So what I really wanted was either a Singular Hummingbird or a Cotic Simple, however I can’t find anyone that has a small one of either in stock.

Ideally after a proper SS frame, no cable guides for gears, steel, for 100mm to 130mm fork. longish in the TT. EBB or SS dropouts, not fussed which.

What else is there that I might not have considered?

Kinesis Decade virsa – not really taken with it
On-one – no, been there, no thnks
P7 – not a fan of the dropout system and would prefer a proper SS frame with no cable guides if possible.
Charge duster with EBB – can’t find one either
Gary Fisher Ferrous – had one, was stolen would have another in a heartbeat if I could find one, even if it did have cable guides etc.

suggestions for others that I might not have thought of?

unless anyone knows of a shop that has a small of either left…

thanks
Matt

Dialled Love/Hate?
Sanderson Soloist?

Cotic have one Simple in small according to http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/simple

Give them a call!

Simon – i did, it’s an error, they have none 🙁

but thanks anyway

the mk1 love/hate looks nice but I really don’t like the look of the backend of the mk2 for some reason, maybe those big chunky dropouts…

very picky i know….

On-one – no, been there, no thnks

Why’s that?

Considering pressing the button on an Inbred as a winter/night ride hack. Can you convince me otherwise?

nothing against them Jackthedog, I’ve had on-ones in the past, great handling little hack bikes and stonking value.

Just not interested in having another one, I’m looking more for a ‘keeper’ if you know what I mean.

matt

An 853 inbred maybe? My one is a keeper, having tried out a load of other more boutique brands and not finding one I liked as much…

Just not interested in having another one, I’m looking more for a ‘keeper’ if you know what I mean.

Oh right, I see. Ta.

if it’s going to be a keeper why not get one built as you want it, eg Roberts or Rourke (http://www.brianrourke.co.uk/rourke-853-single-speed-mtb-frameset-p-1176.html?cPath=86)

or a Dekerf Solitaire?

both a little bit out of budget I think, was looking around the £350 – £550 mark.

Would love a dekerf if i could afford one.
Those Rourke frames do look rather nice though!

you might find a solitaire second hand? might be worth a scout round.

Just checked out the pricing in conjuction with the exchange rate. Yoinks!

Maybe when £1 = CAD2.25

£550 – £750 is a gap you could talk yourself into bridging if it was a bike for life, but you’d have to be some sort of money-no-object Dekerf fetishist to drop £1095 (plus shipping) on a steel single speed frame.

Ha!

Just been playing with the options on the Dekerf site. A 29er fillet brazed Solitaire with Paragon dropouts and a flippy paintjob gets you to £1,895, plus shipping!

Or how about a Curtis?
http://www.curtisbikes.co.uk/xc-reynolds.html

I have a Sanderson Soloist and really like it – particularly now that I’ve got a second spanner for the EBB.

both a little bit out of budget I think, was looking around the £350 – £550 mark.

Those Rourke frames do look rather nice though!

TBH and i know this is a fairly glib statemnt with a £550 budget for a keeper I’d find the extra 200 for the Rourke – you’ll get a fairly rare frame, built by hand in the UK by a top notch manufacturer – a different class of kit. We’ve got a few Roberts hand made road bikes and there’s something special about having a frame built for you.

p.s i don’t work for rourke!

you might be able to find the extra £200 but £550 is absolute max, selling-kidneys end of the budget for me!