How to Avoid Wasting Money on a Bad Beginner Fixed Gear Bike and Buy a Good One

If you're looking to buy a complete fixed gear bike, you need to know that there are more bad beginner bikes than good beginner bikes. If you don't do your research, you're likely going to end up wasting money and end up with a bike that sucks to ride. Here, I'll show you how to spot the difference between bad and good beginner fixed gear bikes, so you can get on a bike you'll have fun riding for years to come. To make it extra easy for you, I compiled a list of the best complete fixed gear bikes for every budget.

The bike I ride, channel sponsor, pretty cool people:

Mildly ironic Reasonably Dangerous cycling shirts:

1. $500 Mercier Kilo TT

2. $600 Mercier Kilo TT Pro

3. $720 Fuji Feather (but get for $400-500 it used or on sale)

4. $700 State Black Label V2

5. $995 Wabi Classic

Brandon Black
David K
Gio Dezera
Julian Corona
Ryan Witt
Scott Palangi
Zane Kolnik

Epilektrik
M.
Martin Mohr
Michael Greif
Michael Rutchik
Nick
@nicodache
Seungwan Kim
Young Architect

0:00 - There's More Bad Than Good Fixed Gears
1:13 - Sponsor: Wabi Cycles
1:54 - How to Spot Bad Beginner Fixed Gear Bikes
7:19 - How to Spot Good Beginner Fixed Gear Bikes
10:50 - Mercier Kilo TT/Kilo TT Pro/Fuji Feather
12:18 - State Black Label v2
13:29 - Wabi Classic
15:19 - Patreon Fixie Famous Shoutouts

Connect with me:

#fixedgear

[silentcyclist]

I did not waste money when I bought my first heavy and cheap fixed gear, with heavy rims. Still have it and loving it, I use it as my winter and rain bike. Yes, it weights a ton, but it's fun and reliable. Who cares what other people think about it.

[Tegart.pottery]

Picked up a State Core-Line this winter, online. As a newbie to fixed gear I wasn’t even sure I’d like it, but wanted a cheapo for commuting and for something different, fully acknowledging the fact that it’s not top line. I used my other bikes more seriously. Completely happy with my State so far, it’s great if you don’t have a lot of money. You’re first bike doesn’t need to be the best bike.

[DasMouse]

I remember buying my first cheap fixed gear. It was a hard time. My beater bike got stolen, bought my dream bike… got stolen. Bought a bike that could at least roll… got hit by a car. With only $200 left to my name I bought my first cheap fixed gear. 10, 000 miles later it still my go to bike 😅

[nourizakaria]

1200 for a fixie??? u could get a decent roadbike for that money

[armandtaljaard]

I love how so many of these bike youtubers stress that it does not matter what you ride aslong as you are having fun, and immediately proceeds to crap on cheap bikes and how much of an idiot you are for buying one.

[paullacey]

My Elops 500 from Decathlon is a superb cheap bike for £250.Ive had it nearly a year and its been trouble free.It gets used more than the mountain bike I also have, so it cant be
Any bike that gets someone out riding can only be a good thing😇😇😇

[stinkyhippie]

snobbish shit honestly.. If these bikes were used like BMX or MTBs I understand you want to have specific purpose parts, same with a track bike or a road bike. but these fixies are still mainly casual road use, plus most countries do not have proper bike lanes etc such as we have in The Netherlands. I think bikes are more of a novelty in the USA so therefore they are being tricked out to the max to kinda compensate for the fact you do not have the actual roads and means to ride the bike as a daily driver as most do in The Netherlands for example where we rely on bikes as our daily commute but not mix max every part as they are a tool of transportation for us vs what you see with this guy where it is a part of his " lifestyle"

[knarf_on_a_bike]

My first fixed gear was a converted road bike. The seller was a friend who had just moved up to his first true track bike. It was an affordable, good quality way to get into the world of fixed gear cycling. Good advice in your video. Ya gets what ya pay for. . .

[scubawithatuba]

I have had a Pure Fix for 10 years now and it's never given me a problem and I ride it almost daily plus it's been through a few crashes too. Maybe it's because I'm pretty light, lol.

[dan_lazaro]

Wow I've been a pro for years now but since I call fixed gear bikes "fixies" I am now a noob. Great to know

[totallypixelated]

UK eBay is awash with lovely hand made British road bike frames and forks from the 70's and 80's, as well as the more mainstream Raleighs and Peugeots, at reasonable prices. To my mind, a DIY fixed gear conversion (or letting your local bike shop build one for you) based around these is the way to go for bang for your buck.

[luiscardenas]

I’ve had a 6KU Milan 2 since 2016 when I was in high school.

Things I’ve done since I bought it were swap out crank arms (stock arms wore out quickly), upgrade tires to thickslicks, remove front brake, added cages, added bullhorns, and added front basket.

Awesome bike for anybody trying to start fixed riding.

[Monstertruckzero]

I definitely bought a cheap OEM aluminum track complete last year as my first bike ($350-ish) before I knew anything about the culture - or your channel. Thanks so much for being a great resource as I grow my knowledge and riding ability! I’ve since upgraded nearly every component - probably quadrupling my initial investment - but at this point I’ve got a machine I love to put miles on, and I feel like I’ve got a good understanding of how each upgraded component is improving my experience. Thanks again for being such a useful space for all of us looking to learn.

[beentrill]

Proud owner of a Kilo TT because of you Zach!!! Best bike I've owned so far :)

[themadscientest]

I've had my 2012 Feather in yellow (best color it ever came in if you ask me) and love it riding single speed, kinda gathered dust for years because I got it right as I started doing the unspeakable (driving) but it's back on the road. I swear the Feather is the BRZ/86 of bikes, it has all the sporty track ready style but can still handle being a daily.

[Knautschfriese]

To be honest: when that „cheap“ bike gets someone into cycling, it is NOT bad. At least that is one person that is not driving a car. And it doesn’t matter if it is a cheap bike. It gets someone from a to b, and it has way less parts that can break than a normal bike. It is easy to fix, and maintain.

[travisissoocool]

Going from 23 lb to 15 lb is a about a third of a weight reduction. Seems significant until you account for the weight of the biker and realize that dropping the 8 lbs is only 3% reduction.

[xtmqpmu]

I have "pure fix india" for 6 years and it's awesome. Just symply love And I don't care if it's bad bike because he brought me a lot of good memories!

[JulioJairdeAlba]

When you are an experienced rider you don't give a shit of bike's weight if the intended use is for the city, just take whatever with two wheels that moves and ride it

[Ms.Circle]

Oh and thank you for all the valuable information 😊 I gotta admit, I was one of those people going for looks and knew nothing about the details. After watching this video I definitely appreciate the more simplistic and calmer look too especially if it’s funner to ride.