Off the peg... let's conclusively answer the question "Which one?"

And how?

Basically by drawing up a shortlist, then approaching every company involved and asking for one to review. Comparing every model alongside each other, drawing up a comparison table including things like aesthetics and how we like them... human things and not just numbers... and then publish it all.

Finally, if the companies are willing to do this as a promotion realising we may actually slate their bikes... or they could benefit from it being rated highly... that we'll ask for the review bikes to be kept so that we can give them away in some type of promotion... first prize is the most highly rated OTP and work down to the lowest rated OTP.

What do you all think? Time for a LFGSS seal of approval and a community answer to the eternal question?

I like the idea of this simply because it was this exact thing done for cycling shorts that lead me personally to buy the Chrome shorts. If we can do the same for OTP bikes and other stuff we can reduce the number of newbie questions and provide a steady stream of cool stuff into the community by way of prizes for competitions and rides and stuff.

The question is... which ones shall we review?

Budget = Average £400 for the bike

A full-on fixed-gear shoot-out you-say?!
Good call. 56cms all round.

Charge Plug - £400
Fuji Track - £300
Bianchi Pista - £420?
Lemond FIllmore - £450
Pearson Touche - ?
On-one Pompino - £499 (blimey they've gone up)
Specialized Langster - £400
Genesis Flyer - £500
Giant Bowery - £350
Redline 925 - pretty sure this isn't imported to the UK
KHS Flite 100 - likewise; might be wrong though?
SE Lager - £335
Unipack Courierlol - £200ish?
Montana TRK - £270

<£400 limits it a bit - I reckon most people would consider stretching to something like the pista as a 1st OTP? Trying to think of the ones I've forgotten...

[edit] ah cheers hassanr & hamster, I've added them in (good to have all the prices in the same place!)

genesis flyer
giant bowery
redline 925
khs flite 100

.

best of two price brackets? £500 being the divider

SE Lager
Unipack Courier

shotgun reviewing something!

So this is our current list of contenders. Who knows which ones we'll actually get a chance to have fun on and try out.

• Bianchi Pista - £425
  
• Charge Plug - £400
  
• Fuji Track - £350
  
• Genesis Flyer - £500
  
• Giant Bowery - £350
  
• KHS Flite 100 - Not available in the UK?
  
• Lemond Fillmore - £450
  
• On-one Pompino - £500
  
• Pearson Touche - £550 = over budget
  
• Redline 925 - Not available in the UK?
  
• SE Lager - Not available in the UK?
  
• Specialized Langster - £400
  
• Specialized Tricross Singlespeed - £450
  
• Unipack Courier - £200
  

me too ;)

Tricross is ~£700 and geared isnt it?

nope singlespeed version= £449

paddy wagon

I'll test one!

Ah ok. I was just typing the stuff into froogle to get the rough average prices etc. Actually thinking about it, I think my LBS has one in the window :S

I had an older (circa late 90s early 2000s) KHS Flite 100 (Kinda - back when it was the Aero Track) and it was awesome. The geometry was great. Nice and stiff. Tight around corners. Ohhh, so nice. I don't know if they've changed it much in the last few years. It looks like they've loosened up the geometry at the very least... Not sure if that's helpful...

this will probably anger the fans of puppies, but how about get someone like Oxford cycle workshop to build a conversion (or a cheap 2nd handtrack frame build) as well to review along side the otp so that people who are new to fixed wheel bikes can see that there is a cheap viable alternative to buying a new bike that is MUCH better for the planet.

I've just filled in the prices I can discover easily. I'm excluding the bikes that are not UK distributed (even if the odd shop ships them in).

where's the pinnacle bachelor in all this?

Should we include:

Pearson Hanzo £450
Surly Steamroller £540 (from Winstanleys)

This is a great idea . . . i wish i had had a resource like this website when i bought my first ss/fg . I dont think you should put a price limit on it though as a Steamrollers and Condor Pistas should be included (you can buy the Pista OTP in Bike Hut)

Also think bombadil's idea is great - i know Mend a Bike in fulham have just got in some generic aluminium track frames and are going to build them up to sell for 350-400 quid . . . we should also get a couple of the guys like Roberto on the forum to see what they can put together for the price.

Also remember

Pinnacle Bachelor
Boardman do a SS as well i think

Heard a rumour the other day that GT will be bringing back the Pulse next year too, which is a lovely looking frame:

Kiwi cycles own brand?
450 gn?

This is a great idea . . . i wish i had had a resource like this website when i bought my first ss/fg . I dont think you should put a price limit on it though as a Steamrollers and Condor Pistas should be included (you can buy the Pista OTP in Bike Hut)

There should be some barrier. Otherwise why wouldn't the Serotta Singolo be included?

It's an "entry level off the peg shoot out".

What's entry level? Well £400 > £450 is definitely the average price range, and gievn that there's such a wealth of choice in that range very few people considering their very first fixed/single-speed for commuting will see any reason to go above that, and above £500 seems a bit daft given the number of bikes already available to you.

I think £500 is a great line to draw.

There should be some barrier. Otherwise why wouldn't the Serotta Singolo be included?

It's an "entry level off the peg shoot out".

What's entry level? Well £400 > £450 is definitely the average price range, and gievn that there's such a wealth of choice in that range very few people considering their very first fixed/single-speed for commuting will see any reason to go above that, and above £500 seems a bit daft given the number of bikes already available to you.

I think £500 is a great line to draw.

True 500 is the spot on . . just think that the surly seems pretty popular, so maybe should be given special dispensation? Also interested to see if it is worth the extra. I would ask Charge for one of there plug freestylers that is about to hit the shops, as i think it has more appeal to forumungers?

Good idea.
Who are going to be the testers? Do we recommend them, or do you VB choose them? I know I won't be one, as the manufacturers wouldn't want anyone really heavy on their bikes. Also sometimes they may give a 52cm, or a 56cm? I've noticed even the cycling mags often get sizes they didn't really want, then have to find staffers short enough, or tall enough for the test.

Finally, what if we here have some recent examples of the bikes now on the market? Can we test those if the retailers/manufacturers don't cough up?

SE Lager is being sold at Biddle Bikes and All Terrain Cycles.