[nyceman]

Hey guys i was just wondering what do you guys think is the best single speed/fixie bike i can get under $350. I am looking for something thats not as heavy as lets say a critical cycle bike.

 

[headloss]

what is a critical cycle bike? how much does it weigh?

 

[JCavilia]

Best is you find an old road/sport bike from the 70's or 80's at a garage sale, thread off the freewheel and thread on a ss freewheel or fixed cog. It takes a few more adjustments and tinkering, but you get a good bike cheap.

I've gotta go ride my FG home now. I've put a lot of miles on that bike in the last 10 years. The frame cost me $5 ;-)

 

[Zeet]

You can order several from either Nashbar or Bikesdirect. With Nashbar, there's the Hounder and the Nekkid series. With Bikesdirect, there's the Gravity Swift, the Windsor Hour, the Motobecane Messenger, the Motobecane Track, and the Dawes SST. All under $350 and all great single speed bikes.

 

[Zeet]

You can order several from either Nashbar or Bikesdirect. With Nashbar, there's the Hounder and the Nekkid series. With Bikesdirect, there's the Gravity Swift, the Windsor Hour, the Motobecane Messenger, the Motobecane Track, and the Dawes SST. All under $350 and all great single speed bikes.

Though, I do sometimes wonder about the Hounder...

 

[AdrianM1972]

I have been doing research on this for the last month. I just bought a Motobecane "Track" fixed gear bike from Bikesdirect.com for $280. It is identical to the Windsor "The Hour" but without the brand and model name decals. These bikes are also identical to the Fuji and KHS fixed gear bikes sold in LBS' for ~$500.

BD also sell a Mercier Kilo TT that has more tracky geometry, 2 brakes and nicer cranks. To me it was not worth the extra $120. Especially since the only model Kilo TT they had in my size had not water bottle mounts.

There are other online stores selling cheap fixies. Most do not have cro-mo frames and are geared for hipster fashionistas more than serious riders.

BD has the best bikes at the lowest prices. BTW, I am a customer...I don't work there...lol!

 

[markaitch]

wow - some provocative & incorrect statements here^^^

BD has the best bikes at the lowest prices

your opinion, not a fact. i'm sure we all know the old adage 'opinions are like *******s...'? well you certainly proved it.

These bikes are also identical to the Fuji and KHS fixed gear bikes sold in LBS'

this is absolutely false. they may have the same geometry, may be made from similar or same tubing, may even be made in some of the same factories (or not). but identical? definitely not! just because bikedirect steals other companies' frame designs, or is given them by greedy frame manufacturers, & throws on vaguely similar components bought on closeout from wherever they can get them, does not make their bikes identical to the name brands that they want you to compare them to, or as the bd shills like you claim them to be. you ever hear the term "quality assurance"? look it up.

you won’t like hearing this - but for the $280 you spent at bikedirect, you got a $280 bike, not an $800 one (not that there's anything wrong with that.) it is not exactly the same as the higher priced bikes you want it to be...and that is a fact.

 

[AdrianM1972]

wow - some provocative & incorrect statements here^^^


your opinion, not a fact. i'm sure we all know the old adage 'opinions are like *******s...'? well you certainly proved it.



this is absolutely false. they may have the same geometry, may be made from similar or same tubing, may even be made in some of the same factories (or not). but identical? definitely not! just because bikedirect steals other companies' frame designs, or is given them by greedy frame manufacturers, & throws on vaguely similar components bought on closeout from wherever they can get them, does not make their bikes identical to the name brands that they want you to compare them to, or as the bd shills like you claim them to be. you ever hear the term "quality assurance"? look it up.

you won’t like hearing this - but for the $280 you spent at bikedirect, you got a $280 bike, not an $800 one (not that there's anything wrong with that.) it is not exactly the same as the higher priced bikes you want it to be...and that is a fact.

Next time before you insult me please do the following:

1. Open browsers with the FUJI Feather and a Motobecane Track specs side by side.

2. Look at the frame images. Same frames but the Fuji has a Mercier Kilo TT fork (look at the crown lug).

3. Compare the specs line by line...same parts, some are claimed to be Fuji brand but none are branded.

4. Compare the geometry...its matched size by size down to the millimeter.

They are the same bikes from the same factory. The $579 Fuji is a $280 bike.

Why the price difference? You Fuji dealers has to pay rent, utilities, payroll and turn a profit. The price difference is markup. Bikes Direct has no such expenses.

You are also incorrect about Bikes Direct throwing bike together. They do not assemble bikes out of parts. They spec a build to Kinesis and buy boxed bikes just like Diamondback Bicycles, Felt Bicycles, GT Bicycles, Schwinn, Jamis, K2, Raleigh, Trek, Kross and Kona. All of which buy bike. from Kinesis.

I have 2 $3000 bikes in my garage. A Giant Trance X2 and a Giant Defy. Does Bike Direct sell bikes equal to those...no. However, in the case of fixies they certainly do sell bike that go head to head with name brands.

 

[markaitch]

@AdrianM1972...sorry if you thought i insulted you. it was not my intent, but it was you who joined this forum to make your 1st post a screed about the fantasticalness of bikedirect & for some reason you seem to expect it to be taken as gospel?

i almost don't know where to begin rebutting your post, with the question, what's the point? who wins an interwebz argument? but that being said, my inner voice sez...i’m game - so please go back & read my post. you ignored my remark about quality assurance, which tells you everything about the difference between a khs 100 & a kilo, or a fuji & a bd motobecane. nothing you posted actually factually contradicts anything that i mentioned.

let’s get past your rather silly claim that the fact that you own(?) a $2300 Trance or a Defy which at its lowest level is a, what? $1200 bike...makes you an expert on bikes & their construction in general, ok?

you actually rely on looking at online pics & geometry descriptions to decide that frames & parts are exactly the same? you have such good eyes that you can see the welds, tube flaws, frame alignment, & dropout spacing in those pics? bet I can find a shitload of complaints about kilo tt fork & trackend alignment & nothing similar aboutthe khs 100, that you say is identical?

yeah, yeah...anybody whose done a rudimentary search should know about about the incestuous intertwined relationship between asian frame factories, bike assemblers & their thigh or low end big-name bike company customers. but that does not mean the bikes you want to be identical are. guess what...all bikes like big shot, republic, state. purefix, toto, etc are made in the same factories as well. are those the same as khs & fuji?

anyway, AdrianM1972, since you know so much, allow me to ask you this...

did you know that bikesdirect was originally based in florida? fyi…that is where I live
when bikesdirect was starting up awhile back did you by any chance speak to the bikesdirect guy who used post all over this & all the other bike forums until he got you stooges posting
for him, about investing in his business?
have you been to taiwan & china to visit bike building factories?
i have :cornut:

good luck in your endeavors...

 

[AdrianM1972]

i almost don't know where to begin rebutting your post, with the question, what's the point? who wins an interwebz argument? but that being said, my inner voice sez...i’m game - so please go back & read my post. you ignored my remark about quality assurance, which tells you everything about the difference between a khs 100 & a kilo, or a fuji & a bd motobecane. nothing you posted actually factually contradicts anything that i mentioned.

I totally agree that QA is better on the big brand bikes. They pay for this and it really matter in many area. In others, low end bikes, its not that big a deal.

let’s get past your rather silly claim that the fact that you own(?) a $2300 Trance or a Defy which at its lowest level is a, what? $1200 bike...makes you an expert on bikes & their construction in general, ok?

The Trance X2 was $2800. My Defy Advanced 2 was $3200. Those do not make me an expert in anything. You didn't read what I said. I said I would not buy bikes at that level from BD. They don't sell nice serious mountain bikes and road bikes.

I have only been talking about fixed gear bikes. I do believe that you have to spend over $600 to get a bike truly superior to the $280-450 fixed gear bikes they sell.

you actually rely on looking at online pics & geometry descriptions to decide that frames & parts are exactly the same? you have such good eyes that you can see the welds, tube flaws, frame alignment, & dropout spacing in those pics? bet I can find a shitload of complaints about kilo tt fork & trackend alignment & nothing similar aboutthe khs 100, that you say is identical?

You sound like you are in the biz. I was too years ago. I was (still am) an exceptionally good bike mechanic, was a shop manger ,a regional sales sales rep for several major brands and a sales rep for one of the biggest manufacturers. As a bike mechanic checking fork leg and dropout and rear dropout alignment on steel bikes was something I did every time. Most of the time some tweaking was required to get them perfect whether it was a Trek or a Colnago.

My Motobecane fork was good but the rear dropouts were not parallel. I don't have the tools anymore so I am going to my LBS to have them set. Welds look great for mass production, paint and finish looks great. The drop bars are an awful bend though gotta replace them.

yeah, yeah...anybody whose done a rudimentary search should know about about the incestuous intertwined relationship between asian frame factories, bike assemblers & their thigh or low end big-name bike company customers. but that does not mean the bikes you want to be identical are. guess what...all bikes like big shot, republic, state. purefix, toto, etc are made in the same factories as well. are those the same as khs & fuji?

Most no but some yes. You know how this works. A product manager specs the low and mid level bike frames a la carte from a menu of frame components and tube sets. That's only if they are picky. Its cheaper to buy stock frames off the shelves. Trek & Spec are picky. They want their low end stuff as distinctive as their high end stuff. Fuji, KHS, Bianchi and all the fixie companies seem to buy off the shelf.

anyway, AdrianM1972, since you know so much, allow me to ask you this...

did you know that bikesdirect was originally based in florida? fyi…that is where I live

No but I surmised that when I got charged sales tax. I live in FL too.

when bikesdirect was starting up awhile back did you by any chance speak to the bikesdirect guy who used post all over this & all the other bike forums until he got you stooges posting
for him, about investing in his business?

Had no idea. I never looked at BD or even considered getting a bike from them until I wanted to build a fixie for training a few weeks ago.

have you been to taiwan & china to visit bike building factories?

No but I have been intimately involved in the bike biz so I know in detail how it all works.

i have :cornut:

Nope, never had the need to.

good luck in your endeavors...

Thanks you too!