Plug Langster Pompino Flyer Feather?

bluben79

I'm after a singlespeed for my short and flat commute to work everyday. Used a friends for a while and loved it. I've only been able to see the Specialised Langster locally and have to say I much prefer the look of the Charge Plug with its thicker wheels and less racy look. Will be using the bike on weekends with the kids too so like the appeal if riding a few gravel tracks. Like the Pompino but not sure I could ride a bike with Blowjob written on the side. Have heard the Fuji Feather is a good buy but would it be up to city riding on dodgy potholed Roads and pavements?

Anybody with any other ideas? Probably leaning towards the Plug 1 at the moment?

http://www.chargebikes.com/plug-1/

luv2ride

bluben79 wrote:

I'm after a singlespeed for my short and flat commute to work everyday. Used a friends for a while and loved it. I've only been able to see the Specialised Langster locally and have to say I much prefer the look of the Charge Plug with its thicker wheels and less racy look. Will be using the bike on weekends with the kids too so like the appeal if riding a few gravel tracks. Like the Pompino but not sure I could ride a bike with Blowjob written on the side. Have heard the Fuji Feather is a good buy but would it be up to city riding on dodgy potholed Roads and pavements?

Anybody with any other ideas? Probably leaning towards the Plug 1 at the moment?

http://www.chargebikes.com/plug-1/

Go for the Plug if you like how it looks. Thought either CRC or Wiggle had them with good discounts at the moment.

EDIT: £349 down from £499
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-plug-1-2016/

Otherwise what about a Genesis Day one disc? Bit more money, but discs may allow your wheels to last a bit longer if commuting?..
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/bikes ... AsrN8P8HAQ
Last one in small at £399

buckmulligan

The Charge Plug has cantilever brakes, which in my experience (although I'm sure others will disagree) just aren't as good as calipers.

Another thing to consider is whether the bike comes with a single speed freewheel as standard, because often you'll only get a fixed gear sprocket and will be left to sort it out yourself and all the issues with hub threading and chain line that come with that.

I use a Specialized Langster as my everyday runaround bike and it's rock solid, but your requirements may differ

bluben79

Thanks for the replies. Like the look of the Genesis Day One now too.

Is the Langster suitable for a little bit of gravel riding? Will it take wider tyres?

micrographia

Kona Paddy Wagon is another to consider. Steel frame and fork, flipflop hub and choice of drops or bullhorns. I've used mine to hack around town and do the odd lunchtime loop from work for a few years now and its been bombproof - runs 28mm tyres under full SKS mudguards with a ton of spare clearance.

ddraver

Do CInelli sill make their Urban Fixie (Bootleg?) I used one in London when I lived there. If you re near Plymouth yo re welcome to offer me a price for it...

Fixies and Hilly towns don't mix

craker

So how hilly is too hilly for fixie? I guess there are some who can get a 95" gear up a 1 in 10, but then there are some who think a single speed bike is a non-starter.

I've got a Langster, 75" gear. I do find the Big Hill on my commute is much easier now than when I got the thing, better technique? Stronger legs? Dunno. Strava reckons my 15 mile commute has 900 feet of climbing FWIW.

Anyway, to the OP, love my Langster, nice and quick, reckon the high gear and twitchiness (it's got track geometry) make it unsuitable for gravel though, even if you could get 28s on - I think you probably could.

ddraver

You CAN Use a fixie in a hilly Town in the same way you CAN run the London Marathon in a diving suit. There is however a question of the right tool for the job.

simon_masterson

If you can gear down and spin up, you can get up (and more importantly, come down) most things. If you ride fixed regularly, you will probably find that when all you can do is get out of the saddle, you can get up hills on a higher gear than you think.

ddraver

Because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should

simon_masterson

I love riding fixed. The simplicity really appeals to me, but the drivetrain and ride feel are so much better.

bluben79

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... cross-0-16[url][/url]

This looks interesting!

Like the fact its a co-op too, all companies should be like that!