The Best First Aluminum Fixed Gear Bike. Period.

So you like aluminum fixed gears. Maybe you like the look with their modern, thick, aerodynamic tubing, maybe you like the boosted stiffness to weight ratio over steel bikes because it supposedly makes you go faster, or maybe you just have something against riding a bike that has the same properties as a refrigerator. So should you get the Aventon, the Tsunami from Aliexpress, the Leader, the State Black Label, or maybe you're a baller and go for the 100% Italian, Chinese-made Cinelli? Well, the title for "The Best First Aluminum Track Bike" goes squarely to the Dolan Pre Cura.

Thanks to Matt L. for letting me do a bike check of his Dolan after our weekly 5AM group ride! Go follow him on Instagram @dolan_510

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

Mildly ironic Reasonably Dangerous cycling shirts:

Parts list:

Frameset:
Dolan Pre Cursa

Handlebars/Stem/Headset:
Cinelli Bullhorns/Deda Zero2 stem/Alpina headset

Saddle/Seatpost:
Specialzied "Gooch Scoop" saddle/Deda Zero2 seatpsot

Pedals:
Look X-Race Carbon

Cranks/Bottom Bracket/Chainring:
Miche Pistard Air cranks/Miche Pistard Air 49t chainring

Cog/Lockring/Chain:
Miche splined cog 17t/EAI 22t/Izumi Super Toughness

Rims/Hubs/Spokes/Tires:
HED Belgium/Phil Wood hubs/Continental Gatorskin 25c

Accessories:
Spur Cycle bell

How to have your fixed gear featured:
2. Tell me your bike's story. Bikes with cool stories are more likely to have bike checks made than bling but boring bikes without a story.
3. Send me your 1080p or 4k video files via Google Drive or Dropbox. Video files must be:
1) 10-15 seconds long each
2) have as little camera movement as possible (little camera shake, no pans/zooms, be horizontal DUH!)
3) 20-25 different shots with 3 shots of your complete bike is a good amount.
4. Keep in mind I'll run ads on the video to help cover the cost of producing the bike checks. Gotta stay fed.
5. Follow this carefully. Bike checks either get made the right way or not at all.

Connect with me:

#fixedgear #trackbike

[TheLuckyone]

Dolan value and their service is just crazy good. 😍
In 2017 I ordered a previous year, blue variant of the Pre Cursa Frameset, on a discount, for 125 pounds (150eur).
It seemed super cheap at the time, and I couldn't be happier.
Dolan wrote to me shortly afterwards, with an apology, because it was out of stock, even though I got to order through their site.
I was a little bit sad, because I had saved that money for my first real track bike and Dolan was the only one I could afford at the time.
Though, the sadness was cut short, because they immediately offered the newer model (at the time, priced 199 pounds(240eur), for the same price I ordered the older one.
And that's including the fork, seatpost and headset.


I couldn't have been happier and am still riding that same bike today.
It's light, it's cheap(ish), the quality is top notch and the service is very good.

[TheKosKos]

Havent watched this channel in years. Happy to see him still at it. I got a lot to catch up on!

[TheRealFzhd]

I've been riding my Pre-Cursa quite a solid year with Sram Omnium. Honestly it's really fun ride and doesn't feel like a cheap mid range fixed bike. Worth my money!

[marjorykeek]

I picked up a 2nd hand pre cursa frameset for £60 a couple months ago. Best bike I've ever ridden. Dolan gang gang. 🤪

[johnnyregs]

I've been running the alpina track crankset on my black label for a little over a year and I love it, just as stiff as my omniums. Dolan makes good stuff.

[sketchy]

I built up a precursa about 6 months ago to just use up some parts that were sat there after stripping and old bike that was irreparably damaged. It’s now my daily commuter and puts a smile on my face every time I head to work. Honestly such a great bike that always gets comments from local riders. It’s light, quick and definitely a track bike. I put some track drop bars on there and it just makes me want to go fast. In comparison to the cinelli vigorelli which I rode for a couple of years it’s a clear standard for aluminium fixed gear bikes and definitely and good entry level bike for anyone looking to get into the fixed gear riding.

[andrewallsup]

Dolan frames are so good! I just got a PreCursa last month it's been the best.

[BicyclesbyJurgen]

With such poetic descriptive commentary and narration, this is genuinely the David Attenborough of Bicycles.

Anybody seen the new Dolan pre corser with that beautiful tapered head tube 😍

[kewsoner]

You should come and visit Copenhagen, you will love it!
And go for the pre cursa, it took me true 1000's of km, riding the streets of Copenhagen! So yes I know, Zach!

[marlontangcoy]

i just kept on returning on dolan pre cursa, i already owned 5 framesets. i recently sold mine 2 months ago., i must say from being a courier, racing crits and alleycats. just put a good wheels and good crankset it will last you a lifetime. best bang for the buck frame!

[elbugspinetta]

Thanks for this video, I bought a Dolan Pre Cursa and it's for far the best fixed gear that I ever ride.

[clubmate]

I am lucky to own both a Dolan PreCursa and a Cinelli Parallax and the toe overlap is so much worse on the Parallax.. In fact the geometry overall of the PreCursa is so much a better fit for my body. At least in UK you can choose to have a pre-drilled or not pre-drilled fork.

[jhonnygaulke]

*Looked at a lot of options for getting my **Latest.Bike** . Great find in SAVA. Super light, nice components, really good value as it comes with many options only found in much higher priced bikes.*

[josephryan]

You think 22 is large, I've got a 44/24 set-up on my State Bicycle Co. Single Speed. The original was 16, but the guy I purchased from had swapped it to make hill riding that bit easier. I've only had it out a couple of times yet, but it worked really well. I got the original 16 T as well, and the fixed cog is also 16 T. Pretty nervous about trying fixed gear, but it's something I've got to try. I've also got a Vitus Vee, which is a 29er with 2.1'' tyres. It runs a 38/18, and it always puts a smile on my face.

[tommyvercetti]

With the wheel slammed in the dropout, how u swapping to the big cog? Hey wait let me bust out the chain breaker n add 3 more links! Lol

[leegarrett]

Dolan crew! Deliver on my pre cursa every day love it!

[forlution]

I've owned and ridden my share of aluminum fixed gear bikes, but I've always gravitated back to a steel frame. A Steel bikes ride is always smooth and responsive, not harsh and twitchy like aluminum. Leader had a great first steel frame back in the day...the 722TS. Leader sold a ton of them when they first came out and followed up with the 722 Heritage. If you can find one to build up, you won't be disappointed.

[acetylcholine]

I love the whole aesthetic of that thing. Great choices. Thanks, Zach!

[jewellmaster]

I prefer steel, but I have been wanting to get a Dolan Pre Cursa frameset, in gun metal grey metallic. I live near the Detroit Lexus Velodrome. Great one this week, Zach Gallardo!