The KHS Flite 100 is KHS’ offering for track racers and bike messengers. Here are the specs of the bike:
Frame: Reynolds 520 Double Butted full CrMo
Fork: CrMo track
Headset: Cane Creek A-Headset
Rims: Weimann SP17 Alloy, Doublewall, black
Hubs: Alloy Flip-Flop Track, black
Tires: Kenda Koncept 700×23c, Kevlar
Spokes: 14G Stainless 36°, black
Chain: KMC Z30
Crankset: FSA Vero Track, 165mm x 48T, black
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Cartridge
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace SS-7600, 16T
Pedals: Alloy road w/toe clips & straps
Seatpost: Alloy micro-adjust
Saddle: San Marco Ponza Lux
Handlebar: Alloy track bend, black
Stem: Alloy 3D Forged, black
Tape: Cork Tape, black
Brake Levers: Tektro alloy top mount, Front Only
Brakes: Alloy dual pivot, Front Only
Color:Flat Dark Gray
Frame Sizes: 50, 53(tested), 57, 60cm (measured center-to-center)
Weight as tested:20.05lbs
Here’s some info about me and my commute: I’m 5′7″, 160lbs and 37yrs young. My commute is 23.6 miles round trip and it is mostly flat. I ride from Whittier, CA to Downey CA in Los Angeles County. 90% of my commute is ridden on the street and the rest is on the San Gabriel River Trail Bike path.
Aesthetics:
The KHS Flite 100’s flat dark gray/black scheme reminds me of a Stealth Bomber; the bike is very unassuming, it has proper track dropbars instead of risers and there are no trendy Deep V rims here. KHS did add a little touch of ‘retro’ with its fork:
KHS also added a front brake to this year’s bike; you can also add a rear brake since the frame is drilled for one.
These cracks on the road help me determine the bike’s ride quality.
The ride:
The KHS Flite 100 is one fast machine: once you are up to speed, you can cruise at 19-20mph effortlessly; if you want to sprint, the Flite 100 feels stiff with no noticeable flex. The steel frame absorbs most of the road chatter; however, the 150 psi tires will make the ride uncomfortable. I usually inflated the tires to 100 psi and I had no issues. The San Marco Ponza Lux saddle is rather hard, but once I dialed it in, I got used to it. The Tektro front brake did a great job slowing the bike down in conjunction with my legs, being able to use your legs to control the speed of a bike is one of the great things of riding a fixed gear bike.
I found the 48X16 gear combination to be adequate for my commute, it does take the Flite 100 a little time to get up to speed, but when it does, it flies. The last half mile of my commute is a gradual incline, it does take a little bit of more effort to get up the road, but that is how your physical condition is improved by riding a fixie/singlespeed bike.
Things I would like to change:I complained about the lack of water bottle bosses, so I asked KHS why is it that they are missing. Their answer was that the KHS Flite 100 is a true track bike that it is used for competition and it is also mostly used by messengers that ride short distances. My solution was to add a handlebar water bottle mount which kind of ruined the look of the bike, but another alternative is to get a water bottle holder that clamps to the seat tube or the downtube. I also didn’t care for the pedals; I know that this is a personal preference, I just like the easiness of entry of clipless pedals.
Should you buy one?
Riding a fixed geared bike is an experience that I recommend trying, not because it is the cool thing to do, but because of how much your pedal technique and your physical condition improves. The MSRP of this bike is $549, which is pretty much the average. Although the bike is a great seller among track riders and messengers, I also think that this bike is a good medium distance, flat terrain machine. If you are looking for a decent Fixed Gear bicycle, check out the Flite 100, you won’t be disappointed.
For more information, go to www.khsbicycles.com
Popularity: 48% [?]
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16 responses so far ↓
1 Ghost Rider // Jul 11, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I like it…super-stealth, and the fork crown detail is a great touch — so much nicer than the unicrown ugliness that usually comes with bikes at this price range.
A couple of stainless steel bottlecage clamp bands from Velo Orange would eliminate the aesthetic problem of hanging a bottle from the bars.
2 mike // Jul 11, 2008 at 6:36 pm
nice bike, no water bottle bosses? is this being sold as an urban bike or as a track bike?
and to nitpitck:
“it does take the Flite 100 a little time to get up to speed”
i’ve never really understood what this means when talking about human powered vehicles. without the rider, the bike isn’t going anywhere - it sounds a bit like a sports car review
3 2whls3spds // Jul 12, 2008 at 11:20 am
You could use a Camelbak…but that might affect the aesthetics of the rider LOL
Aaron
4 Ghost Rider // Jul 12, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Moe likes to squeeze the excess water out of his “Power Rangers” vest…
5 outofluck // Jul 12, 2008 at 6:22 pm
too bad this review came so late. i tried to get this bike back in may and it was sold out already… throughout canada
6 Shek // Jul 13, 2008 at 11:14 am
how does this bike compare against the Redline 925?
Has anyone tried it against the Bianchi San Jose?
7 Ghost Rider // Jul 13, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Shek, the Flite 100 has a much tighter and twitchier geometry than either of the other bikes, which are more suited to road riding. This bike has “classic” track geometry, and might beat you up accordingly.
The San Jose has to be one of the more comfortable singlespeeds I’ve had a chance to ride — fast without being too twitchy and an easy, relaxed geometry that suits commuting and recreational riding better than a track bike.
8 Shek // Jul 13, 2008 at 3:49 pm
@ Ghost Rider
Thanks. Definitely comfort over twitchness. I am just getting my arms around trying to understand how these bikes feel. I think any single speed should be able to give me a better work out while commuting. I guess I should visit the local fixed gear bike store (cycledelic-fixity) to test some out.
9 Ghost Rider // Jul 13, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Oh, you’ll get a workout, alright! Any singlespeed, whether fixed or free, will force your legs to become stronger (unless you gear it like grandma’s beach cruiser…then you’re on your own!).
Cycledelic-Fixity looks like a really cool shop — I caught some coverage of it over on BikeJax.
10 luis // Jul 14, 2008 at 11:15 am
nice bike and cool ride. though i currently live in denver i grew-up in montebello/ela (garfield and whittier). i regularly biked the san gabriel river to long beach with my friends. my dad still lives in downey. great to hear reports from the block! keep it up.
11 davewins // Jul 18, 2008 at 1:53 am
quick question..
is the flite 100 gonna be a bad choice for a 14 mile ‘hilly’ round trip? I do this daily and have been riding in 3-7 on a 24 speed shimano group for weeks now prepairing for a single speed..
but this whole ‘twitchyness’ thing you speak of.. wtf is that?!
Im currently on a giant sadona dx and upgraded to sealed bearings and road slicks for my wheel set recently and i really like um. point is; I hear the stock wheel set on these ’sucks’, are they sealed bearings? am I going to wanna upgrade the things right away?
I ordered one of these things at my lbs a month and a half ago, thats why i ask all these random questions. its late..
p.s. i searched on bikeforums.net, velospace, etc. and there is no damn info on these fkn bikes anywhere, so any help on what to expect would be sweet
thnx.
12 Ghost Rider // Jul 18, 2008 at 6:11 am
davewins, if you’ve never ridden a track bike before, the “twitchiness” is hard to describe…the bike can feel unstable (even wobbly) at low speeds. This is due to the steep head tube angle, short overall wheelbase and low-rake fork. These bikes are designed to be ridden at speed, though, so those attributes are NOT a design flaw.
Don’t believe the hype about sealed-bearing hubs vs. traditional cup and cone hubs. The only real benefit to a sealed bearing is the maintenance/dirt-blocking aspects — cup and cone bearings require periodic adjustment and regreasing/rebuilding. Many cup and cone hubs roll smoother than their sealed counterparts. The wheels on the Flite 100 are nothing particularly special, but they shouldn’t need an upgrade unless you’ve got money to burn.
13 Moe // Jul 18, 2008 at 7:06 am
I would like to address the ‘twitchiness’ factor of this bike, yes, the bike is more responsive than a mountain bike or a hybrid. However, I can say that at low speeds, this bike handles like a mid level road bike. In fact, I think that my Bianchi Via Nirone is more responsive and “twitchy” than the Flite 100 at low speeds.
As far as riding this bike on a hilly 14 mile commute, it is doable if you are in good physical shape but I wouldn’t recommend it.
14 Ringer // Jul 24, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I ride a singlespeed on moderate hills in NH, and I love it. Sure, there are some hills I have to stand up on, but you get used to it. And people think you’re cool. I have an SE Lager, and I find that the gear ratio (not sure what it is off the top of my head) works pretty well on various terrain–except really steep hills, of course.
15 fish // Aug 13, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I love this bike. I live in LA and ride 12.8 miles round trip from Hollywood to Culver City every day and I’ve never been in better shape. I bought my 57 cm Flite 100 about three months ago and It’s my first fixed gear. I love everything about it; it’s fast, it’s pretty and it’s very solid and well put together. It feels like an extension of my own body. I’ll never go back to gears!!
16 brent kirk // Oct 21, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I bought this as a sweet deal.I thought I was getting a single speed but it end up being fixed gear 48×16 gear ratio.I had to relearn how to ride a bike for a couple days,But once I got the hang of it,I decided not to change it to single speed.If you live in NY city the tires do suck.Just keep your air pressure up and its golden And I changed to a 48×18 ratio and It is perfect for fast take offs and climbing hills.Great Bike!!!
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