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i have toshis. they are awesome but expensive.

correct me if im wrong but the toshi's are laminated suede right? and there's all that writing on it that kinda turns me off. ive only see them on pictures... im off to brixton bikes on wednesday and i know they stock 'em so i can check 'em out. ive been told the toshi's are built tougher than the mks'

Anyone have any idea where I can get Errebi double straps?? I've googled the feck out of it and can find nothing in the UK.

Failing that, what are peoples thoughts on the mks doubles as well as the toshi's??

in response to BRM -- that isnt entirely true. Ive tried two off the peg bikes, the surly steamroller and the charge plug. I could easily feel the difference between the two. Correct me if im wrong but the surly feels like a stiffer bike, that might partly be due to the difference in wheels. also the saddle on the charge was much nicer than the velo on the surly. thats the first thing id replace. i spent half an hour on it and my sit bones were so the next day.

THAT! is fucking awesome!

this is the kinda thing that should be done to that f*ckwads window who vandaliseda lgfss bikers bike. its on another thread somewhere.

Bottom bracket height determiners whether / how much you can touch the ground while seated.

should that then be a consideration in buying a bike? or would the inch or so clearance between ballsack and top tube be the best barometer correct sizing in terms of height?

Seeing as fixies are the new in thing and there'll be tons of suited and booted city boy types trying to get in on the action. I think we should have a total noob doing a review as well!

what its like to ride each bike as a fixed for the first time, etc etc. talking about the simplest of details. stiffness, saddle comfort, etc etc.

obviouly im volunteering myself

I figured that bit :)

Can you touch the ground whilst sitting on your saddle? I'm seriously no where near it.

well according to whatamidoing, you should be able to... and that was always 1 rule i knew about ever since riding a bike as a kid. dont know if it applies to road bikes but it does make sense. i can just reach with my tippy toe (1 leg) on a 53.

So how are you finding yours if you cant? and how does yours bike fit while standing over the top bar?

sorry i missed it, i had been meaning to show up with my new bike but that didnt happen so i missed it.

How was it??

Its difficult to say what's the right size frame for any individual because of the everyones different body shapes.

The whole 'you should be able to just touch the floor with your toes whilst sitting on the saddle' is not the best advice tbf.

There are many systems for bike fitting. Here are a couple of points which will make sure you dont buy something unsuitable.

Standover height; Its important that your crotch isnt resting on the top tube obviously. But traditional and compact frames mean standover height is now a minefield. The point made earlier is a valid one re; jeans/lycra. For example on my road bikeat standover with cycling shorts I have around and inch clearance between my ballsack and the tube. The general consensus is this is ideal. Its a 56cm.
on my fixed gear, also a 56cm the top tube slopes alot more and I have a good couple of inches clearance! Its all down to manufacturer geometry.

The bike your talking about is old skool geometry like a track frame so the tope tube is horizontal, I think.

Its important not to get too hung up on that point, as long as you can stand flat footed over the top tube without your pubic bone/balls touching the bar its ok.

The most important factor imo is top tube length. Unless its your first ever bike you will know if you are stretched or hunched when you are riding, fine adjustments can be made via seat fore and aft and stem length and height.

Hope you get the right one.

Thanks man. I'm checking out the size 49 on monday in Brixton cycles and see how that goes. Hopefully that'll be the perfect one. Some are saying the 53 is the right size and some say its too big. Now my problem's reversed, Is there a something wrong with having a frame that's too small? 4 cm seems like a huge difference to me, why is there such a big gap in the surly sizing??

Where does this being able to touch the ground when on the saddle come from? If I was to do that my knees would explode.

i think this was meant when one is stationary. that you can reach the ground while sitting on the saddle.

Hey livingasleep, Definitely go to Brixton Cycles if you're moving to Vauxhall... Unbeatable customer service there IMO... They'll take really good care of you...

fucking brilliant suggestion mate, i just called and they have the 49 in stock! no other shop in town has it! im getting it monday! WOOHOO!

OOPS! Just realised that I posted as my wife. Sorry drunken cross dressing.

Yeah i did! I had to return the small charge plug, the guy at the shop said it was too big but i was being obstinate and still bought it. then a few other people told me it was too big so i returned it the next day. shame that, i waited two fucking weeks for that bike. but now thanks to the help of all these kindly folk im gonna get the 49 steamroller and give that a go.

yeah i was gonna say, it's worth waiting to get the bike you'll be happier with in the long run, two weeks is nothing.

this is true. and i believe i will take this advise. and if possible, id like to buy it from a smaller store rather than evans... i know BLB carries the steamroller so i might check there and so does brixton bikes. any other LBS ideas? Not really many on the isle of dogs so id like an adopted LBS.

somewhere in the east end would be cool. or the vauxhall area since im moving there soon.

Thanks for all the helps guys! hopefully once i get used to my new fixie ill be able to join some rides. and that bike polo looks like wicked fun as well.

"what is your inside leg measurement?? and yes when you arse is on the saddle you should just be able to touch the ground with your toes"

i can stand touch the ground with my toes with one foot, while seated but thats about it, and its a bit of a stretch. so is the 53 too big then?? the 49 is gonna take two weeks to come... i cannot wait that long, i want a bike!

"Steamrollers are solid. From the way you describe it the fit sounds okay. You can always swap to a shorter stem if needs be and you are too stretched out. The crucial question regarding the size which you haven't covered, how much room is left between crotch and toptube when your stood astride the top tube?"

The guy from evans (i will dub him.... bob.) so bob said that im not actually stretched out so the stem is a good fit, when i took it for a ride i did actually feel quite upright. and that I could even put up the seat a bit (it was set quite low)

In terms of how much room is left between my crotch and the top tube, not alot at all... enough that im standing flat on my feet, but the crotch of my jeans were definitely touching the top tube..

sorry i cant be more scientific or precise about this. but thanks for the help.

Alright so I visited an Evan's shop today, tried the small (don't ask me why they size it that way) Charge Plug as well as the 53cm Surly Steamroller.

My heart was set on the plug but I quickly realised even the small is too big for me, which was a terrible disapointment. I then tried the Steamroller which was a better fit by a bit but still on the large side. The steamroller is available in a 49, but I havent seen one and Evan's doesnt stock them and I want a bike now!

According to the dude in Evans the 53 looks like a good size for me in terms of reach to the bars (forgive the lack of appropriate terminology; is that top tube length?) With my ass on the saddle I can just about touch the ground on tip toe (with one foot). Isn't the rule that you can reach the ground while seated??

Anyone know who stocks the 49cm Steamroller?? I'd love to give it a spin. Or any suggestions on other single speeds? Im quite partial to a steelframed bike.

Cheers folks.

medium rabbit x1
medium airfix x1

please!

Cheers!

ooh fun!

patow wow

and

bum chuka wawaw

damn this place is awesome! all those replies in like a half hour. i think ive found my new method of procrastination at work.

yeah so get my ass off the seat. got it.

Hullo!

Just bought myself the sweet Charge Plug as my first otw fixie. (I hope I don't end up killing myself.) The thinking being I'd get used to riding fixed before embarking on a build.

So I was reading Sheldon Brown's site and he talks about "posting" over bumps while not breaking the rhythm of pedaling. Can anyone shed some light on what that means?

Cheers!