Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Is IRO going out of business or something?

Just curious, seems that they offer less and less on their website these days, albeit at lower prices as well.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw Mark V + Pro were taken out of the line up, then suspicion grew stronger when the hubs and rims sale started.

I think they're just clearing out their stock, and making some rooms for new stuff. Possibly reintroducing Rob Roy and Jamie Roy.

New stuff would be fun, but it feels like a going out of business sale.

i dont think so? as i wanted a phoenix frame and they said they'd have my size UNTIL the spring time

edit: typing hard

Maybe getting rid of 2010 stuff to make room for 2011 stuff?

Just bought a set of hubs. So excited for that deal.

glad I have my iro already then.
it would be a shame for them to go out of business. quality bikes at good prices XD

that hub deal has been in place for three years.

Are they definitely reintroducing the RR and JR?

that hub deal has been in place for three years.
Different deal.

Are they definitely reintroducing the RR and JR?

lets hope so. I would be on it haha.

that hub deal has been in place for three years.
Well I am none the wiser as the need for hubs has so recently presented itself. Lucky me.

guess it's hard to compete against the likes of bikesdirect and retrospec

I'd be all over the rob roy, i was thinking about a Surly instead but i'd totally jump an IRO first. It would be a shame if they when away...

I'd be all over the rob roy, i was thinking about a Surly instead but i'd totally jump an IRO first.

I never understood why IRO completely phased the RR out in the first place. Its like a swiss army knife of SSFG framesets. They never even replaced it with something comparable. With this whole monstercross fad, you'd think there would be a market for it.

I have a British Racing Green RR from the group buy that took place a few years ago..that was the last of the RRs. Mine has been set up just about every way possible. Used it this morning in the snow with cross tires and 38x16.



It doesn't appear to me that they are cleaning out to make space for new....looks more to me like they are trying to get rid of whatever's left and not replacing it with any new stock. I like IRO....I hope they stick around.

The market has changed in the last few years. I remember when IRO was the go to place for budget fixed gear frames and parts. Now, people want $50 frames and $6 parts, etc etc. It's a shame.

I never understood why IRO completely phased the RR out in the first place. Its like a swiss army knife of SSFG framesets. They never even replaced it with something comparable. With this whole monstercross fad, you'd think there would be a market for it.


SS/FG RR GB in orange:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=183036&d=1292970723

Sold to a gent in NYC, complete with S/A S3X x XL-FD x Chukker x Nokian setup.

Rob Roy RIP. Not sure why they dropped it; Phoenix is a completely new deal, not a replacement.

Rob Roy RIP. Not sure why they dropped it.

IDK. Maybe it didn't sell well? If I were interested in that sort of frame, I think the Surly Cross Check would be a better choice with its horizontal dropouts.

IDK. Maybe it didn't sell well? If I were interested in that sort of frame, I think the Surly Cross Check would be a better choice with its horizontal dropouts.

IRO should have redesigned the RR instead of just chucking it. Judging by the group buy participants, it didn't sell as well as IRO's more road-oriented frames, but thats not exactly surprising considering it was a cross frame. However, it had and still has a very steady fan-base. The Cross Check is a good substitute, but the RR was considerably less expensive and would still be today if it hadn't been retired. Plus IRO allows you a lot of customization when ordering complete bikes from them, which would have given it a pretty substantial competitive edge over a Cross Check.

The problem with IROs lineup since they retired the RR (and the JR) is that they aren't much different from a million other offerings out there. The RR was a bit unique, and even today there aren't many frames out there that are anything like it selling for what the RR sold for.

The problem with IROs lineup since they retired the RR (and the JR) is that they aren't much different from a million other offerings out there. The RR was a bit unique, and even today there aren't many frames out there that are anything like it selling for what the RR sold for.

^^^ this. The Phoenix is unique, but not a replacement, not a sscx frame, and commuter IGH ready frame seems like a much smaller market than sscx. Scratched my head at the decision to replace instead of add-on and continue production of the RR and JR... but I am not a small frame/bike mfg, so what do I know. They got the numbers in front of them. If the Phoenix is dropped and there's a new run of RR/JRs, I guess that might answer the question.

Rob-roy group buy?

Different deal.

theres effectively no difference.

One deal offers fixed/fixed and colour options while the other is just fixed/free and black.

I'd say people like the fixed/fixed deal more than the fixed/free one.

are the new ones fixed free only? mine from long ago are double fixed.

There are options for fixed/fixed or fixed/free.

Regardless of new deal or old deal or whatever you two are bickering about, I so badly want to pull the trigger on a set of crap to build some wheels up. Too bad textbooks > extra wheels.

are the new ones fixed free only? mine from long ago are double fixed.
The bargain basement deal no longer offers the fixed/fixed option. :( All out of stock.


Too bad textbooks > extra wheels.
Extra wheels = extra money to spend on bike AND textbooks. :thumb:

http://nedgrace.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/fdr1.jpg

iros deal isnt quite as old as fdrs, but its close.

Extra wheels = extra money to spend on bike AND textbooks. :thumb:

Definitely does not compute. I may just have to take your word for it...

what's weird is they now show the discontinued 29er on their home page. i'm pretty sure they removed all images of the 29er when they dropped it from the lineup.

Definitely does not compute. I may just have to take your word for it...
The profit is not great enough for me because of the shipping cost, otherwise I'd be lacing them up and selling them.

How much is the shipping to Chicago?

Shipping to campus is about $10 for one wheel worth of parts. I don't think I'd be able to make much money on wheel building, since I've never done it before. I might build a pink set for my lady, though.

Shipping to campus is about $10 for one wheel worth of parts. I don't think I'd be able to make much money on wheel building, since I've never done it before. I might build a pink set for my lady, though.

haha lets do it. group buy. you, me and brian XD

man if they brought back the JR i would be all over that so many times over!!

Somebody asked about smaller (HD) frames on the Iro Facebook page yesterday. Their response was:


Thank you for your interest in Irocycle. Sorry, but our 46cm Mark V HD is currently out of stock and is not projected to be back in stock for at least 6 months. I would be happy to place you on a waiting list to be notified by email when they arrive. Please let me know if you’d like me to do this. Thanks.I'm not sure how long it takes to replace stock, but I doubt it takes that long. It'll be the middle of summer by then. Sounds like they might be trying to reinvent their whole lineup.

That's how long it takes BD to restock their bikes sometimes... but then again, I don't think IRO is a BD-type operation.

That's how long it takes BD to restock their bikes sometimes... but then again, I don't think IRO is a BD-type operation.

Yep. I think IRO is definitely not a BD-type setup. The last time I checked.

IRO was initially started in NY but then moved to Penn to their own factory. And everything was made/assembled in Penn. The steel/tubing might be from a supplier. That is what I am not sure of.

what made iro popular before was that they sold cheap bikes with road geo but fork ends for fixed use.

the market has since exploded for street fixies, and iro isn't dirt cheap anymore by comparison.



local dealer for iros stopped carrying them because the price they have online is cheaper than what he could sell them for. he says they're clearing everything out and making a bunch of new models. who knows if that's gonna happen though.

When they did group buys way back when I am fairly certain the frame were not made in the USA and it took a while for everyone to get their bikes from the time Tony placed the order. I think it was something like 3 months.

Yep. I think IRO is definitely not a BD-type setup. The last time I checked.

IRO was initially started in NY but then moved to Penn to their own factory. And everything was made/assembled in Penn. The steel/tubing might be from a supplier. That is what I am not sure of.

LOL. They are made in Asia like just about everything else.