I've no idea what bike I want...

I need some help/advice from you guys.

Most of my life my passion has been cycling/riding, and up until about 4 years ago I rode MTB (4x/trials/street, etc). Since meeting my partner and starting a family I haven't sat on a bike, in fact I decided to sell my old faithful as she wasn't being used and I thought it was better that someone else enjoyed her.

Bikes took a back seat since I started climbing too, however since dragging out my landlord's old Carlton that was stashed in the back of the shed and stripping it down the bug has resurfaced.
I was dead set on rebuilding it as a fixed gear, however I sat on it and it is way too big for me, so I'm just going to restore it. Before I realised it was too big I joined up here and was sucked in by all the lovely road bikes, something I've never really been interested in. So I've been looking for a new frame, and the more frames I look at the more I'm starting to sway towards a MTB style frame.

I started looking at all the old 70s bike which ooze class, then I seen the Surly Steamroller and thought I want one, then I seen the Identiti Persona and now I want that.

The problem is this I wanted a fixed gear to cycle to work on, but the furthest train station I can cycle to is only 1 mile away as the River Mersey stops me going any further, and so a traditional road bike wouldn’t really be a good choice. I’m now 27 and I feel like I’m getting too old to ride something like the Persona as a fixed or single. So what do I do? I’ll get another MTB in the future when I have time to ride it as my weekends are taken up with family time.

I’m desperate for a bike but I’m confused as to what is best for someone that will only be riding a couple of miles a day and feels to old to ride street/urban. Do I just get a Surly or Identity and have fun for 2 miles a day or do I wait for a nice vintage to cruise to the station on…or do I just no bother and wait until my weekends free up in about 2 years time (my partner is a trainee midwife so she has to work weekends if her mentor does, which is more often than not….)

Thanks

A couple of pics of my old bike

Buy a steamroller, and live happily ever after.

Srsly.

Too old to ride street / urban? You're 27!

I've been out of it for ages now. All my old mates I used to ride with have buggered off or stopped riding street etc. Could be a loner but there is no competition or encouragement to pull something crazy off (or to pick up the pieces from and epic fail)

If your stuck between a MTB, a road bike and a commuter another slightly more expensive option for a cross/road mix is the lovely singular peregrine:

http://www.singularcycles.com/peregrine.html

Fit some CX tyres to this

I've been out of it for ages now. All my old mates I used to ride with have buggered off or stopped riding street etc. Could be a loner but there is no competition or encouragement to pull something crazy off (or to pick up the pieces from and epic fail)

Get some new mates. 27 and giving up? FFS indeed. Don't let the North down.

Get some new mates. 27 and giving up? FFS indeed. Don't let the North down.

Not giving up at all just disheartened I think. I suppose you're right, however there isn't of fixed scene here on Merseyside by the looks of things though (or if there is, it's hard to find). Manchester seems to be 'where it's at'.

I know there is a Liverpool CM, I might pop down one night see if I can proove me wrong.

I love the geometry of the identity and the surly, maybe go SS rather than FG?

Brompton. [/thread ends]

Lopro, arrospok, all the trimmings. Brakless phixeh with bmx pedals or brakless freewheel for summer. Jobbed.

Lopro, arrospok, all the trimmings. Brakless phixeh with bmx pedals or brakless freewheel for summer. Jobbed.

'Early'-life crisis, done properly. Like your style.

I thought while I'm saving I need to ride something. I have an old chrome Kona Muni-mula frame there from 'back in the day', I've also got a mavic 521 knocking about in the shed, does anybody think it's worth rebuilding the mavic on a SS or FG hub and rebuilding the old Kona back up? I'm not sure if it'll be any good fixed, I can only try.

Slow and steady wins the race I think when it comes to picking the new bike, I can't afford to be hasty.

27 is not too old to ride fixed. Fact.

TS still rides* a brakless Roberts with risers and all and he's 60 or something ;)

*walks

I'd hate cycling in Liverpool again. Well for sticking to it. Look at the Kona Explosif. Sliding dropout mean you can ride fixed, sigle speed or geared. Good luck!

Dude, you're ageing exponentially, slow your roll.

Try one out, see if you like it.

^^ I know, I've had a word with myself about it! Cheers. I think it's all because I'm a dad now so I feel like I shouldn't be tearing it up anymore. I just need to get back into is all.

Pifko's suggestion of getting an On One Pompino is probably a very good one. It has eyelets for fenders and a rear rack, which can be useful for commutting. It had brake bosses front and rear so you can run single speed with two brakes. The frame and fork have room for big and comfy street tyres, which you probably want for such a short commute. You can change the tyres for knobby cross or skinny race tyres in the weekend if you're going for a ride in the woods or on the road. It also looks good with drop bars as well as risers, which is something a lot of bikes don't pull off.

I used to love riding fixed in Liverpool as nobody else did it around 8 years ago when I resurrected my old track frame (Kirkby velodrome, those were the days). If it's only going to be a short distance bike, go as cheap as you like and convert any old piece of shit to do the job that fits you. Got to remember the trend for thieving objects which aren't of a permanent nature up there, and even that's debatable. If you like it enough to think about hanging round with some of the liverpool people who frequent here like chickin (sp), then spend some money on your next build.

Of course, if it's style points you yearn, then blow the budget on something tasty. Just make sure you check the 'locks that work' thread.

I can't believe the question hasn't been asked yet but what's your budget? If you have a decent budget then something like the previously mentioned Singular Peregrine would be really nice or maybe a BMW Gangsta Track would be a middle ground for you, something you can throw around a bit as a singlespeed but can also take a set of drop bars for longer roadie spins.

Cheer up Gaz

fuck - can everyone stop posting pictures of Brooklyn Gangsta's with drops on. It's horrible.

Just as perverse as putting risers on a Colango track bike.

@ Garyb

Looking at your old bike set up do you have very short legs and very long arms ?

Er..It's a 4x bike.

There are loads of kids riding fixed in Liverpool these days. I was too [although I'm not a kid] till some scumbag knicked my bike. now i just have to find a new one, or the old one....