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London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
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@hautestuff
hey,
so glad i found this!
i have been riding fixies for years now (in chicago, new york and bloomington indiana-of Breaking Away fame) and am coming to london to do a study abroad program. i'll be here for about 4 months and am not sure what to do about a bike.
i have a perfect bike here at home, a pretty fixie that's done me right, but the cost of shipping it or bringing it with me on the plane is OUTRAGEOUS! I love it, but given the round-trip costs (at least $250, like 120 pounds) it seems like it might be better to buy a bike in london and sell it at the end (or bring it home because I will probably be too attached). I really only want to ride fixed, but don't mind if it is converted.
How much would a working conversion or a decent used track bike cost me here? Bike prices seem radically different than in the US. Also, are there any bike collectives where I could put together a conversion myself? Bringing all the tools and components would sort of defeat the purpose of not bringing a complete bike. I've looked on gumtree and craigslist and nothing has really popped out at me.
I'd really appreciate any tips, loans, or nudges in the right direction.
-becca