TopHatMonkey

(too small I'm riding like a 56 maybe and I'm 6'6), but it seems like they fell off the face of the planet as i am unable to contact them, there is no change in order status and the charges on my account are just pending. Because of this, I guess I am now again looking for a frame set.

I pretty much settled on the idea of having a lightweight steel frame (like the Reynolds 631 steel) for a few reasons:

Location: I commute with my bike in Chicago. As much as I avoid it there are a lot of bumps and potholes.

Price: I just want to swap out the frame and maybe the fork if it is a set. If I was to go to aluminum, I feel like I would need to get a carbon fiber fork and seat post so I wouldn't be vibrating all day.

Durability: As much as I could, I don't want to treat my bike as if i am riding an egg... I beat my bike up a little and I'm ok with that.

Steal-ability: I don't want anything too flashy, too much of an attention drawer... I feel like aluminum frames do that.. I want something low key nice. Something that a thief who knows his **** might steal but to an average thief doesn't look like too much.


Do people have recommendation on good valued light weight steel frames? By good value i mean low-moderate price with moderate quality (not **** quality).




A few extra notes:

It would be nice if the bottom bracket was 68mm shell so I don't have to get a new bottom bracket.. Although thats not that expensive... i care more about keeping the same crank set I currently have.

It would be nice if it would be drilled for a front break.. I like having extra stopping power if something unexpected pops out.. (back break is optional)

It would be great if the seat post was 27.2 mm just so I wouldn't have to buy a new one

Same with the fork size, would be great if it was 1 1/8.. but thats not an issue if its a frame set.. also if it was just a frame, I heard its easy to adapt



I feel.. so... picky....

lol!
sorry...

any opinions?
Open to new ideas as well!

TopHatMonkey

I feel like a mod is going to yell at me for something... haha

TejanoTrackie 

Wabi Cycles Classic fixed gear bike specs

Shotland

This.



You won't find a "light" steel frame for cheap. THe nicer the tubing, the more energy and time they put into making it perfect and beautiful. Maybe a Leader 722 Heritage?
Just my 2¢.

murrellington

I was going to say wabi as well. It also has the 27.2mm seatpost and I'm pretty sure all your other parts will fit as well.

TejanoTrackie 

Also, it includes a good quality sealed headset, so you won't need to buy one. Many framesets don't include a headset.

pwebb

Another option would be a Bareknuckle. They fit everything you are looking for and they run so you'd easily fit a 60 or 62cm. New they cost a little more but they pop up on craigslist all of the time for $350-$450 for frame/fork in good-to-great condition. Bareknuckle's have pretty tight track geo and are relatively tall compared to other frames. I'm pretty sure Wabi's have more of a road bike geo, if you prefer that sorta thing.

murrellington

Nice to know about the headset TT. I can cross that off my to-buy list. I'm planning on buying the wabi frame as soon as I can.

And yeah bareknuckle and wabi both have completely different geo's so it depends what you are after. If you like a comfortable relaxed geo go for wabi. Also at the price you can't beat it.

GhostSS

I say Wabi Lightning.

murrellington

I'm curious to know his budget. Because wabi lightning would be nice but if nearly 800 is too much to shell out for a frame, then the classic is a fine alternative

bbattle

I'd be looking at a used road bike frame. Japanese road bikes from the 80's with good quality tubing can still be had cheaply.

I converted a 70's Raleigh into a nice fixie with a more upright riding geometry than most racing bikes but it felt very nice. Built my wife a nice Fixte (fixed gear mixte) with an 80's Peugeot frame I got for $25.





It's fun and not too difficult to build your own bike. sheldonbrown.com has some good info on how to do it cheaply.

IAmSam

Those are all good recommendations and @bbattle your white bike looks great...

But OP, it appears like you placed your order with IRO yesterday or Tues? Why don't you give him a minute or 2 to get your frame out before you panic? The guy whose thread from a month ago asking about IRO's status, in which you also posted, obviously knows how to find this place and has not come back to complain about non-delivery. I'm of the opinion that you have a good shot at receiving what you ordered from IRO, and considering that not very long ago, they were pretty highly regarded - that frame for the price is not a bad deal at all.

Good luck...

hairnet

In all likelyhood the Wabi will be too small. Biggest size is 61cm with a 58cm top tube, it's going to be cramped. tallpeopleproblems

Germany_chris

I just don't remember how we survived a couple decades of aluminum frames...


Oh wait I do a decent saddle and sane air pressure in the tires...

A cheap steel frame will like ride just a stiff and buzzy as an aluminum frame. If you want cheap then buy aluminum because quality steel is more expensive.

TopHatMonkey

I think you might have a good line of though...
oh and I guess I misread that post, yea it appears as if he ordered them and was waiting for them...
hmmm
LOL
Yea its just I shop for a lot of clothes online and I am used to quick responses and quick ship outs...

yea another member recommended waiting a week... I might do that....

Thanks for presenting me with another perspective!

TopHatMonkey

tall people problems <-----

that

SquidPuppet

I was just snoopin' around the IRO site to see if I could contact them and took a peek at the framestets. I looked at the geometry and I think TopHatMonkey may find the IRO too small as well. The "62cm" has a seat tube c-c of only 56cm and a top tube of only 59cm. Head tube seems short too at 178mm. Uh oh.

TopHatMonkey

How long do you recommend it be?
I feel doomed to ride something too small for me.
On the up side, I have an extended steam... It helps on my current bike.. hahaha

TejanoTrackie 

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespee...ead-first.html

TopHatMonkey

i s a w t h a t c o m i n g

SquidPuppet

I can't make a recommendation because I believe that there are too many geometric and personal variables involved. That said, a professional bike fitter would say that I am riding a bike that is far too big for me. I am exactly six foot tall with normal/average proportions and I feel uncomfortably cramped as hell on a 56cm seat tube.

I saw that you are 6'6" and my gut said..........

Seems odd that IRO labels a bike 62cm when neither the seat nor top tube are anywhere near that.

SquidPuppet

I built a bike on BikeCad using the exact IRO dimensions. I used my saddle to crank spindle measurement and added 3 inches, which is half of the difference between you and I, and set your saddle height there. This is what the bike would look like with a 140mm stem.

TopHatMonkey

Excuse me for my ignorance, what does this tell me >~<"""

SquidPuppet

Do you know your saddle top to crank spindle measurement?
Do you know your comfortable saddle to handlebar drop measurement?

Gimmie those and I can show you what that would really look like, and more importantly, what you'd have to do with stem and spacers to achieve that fit on that IRO frame.

TopHatMonkey

Going to go measure/ bring my bike up because its been outside for too long (thought I was going to ride today so I locked it up outside)
Get ready to laugh at its size. ^~^