Fixed gear bikes, not hipster and light wheels

I was toying with the idea of building a fixie. Been looking on ebay and for sale adverts for cheap frames as I thought it would be fun to build something as a winter project.

There are loads of cheap off the peg otions out there and I was wondering if any of them are any good. But, I’ve been suprised how heavy they all are! I assume that is because they are all really cheap builds.

Does anyone make a cheap aluminium or carbon fixed frame? Seen the Dolan but I was thinking cheaper than that! Looking at £300 max all in but would wait around/look for second hand things.

Also, wheels, they all seem to be either hipster profile 30mm+ and/or very heavy. Are there any half decent track wheels out there that don’t weigh 2kg+ seems rediculous when my std aluminium road wheels come in at 1400g.

Look out for a Spesh Langster. I picked up a complete 2008 one from here for £130. Frame is circa 3.2lb, and comes with carbon/alu steeerer forks. Don’t bother with a track front wheel, just stick a normal road wheel in there – no need for heavy nutted axles/hubs.

i’d stick with the 32 hole rear track hub, but i ride mine on hills so am putting some welly in… of course you can build in a light rim. Novatec do a 24h rear track hub if you wanted to lower the spoke count.

If its a winter project then I’d be tempted to suggest finding more or less anything steel with horizontal drop outs. Then just chuck in a fixed wheel and some tugnuts. i.e. everything normal road except rear wheel. I did something similar with a 531 dawes whateveritwas – ended up being rather pleasant to ride.

Would it be bad form to mention the primato/open sport rear wheel that’s sitting in my attic? Selection of cogs and even a matching chain set somewhere if you are interested…

Any good?

I built one up from a frame only and rides pretty well really, paint is prone to chipping easy, but apart from that pretty easy to live with.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOLQDBM/holdsworth-la-quelda-steel-single-speed-drop-bar-mens

Any good?

They’re heavy though – a Langster is 2kg lighter before you even start lightening. Which is a shame as I quite like the concept of the La Quelda.

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Dolan FXE (pre cursa with drilling for front and rear brakes). Miche low flange hubs, Sapim spokes and Open Pro Rims. Hubs are a bit heavier because of the solid axle and track nuts. No reason why you can’t use a standard front wheel though.

My Paddy Wagon is sub 9 kilos with a steel frame and mudguards (it has a carbon monocoque fork though).

Jon, you could get a fixed wheel for your Pompetamine if you still have it. Might be a good way to decide if you like it.

Any decent carbon road frame and a rear wheel built with a White ENO eccentric rear wheel – my Battaglin ‘fixie’ weighs about 15lbs. I wouldn’t skimp on the rims as it’s pretty tricky to ‘unweight’ a fixed gear bike if spinning fast.

If you have a disc wheel you can get a fixed cog that bolts on where the disc would normally fit, flip the wheel and you’re sorted….

There are loads of cheap off the peg otions out there and I was wondering if any of them are any good. But, I’ve been suprised how heavy they all are! I assume that is because they are all really cheap builds.

There’s a lot of cheap, nasty crap around, because of the ‘fixie’ fashion. This includes steel, Alu and carbon framed bikes. Personally, if I were building up a simple singlespeed bike for urban duties, I’d hunt around for an unfashionable (Raleigh, Peugeot, something like that) old steel road frame with horizontal dropouts, and some old simple Campag/Shimano DA/600 hubs on Mavic rims, or similar. If you want an actual track bike for the track, then get something decent. Dolan frames are a good place to start. But bear in mind that proper track frames and wheels etc are built to be as stiff as possible, for maximum power transfer, and this can translate into a very harsh ride on normal roads. Forget all those deep section rim/large flanged hubs wheels, they can be utterly horrible to ride on urban streets, cobbles etc. Comfort is more important than outright speed.

Little things to watch out for are stem/handlebar combos; 25.4 ‘mtb’ bars will fit into a 26mm road stem, but some combos don’t work that well. You’re tightening the stem up just a teeny bit more than it’s designed to do. Seen quite a few old alloy stems cracked due to people doing this. Then there’s BB threads; Italian, French, Swiss are all different to the BSC standard. And some old Peugeots have a 24mm seatpost size, and they are bloody difficult to get hold of. A whole world of weirdness awaits those who want to do up an old bike…

And put bloody brakes on the thing. Because no matter how amazing and awesome a rider you think you are, you’re not, and you can’t stop as quickly without them. Plus it’s illegal.

£300 is not going to get you a light fixed gear (not with new frame, wheels etc,.)
Even going second hand £300 is still not a lot of money.

The Dolan frameset is a good price at £200 including headset and seatpost and hard to beat. Not particularly light at 1800g for a 54 but lighter than steel alternatives and seems to take abuse (I use mine off road)

I have just built another one up after selling my MTB and it cost around £600 and weighs 7kg (without brakes because I am awesome)

Oh, and I disagree with almost everything clodhopper says around getting heavy steel frame, uncomfortable track frames on road, track wheel etc,. but then only been riding fixed on and off road for 15 years…

Oh, and I disagree with almost everything clodhopper says around getting heavy steel frame, uncomfortable track frames on road, track wheel etc,. but then only been riding fixed on and off road for 15 years…

Only 15 years? 😆

Feel free to disagree. But then, I’ve only been building and fixing up bikes for use on and off road for oh, nearly 30 years…

Posturing over, you have to consider what you actually want the bike for. If you just want a super-quick, easy maintenance bike for zipping about town, by all means get a full on track bike. But many people who do try this route, end up getting something a little more suited to urban use. If you’re wanting something for longer distance road riding, then consider comfort and position are important. Track bike geometry is not optimised for road riding, urban use etc. A nice old steel framed road bike can be built up to be pretty light, comfortable and fast enough. The most experienced riders who I know that ride SS/fixed, go for this option. And that includes folk who race/have raced on track.

Feel free to disagree. But then, I’ve only been building and fixing up bikes for use on and off road for oh, nearly 30 years…

Oh, I’ve been doing that for 40 years – I am referring specifically to riding fixed bikes as the sole bike I for around 10 of the last 15 years.
And through that time I have ridden a lot of frame materials, wheel types, geometry etc,. and for me I can’t think of any worse solution that a crappy old steel frame with horizontal dropouts.

Yes, brakes front and rear as 20%+ descents in the rain are no fun and spinning legs mean you have a lot more inertia. Now that the hipster fixie thing has died-out there’s lots of cheap parts, but make sure you put them on a decent frame, not some 1980s gas pipe special – unless you like riding something heavy and dead, and this includes an O-O Pompino.

“Oh, I’ve been doing that for 40 years”

Course you have. Do you go to Eleveneriffe for your hols? 😉

” and for me I can’t think of any worse solution that a crappy old steel frame with horizontal dropouts.”

Fair enough; you’re expressing personal preference. I’m merely expressing that of many other people, not just myself. People who’ve ridden all manner of bikes, raced professionally, toured extensively, or just pootled round town. The OP is looking for a project, a fun learning experience, so starting with a cheap build based around a cheap old steel frame is probably a good place to start.

so starting with a cheap build based around a cheap old steel frame is probably a good place to start.

Not if weight is a factor (which guessing it is as weight was mentioned by OP a number of times, overall bike, wheels etc,.)

However, if you only have £300 then a crappy old steel frame with some heavyish wheels will be about it.
Light track wheels are not easy to come by so I build mine with a road front hub but even then it is hard to get them light without spending over £150 (half the overall £300 budget!) My current wheels cost around £170 to build with an eye on budget but still weigh over 1600g

“However, if you only have £300 then a crappy old steel frame with some heavyish wheels will be about it.”

You’ve successfully argued my point for me. Thanks. Apart from the ‘crappy’ bit. Plenty of very nice old steel frames about, if you look around a bit. The better Raleigh and Peugeot frames will be less desirable than something like a Colnago or similar, and significantly cheaper. I was perusing a lovely old Claude Butler frame a while ago. Would have made a great urban SS/fixie, if I didn’t already have so many bikes. 😳

Wheels can be a little problematic, as it can be tricky getting hold of some decent quality wheels with useable aluminium rims. Check very carefully for damage, and use the edge of a metal ruler against the braking surface to check for concaveness. Reject anything more than say a fine cigarette paper’s thickness. Also check around spoke holes/eyelets for fine cracks, or any ‘bulging’ indicating the spokes are pulling through. Check hub flanges for any signs of damage or cracks. Obviously check for trueness and spoke tension.

I think a decent little SS/fixie can be had for £300. I know folk who’ve built such bikes for less.

And put bloody brakes on the thing. Because no matter how amazing and awesome a rider you think you are, you’re not, and you can’t stop as quickly without them. Plus it’s illegal.

Agreed!

BTW – I love my cheapo crappy steel fixie (Its an SE Larger frame, carbon forks, bull horn bars)
There’s a smug satisfaction (ego moment…swoon) on doing a club rise on a £200 POS next to all the bling £3k carbon lovelyness!!

DrP

I think we can agree that with £300, you will struggle to get a light fixed road bike. I bought a used Paddy Wagon, and there are some cheap ones about now, then proceeded to replace almost everything except the frame, chainset and brake levers. This is an excellent riding steel road bike with modest double-butted tubing. But… The geometry is so much better than a track bike for general road usage. The Dolan FXE and Pre Cursa share the same geometry. I ride a 100 miles a week on it, including medium-fast club runs (20 mph average).

Most of the removed parts have just been moved onto Teen1’s old Langster after a bike-kerb incident last week. The Kona is a much nicer ride than the Langster (steel frame isn’t as stiff, of course). And I have three other fixed wheel bikes with which to compare, including a steep-angled vintage track bike for the road. You really would not want that as a regular ride!

The handbuilt wheels are, however, an excellent upgrade, but you won’t see much change from your £300. A colleague from work upgraded his PW with just the wheels I have, and he says it transformed the ride for him.

You’ve successfully argued my point for me

I think a decent little SS/fixie can be had for £300

Not really – you would get a heavy old steel frame with heavy wheels, the opposite of what was required and nothing decent about it. Not saying you can’t enjoy such a bike and loads of people do but let’s don’t kid anyone you can build up a light fixed gear for £300

You could buy a complete second hand lightish bike such as a Langster for £300 however but purchasing a bike from someone is hardly a winter project (plus it would still have heavy wheels!)

Genesis day one. Easily had <£200 second hand in good condition. If its not fixed already £20 will sort that. If its a day one disc (£250 ish on ebay) then £90 surly fixed-disc hub and £20 for a sprocket.

I have a dawes mono.
Bought it cheap in a sale
Rides really wel. Comes with two brakes and fenders so 0 points on the hipsterscale…

Replaced the headset and tires… They are utter crap
Everything else is fine.

Not really lightweight. Not heavy either. My mate has a charge and thats defenitely heavier…

Genesis day one. Easily had <£200 second hand in good condition.

He wants something light!

Light Track Wheels? That’d be Mavic Ellipse that you’re looking for…£400 or around £250 SH.

I think we can agree that with £300, you will struggle to get a light fixed road bike.

i got a giant omnium for 300 last week from Facebook local cycling group

Can someone explain the difference between a fixie frame and a SS frame?

If as I suspect there is none, then why are people recommending fixie-related track stuff and not just a normal SS?

How many light SS road frames are there Mol?

He wants something light!

The older V brake ones aren’t too bad. The disk ones, yeah, they’re quite chunky, but ride well.

If its a day one disc (£250 ish on ebay) then £90 surly fixed-disc hub and £20 for a sprocket.

I was considering this, but just put the fixed sprocket on without a lock ring considering that I use the brakes, not the chain for stopping. Been like that for about a year, and I’ve not unscrewed it yet.

The older V brake ones aren’t too bad.

I have a flyer which is lighter than a Day One and still weighs plenty. They do ride nicely though.

molgrips – Member
Can someone explain the difference between a fixie frame and a SS frame?

It depends upon the frame/spec. A fixie/track bike usually has 120mm rear dropout spacing and often has no mounts or cable stops for a rear brake. A singlespeed may have 130 or 135mm rear spacing (mine has 120mm) and all the stops and drops you might require.

The geometry of a proper track/fixie will also differ.

I recommended the Mavic Ellipse wheels as they’re 120mm spacing, fixed and are (moderatly at 1.8kg) light.

“I think we can agree that with £300, you will struggle to get a light fixed road bike.”

“Not really – you would get a heavy old steel frame with heavy wheels, the opposite of what was required and nothing decent about it. Not saying you can’t enjoy such a bike and loads of people do but let’s don’t kid anyone you can build up a light fixed gear for £300”

Well, you may not think it possible, but I’ve seen plenty people do it. Of course, it all depends on your definition of ‘light’. To me, that’s a bike that weighs say 22lb or less. If you mean something below 15lb, then maybe not. But I do know (and I’ve actually done it myself) that you can build a relatively light SS/fixed wheel bike for £300 or less.

But feel free to argue the point just for the sake of it. 🙄

Light Track Wheels? That’d be Mavic Ellipse that you’re looking for…£400 or around £250 SH

Apart from the fact they are not light (1895g). You could build much better for £400, in fact you could build lighter for £170…

And with a budget of £300 for the complete build I am not sure why there are recommendation for a £400 wheelset but I suppose these thread always stray from the requirements?

Well, you may not think it possible, but I’ve seen plenty people do it. Of course, it all depends on your definition of ‘light’. To me, that’s a bike that weighs say 22lb or less. If you mean something below 15lb, then maybe not. But I do know (and I’ve actually done it myself) that you can build a relatively light SS/fixed wheel bike for £300 or less.

But feel free to argue the point just for the sake of it.

Disagreeing rather than arguing. 10kg really is not light for a bike with no gears and one brake (if you use one) in fact I would call that heavy – clearly our definitions differ. Are you living in 1965?

i got a giant omnium for 300 last week from Facebook local cycling group

That’s a good price and what I would go for but not sure buying a bike from someone else qualifies as a winter project 🙂
I have seen Omnium framesets sell for almost £300 so you won’t be losing any money on that.

I’ve skimmed most of the thread, but just thought I’d chip in with what my fixie is – which is exactly what some people are suggesting you get.

My fixie started out as a cheap 531 framed roadie off ebay, horizontal dropouts obviously – but crucially it also had a screw on freewheel rather than a freehub. Removed the freewheel, replaced with a fixed sprocket, moved some spacers around and redished the wheel to get the chainline right, bought some single ring chainring bolts and removed the big ring. Oh and of course removed all the gears and shortened the chain. Bike cost me ~£200 and the bits probably ~£20. I’m sure some will say it’s unsafe not having a lockring, but I really put some effort into tightening the sprocket on and I’ve not died yet (oh and I also got rid of the rear brake because I’m a risk taker).

Not sure what the availability of bikes like that is now, have had it over 20 years. Though if the OP is interested I have a nice 531c frame with horizontal dropouts languishing in my garage…

“Disagreeing rather than arguing. 10kg really is not light for a bike with no gears and one brake (if you use one) in fact I would call that heavy – clearly our definitions differ. Are you living in 1965?”

The OP is talking about spending £300. No, you’re probably not going to get a sub-15lb featherweight bike for £300, but you’re just being obtuse. Personally, I’d say a bike that’s below 20-22lb for £300 is pretty light for the money, and fairly light anyway. My battered old SS commuter is something like 23-25lb with mudguards and a rack, and a good bit more with the lock strapped on. It’s not amazingly fast, but it’s fine for it’s purpose. You need to get your head out of what you think is ideal, and think about what someone with £300 can get for their money.

Fuji Track. Proper butted quality steel made by one of Japan’s big manufacturers.

Rides like a quality lugged British frame (eg like my bike with Nervex Pro & 531c).

I notice that they were good enough for Robin Williams to have in his collection.

Comfortable enough for the odd century and feel really nice to ride.

Much better option than buying a generic gaspipe framed bike with a brand name stuck on and fancy logos.

For a reference point my recently converted built like a tank Kaffenback (swap-out) is just under 10Kg with full mudguards and a hybrid wheel, disc brake and steel fork up front.

Like the OP struggled to find a decent rear wheel, LBS charged £130 to build a Miche flip flop / Open Pro. Off the shelf 10kg bikes e.g. http://www.statebicycle.co.uk are 400 notes.

I know nothing about this. But some one said Fuji and I saw this

Claims to be 22lb and £279

https://static.evanscycles.com/production/bikes/road-bikes/product-image/484-319/fuji-track-2016-track-bike-silver-EV244570-7500-1.jpg