Hello and can you help?

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the_jimbo

New Member
Hi, im new to this forum and I'm wondeirng if you can help me?

Ive been wanting to build up a fixed gear bike for a while but ive always thought it would be quite expensive although on the way home today I found a frame (no forks) that was blantently being thrown out. i took it home and it has a sticker saying "columbus cromor". Can you tell me anything about this frame? Ive had a quick look on the internet and it seems to be a reasonably good frame, its quite light aswell. but any more info would be nice

Also what will I have to do from start to finish to make it into a fixed gear bike? and roughly how much will you have to spend to bring up to a reasonable quality?

i could get a couple of pictures up tomorrow if its any help

many thanks and hello again
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
there's loads of threads on this, I know next to nothing other than somethig about horizontal dropouts
 

bonj2

Guest
first go to the sort of bike shop that's got lots of bits and bobs and second hand things and ask them if they've got a back wheel with a fixed hub they can let you have.

You then need a crankset with matching bottom bracket - ideally a track crankset, but if not any with a single ring.
Then, sprocket and chain.
Sprocket, chain and crankset will be either 1/8 or 3/32 pitch , ideally don't mix 3/32 with 1/8.
Then forks, headset, stem, front wheel, brake caliper and lever, brake cable, handlebars.
Seatpost, saddle, bar tape.
Tyres, rim tape and tubes.

That seems like a lot, there may even be something i've missed out. But start with the back wheel, and try and get some advice from the shop about where to go from there. If the first shop doesn't know much about fixed then shop around till you find one that does.
 
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the_jimbo

New Member
thanks for that "bonj" i didnt think that bike shops will give away rear wheels, my local bike shop is "brixton cycles" i will have to try in there.

how much does a "light" frame (in your opinion) weigh roughly without forks?

also just one more thing, ive been looking at how much parts are and remember that most cranksets are quite expensive? how much would a decent one cost? even if its 2nd hand
 
Location
Rammy
have a look in the classifieds section on here, there's often some bits and bobs going cheap such as cranks, pedals and occasionally wheels.
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
Brixton cycles are nice and usually have some useful odds and ends for fixed gear riding as well as yer normal stuff, go and have a look. If needs must take the frame in and ask them about what to do on it to build it up, as long as you're using their components as well as others i'm sure they wont mind advising you!
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
You haven't said if the frame is the correct size.

More often than not, a frame is discarded because the Bottom Bracket threads are stripped or Xthreaded. Or, the rear triangle has got out of square or one of the rear stay triangles has been bent in.

First check is to take it to a framebuilders and ask them to check alignment ( and ask if its worth a respray - which is a lie, but grabs their attention ).

More serious is the head/seat parallelism. They can be pulled back true by a good LBS.

Even more serious are the headset seatings dented and not perfectly round.
 

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
Coincidence! As I was reading the OP I immediately thought of Brixton Cycles (I was there for the 1st time on Saturday). Seems like the type of place you might be able to get advice and odds & sods ;)

Good Luck
SD
 
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the_jimbo

New Member
i popped into brixton cycles today and they said that they dont sell any 2nd hand parts and to build it up to a fixed gear bike will be expensive, and buying everyything new from the shop it will end up costing well over £400 which is too much.... all i want is for it to be rideable so to speak, as long as the parts are up to the job and half decent.
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
One useful trick is to ask for something you know they don't have....
I was looking in Halfrauds the other day - asked whether they had any Q/R skewers? No? Shame because I had a nice hub with a bent skewer, etc etc.. finally the boy disappears into the back workshop and finds redundant skewer and gives it to me for free.
Had similar experience in LBS on occasion
 
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