Fixie advice

Help out a fellow biker

for your budget im afraid you need to look in the second hand market, but you will find something nice, road bikes and MTB can also be very sturdy, the difference is that you get gears and brakes, by the way it is no easy task to ride a fixed gear bike, i would rather buy a singlespeed, which lets you coast and the use of brakes,

+1, it's likely you'll have to shop in the used market in that price range. I'd check out Craigslist in your area or check into any upcoming bike swaps.

I also agree a single speed is a bit easier overall than a true fixie though fixie riding can be a lot of fun once you get the hang of a bike that does not coast and which you do more of your speed control with your legs and not so much with the brakes (and I'd always keep at least a front brake on a road fixie regardless of what the cool hipsters prefer).

If you really want to do it right, I'd learn about fixies and single speeds then shop garage sales, bike swaps or Craigslist for a bike that you can convert into what you're after. That's really the roots of the urban fixie scene and if you're mechanically inclined a great way to put together a functional bike on a budget.

For info on fixies and single speed conversions, start here: http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html and here: http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

-Dave

I have been looking into that what I found is that most fixies have the option to flip between single speed and fixed gear

yes with a flip flop rear hub, and as suggested by dave install the front brake,

Ive Been looking up some fixies on line that are fore sale but given that I haven't had much experience buying bikes I don't know which particular brand is reliable ( I got my first bike from my father and I never needed to buy another one )

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by collegebiker [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Ive Been looking up some fixies on line that are fore sale but given that I haven't had much experience buying bikes I don't know which particular brand is reliable ( I got my first bike from my father and I never needed to buy another one )

I wouldn't worry too much about brand, more about fit and overall ride of the bike. I'd strongly recommend buying locally so you can actually sit on and test ride the bike before purchasing it rather than buying on-line with no chance to get on the bike. It doesn't matter how good a deal it seems to be if the bike doesn't fit or you hate the way it rides.

If you go with a flip flop hub design then make sure you've got both a working front and a working rear brake, for pure fixie riding just a front is enough (though the rear won't hurt).

-Dave

Unfortunately buying locally is not an option for me given that my university is located in a remarkably small town and there are no bike sales and none of the bike enthusiasts are selling