Looking for a 29er with rigid forks with full-length 'guard capability – ideas?

Considering changing my commuting bike but need help identifying potential replacements.

Current bike is a flat-barred Cotic Roadrat. It’s evolved over past 6 years as my commute’s become more offroady (young family means my commute’s sometimes the only riding I manage so I’m keen to make it interesting). Roadrat’s currently wearing 42mm CX tyres with full-length SKS’s and fork clearance is bawhair tight. I’ve looked into changing the fork to allow a bigger tyre, but Paul @ Cotic’s warned me about trying to make it into something it’s not intended for.

A did consider alternative forks for my Roadrat (and asked on here) but it’d be a significant outlay which I’d prefer to save towards a potential replacement.

Basically I’m looking for something similar but with greater clearance for wider tyres and mudguards.

Criteria:
* Comfortable ride – I’m partial to steel but wouldn’t say no to anything as long as it’s comfortable.
* Flat bars (not drops).
* No toe overlap.
* Discs.
* 29”/700c.
*Eyelets for full-length mudguards (or capable of taking them easily)
* Clearance for 2.0”(ish) tyres combined with full-length mudguards (something like a 29×2.0” Smart Sam).

SKS Blumels appear to come in 700x65c with a tyre limit of 29 x 2.1-2.35” so I’ve got those in mind.

I initially looked for flat-bar ‘gravel’ (eh?) bikes but they all seem to have drops which I‘ve tried and hate. So moved to looking at 29er HTs with rigid forks. As an ex-SSer the likes of a Singular Swift frame & forks really appeal and seems to tick all boxes but I don’t know if I’m missing any alternatives.

I wouldn’t say I’ve got great knowledge of what else might suit, so any suggestions of frames and forks very much welcomed.

Ta.

Spa cycles Ti Adventure.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3108/SPA-CYCLES-Ti-Adventure-%28Flat-Bar%29

Along the same lines as a Swift, a Salsa El-Mariachi.

I had mine with those exact SKS guards and 2.1 SB8’s. Only mod needed was some insulation tape and a ziptie for the rear guard stays. The forks have guard mounts.

Worked just fine although I went back to my drop barred commuter as I needed a MTB for MTBing and swapping guards was a PITA even with spare wheelsets.

A Jones can take full guards. There are a few pics of them kitted out with them on his website. The Jones bar would be a perfect for your requirements as well given the options for hand positions.

I love STW. OP asks for recommendations for a commuter in the same order of magnitude as a new set of forks would cost.

A Ti hardtail and a Jones.

Didn’t Genesis do something that fitted this bill at about £1000. I want to say Latitude but I may have the model wrong. It had some bent back type bars too.

I obviously meant longitude. I’ve never ridden one but I did look closely at it as a utility/riding with the kids option a year or two back.

inbred? Cheap. steel, steeper geom so with a long stem good for road esq riding. I have set mine up in different ways from touring to trail by swapping components such as stem and bars and it works well.

Along the same lines as a Swift, a Salsa El-Mariachi

Flat bar Salsa Marrakech might be better? I fancy one when the Hybrid of Doom is no more.

Actually the Spa ti adventure is a good commuter. Frame wont rust and will last, its got proper and adjustable gearing, an old school durable bottom bracket, rack mounts for a pannier, a 36h rear rim for added strength over potholes and for a modest fee they’ll build up the wheels with a front dynohub. Frame will always be worth good money later.

I’ve got a cream swift, and it doesnt have any mounts anywhere for anything, you’d have to buy the new ones that Singular sell for rear rack mounts and fork mounts etc.

I was in a very similar situation, so built this up 2nd through eBay and forum. bored of riding to work on roads to decided to play in the woods more.

Cost just short of £400 all in.

Charge Cooker frame and forks,
Six drivetrain/Deore Cranks
Alivo brakes
Shimano hubs on alex rims
Schwalbe marathon mondial 2.0 tyres (bombproof)

I have some mudguards to go on it in the bad weather, (from spa cycles) will use p-clips on the rear as no eyelets.

I’m guessing you could pick up a charge cooker frame and some steel forks cheap and swap you bits straight from your cotic.

Spa cycles Ti Adventure.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3108/SPA-CYCLES-Ti-Adventure-%28Flat-Bar%29Not a bad shout. I’ll away for a close analysis.

Along the same lines as a Swift, a Salsa El-Mariachi.

I had mine with those exact SKS guards and 2.1 SB8’s.Another good suggestion, thanks.

A Jones can take full guards.

Thanks, I’d already considered them but just a bit rich unfortunately. I couldn’t own a Jones without a truss fork and that just makes it even more out of reach!

I love STW. OP asks for recommendations for a commuter in the same order of magnitude as a new set of forks would cost.

To be fair I didn’t mention budget. Given STW that may have been a big mistake…

Didn’t Genesis do something that fitted this bill at about £1000. I want to say Latitude but I may have the model wrong. It had some bent back type bars too.

By coincidence I recently picked up a Latitude on eBay. It got me looking at the Longitude – haven’t ruled out it completely but the frameset’s yellow is bit much for a commuter for me.

inbred? Cheap. steel, steeper geom so with a long stem good for road esq riding. I have set mine up in different ways from touring to trail by swapping components such as stem and bars and it works well.

Have heard they’re a bit harsh hence I’ve ruled them out.

Flat bar Salsa Marrakech might be better?

Not enough clearance unless I go without guards.

Charge Cooker frame and forks

I’ll take another look, hadn’t given it much time so far to be honest.

Thanks to everyone so far. I’ll check all out.

surly ogre

With similar needs (and a flat bar Cotic Escapade), I went for a Surly Ogre – which is nearly complete, but I’ve not ridden yet.

Other than the Roadrat, there weren’t many frames coming close. Versatility is the main selling point: it’s easily turned into a MTB or tourer, depending on your inclinations. There’s room for 2.5 tyres, suspension forks and a million braze-ons.

I’d only add that my Escapade frame was a lot lighter in the lifting weight test.

Is the Pinnacle Ramin One https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ramin-one-2015-mountain-bike-EV207300 cheap enough to be able to bodge guards onto? Don’t think it has eyelets that I can see..

Giant Tough Road.

Outstanding value for money, too.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/toughroad.slr.1/25002/90530/%5B/url%5D

Surly Karate Monkey – awesome bike, and very flexible

Another vote for the ogre.

Singular Swift frame and forks ordered. Thanks to all for suggestions but nothing appealed more to me than the Swift. Was very tempted by the Ogre too but prefer the looks of the Swift.

You won’t regret a Swift.

Well actually you will. You’ll take it off road once, remove the guards and have to build a new commuter 🙂

Happy happy happy 8)

Looks great 🙂

Not many bikes look right anymore with a tripple, but the ‘muddy touring’ look suits it.

Bloody hell wish my commute looked like that.

I must admit the first thing I did when I saw the pic was stalk the OP, Falkirk apparently.

That is quite a commute!!

Mind you, not so fun in the pish/snow/sleet, unless you’re up for some slidey fun!

Impressive stalking. Callendar Estates trails in Falkirk. Fairly tame but well built/designed and good fun on this sort of bike. Direct route house/work is 5.5km tarmac (and -160metres…). Always go indirect and off-road on way home, anything from 14km to 25km. That route was 21km: 9km gravel canal path, 9km Singletrack, remainder road. Yes I’m lucky.

Actually a 2×10 build with 36-46t chainrings with 34-11t cassette. Not quite muddy yet but getting there 🙂

And been using some cheap Schwalbe ice spikes for past couple of winters. Hate them but effective.

more photos please + which mudguards did you choose?

And the boring garden photo:

Mudguards are 700x65mm SKS Bluemels – a bit disappointing so far as they flex and rub more than the Chromoplastics on my previous bike. Only happens on fast/bumpy cornering offroad, to be fair I’m pushing the limits of their intended use and I could probably improve things with more tweaking. Plenty wide for the 29×2.2 Ikon and 2.1 Tread Lite. Rest of the build’s a mish-mash of spares and new bits. Old Hope XC hubs, Stans Arch, 2×10, barends(!), oldish Thomson bits. Might as well enjoy myself on what’s my most-used bike.

@a11y

Is that a surly fork or the singular one?

Just bought this last week. Put a smaller sprocket on the rear to give it a better ratio for commuting and got rid of that god awful chain guard. Special offer £350

That new colour scheme on the Swift is nice. And a very nice commute.

Top work, this. 🙂

It’s the Swift Touring fork rather than the standard Swift fork – extra eyelets for cages and guards.

Inbred 29er