Spoilt for choice

krakow

After aching to simplify things and try fixed-gear riding for what feels like forever, I finally have the money to indulge myself.

With a limited budget of <£300, I'm lucky that just down the road from me is a branch of a charity called The Common Wheel Project, who have huge stacks of suitable frames and bikes and are willing/able to build me up a basic fixed-gear bike for around £200-£250.

The problem is that they have literally whole sheds full of possible old frames and bikes that could be built up or converted and having spent an hour down there last week I was completely daunted and unable to choose a suitable frame to go with out of the overwhelming choice available.

The extent of my technical knowledge is that I'm looking for horizontal dropouts or track ends and that a steel frame would be a solid traditional choice but unfortunately that doesn't really narrow it down very far. Beyond that I really don't know my Peugeots from my Raleighs from my Carltons from my Falcons from my Suns etc. etc. I was hoping that something would just jump out and grab me and I'd know that for no sensible reason that was the one, but sadly no, so...

Any tips to narrow the goal posts would be much appreciated.

Dickie

What a great charity/shop.

Look for a 531, 653, 525, 501 frame transfer on the seat tube or down tube, forks too. Horizontal drop outs are fine. You dont need track ends for the road, but they look good and command a better price. I would avoid anything french as they tend to have non standard sizes all over. Avoid 80s Falcons as they were crappy, even the ones with reynolds tubing. 60s and 70s were good.

Carltons have a good name and Ive had a few, rode one for 27 years which I owned from new.

Raleighs again ok but watch out for 26tpi threads on the steerer and b/b on earlier ones. Standard english is 24tpi.

Frame material most important I feel, hope this helps. I would also check it runs 700c rather than 27".

krakow

Thanks Dickie.

My other current criteria that I know of is that I'd like something relatively stripped down, as my current bike can continue to serve as a beast of burden. So I'm going to forgo sensible options such a mudguards and rack potential, though I will have a brake, at least at the front, but probably not on the rear.

I'm also thinking that a fixed-free set up would be good, just in case it turns out that riding fixed isn't for me, though in that case I get the impression that selling on a complete fixed-gear bike wouldn't be too difficult.

meagain

What Dickie said (as usual!). If don't want 'grds/clearance, then in some ways makes it easier. Best bet a 531 (better than that can get a bit fragile with age if been mistreated) race frame with horizontals (track ends, for no good reason IMHO, attract premium prices.
Built for 700c wheels rather than 27" will not only make wheel/tyre choice wider but also mean not so old!

"though I will have a brake, at least at the front, but probably not on the rear."

Each to their own I know, but being a coward I consider two brakes a worthwhile safety margin. I HAVE ridden with one: luckily the time my front lever parted company with the bars, I was running with TWO. Otherwise I'd almost certainly have been at the least seriously injured. No way I can stop a bike by back-pedal-pressure on a 1 in 8 heading towards a busy urban junction. Never ridden with just one since!

Dickie

Dave, after reading your tale of woe first time round I am too of the opinion that 2 brakes are the way foward (or not) you know what I mean.

I used to belong to the fixed wheel equals front brake only school.

Fixed/free is a good idea. You're right, you won't have any trouble selling a fixed wheel bike.

GaryGkn

I have a Bob Jackson Vigorelli and I regret the fact that it does not have a rear brake. Simply for two reasons. The first being the failure of the front. Secondly I don't want to use my knees as brakes.

Can I have the rear drilled to take a brake or does it need to be reinforced etc?

meagain

Without seeing the bridge, I'd guess that probably best if drilled AND reinforced - a sleeve through the new hole would do the trick I suspect. I expect Mercian could do it if any doubt about the structural integrity.

GaryGkn

That's a good idea. Might give them a ring. Their Vigorelli which I did want but just couldn't afford at the time also only has a front drilling.

On some very old bikes the bridge appears to be just drilled.

krakow

OK, it seems like there's a concerted effort to get me to go with both front and rear brakes and, as an absolute fixed riding beginner, I probably should listen to my safety-conscious head at least partially. So double (is that triple?) braked it will be.

I could always remove the rear if I later feel like I've turned into a real ninja cyclist.

There was a Carlton frame hanging up at The Common Wheel when I was down there the other week. It was hidden up at the back, so I didn't get a proper close look at it, but it was the right kind of size and a 531 frame I believe. I'll try to get down there again on my day off tomorrow and get a closer look at it. If it looks reasonable I might go with it, as the guy reckoned that would be on the cheaper ~£200 side of building up costs.
Is there anything in particular I should look out for on Carltons? Any specifically good or bad types or ages/eras?

meagain

Fancier the lugs the likelier it is to be 1. older and 2. "better" quality. A W prefix to the frame no. stands for Worksop I believe - BUT Raleigh cont'd using "W" after production moved to Nottingham/Ilkeston. As I recall, 1950s 0nes can be dated from No's but I'm not so sure about the Raleigh output.

I expect a Carlton expert will be along shortly!

krakow

After my usual indecisiveness led to losing out on a bike for sale here, my plans of a month ago get sidelined for a while. However, I dropped by another local bike shop on my way back from a ride today to be faced with 4 likely looking potential frames for fixed-gear hanging from the rafters.

Do any of these mean anything to anyone?

1. Milano Giro D'Italia
2. Motobecane (no other decals)
3. Bianchi Azzurra
4. Viking Olympiad

I was particularly struck by the Viking, which looked nicely vintage to my naive eyes. I didn't have my camera with me for pictures and didn't jot down anything but the names there I'm afraid, but any thoughts as to whether any of these might be worth following up on would be appreciated. Thanks.

meagain

SOME Vikings really quite nice - and the top end ones seem for reasons beyond me to fetch silly money. As far as I know, most Motobecanes that came to UK pretty down market. Bianchi - mostly good. Milano - no idea!

Personally, I'd check out the Viking, but without specs and details and better still photos difficult to give any opinion!

Monty888

I went to the Common Wheel last summer in search of a road bike to commute on - something to use and abuse; a bike to leave locked outside in the rain. I was less than impressed with the estimate I received and didn't go back. While I've no doubt that the charity is a worthy cause, I don't think they offer value for money.

What sort of components would come with the bike? Low-end parts and a scabby Reynolds frame doesn't represent the best use of your 300 quid. Take some time to read about off-the-peg fixed wheel bikes and road bike conversions. Educate yourself, employ a little patience and I guarantee you'll get more for your money on eBay.

By the way, gear inches in the high sixties or low seventies will serve you well in Glasgow. Err on the side of caution if you don't have a lot of miles in your legs already.

Good luck. :-)

krakow

Thanks Monty888; that's a similar impression to what I've gathered from my various visits to CW, and it's why I've still not ended up with a bike even several months after apparently finding such a potentially good source. I never talked specifics about the details of getting them to build something up, but I got the impression that parts would be recycled from recovered secondhand stuff they had in stock, rather than specifically selected new or even quality old components, i.e. it would just be cobbled from whatever they had at hand at the moment. This didn't exactly inspire me and certainly didn't sound like good value for money. I would like to support them, as it seems like a worthy cause as you say, but not at the expense of getting myself a good value & quality bike.

Pete Beer

I bought a relativley cheap complete bike (an unknown 531C framed bike) after placing a wanted ad. I took an engineering / cycling friend along, I thought I could see if I liked riding fixed, as opposed to like the idea of riding fixed. Since then, 3 years ago, I've changed the bars, chainset, front wheel, saddle, stem, post, etc, I still love it have now got several other fixed bikes / frames, have learnt to build a bike up from scratch, met some brilliant people and sold my geared bike.

Streak

Krakow,

There is another place in Castlemilk, Community Can Cycle, that have lots of frames, bits, wheels etc. the web site is below. You should try them, they are nice people.

http://www.communitycancycle.org.uk/index.html


Good luck,

Streak

Monty888

Krakow, it's better to wait and get something nice than to jump in and end up with dross. Don't be too slow, though: none of the cool kids will be riding fixed wheel by the end of the summer. :-P

Ebay is the best place for frames and second-hand, quality parts - maybe even a complete bike. I really believe that, but I just want to make sure that you tread carefully. Don't dive in and buy something before you have an idea of what's well thought of and what isn't. Fixed wheel is becoming painfully trendy. There are plenty of folk out there who'd like to cash in by selling you an overpriced turkey. Steady the hand that opens your wallet, eh?

krakow

As the time span of this thread is testament to, I'm hardly Mr. Impulsive, perhaps to a detrimental extent (hello Pete Beer's blue Carlton). I've been on a vague hunt for a fixed-gear bike for a couple of years, but have only decided to be a bit more pro-active about it within the last few months. I'll keep on asking noobish questions on here, until something comes along that just feels right.

Pete Beer

I still think place a wanted ad and see what things of interest comes along, as you say if you're in no rush the perfect mchine will appear. If you don't pay too much for it you can sell it for what you paid for it if you want to upgrade (which you will) or don't get on with it (which you won't)