Single Speed Reccomendations / what you ride.
Hello Dear Forum Members,
I know there have been a variety of posts dedicated to showing off your ride but I thought I'd add another one because:
I've been riding my Raleigh Record single speed conversion (converted by me, poorly) and am looking to make a purchase for this, only my second Chicago winter bike season.
I ride to/from work almost everyday (a short, 5 mile jaunt) and I'm looking for something light, sturdy and not-so-nice-that-I-won't-cry-each-time-I-get-salt-on-it.
What I'm looking for:
- Single speed
- Something lighter than my heavy craigslist buy
- $300 - $400
Also, pictures + pros/cons of what you ride (especially in the winter) would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Matt
Views: 7243
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ad on
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If you're looking for a solid bike in that price range, you're probably looking at something used or something new from a place like bikesdirect. I have two nice steel bikes and was in the same position of looking for a cheapish single speed i could ride in winter and lock up at bars without worrying too much. I went with the Mercier Kilo WT two years ago, which retails for $439 (that price includes shipping): http://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt.htm.
PROS OF THE MERCIER:
- Cheap, but not so cheap that things will wear out. Wheels, crank and bottom bracket have held up well when properly adjusted and taken care of.
- Nice steel reynolds 520 frame, which is reasonably light for steel and allegedly produced in the same factory that several other big bike manufacturers use.
- Fits big tires and fenders. I run 700 x 32 Ritchey cyclocross tires and full fenders during the winter. It would fit studded tires if the desire ever arose.
- Has braze-ons that allow you to instal a rack and fenders (if Surly would do this with the Steamroller, I'd upgrade my frame in a heartbeat).
- The wheelset is surprisingly okay and has held up well after it was properly trued
- crankset is a sugino, which is better than some bikes spec at this price point.
- Comes with two brakes
CONS:
- The saddle and the pedals are absolute garbage. I replaced them right away with spares I had around, but that's not so uncommon for a bike anywhere near this price point.
- When you buy from somewhere else than a local bike shop, you're obviously completely on your own setting the bike up to ride. I knew enough about bicycles to be comforitable with this, but when the Mercier arrived there were SEVERAL things that needed adjusting--including the brakes, the bottom bracket, the headset and truing the back wheel. If you know how to do these things, great. Otherwise, be ready to possibly spend a bit extra by having to take it to a shop to get it ready to ride. That's really how these bikes get so cheap in the end, they cut out the overhead of running a place that helps a customer initially get--and then stay--on the road.
- Although the paint holds up well, the graphics they use are a bit too much.
- The initial gearing is a bit high for winter street use. You can change either the front chainring or the freewheel to get a lowever gearing (I use 44 x 16 now but it came with 48 x 16), but that will obviously be an added expense as well.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on
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You forgot the biggest con:
It is taking money away from your LBS...
It's great to get a smoking deal on a bike from the internet but where do you take it when it breaks or has a defect and who is standing behind it if there is a serious issue?
ad said:
If you're looking for a solid bike in that price range, you're probably looking at something used or something new from a place like bikesdirect. I have two nice steel bikes and was in the same position of looking for a cheapish single speed i could ride in winter and lock up at bars without worrying too much. I went with the Mercier Kilo WT two years ago, which retails for $439 (that price includes shipping): http://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt.htm.
PROS OF THE MERCIER:
- Cheap, but not so cheap that things will wear out. Wheels, crank and bottom bracket have held up well when properly adjusted and taken care of.
- Nice steel reynolds 520 frame, which is reasonably light for steel and allegedly produced in the same factory that several other big bike manufacturers use.
- Fits big tires and fenders. I run 700 x 32 Ritchey cyclocross tires and full fenders during the winter. It would fit studded tires if the desire ever arose.
- Has braze-ons that allow you to instal a rack and fenders (if Surly would do this with the Steamroller, I'd upgrade my frame in a heartbeat).
- The wheelset is surprisingly okay and has held up well after it was properly trued
- crankset is a sugino, which is better than some bikes spec at this price point.
- Comes with two brakes
CONS:
- The saddle and the pedals are absolute garbage. I replaced them right away with spares I had around, but that's not so uncommon for a bike anywhere near this price point.
- When you buy from somewhere else than a local bike shop, you're obviously completely on your own setting the bike up to ride. I knew enough about bicycles to be comforitable with this, but when the Mercier arrived there were SEVERAL things that needed adjusting--including the brakes, the bottom bracket, the headset and truing the back wheel. If you know how to do these things, great. Otherwise, be ready to possibly spend a bit extra by having to take it to a shop to get it ready to ride. That's really how these bikes get so cheap in the end, they cut out the overhead of running a place that helps a customer initially get--and then stay--on the road.
- Although the paint holds up well, the graphics they use are a bit too much.
- The initial gearing is a bit high for winter street use. You can change either the front chainring or the freewheel to get a lowever gearing (I use 44 x 16 now but it came with 48 x 16), but that will obviously be an added expense as well.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on
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Well, bike shops make their bread and butter on accessories and upgrades. The mark-up on low end frames is surprisingly low.
notoriousDUG said:You forgot the biggest con:
It is taking money away from your LBS...
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Permalink Reply by Matt T on
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AD - Thanks for the detailed recommendation! That looks like a very good option. I had considered the Mercier TT but the WT does look like it has it's benefits. I have some pedals I like and I'll just have to deal with the saddle. I'll definitely be looking into this.
Notorious D-U-G - I do my best to contribute to my LBS (bolouvard bikes / bike lane) whenever I need parts/service/etc... I would prefer to buy from a shop but sometimes people who work on the internet (me) don't have a whole lotta spare $'s. Also, as a pretty severe introvert/shyguy, I don't feel comfortable walking into a bike shop without some internet research under my belt first. Do you have some suggestions of bikes that are in our local shops I should consider?
Matt
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I'm not going to act as a bikesdirect shill here, but it's pretty well documented out there that they stand behind any defects in their bikes. And if a LBS refuses to perform work on a bikesdirect bike, that's not a shop that should be around anyway. Would a shop dare refuse to perform work on a 10-year-old used bike a person bought in Wisconsin? And if not, what's the difference between the two really?
The whole "never buy a bike or part off the internet because it destroys your LBS" argument is tired and overplayed. I have three bikes I keep up and use on a regular basis. One I bought from a local bike shop (the nicest one by the way), one I bought used off craigslist, and the Mercier I ride in winter. I guarantee you I spend much more money at my local bike shop upkeeping and modifying those three bikes than I ever would have if I just owned the one I purchased at the LBS.
notoriousDUG said:You forgot the biggest con:
It is taking money away from your LBS...
It's great to get a smoking deal on a bike from the internet but where do you take it when it breaks or has a defect and who is standing behind it if there is a serious issue?
ad said:
If you're looking for a solid bike in that price range, you're probably looking at something used or something new from a place like bikesdirect. I have two nice steel bikes and was in the same position of looking for a cheapish single speed i could ride in winter and lock up at bars without worrying too much. I went with the Mercier Kilo WT two years ago, which retails for $439 (that price includes shipping): http://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt.htm.
PROS OF THE MERCIER:
- Cheap, but not so cheap that things will wear out. Wheels, crank and bottom bracket have held up well when properly adjusted and taken care of.
- Nice steel reynolds 520 frame, which is reasonably light for steel and allegedly produced in the same factory that several other big bike manufacturers use.
- Fits big tires and fenders. I run 700 x 32 Ritchey cyclocross tires and full fenders during the winter. It would fit studded tires if the desire ever arose.
- Has braze-ons that allow you to instal a rack and fenders (if Surly would do this with the Steamroller, I'd upgrade my frame in a heartbeat).
- The wheelset is surprisingly okay and has held up well after it was properly trued
- crankset is a sugino, which is better than some bikes spec at this price point.
- Comes with two brakes
CONS:
- The saddle and the pedals are absolute garbage. I replaced them right away with spares I had around, but that's not so uncommon for a bike anywhere near this price point.
- When you buy from somewhere else than a local bike shop, you're obviously completely on your own setting the bike up to ride. I knew enough about bicycles to be comforitable with this, but when the Mercier arrived there were SEVERAL things that needed adjusting--including the brakes, the bottom bracket, the headset and truing the back wheel. If you know how to do these things, great. Otherwise, be ready to possibly spend a bit extra by having to take it to a shop to get it ready to ride. That's really how these bikes get so cheap in the end, they cut out the overhead of running a place that helps a customer initially get--and then stay--on the road.
- Although the paint holds up well, the graphics they use are a bit too much.
- The initial gearing is a bit high for winter street use. You can change either the front chainring or the freewheel to get a lowever gearing (I use 44 x 16 now but it came with 48 x 16), but that will obviously be an added expense as well.
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Very cool! Yea, I seem to be hearing and seeing a lot of Mercier TT/WT when I bring up what I'm looking for in a bike. Think I'm going to try and find one in a shop to try out.
Thanks!
Matt
John W. said:I have a Mercier Kilo TT Pro and absolutely love it. It's been fixed, fixed and brakeless, and is now singlespeed. It's got great components (crank, hubs, brakes...), same as some Cannondale or other >$1000 bikes. The pedals are garbage but you can get steel caged pedals for $20. The "Pro" comes with deep v's compared to the regular TT.
Here's mine when she was brakeless/fixed.
http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/23019447?profile...
Here's the same bike with a different color scheme I put together for a friend.
http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/23020638?profile...
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Oh, the irony!
Matt T said:
Think I'm going to try and find one in a shop to try out.
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Ah! See, I didn't know that. THIS is why I appreciate forums like this. I just figured if I could buy it from a shop I'd rather, but I see now that I can't.
Also, thanks for the offer but I think 55cm's a bit small for me. Thanks for the help!
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Permalink Reply by dan brown on
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Matt - I bought an SE Lager (singlespeed (freewheel)) from Armitage Bike Shop (armitage and central park). local owned and operated family business involved in the community. etc etc.
I paid a bit more for it...but they more than made up for it in upgrades, service and just having a place I felt comfortable walking in knowing I was a bike buying customer.
Dan
Matt T said:AD - Thanks for the detailed recommendation! That looks like a very good option. I had considered the Mercier TT but the WT does look like it has it's benefits. I have some pedals I like and I'll just have to deal with the saddle. I'll definitely be looking into this.
Notorious D-U-G - I do my best to contribute to my LBS (bolouvard bikes / bike lane) whenever I need parts/service/etc... I would prefer to buy from a shop but sometimes people who work on the internet (me) don't have a whole lotta spare $'s. Also, as a pretty severe introvert/shyguy, I don't feel comfortable walking into a bike shop without some internet research under my belt first. Do you have some suggestions of bikes that are in our local shops I should consider?
Matt
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Dan,
Thanks! I think I'll stop by there after work today. I've read some about the SE Lager, and the Draft but don't know too much about how people like it.
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Permalink Reply by Joel on
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I think most of the bikes sold at bike shops (not Walmart, Target, etc.) are going to be of good quality and comparable across brands for the given price. The most important things to look for are a good fit and the features you want. Great reviews and raves from people mean nothing if the bike isn't comfortable. If you know you want a single speed with features x,y, and z; find the bikes that match that and go try them out at different shops.
Matt T said:
Dan,
Thanks! I think I'll stop by there after work today. I've read some about the SE Lager, and the Draft but don't know too much about how people like it.
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Permalink Reply by Brian on
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I second this recommendation. I just got the 5-speed version of this bike a couple of weeks ago, and it's a great commuter/around town bike.
ad said:
If you're looking for a solid bike in that price range, you're probably looking at something used or something new from a place like bikesdirect. I have two nice steel bikes and was in the same position of looking for a cheapish single speed i could ride in winter and lock up at bars without worrying too much. I went with the Mercier Kilo WT two years ago, which retails for $439 (that price includes shipping): http://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt.htm.
PROS OF THE MERCIER:
- Cheap, but not so cheap that things will wear out. Wheels, crank and bottom bracket have held up well when properly adjusted and taken care of.
- Nice steel reynolds 520 frame, which is reasonably light for steel and allegedly produced in the same factory that several other big bike manufacturers use.
- Fits big tires and fenders. I run 700 x 32 Ritchey cyclocross tires and full fenders during the winter. It would fit studded tires if the desire ever arose.
- Has braze-ons that allow you to instal a rack and fenders (if Surly would do this with the Steamroller, I'd upgrade my frame in a heartbeat).
- The wheelset is surprisingly okay and has held up well after it was properly trued
- crankset is a sugino, which is better than some bikes spec at this price point.
- Comes with two brakes
CONS:
- The saddle and the pedals are absolute garbage. I replaced them right away with spares I had around, but that's not so uncommon for a bike anywhere near this price point.
- When you buy from somewhere else than a local bike shop, you're obviously completely on your own setting the bike up to ride. I knew enough about bicycles to be comforitable with this, but when the Mercier arrived there were SEVERAL things that needed adjusting--including the brakes, the bottom bracket, the headset and truing the back wheel. If you know how to do these things, great. Otherwise, be ready to possibly spend a bit extra by having to take it to a shop to get it ready to ride. That's really how these bikes get so cheap in the end, they cut out the overhead of running a place that helps a customer initially get--and then stay--on the road.
- Although the paint holds up well, the graphics they use are a bit too much.
- The initial gearing is a bit high for winter street use. You can change either the front chainring or the freewheel to get a lowever gearing (I use 44 x 16 now but it came with 48 x 16), but that will obviously be an added expense as well.
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