Here ends my search for a fixie, local shops do not carry big sizes so I ended up shipping a lurker from the states, probably the only one in Singapore.
Been clocking over 100km worth of mileage on this beauty these couple of days, here it is, a small humble review.
Though I must say, I used this bike in probably a pretty unorthodox manner, this bike is like my fun bike, commuting, traveling around with it.
How unorthodox? First, I run it freewheel, not fixed. Second, I don't do tricks on this supposedly 'freestyle' fixed gear.
Managed to snap some decent enough shots for a review(5mp mobile phone camera), alright here it goes!
REVIEW
Weight:
Claimed 11kg+/-, never actually weigh it, based on gut feeling, yup about there.
Frame:
Awesome geometry, I'm about 185cm+/- with about 34" inseam, my lurker is size 60cm, though with the almost non existence standover height the geometry is really comfortable.
Drivetrain:
Crankset has no noticeable flex, 42T by 16T setup has really hit the sweetspot, at least for me, getting to cruising speed and navigating through slow and tight corners with relative ease*.
If you wanna go faster you can always get a smaller sprocket and bigger crank, watch that hill though! Else, 42T by 16T is really sweet for urban utility in my humble opinion.
Wheelset, no nonsense sealed bearing hubs, smooth. Rims are pretty tough, only time will tell, I'm 90+/- and it still manage to stay true.
Freewheel(dicta), absolute piece of crap, creaked badly during first ride and still creaks, go get yourselves some cheap replacements like the ACS Claws, Shimano or the White Industries ENO.
Cockpit:
The short stem and high rise combination gives the rider a really comfortable upright position but on the downside, the riser in my opinion is a little too long to get around urban condition, at 700mm it is pretty much the only thing that is stopping you from navigating through tight pathway and corners, love it or hate it, I did saw it down and it didn't feel as comfortable as before.
Saddle, awesome looking, pretty comfortable, very stiff, if you intend to do long distance rides pretty often, get a new saddle.
Brakes:
The rims are non machined so the braking power is more or less compromised, can't really judge the brakes in terms of performance, they work like they supposed to, stop you, but you have to squeeze fairly tight though.
The brake lever, simple no nonsense design, like the adjustability though, there's a bolt where you can tighten the levers, the clamps can be really convenient cause unlike most if not all clamps I have used on mountain bikes, you need not remove the grips to get the brake levers out.
Conclusion
Comfortable geometry, good quality components, amazing fun bike to ride at pretty decent recommended retail price for a full cromo freestyle fixie. They have a purple one too, check it out at http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2010/09/a_girl_and_her_bike_jess_versu.php.Labels: Cycling, Review
