Critical Cycles Classic Fixed-Gear Single-Speed Track Bike with Pursuit Bullhorn Bars, Matte Black, 43cm/X-Small

Great bike, put it together with no instructions in about 15 minutes and it was my first bike I've ever built. I've rode it over 20 miles and no problem at all.The box did come really beat up (had a hole which was under layers of shipping tape) the corners where pushed in, But the bike was in perfect shape, they do a perfect job of wrapping everything up so it won't be damaged during shipping. Which is really Fedex's fault.The only thing I feel I need to upgrade as soon as possible is the pedals, only because they're plastic. But other than that, this bike is perfect. The frame and handle bar grips are my favorite part.I took it on a camping trip, being a road bike we didn't want to use them on the trails so we had to walk the bikes with us but it was no hassle at all because the bike is SUPER light!

The right end of the fork is bizarrely asymmetrical & doesn't allow the wheel to fit into the notch. Noticed a past customer experienced this same issue. Reached out to the company a short moment ago. Will update this review ASAP.//Update: aside from the irregular fork end (I'm salty about that), I'm overall really happy with this purchase. So, a company rep replied to my e-mail soonafter, explained how the fork could've gotten bent, shared a video of how it could be bent back. Struggled quite a bit but thankfully managed to get that damn wheel on. Finished assembling & adjusting things afterwards — super easy. I'm so in love with my bike. I love the minimalism, I love the matte all-black, and I love the bullhorn handlebars. I was cynical with parts and quality of materials but upon assembling, I grew respect for Critical Cycles.Two things worth noting: (1) the rear wheel's nuts came screwed in very tightly. Too tightly to loosen w/ the tool provided. Fair warning. (2) getting the bike professionally assembled entitles you to a lifetime warranty for the fork+frame. If I had known about this earlier, I would have taken advantage of it.

Delivery: Received the bike in good packaging. Nothing bent out of shape. They did a good job with making sure things were protected.Set-up: Took about an hour to set up by myself. You may need your own allen wrench set, screwdriver, and a large adjustable wrench for a few parts of the bike. It will also be good to get bike grease/vaseline (not chain oil) for anything you screw in. The only thing really difficult to do on your own is perfectly truing the wheel. But you can still manage to make it relatively close and you can find videos on youtube on how to do it on your own - really not that bad. My big tip is that you should grease what the manual says to grease and TIGHTEN EVERYTHING you can to a reasonable level. Continue to check loose parts the first few rides and stay on the watch for weird noises. If you really aren't sure, I would try to set up as much as you can the best that you can and find a local bike co-op to help you make sure it's all good. They may charge a little bit, but often help for free or donation. Bike shops will charge $25-40, which is a lot for a $200 bike.Performance: (I have had the bike for about 2 weeks now. If anything goes awry, I will update my post. ) - FIT: I am 6 feet tall and got the 57 - fits perfectly. - THE RIDE: I use it to commute to work (6.5 miles one way) and bike around Chicago. Only rode it for ~75 miles so far, and the bike rides very well. The gear ratio is good and it rides very fast. The seat is pretty hard, so it is uncomfortable for longer rides. Your butt will be sore if you have not ridden a bicycle in awhile and decide to go on a 5 miles ride. I got some padded biking compression shorts to wear for my commute to work. - HANDLEBAR: I actually don't like the low pursuit handlebars. I like bullhorns, but I don't like these. Feels weird to hold the middle part of the handlebar and it puts more focused parts on certain parts of your wrist, which just begs for carpal tunnel. There is also no bicycle tape, so you will have to buy that if you want that. It does come with bar grips, which you can probably use if you switch it with a straight bar/riser. I am going to buy standard bullhorns and sell the stock ones on ebay. - STYLE: The matte black is very unique and the bike looks great. I think the white would also have looked great, since the wheels are a strong black. There are some weird stickers throughout, which were a pain in the ass to remove. For some reason the wheels have these white stickers on them where the metal is pieced together (maybe to cover it up?). I took the sticker off, so I hope it isn't some safety/corrosion issue. - PARTS: Pedals are plastic, meaning they have a strong possibility of breaking within the first year. Brake pads are also really soft and after ~75 miles they are about 60% gone. Probably the weakest link on this bike, and I will likely have to get new ones within 1-2 weeks. You will end up spending $10-15 for handlebar tape if you want it and $8-10 for new brake pads within the first 100-150 miles. Inner tubes are also pretty weak, which is about $10 for both wheels. If the pedals break, then $25 more. Just things to consider when buying. So the first year extra costs may be ~$30-35 and $50 if the pedals break.Other options: If you want a little more peace of mind buying a bike online, I would recommend bikesdirect.com. My previous bike, which was stolen, was from there and I can tell that its parts were significantly higher quality than this bike but they are generally a little more expensive ($280-400). The bikes don't look as cool on there though.OVERALL: The bike has some cheap parts, but the frame is solid. The bike is overall very lightweight, good-looking, and rides well. And you have to remember it's only $200-220 (+$30-35 for handlebar tape, new brakepads, and inner tubes), which I think is a great price point for this quality. Barring any major parts of the bike that break, this bike is solid quality for a great price.

I am a regular road biker but I needed a cheap bike to move around LA. For the price the components are pretty decent on these bike. No upgrades needed except for the brake. Here's a detailed review of each component:1.Frame. Not the lightest but still prety sturdy. I found the geometry to be pretty versatile.2. Tyres. Pretty good tyres. Not the best but still pretty decent.3. Wheels. I like the flip flip option. Very easy to use.4.Handlebar grip. Good enough grip. It can be replaced with a $10dl grip.5.Brake. These is where the bike could use some imrpvement. They do work but they are very poorly made. The only mandatory change these bike needs is the brake. Plus I think it would be more benefical to have a front brake rather than a rear brake.6. Pedals and cranks. Good enough. If you live in a very hilly area I would suggest changing the ratio.Overall. For the price these bike is amazing. Bought the green color and I liked it. Very retro.

Great bike for the money. Frame and wheelset look great. Nice stiff ride. Obviously there are a few sacrifices to justify the price; the pursuit bar and pedals chief among them. The bar is a strange shape, and just has cheap rubber sleeves over the ends. I wrapped some good CADENCE bar tape over mine, and it made it rideable, still, the profile is stange and I may upgrade the stem and bar in the future. The pedals are cheap plastic crap. They will definitely need upgrading eventually. Other than that, the freewheel seems a little rough, but so far it's worked well.I'm using this as a weekend / vacation bike when I visit my Dad, and for that purpose and price - I couldn't beat it. If this is going to be your main ride, however, I would suggest investing a few bucks to upgrade the parts I mentioned.Overall, I'm pretty stoked.