Bit of background use my old kona caldera 26er (has been run as single speed in past and like the idea of simplicity)as a general workhorse pub bike,trailgator tow bike etc last week discovered a crack in one side of the seatstays so needed to replace the frame so which one of the above would get your vote ( money is not a big issue which ever one i get will be going on 0% card)but can't quite stretch to complete new bike hence frame only
cant stretch to a karate monkey ? that would be my choice over a 1x1 - much more versatile.
edit - for some reason i thought the karate monkey did 29er and 26er .... seems its actually a full bhuna 29er..... Being as im a 29er only rider im going to still suggest get a karate monkey and rebuild your wheels to 29er rims 😀
Surlys are better made, Inbreds are cheaper. I have a Troll, which is a 1x1 with more braze-ons, and an Inbred. I also find the Inbred much more fun to ride as a mountain bike, it just feels livelier, but I don't think that matters too much in a pub bike!
1x1 has been my most versatile bike so far. It's been the platform for all sorts of changes and experiments.
You can fit 29er wheels, 650B+, 26" wheels with 3" tyres (or ordinary), or 24" with 3" tyres. And you can get a Fat B Nimble 3.5" tyre in the standard front fork.
Which is why I have hung on to a bike built in 1998.
Update just pressed the button to order a surly1x1 from Charlie read the above thought about it all day at work and decided the versatility of the Surly won the day 😀