Fixies - Foffa bikes any good?

[Radius]

The fact is, if you tried to build a bike from scratch with no 'bits box' or prior components, unless you're very lucky, it's not very easily done, but it's still doable at a bit over that budget with the cheapest, but not awful, components.
If we look at probable cost, thinking that things like saddles and seatposts etc. will most likely be new:
Frame: £15 (old steel conversion etc.)
Wheels: £50 (second hand, could be more like £100, this case including cog + lockring but not always the case)
Tyres: £20
Tubes: £10
Seatpost: £10 (maybe)
Saddle: £20
Stem: £20
Bars: £15
Front brake caliper: £15
Lever: £10
Crankset: £30 (unlikely)
Bottom bracket: £10
(SPD) Pedals: £20
Bar tape: £10
Chain: £8

Total: £263

 

[MichaelM]

You'll need a cable for that brake ! Inner, outer, and a crimp.
And probably a couple of headset spacers too.

 

[Radius]

Was thinking maybe brake = second hand with cable of some kind (wishful I know), and quill stem that most likely wouldn't need 'spacers' as such..

 

[4F]

The fact is, if you tried to build a bike from scratch with no 'bits box' or prior components, unless you're very lucky, it's not very easily done, but it's still doable at a bit over that budget with the cheapest, but not awful, components.
If we look at probable cost, thinking that things like saddles and seatposts etc. will most likely be new:
Frame: £15 (old steel conversion etc.)
Wheels: £50 (second hand, could be more like £100, this case including cog + lockring but not always the case)
Tyres: £20
Tubes: £10
Seatpost: £10 (maybe)
Saddle: £20
Stem: £20
Bars: £15
Front brake caliper: £15
Lever: £10
Crankset: £30 (unlikely)
Bottom bracket: £10
(SPD) Pedals: £20
Bar tape: £10
Chain: £8

Total: £263

That seems about right. Having the advantage of lots of spares and being given a fixed wheel by Dudi on here I think my conversion cost me about £ 60.00. I just needed a single crankset, bottom bracket and a chain.

I already had the frame as had been using it for the previous 5 years but that only cost £ 22.00 of e bay in 2004

 

[TW85]

...I reckon that most who have built a bike from scratch would agree that if you're having to buy all the items individually the cost soon mounts up...

£380 is PLENTY to get a decent bike from spares, and it would be way better than one of these

their bikes would be fine if the price was cut in half

 

[chris667]

Well, they're a business, and they have to make money. As someone that likes working on bikes I wouldn't buy one, but you pays your money, you takes your choice.

I don't like the idea of a filed dropout, though. It won't last.

 

[robin IX]

2nd hand road bike £25 (this had all it components still so I just removed all the bits I didn't need)
Wheels £60
Brake lever £15
Tyres £20

Total £120

 

[Rob3rt]

In my opinion:

In general their prices seem to be normal in the current climate of brightly coloured fixie fashion, Manchester's Gbob and the Hippy are similar in terms of pricing to my knowledge.

For £400 you could build your own bike with money to spare or better hardware, or maybe a nicer custom paint job rather than standard powder coat, but the people that buy these bikes are people who dont know how to build a bike or source the parts themselves I'd imagine. Their customer base is probly the sort of people that are fashion concious or want to get into this fixie culture in an instant without buying a Charge Plug Freestyler, which are as common as broken glass and chav spit on major city streets. At the end of the day they are a business that is targeting a current market niche, their prices arent extortionate.

The filling of the dropout does sound a bit odd, but what do I know, I dont understand the nuances of frame stability etc, personally I wouldnt modify a frame at all bar paint job(and the neccessary preperation). Although I have done a chop shop style job on a bike once (chopped the frame up and welded it back together into a different form - finished it up real nice and powder coated it), but that was an a-level project years ago and not intended for anyone to ride , hehe

I'd love a nice looking fixed/track bike some day, but at present I wouldnt have the confidence to build up my own, I took the route of buying a fully built and somewhat ugly track bike that was cheap but track legal and will re-spray it and upgrade it myself and as I learn more about bikes. I mainly wanted it as a training bike that I could rattle round the track on occasionally, so its uglyness wasnt an issue, hehe

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i'm curious about the open-framed ('woman's') fixies; i'd have thought that any lady keen enough on cycling to go fixed would usually have normal cycling clothing and would prefer the stiffer 'man's' frame.

if i was a lady in a flowing skirt riding fixed, i would be very wary of my skirt getting caught between chain and chainring…

 

[Rob3rt]

i'm curious about the open-framed ('woman's') fixies; i'd have thought that any lady keen enough on cycling to go fixed would usually have normal cycling clothing and would prefer the stiffer 'man's' frame.

if i was a lady in a flowing skirt riding fixed, i would be very wary of my skirt getting caught between chain and chainring…

There are tonnes of alternative/retro/vintage/hippy looking girls in their floral dressed and whatever riding fixed or vintage bikes around town(at least in Manchester city centre), I guess its an image thing to some degree rather than a keen interest in cycling.

 

[Please Will You]

A bit of a paradox

I saw a friends bike from these peeps 'brand new' and he had only changed the wheels...back wheel wasn't true.... the seat was seized to the seat post and it was nearly stuck in the tube too. The stem wasn't better. The brake cables were frayed, the back break was a single pivot that looked like it was on there since it was first built....gunk everywhere the same goes for the front. the front valve was broken off on the inner tube...should i go into the state of the bottom cup....what did they pay? £290...shhhh. this person didn't know anything about bikes and they were taken for a ride. this thing had nothing new of what he claims. you need to take someone with you who knows about bikes. it was a 70's bike and that was the tops it was worth. i feel for them because they spent alot wanted to go independent and now its going to cost a whole lot more...unfortunately regulations and paper work get out of hand because of people like this..how do you trust people anymore.
bring it back? some people don't find that so easy because they trust you if u trick in the first place where are you gonna go from there.

 

[danifoffa]

Taking care of your friend's bike

Hi,

it s Dani Foffa here from Foffa bikes.

First of all this doesn't sound like one of our bikes, but even if it was I specifically tell all our clients that every bike comes with a 12 months warranty and obviously I haven't heard from your friend.
It is all very easy to slag other people's bikes on forums but if people don't take advantage of our warranty what are we to do?

I am still more than happy to look at your friend's bike at some point, to rectify any problems with it and 'Please will you' since you seem to know a bit about bikes you are more than welcome to come along yourself.

All the best,

dani

 

[wallaccd]

I disagree with the majority of the above. I bought a Foffa bike three months ago and have never had a problem.

Their customer service is impecabble (feel welcome calling in to get a check-up) and their bikes ride excellently (they let you take them for a test ride)...

Considering the quality of the parts, the bikes are relatively well prices when compared to other SS offerings. Naturally you are paying an additional amount for style and the look of a bike - if you don't care what the bike looks like - don't buy from them.

Magic gear.... They gave me advance notice that the chain would stretch and it was easy to rectify myself...

 

[clarion]

I stopped yesterday to help a lad who was struggling with his Foffa. The thread had stripped on the axle or the non-drive side nut. I was sadly unable to help him. The wheel was really very poor quality.

 

[colinr]

Joined yesterday, first post is dragging up an old thread to defend Foffa? Might be legitimate, doesn't look great though.

Anyway, Foffa has also resurfaced on LFGSS recently, the consensus is that the more recent ones are fine just not consistently assembled, a la Halfords.