Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 46 total)
  • Lets talk fixies!
  • JCornford
    Full Member

    I’m looking to buy a fixie for commuting in my new city, rather than taking my nice bike to work, but the commuter has got to look nice enough to hang on the wall.

    Without breaking the bank, what would your ideal urban commuter hipster bike be? (I’m not a hipster honest).

    lazybike
    Free Member

    I have a Dolan fxe….not sure it meets any of your criteria though. 🙂 I try to avoid anything fixie/hipsterish….. 😉

    brant
    Free Member

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    benji
    Free Member

    Been very pleased with Kona Paddy Wagon, bought it take the brunt of winter training and it’s standing upto the job superbly.

    Rockplough
    Free Member

    Here’s my old Fuji track. It wasn’t up for long. Apparently that shelf is for crockery, coffee pots and other such nonsense.

    Garry_Lager
    Full Member

    Commute on a pompino – love it. Pretty cheap, nice ride position and the wheels have lasted superbly (Don’t think they’re owt special, weinmann I think the brand is, but they’ve done 1000s of pot-holed miles and are still in fine fettle)

    Would look at the wheels as much as the frame if you’re looking to pick up something at the cheaper end. Some shite wheels knocking about there – hammer the driveside rear bearing in no time.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Kona Paddy Wagon is an excellent bike that is more than the sum of its parts. Bit of a hipster fail though. The Dolan fxe has similar geometry. The Specialized Langster is a little more hip.

    By coincidence, we have one of each in the garage (the fxe is really a pre cursa so no brakes). They are all nice, but I’ll take my custom Paddy Wagon every time. I ride about 4000 miles on it, including training rides. It’s a bit special, with new and lighter everything. But the frame is very good.

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    but the commuter has got to look nice enough to hang on the wall…

    (I’m not a hipster honest).

    You’re worse, you’re a hipster in denial…

    Here’s an older picture of mine:

    Viking “CitiFix” it’s wearing mudguards and on its 2nd set of wheels and it’s teh orsumz… IMO…

    Edit:

    Would look at the wheels as much as the frame if you’re looking to pick up something at the cheaper end

    ^^ This ^^

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    Commute on a pompino – love it

    +1. a few bits changed over the last 7 years (at easter)

    biggest change is the forks to allow me to run a disc. Personally i’d run discs or calipers on a commuter: cantis are too much hassle. mini v’s might be good…

    it’s also done several 100km + rides/ audaxs etc.

    get something that allows proper guards.

    umop3pisdn
    Free Member

    ideal urban commuter hipster bike

    Dolan FXE, F+R brakes, 28c tyres, guards, probably a rack. 48×19.

    I’m not a hipster honest

    I am, so I ride this:

    lazybike
    Free Member

    Dolan FXE, F+R brakes, 28c tyres, guards, probably a rack. 48×19.

    Not enough room on the Fxe for 28c and guards…23c and 85psi on mine and 46×18 for the winter 16 in summer 🙂

    nemesis
    Free Member

    When I used my fixed to commute, there were some days that I absolutely hated it – when you’re a bit ill or just knackered and you can’t even freewheel. If I did it again, I’d do it SS rather than fixed.

    yourguitarhero
    Free Member

    I commute on a Revolution Belter
    Single speed, belt drive hybrid.
    Narrow clearances but will take Crud Road Race mudguards.

    Wheels and fork are kind of heavy – think most of the money goes on the belt drive.
    Cheap upgrades though

    shermer75
    Free Member

    I loved my Surly Steamroller. Fast, comfortable and robust. Turns out you can pick three!

    kcal
    Full Member

    frankenfixie? M2 frame, P2 forks, Cowbell bars, WI flip-flop hub and sprocket, Renthal ring.

    Muke
    Free Member

    Langster ?

    Flipflop hub so easy to swap between fixed and SS depending on what type of day you’re having, will also take Crud Road Race mudguards if required.

    huws
    Free Member

    If I was fast commuting I would get a Dolan precursa. Loaded/gentler commuting with racks it would be a pompino.

    I rode this, because i hated my back. Now brakeless with drops and used only on track.

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    Get something that can be converted back to gears once you’ve grown tired of the limitations of riding fixed.

    I got it into my head that I had to have a fixie, and I rode it for several years, not just to work, but all over the place.

    Trouble with a fixie though is that, ummm, downhills are just really quite rubbish. You just can’t go as fast. Uphills as well. And there’s a limit to how fast you can go on the flat as well unless you’re prepared to spin your legs a quite insane amount.

    So one day I woke up and put gears on it (Surly Crosscheck) and never looked back. I love having a bike that I can use equally for commuting in the rain or cycling up and down huge mountains.

    Gears are awesome!

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/qJsbxA]IMG_20150131_125650[/url] by lukediamand, on Flickr

    plus-one
    Full Member

    Put together for not much more than an off the peg “Mango” bike .. Helped by spares box though 😉

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/r9SiJk]image[/url] by Plus one2010, on Flickr

    lazybike
    Free Member

    @oldnpastit….its all pedalling, just a different mind set 🙂

    beej
    Full Member

    Another Paddy Wagon here, run SS rather than fixed. It’s a lovely thing to ride, probably due to the geometry rather than anything else. I picked up a reduced 2013 model last year, it has a clearcoat over metal rather than the painted finish of the 2014s. All the joins are a bronze colour.

    umop3pisdn
    Free Member

    tired of the limitations of riding fixed.

    Faster than u crew

    MikeWW
    Free Member

    I bought a couple of these single speed ( my 2 lads just at uni)Good bikes for the money

    huws
    Free Member

    umop3pisdn, that is BADASS!

    Garry_Lager
    Full Member

    huws – Member

    If I was fast commuting I would get a Dolan precursa. Loaded/gentler commuting with racks it would be a pompino.

    I rode this, because i hated my back. Now brakeless with drops and used only on track.precursa looks v nice – I have a 5 mile blast of a commute so reet up my alley. Is that an older precursa in your picture or something else?

    tomcanbefound
    Free Member

    Loving my Roadrat! Would never go fix though O.O

    £200 of here + upgradeitis =

    Daisy_Duke
    Free Member

    100 mile TT. Don’t think my knees have ever been the same since. Just such good fun for < £200

    lemonysam
    Free Member

    Ooooh.. The Lick Observatory. Massive Refractor! Oooooh…

    huws
    Free Member

    Is that an older precursa in your picture or something else?

    It’s a track champion (now replaced by the TC1) a bit more racy and stiff as hell.

    Precursas will just about take a small cross tyre if you fancy some off road fixed fun. 😀

    there’s and epic thread on dolans over on LFGSS here

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Fairdale Parser – good bike, good spec, looks good and good price. Although technically it’s not fixed and has a choice of two gears…

    madeupname
    Free Member

    Another Fuji track here, cheap and cheerful and classic look to the frame… Til I put a Planet X carbon base bar on it.

    Enough room for race guards too.

    umop3pisdn
    Free Member

    100 mile TT

    Me too, this year. <4 hours is the target!

    TiRed
    Full Member

    once you’ve grown tired of the limitations of riding fixed.

    Aside from big hills, what are the limitations? I ride 100 miles/week fixed and can honestly say the only limitation I have is that it is geared to go reasonably fast. I also ride with Look KEOs and don’t have any issue clipping in – it is however a harsh teacher.

    Go fixed, learn to spin like a God! But use proper brakes.

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    Ran fixed for quite a while. When I first got it I used to ride it everywhere. The I gradually stopped riding it so much. I did and still do really enjoy it but got fed up with it after a while so changed it to single speed. Now I ride it as often as possible. It’s often my go to bike. 2 brakes is a good idea because one brake and a fixed gear can be a bit hairy on a commute if you’re in and out of traffic a lot.

    Wibble
    Free Member

    Daisy Duke what bike is that?

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    I’ve a fixie, actually a SS, for Town. I went to BBB and bought a drop bar special from them and had them fit a front brake on it. I fitted some 28’s on it and mostly gear to 18, sometimes a 19 just to spin up. Down East way some of the roads I use to get into Town are shot or cobbles so I prefer a bit of bounce. I don’t need to commute, 10min walk for me but if I did I’d stick guards on it.

    Daisy_Duke
    Free Member

    Wibble
    It’s a Graham Weigh alloy budget track bike. Has a very flat top tube but for some reason it’s mega comfy and can ride in the drops all day.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    I rode fixed as a student in Edinburgh and loved it. Following a trip to Portland, OR, I fancied another. Thirty years later I liked the simplicity, I could still spin fluidly buts struggled on the steep 12% climbs to get back home. Built up from my spares box and an ebay 653 frame it cost next to nowt. Sold it for more than the sum of the parts, the itch scratched. 🙂

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mcs-fixie-project-now-complete

    whatnobeer
    Free Member

    This was mine just before I sold it. Giant Bowery from 2008 I think. Perfect for nipping around the town, a few 30 odd mile rides around Fife and the odd commute from Dundee to St Andrews.

    Don’t think Giant still make them, but for about £200 it was a bargain.

    I’d suggest staying away from a proper track bike and get something designed for actual roads. The handling will be easier and it’ll have a more hill friendly gear on it.

    Wibble
    Free Member

    @ Daisy Duke not big on info on that Graham Weigh site are they?!

    What’s the tyre clearance like? What are those mudguards on yours and with what size tyres? Cheers

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 46 total)

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