Current Projects chat and miscellany

Hi,
Started building a new fixie project. I've got either a Reynolds 531 or 501 - sticker is flaked after the 5.
Paintwork is in pretty bad condition and if i continued to build would need repainting.
It has vertical dropout, and personally i enjoy riding it, but thats possibly because I have no alternative racer to compare with.

My question is, is it worth forking out £60 to get the frame painted, or should I just go for a better frame?

501 frames are fine. 531 is nicer but 501 is fine for general riding around town. Why not build it up, ride it and if you like it invest in a paintjob?

FaserBrooks: I agree with tallsam on this one to some extent. Build it up, ride around and see if you like it. Maybe have a go on other peoples bikes if you'd like to know what other 'racer style' bikes feel like. Something to note is that the way you set the bike up can make it feel completely different (which is what they're going on about with the stem sizes/angles etc). If you put a different stem on, or bars, it can feel like a different bike. Another thing to keep in mind about the frame you have is that if you want to run it fixed, or ss without a tensioner, then you'll also need to have the dropouts replaced with horizontals. This costs around £70 I think. So if you consider that and the £60 to paint it you may aswell shop around for something more suited to be fixed and save a load of money. You could then build this one up as a geared bike sometime.
Also, don't call it a 'fixie' unless you want to look like a hipster nodder that's just following a trend.