Giant Fixed gear

[twowheels]

I was in my local bike shop today, saw a black Giant single & fixed gear (flip the rear wheel) bike for sale. No model name on the frame.
Checked out on line and found it is a Giant Bowery as in link below, has anyone else seen these? not in Giant Australia on line range.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bik ... 274/29363/

[dr.gonzo]

I havent seen one but i want it!!!

What sort of dollars did they want for it??

[leguman]

gonzo,

I've been speaking to my LBS owner about the Bowery for a couple of weeks. I can't remember the retail price, but I'm sure it was well below $1k. Maybe $700 - $800?? I haven't seen one in the flesh yet.

It's a pity that they'll only be importing them up to size L, which will be too small for me I'm going to have to keep searching the kerbs for a good sized frame to build a fixie with.

[thomas_cho]

Kona do a similar spec fixie for abt $800, its called paddy wagon. Steel framed.

[HappyHumber]

I only learnt they were bringing the Bowery in Australia yesterday when at my LBS. I am the like the one FG rider that appears there from time to time and the bloke I deal with tends to let me in on the little bit of FG gossip when he sees in the local/domestic industry.

I am pretty sure the list price I saw for the Bowery was <$700.

I have seen a couple of Specialized Langsters here in Perth to.

I know quite a few of the other big name manufacturers offer an off-the-shelf fixie, or at least fixie ready model. But of those names that are available in Australia, not many bring in these models. Giant might be perhaps doing its bit to buck that trend.

Personally if I were in the market I would look at the Fuji Track. It mightn't quite be street ready, sans brakes and brazes ons for panniers/racks/guards etc. But at least it's steel & real.

[twowheels]

it was $695, with a pretty cool Giant courier bag hanging over the top tube, not sure if the bag was included in the price or not. at cyclemania, north perth.

[vee_dub]

I would not buy giant bowery, because there are thsi bike call Schwinn Madison ( http://www.bikepro.com.au/Product/11437 ... peed-Bikes )

Comes with brakes and everything u need to get on the road. Singlespeed or fixed wheel.

[bikevic]

i am interested in this bike as well.

it's cheap and looks ok.

anyone have comments on it?

Schwinn Madison is more expensive.

[HappyHumber]

Despite being a bit more exxy, I like the Schwinns 'cos they're steel. I think they'd make for a longer lasting bike. I'm not much of a fan of the compact geometry of the Bowery, either. I saw a Madison in the flesh at Georges Bike Shop in Applecross some weeks back, quite nice.

Apparently they're all chromed underneath the rather nancy shade of blue - I saw a pic of one recently (wish I could remember where to link it) where it was stripped backed to the plain chrome. Schwinn - Schweet

[gsxrboy]

I was chatting to a shop about it on Thursday, the thoughts were it was brought in mid season to gauge response. It sold very well, selling out it seems ! at $675 or so as a list price.

Note, this next bit is part conjecture and part potential

No more will be brought in until the 2009 models hit, and it may then come in as a mutli model bike, i.e. a base model as this current one, perhaps one with a carbon fork etc. A Bowery with carbon fork for $800 list would be a nice bike indeed.

[cray-]

Re: Schwinn Madison

Apparently they're all chromed underneath the rather nancy shade of blue - I saw a pic of one recently (wish I could remember where to link it) where it was stripped backed to the plain chrome. Schwinn - Schweet

I don't get it, chrome underneath paint? Surely the one you saw was just stripped and then had the steel polished? Can anyone confirm this, maybe it's a way of getting a metallic color, like chrome with a transparent coat over the top. But how then would you only get the top layer off. I dunno, just doesn't make much sense to me, especially on such a cheap bike.

Anyway, saw the Madison in a catalogue at Bikeforce Myaree and it had a 699$RRP on it I think. Because they'd have to special order it, I don't know if you'd be able to get it for much cheaper. But a proper sized steel frame is more appealing than the compact [ally?] Bowrey frame, even if it's only a starter bike.

[MichaelB]

Masi also do a fixie as well.

If it was sold in Aus, wouldn't have to have at least one brake by law ?

[cray-]

Yeah I saw the Masi's in a catalogue as well, but I thought I saw it in bright orange with blue decals that looked quite cool. The website doesn't show this color option:

http://www.masibikes.com/cycles/speciale_fixed.php

http://www.masibikes.com/cycles/speciale_commuter.php

Bikeforce quoted about 1300$AU for the Soulville

http://www.masibikes.com/cycles/soulville.php

[NotTim]

Bikeforce quoted about 1300$AU for the Soulville

http://www.masibikes.com/cycles/soulville.php

And I still want one, would need to find a suitably retro looking rack and lights for it so I could use it as a commuter.

[tallywhacker]

Cray, here is a pristine Madison and this may have been the one that HH is talking about. Looks nice either way

[MichaelB]

What is the obsession with REALLY narrow bars ?

[itsaghostcar]

What is the obsession with REALLY narrow bars ?

I think it's more to do with fashion than anything else, although narrow bars make it easier to navigate in between cars. I've accidentally clipped someone's mirror because of the 60cm bars I had on a bike ... but I'd call that excessively wide.

[HappyHumber]

.... and this may have been the one that HH is talking about.

Yes, indeedly; that was it! But those chopped bars - yeegads

I think it's pretty rare these days, but painted over chromed steel bikes used to be a lot more common. I'm sure I have read references elsewhere to people finding older bikes with tell-tale chromed fork ends and chain & seat stays - stripping them back to redo the main paint, only to find the rest of frame was chrome. It was a good rust inhibitor on better quality frames back in the day - I think - this just a vague recollection of what I've read.

[cray-]

Cray, here is a pristine Madison and this may have been the one that HH is talking about. Looks nice either way

Aaaahhhhh, chromed tips, of course. I know chroming involved dipping the metal into various liquids, I guess they have to submerge the whole thing for it to work. Or maybe its just easier.

I didn't realise about the tips, thats why it seemed quite strange to chrome an entire frame and then paint over it. So next question, how do you get rid of only that top layer of paint?

RE: Fixed Masi: here is the color scheme I thought I saw in their current catalogue: http://masiguy.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-r ... ak-it.html but Masi Guy says its a production sample. Maybe the catalogue was for the new stuff coming out or maybe those colors where just on a different bike. Getting all confuzzled now....oh well.

[HappyHumber]

I didn't realise about the tips, thats why it seemed quite strange to chrome an entire frame and then paint over it. So next question, how do you get rid of only that top layer of paint?

Chroming (aside from something deliquent kids do) is actually a chemical/electrical plating process and bloody tough to remove; unless it's a poor quality job and the rust wins over with time/scratches etc. Aside from the aesthetic value of shite & briney things - it's damn tough & resilient.

Painting is a relatively simple process in its application and a lot less permanent in its finish.

I'd imagine a chemical stripper, as opposed to sanding, would do its job nicely on a painted-over-chrome surface.

Once again - I'm no expert... just a sponge for little factoids here & there Wikipedia complements this nicely

[GaryF]

You'd often find Bianchi's and Cinelli's fully chromed but painted over. Probably other Italian Marques as well.

There have been Aussie bikes treated in a similar way. I've seen a really nice Heartley with transparent blue over chrome - really nice effect.

There is an old 5 star MS that was owned by Hubert Opperman, on display in a pub in Geelong, that appears to be chromed underneath the orange paintwork.

With the bike manufacturers now building singlespeeds will there be a decline in the conversion of older steel frames into singlespeeds?

[HappyHumber]

With the bike manufacturers now building singlespeeds will there be a decline in the conversion of older steel frames into singlespeeds?

Depends on the market I guess. Some people are more willing to tinker and convert. Some people with can lay down their well saved moolah for a quicker 'fix'

'sfunny. I was planning on building my Steamroller from a ground up frameset. I had about half the necessary parts when I learnt that DirtWorks were only bringing in the complete bikes for 2007. After a bit of deliberation; and deciding my heart was set on the Steamrollers robustness and value generally, I dished out the few extra hundred I had budgeted for the frame.

The stupid thing is - I rode it complete; maybe 3 or 4 times. I stripped all the parts and built up an 80s MBK frame with the running gear from it. Rode that for about 9 months, stacked it buggering the fork and have now built up a kerbside find 80s Ricardo as a fixie. The stock S'roller running gear is now on it's third bike.

The S'roller frame sits sanded back with a light layer of surface rust in my shed still waiting the big paint job & build up.

I seem to enjoy the clunkers more, somehow

[rocketeer]

Noticed on Giants website there will be a new Bowery for 09. Rang a couple of places today, can't find when it will be in shops yet, but I think i will be down for one as soon as they are out.

Can't link yet, but it reads:

Whether you’re a messenger, or just on a mission, the lightweight ALUXX aluminum Bowery is the fastest way across town.

Key Features

ALUXX Butted Alloy Frameset
Single Speed drivetrain 46 x 17T
Sealed High flange track style hubs
Freewheel or Fixed
RRP AU$695*

[IdealCyclesWA]

09 model:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bik ... 535/32525/

[Mulger bill]

Nice, gotta find one for a test ride.

Shaun