Originally Posted by
cooperinchicago
Thanks for all the responses! I stopped into my local bike shop yesterday, and the owner pretty much said the exact same thing you all have said. He suggested the Surly LHT, but unfortunately, that is going to be well outside my price range. There are a few co-ops in the area that I think I might hit up this weekend.
Hey there, Cooper!
It's great that you're going to checkout the co-op option. Many co-ops have bicycle frames alreay available to start building upon. They may even have one in your size. If they do, you might consider having it powdercoat painted before you start your build. If they don't have a frame for you, another option that you might consider, would be to purchase a bicycle frame online. Building a single speed and maintaining it would be a lot easier than having a multi-geared bike.
Chicago is just perfect for single speeds as the gentleman below advocates:
http://voices.yahoo.com/single-speed...ago-57492.html