Opinions on Charge Plug bike or fixed wheeled bikes

[B16JUS]

me and a friend are thinking of getting one each of the below

we both have mountain bikes and this would only be used in the road not really any hills about etc not fussed about speed etc just a nice ride

any comments about the charge plug or fixed wheels would be gratefully received

[B16JUS]

just found this maby also a contender



these are just lovely




all from brick lane bikes i drive past there every day they always got alovely one in the window wonder if they are expensive

[snotrag]

Regarding the Charge plug specifically - Its really nice - I like the bar setup, its a well made frame, but is very heavy. The Specialized Langster is a much more flighty maching and comes in a fantastic Martini Racing colourscheme.

Regarding the current fashion for people buying 'fixies' - Utter, Utter toss.

Yes, we sell them at work. Be mad not to. But it is purely a fashin thing which is driving sales - very faddy and 'en vogue'.

The fact is - for 99.9% of people they are a stupid idea. They are dangerous and impractical. They are a step backward. They wreck your knees. Many people are getting involved in accidents becuase they havent got any freakin brakes.

I beleive the Plug costs about £600. If you want a bike for 'just a nice ride' you would be infinitely better off with a proper Road bike, or a Hybrid.

While I appreciate that there will be X amount of riders who have ridden fixed for years, or who race track, the fact is that on the whole, nowadays Fixie = fashion victim.

[mchammer89]

Agree that if you're going fixed, the Langster is a better bet than the Plug, much more nippy and agile. Disagree about the Martini livery though, all the Langster city editions look horrible and tacky to me, at the minute they've got a nice BRG one and a nice polished silver one. I myself bought a Langster a while back, and have since fitted bullhorns similar to the Plug (except a few cms narrower) I definitely prefer riding fixed over riding geared on anything that doesn't have steep uphills and steep downhills, before getting my Langster I had been riding for a year, and i'm a pretty skinny guy, and my knees are fine, and it's not like i'm going slow on it either.

P.S. You can pick up a second hand Langster for around £200

[B16JUS]

cheers for your comments guys, im not into the fashion thing its just most couriers around the city use them and we thought give one a go.

will look into the specialized not keen on those hanle bars i like the wide straight look but i spose thats easy changed.

brake wise i was thinking could be dangerous maby a front as a back up

hopefully a fixed should need no maintenance and less to go wrong too

i cant belive how quiet they are when they go past is it a combination of the tyre and being fixed ?

[Wooderson]

As you're in the East End, take a look at the 14Bike Company based in the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. They're a fairly new outfit, but I'd recommend them. I've just collected a new track wheel they built for me and it's an object of beauty. You can buy off the peg for about £5-600 (I think) or get something custom for a lot, lot more

Oh, and deinitely get a rear brake for when you're first riding fixed. Provided you've got the right gearing (i.e. not too high) you'll find that you have plenty of control of the rear wheel with just your legs.

[mchammer89]

B16JUS said:

cheers for your comments guys, im not into the fashion thing its just most couriers around the city use them and we thought give one a go.

will look into the specialized not keen on those hanle bars i like the wide straight look but i spose thats easy changed.

brake wise i was thinking could be dangerous maby a front as a back up

hopefully a fixed should need no maintenance and less to go wrong too

i cant belive how quiet they are when they go past is it a combination of the tyre and being fixed ?

Yeah I changed my bars to these:


Great bars, can get them for around £200, would advise spending too much on your first fixed, just in case you don't like it, if you go for a second hand OTP you can sell it on for how much you bought it for.

[Hard-Drive]

I agree with the above comments, I think it is a fashion thing, however just look at some of those pics, there's no denying that those bikes are seriously cool, I guess in the same way that a VW beetle or camper is a seriously rubbish car but they have a devoted following and there's no denying that they are really beautiful if done properly.

I still want to try the fixie thing myself and need to persuade the other half that she needs a Langster in my size on her cycle to work scheme next year...the polished ally one looks good but the martini rip off looks tacky...should have gone for Gulf GT40 colours instead! Bit worried about the hills though...I'm not a city dweller!

I love the Plug in blue, so much in fact that when my very tired old 1980's Claud Butler was due a rebuild I copied it...

[mchammer89]

About the comments about whether it's a fashion thing or not, it is a fashion thing, however, it's a fashion because of messengers using them, messengers use them because they're better through traffic (it's much easier to regulate your speed) and they're also lighter, and looking after them is a piece of cake, the only thing that can really go wrong is your front brake, as opposed to your front brake, rear brake, front derailleur and of course the rear derailleur, i've had my Langster now for 7 months, and I bloody love it and can't see myself ever getting rid of it, I can't see any way in which it could be better, and that's the truth.

Like I said before, if you're thinking of taking the plunge, go for a second hand OTP so that should you not like it, you can sell it for the same price, and don't make a big thing out of flip-flop hubs, no one that I know that has them uses both sides.

[Mekon]

Yeah, fixed is much easier to ride when I am uploading to trashbat on my wasp t-12. It's totally fking mexico.

Edited by Mekon on Friday 8th May 07:48

[beanbag]

When buying my Sirrus, I was originally planning on getting a Langster. I then took it for a test ride and ended up on a hill.....end of story.

It looks utterly superb and I still would love to get the Langster Monaco, but it's just not always practical.

Mind, I see a lot of cycle couriers using them but their leg muscles are the size of my torso!

[sebo]

Mekon said:

Yeah, fixed is much easier to ride when I am uploading to trashbat on my wasp t-12. It's totally fking mexico.

Edited by Mekon on Friday 8th May 07:48

Hahahaha, that made me chuckle.

/Picks up copy of SugaRape

[B16JUS]

Wooderson said:

As you're in the East End, take a look at the 14Bike Company based in the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

went there this morning they have got some lovely one off bikes in there.

J

[Wooderson]

If you don't want to go crazy on the customs just yet, I'd recommend a Fuji Track as a great first fixed. Only about £300 making it superb value. More agile and plenty lighter than the Charge Plug and you'll look like less of a wannabe. It does comes brakeless as standard, so budget another £40 for a caliper and BMX lever.

Then get yourself over to the Herne Hill Velodrome next saturday for the 10am training! (minus the brakes of course)

Edited by Wooderson on Friday 8th May 16:05

[timnoyce]

I'm in the process of putting together a fixie using old bits and pieces. It's going to comprise of an old carrera mountain bike frame and the creme de la creme Rolf Vector Pro wheels on really skinny slicks. I am still not sure of what gear ratio to go with as I live in south devon, and it is really hilly!

I will post some pics once I have got that far!