly. It actually held up to him following his mates about on their MTBs very well. The wheels only went out of true when he upset some other lads and they jumped up and down on it. A lot.

A few of the components such as brake levers and chain adjusters were very low rent but the basics were done properly.

so the commute is flattish.

what distance, what do you need to carry, where will you lock the bike (home & work) how many days a week do you hope to use it, will the bike get any other use i.e. popping to the shops, pub, occassional road loop just for the hell of it?
are you a capable mechanic?

for commute only, short to middle distance, with rare shop/pub use and storage at work being outside…… I would be scouring ebay/gumtree/local classifieds for an aging road bike £20-50 that has been left to rot in a shed. Then add new tyres/brake blocks, saddle and grip tape. Can then look into SSing it either with what you have or buying wheel, BB, Cranks etc as required.

what distance, what do you need to carry, where will you lock the bike (home & work) how many days a week do you hope to use it, will the bike get any other use i.e. popping to the shops, pub, occassional road loop just for the hell of it?
are you a capable mechanic?

24 miles a day probably 3-4 days a week which I currently do on an old Kona rigid mountain bike with slicks.
I carry quite a bit in panniers so rack mounts would be nice but I do have a seat post mounted rack with top bag.
Wont use it for anything other than commuting locked up secure in our underground car park with 24 hour security and secure at ome.
I am a capable mechanic but I dont really want to be messing about getting a frame re-sprayed and dismantaling a bike thats probably rusted solid.

Thanks Mostly Balanced good feedback!

I have been looking at the same, thats the cheapest I have seen so far.

However the Viking Racemaster at Halfords is in nicer colours in my opinion.

Then for a bit more again there is this Python Atlas for £225, no mention of flip flop hub though.

Hey Rich, I use my paddy wagon for work, i use the same route although only Bassett to houndsdown and its great quick and comfortable no rack mounts but you can put proper guards on it,you can pick up a nice second hand one for not a lot of money.

hi-ten is what those 70 quid bikes in supermarkets are made from.

what about this?
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-track-12?bct=browse%2fbicycles
or the flat bar one
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-courier-single-12?bct=browse%2fbicycles

Hey Basstronic (Ian?) I would love a Paddy and there’s a reduced one on CRC just way out of my price range at the moment. I cant bring myself to spend loads of money on a bike that will only take me to work and back.

The Revolution Courier above looks a great deal!

You could also try the classifieds or ebay etc, seen great offers for charge plug, specialised langster etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fixie-Inc-Back-Spin-Single-Speed-/190744803878?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2c6946ba26

If this listing is legit this is a nice bike at a good price.
I would have been really interested if it was bigger.
I own a Fixie inc Pure Blood and have a bit of a soft spot for the company for some strange reason, keep looking at it… wish it was bigger.

Here is my Viking, same as the one at Winstanleys,with mudguards and a different stem:-

Got mine off ebay for £147 + postage (search Viking Citi-fix). Its cheap and also surprisingly cheerful.

Yes, the frame is hi-tensile and its a bit heavy. However, the riding position is ok (perhaps a bit stretched with the stock bars) and its all serviceable – the wheels have Joytech hubs with better seals that basic Shimano I got with a bike 4 times the price, the brake calipers are unbranded Tektro type and work fine, crankset has a bolted chain ring rather than rivetted, both fixed and freewheel cogs were included.

I’ve since swapped the bars to shorten the reach a little.

I use mine for a 13mile commute each way two to three times a week and its fine. Hi-tensile steel is a bit dead but its not as jarring or as uncomfortable as people make out.