Advice for new fixie buyer

goldencleric

Hey, could anyone tell me where the best place to buy a used fixie on the cheap is? just need something reliable to cycle about 16 km a day. Would I get anything around the 200-300 mark?

flickerx

Keep your eyes open here (in the cycling adverts subforum), adverts.ie, gumtree.ie,
or post up asking for one on dublinfgss.com , people are always buying and selling stuff in there.

You might get one for around that price alright.

goldencleric

cheers, would you recommend buying one off ebay, does assembly cause problems? Do cycleways or anywhere do second hand fixies do you know?

abcdggs

Would this do the trick? He's asking for way more than it's worth (imo), they are £199 here so you should be a able to get the price down considerably

goldencleric

yeah something like that (bit of an eyesore that one and wouldn't mind some drop or bull bars ), what do you think about this http://cgi.ebay.ie/1950S-CLAUD-BUTLER-FIXIE-FIXED-WHEEL-COMMUTE_W0QQitemZ220530699982QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item3358a76ece#ht_500wt_1182

abcdggs

this is a completely personal thing but i wouldnt like to buy an old bike on ebay without the option to try before i buy.... but it is quite a pretty frame. you would prbably get better advice from others on the site with regards quality of it's components

goldencleric

yeah youre probably right on that one, those create bikes look ideal for what im looking for, nice and cheap also im just unsure of the specs. The frame is 60cm and I am 6 foot, is this okay? Also does anyone know how much it would roughly cost me to get a bike shop to fit drop bars? Anyone got any experience with create bikes?

flickerx

When the unipack/create fixies came out first, general reports of them were pretty bad - wheels not trued or tensed up, crap components, etc - but since the initial phase of them just putting a product out to scoop up the latecomers to the trend, they seem to have upped the quality a bit. PhatYack on the dublinfgss.com board has one, or maybe its Wez, I cant remember.

You can fit the drop bars yourself. It is ludicrously easy. You get an allen key that takes out the bolts from the stem faceplate. You take the old bars off, put the new bars on, and put back on the faceplate. More than likely the brake levers will be the newer style ones that just 'flip' off with an allen key (although I wouldnt bet on it with the create bikes) and you just put them on the flat bit of the drop bars.

Total cost of allen key (maybe two) = one or two euro from your local hardware shop. Or, you could pay a shop twenty or thirty quid to do it for you.

flickerx

60cm frame for a 6 foot tall person should be fine.

If you ever feel like doing a build yourself, I have a 60cm road bike frame at home, yours for... I dunno. 30 quid? Here's a pic:



Headset bearings could do with replacing, maybe even just a regreasing, but otherwise its fine.

flickerx

goldencleric wrote: »

cheers, would you recommend buying one off ebay, does assembly cause problems? Do cycleways or anywhere do second hand fixies do you know?

Assembly will cause some problems if you dont have any tools or previous experience building or tinkering around with other bikes, in that you might have one or two problems, but no idea how to fix them, and end up having to buy specialist tools to fix the problem. Unless you are talking about new assemblies, which should have all the tools you need included in the box, like Ikea shelves.

No shop in Dublin does second hand fixies.
One day in a hundred you might get one sitting in a shop briefly, but there arent enough of them around for a large second hand market.

abcdggs

@goldencleric- i think there was a thread here somewhere recently, can't find it just now about create bikes... 60cm should be fine depending on geometry, you may end up a bit stretched out if the top tube is a bit long but it will probably be grand.

@flickerx- If you're looking to get rid of that frame and goldencleric doesnt want it i'll give you €30 for it. looking for a bit of a project atm.

flickerx

abcdggs wrote: »

@flickerx- If you're looking to get rid of that frame and goldencleric doesnt want it i'll give you €30 for it. looking for a bit of a project atm.

I PM'd him to give him first refusal on it but he hasnt gotten back to me. If I dont hear from him by the end of today its yours.

dave.obrien

On the off-chance that neither of the other two take the frame, i've been looking for a similarly sized frame for a while, i'll put my name on the end of the queue!

flickerx

abcdggs, that frame is yours. I have a visitor over from Canada at the moment so I wont be able to organise a time with you for collection/sale until Jan 4th or so, is that alright? I am in the Blanchardstown area if thats any use to you.

abcdggs

great, i live in celbridge or ringsend, but dont drive. will see if i can get a lift over there. but there's no rush on it. thanks

flickerx

OK, well I could meet you at Pearse or Grand Canal Quay station with it - but that would be a fiver extra (to pay for my bus or train fare into town and back), if you're in Ringsend.

Anyway, I'll PM you in the new year to sort out something. Talk soon.