# SE bikes



## JohnnyTooBad

My LBS (Nat'l chain) carries SE bikes. I looked them up on the web, and they are primarily a BMX company, but they have a couple of SS bikes that might make decent commuters. The lowest end, the Draft, is a complete SS build, on sale for $199. They also have another model, the Lager, for a really good price.

I was just wondering if there is anyone with any experience with SE's SS bikes, and looking for opinions.


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## VaughnA

I think that I saw one at a local (Nat'l Chain, PBS) a couple of months ago. Cheap cranks and parts but just to get a frame and wheels for the price seemed like a good deal to me. A great beater bike for riding to the pub.


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## BianchiJoe

SE Racing built a huge following in the 1980s with their BMX bikes designed by Scot Breithaupt, who many credit with essentially inventing the sport.

Years later they were sold to Fuji. General consensus is the quality dropped substantially, as many of their famous designs got revamped or dropped.

Now they seem to be enjoying a resurgence under Todd Lyons, whose designs are more like the old days, but with modern geometry.

All that aside, the street bikes have some potential, but note that the $199 Draft is made of Hi-Ten steel, and thus should be avoided like the plague. The $520 Lager looks to be much better, but there may be other choices in that price range worth considering; same with the $1000 Premium Brew. I see no immediate red flags to scare you off, but no substantial advantages that these bikes offer, either. I'm looking forward to seeing them in person; their distribution has gotten much more widespread--I even saw an SE bike at Performance.


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## JohnnyTooBad

Thanks guys. Good info Joe. Yeah, the Draft is listed at 27.5 lbs! For a SS! yikes, that's heavy. The Lager, even though the MSRP is $520, is getting ****ted out by PBS, for really cheap (under $400 if I recall correctly), and weighs in at 20.5 lbs. There are other, similar bikes I like better and have a good reputation. And if those other bikes are going just as cheap, I may just avoid the SE due to all the unknowns.


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## BianchiJoe

JohnnyTooBad said:


> I may just avoid the SE due to all the unknowns.


Don't get me wrong - I was a HUGE SE fan back in the 80s when 24" and 26" cruisers were as hip as fixies are today, so don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. They certainly know a thing or two about bike design, and it's not like there's all that much to screw up on a fixie! If you can get a Lager for $400, that might be a great deal. But you're right in that they're a bit of an unknown entity where fixed gears are concerned. 

The SE bike I'm lusting for is the new version of the OM Flyer - not quite as cool as the old school version I used to have, but pretty hip nonetheless!


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## anthony_coley

Old thread I know, but I'm going to pick up a Lager today. That chain store mentioned above has one for $399 and if it fits me I'm going to buy it. I figure for $400 it's hard to pass up...

I'll come back and post my thoughts when/if I get the bike..


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## slozoff

I can't complain much about my Lager. Got it on sale at performance for $360. The wheels are good, Tires are pretty cheap. Cranks are not that good. Pedals SUCK (toe strap and toe clip must be removed...they are aweful. But the frame is very sturdy, not flashy, and the bull horn handle bars are great. O, and the brakes are not great either. I still have mine as a single speed and am debatin when/if i should turn it into a fixed gear. But for right now its really fun to ride around. It's the first bike I've bought for myself and will be taking it off to college next year. The weather there will be brutal in winter so i wasn't going to drop a ton of $$ on a bike. Overall, it was a great choice.


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## Val_Garou

Perfect bike for college. Don't put any money into it.


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