Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixed/single MTB in Canada?

Hey guys,

I've been riding a fixed road bike for the last year and and half and am completely hooked. So much so that my other bikes get about 5% of their normal usage. I'm looking into getting myself a singlespeed MTB to add to the fleet. The problem is that I can't seem to find many affordable options. I'm not looking at getting a race-ready bike, just something I can have a little fun on. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look in Canada?

I'm totally open to buying from the US, but in the past, duties taxes and brokerage fees always tend to remove the benefit.

-Erik

monocog

monocog

I'll look into them, Thanks.

the monocog is a Redline bike.

The Kona Unit is also an option. I'm not sure if they make any off the peg fixed MTBs though.

Hey guys,

I've been riding a fixed road bike for the last year and and half and am completely hooked. So much so that my other bikes get about 5% of their normal usage. I'm looking into getting myself a singlespeed MTB to add to the fleet. The problem is that I can't seem to find many affordable options. I'm not looking at getting a race-ready bike, just something I can have a little fun on. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look in Canada?

I'm totally open to buying from the US, but in the past, duties taxes and brokerage fees always tend to remove the benefit.

-Erik

Don't know what you mean by reasonable but if Iwas going to buy a s/s mtb, I would seriously consider the Mia from IRO (http://irocycle.com/iro/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=5). The 20' frame and fork is on sale for $150 as well.

Other option is do a conversion. Easy and cheap to do. I've done 3 so far. Halflinks for chains are great instead of chain tensioners as well. Checkout Sheldon Brown (http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html) for ideas. Helped me with my first one. For tooling around town I would go this route.

On the top end there is always Misfit Psycles (http://psyclestore.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_49&products_id=159)outside Toronto. Nice stuff but pricy.

Bianchi, Kona, Monocog all have s/s as well.

Jamis makes a couple singlespeeds. Haro also makes one ... Bianchi makes a few but distribution in Canada is ****.

the monocog is a Redline bike.

The Kona Unit is also an option. I'm not sure if they make any off the peg fixed MTBs though.

Don't know if anyone does an off the rack fixed mtb. S/S for sure. Kona smoke conversion perhaps?

Don't know if anyone does an off the rack fixed mtb. S/S for sure. Kona smoke conversion perhaps?

Smoke has vertical dropouts so thats a no-go for fixed. By 'They' I didn't mean Kona, more like 'they' are 'out to get me' as it were.

Don't know what you mean by reasonable but if Iwas going to buy a s/s mtb, I would seriously consider the Mia from IRO (http://irocycle.com/iro/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=5). The 20' frame and fork is on sale for $150 as well.

Where have you seen the frame for this price?

Click the underlined link in pyze-guy's last post. where in Canada are you?

Thanks for the ideas. I'm thinking about the IRO Mia now, but I'm not sold on the Mech disc brakes though. How easy/hard is the rear to adjust? Anyone have any experience?

-Erik

Misfit Psycles seems to be a Canadian and singletrack obsessed version of IRO insofar as it's a cottage industry and a DIY one-person business, and that's a good thing in my book.

Misfit does 29ers for the most part. Brodie has a bike called the Tryst [http://www.brodiebikes.com/2007/2007_bikes/tryst.php#] with disc brakes and what looks like an eccentric BB. They also have a 1-ball in their clearance section [http://www.brodiebikes.com/2007/online_store/factory_clearance.php]. If you want to run FG, you'll need to ditch the disc rotor and bolt on a cog, or maybe Phil makes a disc hub fixed. The IRO Mia deal is only for the 20" models in red I think, but check the site.

Another option is to build up a rear wheel around an ENO fix/free hub. Then you can stick it in any vertical dropout mtn frame you want. Maybe find an older Stumpjumper HT with canti/V bosses so you don't have to worry about discs so much.

edit:
IRO Mia sale: http://irocycle.com/iro/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=60

i would recommend the iro mia, especially with the awesome deal they have on the frames right now in the bargain section of the website, they only have 20" but yea. its rad, and iro mtn wheels are threaded for fixed. so pick up some of them while you are at the site, and the bike would be coming together easily.

Another option is to build up a rear wheel around an ENO fix/free hub. Then you can stick it in any vertical dropout mtn frame you want. Maybe find an older Stumpjumper HT with canti/V bosses so you don't have to worry about discs so much.


I was really thinking about going the ENO route, but started thinking about how much everything would end end costing me. I decided it would be so much cheaper to buy a full bike, like the Mia, than to piece together something. I actually DO have an old Stumpjumper that I've given to my GF, but I'm not so sure she'd be as happy as I would be if I scrapped her drivetrain to make it into a ss/fg...and my bike is out of the question, since it's a full-suspension (Giant NRS 1)

Keep the suggestions coming.....

-Erik