Originally Posted by
PandaExpress
If you can clarify a bit, why would you recommend that one over the ones I have listed?
And to everyone, how much would it cost to put together a single speed bike from scratch? I have some parts already that I can reuse, but they're rather limited. The only reason why I'm reluctant to buy a used bicycle from craigslist is that my area seems to highly inflate their price.
I immediately thought of the IRO Phoenix because you mentioned that you were looking for an affordable SS commuter that can accommodate a rack. The phoenix has mounts for racks, fenders, and water bottle cages. It also fits tires up to 700x32 with fenders while many other (affordable) frames with horizontal dropouts don't have as much clearance (the only others I can think of off the top of my head are the Surly Steamroller and the Voodoo Maji, each of which being marginally more expensive). The frame is made out of 4130 CroMo Steel (this material has a much smoother ride than aluminum and is lighter/stronger than HiTensil steel) and has housing stops. These allow you to run a rear brake without having to use full length housing (most SS/FG frames don't have these housing stops).
Other than that most people seem to be very satisfied with IRO's products and operation. From what I hear the dude Tony is a swell guy.