General: Building a budget fixie..

Okay so I'm looking to build a budget fixie for around $500 but I could go as high as $800, does anyone have any suggestions on what I could get for around that price? I was thinking maybe a pake or an eightinch scrambler, or even a leader frame but I really don't know what to get. I could also get a 1992 paramount for $200 thats pretty sweet and convert that, but I was looking into getting a fixie frame. And also components, what are some ok budget parts?

i was going to build a bike for around your price range, but wound up buying a bianchi pista. it was on sale and i figured that its a quality bike, even if its super duper popular, it would be a good intro fixie. that or a redline 925, just buy something to get you into the game and go from there.

Posted By: scottybonessswhatever you do dont buy any thing mercier hahahah

worst pile of crap evaaaaaaa

you're full of shit. merciers are regarded as a fairly good value and has a decent tubeset.

Posted By: the rabbi

Posted By: scottybonessswhatever you do dont buy any thing mercier hahahah

worst pile of crap evaaaaaaa

you're full of shit. merciers are regarded as a fairly good value and has a decent tubeset.

provided you don't want to run tires larger than 28c, the Kilo TT is my vote for best bike in that price point. imo.

I agree, for up to $800 the kilo isnt something I'd suggest. Its a good bike at its price but its price is much lower than what the OP has to spend. The tommaso augusta is equal to a kilo at best, I used to have one. Not good, not bad, wouldnt suggest it at this price.

Just get an iro and call it a day. I've never heard of anyone being dissatisfied with them and they are in the OPs general price range.

what?

I agree, though, "fixie" makes me want to blow my brains out.

I really like my Rush Hour. It's a little pricey, but it's a solid bike. And it looks pretty rad this year.

Posted By: LyKqiDWhy are bikes like the kilo being mentioned.. he said $500-$800, although he may be new to cycling, he could better some better gear then a kilo.

Raleigh Rush Hour
Tommaso Augusta
IRO Angus, Phoenix
Mission Bicycle Company
Motobecane Team Track
(the less popular) Leader 725, 35
Volume Cutter (if you are cool enough)

Raleigh Rush Hour - same material as Mercier. upgrade the cranks and wheels and you've got the same thing
Tommaso Augusta - tubing not as good of quality as mercier
IRO Angus, Phoenix - tubing still not as good as mercier, but solid company with great customer service
Mission Bicycle Company - overpriced, powdercoated IRO
Motobecane Team Track - good, but i don't think it's quite but the OP has in mind.
(the less popular) Leader 725, 35 - stay away
Volume Cutter (if you are cool enough) - if he mentioned barspins, i would point him in this direction

i still say get the mercier and add whatever you want to it.

or, the blank mercier frames are available for $200 from bike island.

Posted By: the rabbii still say get the mercier and add whatever you want to it.

What bothers me is that they're selling the kilo threadless now.. even the bikeisland is only partially threaded. pain in the ass. Alien is about the only company under $500 which does a lugged frame with threaded fork, and it's fucking JIS. I do like that they sell it unpainted for easy chromed lugs.

Actually, I would love to know of other (perhaps lesser known) builders using lugs and threads under $500. Anyone?

Posted By: the rabbii still say get the mercier and add whatever you want to it.

I like the rush hour however, indeed both have 520 tubing.

I may not be a welder or fabricator, but from the knowledge that I have acquired, Reynolds 631 is superior to 520. 631 is used by IRO. Reynolds 631 is also used in Mission Bicycles.

Steel is steel is steel.
It's nice to say your frame is 853 but in the end, especially on the street or with a budget, it makes sense to spend money elsewhere.
The only reason to pay for high end steel is to save weight. The high end stuff is made to be stronger and therefore made into thinner tubes. So 631 is definitely superior to 4130 (which is the SAME as Reynolds 520), and 531 in terms of the strength to thickness ratio. But it and all the high end steel - 853,953,OX Platinum, etc, are more likely to take damage in an accident as a result of their thin tubes. Racers don't have to worry about that as much since they have sponsors, money, and are less likely to get broad-sided by a Prius, but if your only bike gets wrecked, you're fucked.
So as I said, unless you're looking to lose weight (and not really that much), buy a steel frame using anything other than hi-ten and spend the rest of the money on better quality wheels, crank arms, etc.

ya that no rust stuff is sweet but its like 4 gs on a i.f. frame and fork.

Gotcha.

Posted By: the rabbireynolds 520 is double butted chromoly.

Are you sure about that? It doesn't make sense to me that Reynolds would offer standard 4130, a product that they don't even advertise, as double butted only. It would make more sense for them to offer 520, like all other 4130, in single, double, and straight gauge. Otherwise builders would source other gauges from another manufacturer for the stays and any other part of the frame which isn't going to be double butted.
That's the thing to figure out: regardless of who made the tubing, does the frame itself use 4130/Reynolds 5xx,6xx,7xx,8xx,9xx/True Temper xxxxxx/whatever for a single tube (most often the seat tube in lower end steel frames), or the entire tube set. I have a couple of older mountain frames which use Reynolds 500 or 525 for their seat tubes and hi-ten for the rest of the bike, but the builder can advertise Reynolds tubing as long as it is there somewhere.

Anyway, Craig, as I said before: buy a steel frame with track ends made by any of the builders people have listed (maybe not leader) and spend your money on components. I honestly think if you don't know what you want already you might be better served buying a complete build to start out. There are several complete bikes up there. K.

Screw the bag, keep the one you got... and put that $100 into components.

Okay so instead of a buying a kilo I was given a free frameset by my uncle but I have a question, the dropouts on the bike are more curved and not horizontal, is it possible to keep correct chain tension with these type of dropouts, and Is it possible to replace the dropouts? I'll post some pics of the dropouts later, I was just wondering.