Hi,

I'm looking for a bike with the following minimum specs:

- Cromoly steel frame
- IGH hub (3, 7, or 8 speed is fine)
- Under $1000 CAD
- Size: XL or above (I'm 6'7")

And I'm surprised I'm having such a hard time finding something. I'm located in Toronto, Canada. Most of the bikes I've tried that have these specs are either Hi-Ten or aluminum. There are other things I'd like as well (e.g., drop bars, braze-ons & rack / fender mounts, etc.), but they're not dealbreakers.

Something like the Apollo Mark IV is exactly what I'm looking for - but this bike is hard to find around here. Or the Raleigh Tripper. I'm considering the MEC Mixed Tape, but would rather not go aluminum (and have heard mixed reviews on MEC bikes...).

Any thoughts? Any recommendations?

Thanks all

why steel?

Most inexpensive IGH-equipped bikes are made out of Aluminium 6061 or 7005 here, people have really moved on from steel for non-race bikes.

I have No Idea about what tall frames you can find where you live, in Canada... try eBay.

If you find a frame with horizontal long slot dropouts * that is wide enough you can buy the IGH Hub rear wheel..

and have a bike shop do the work to make it all work..

* if it has vertical dropouts you can fit a chain tensioner..




....

Check out the Breezer Downtown 3 or 7, I don't know how easy/hard they are to get in CA though.

Breezer Bikes - Transportation Bikes - downtown

They tick all your boxes, although XL=60cm, I don't know if that's really big enough for 6'7".

Thanks, ya I tried the breezer but it's too much of a cruiser for me, I'm looking for something a little more aggressive (i.e., flat bars).

I'm interested in steel (cromoly most likely) because my understanding is it tends to last a bit longer than aluminum, all other things being equal. I also find it a somewhat smoother ride.

Don't know if you get it in Canada ... but I think these are the best bang for the buck (belt, IGH, hydro discs.) Tend to run between £400 and £1000 depending on options.

https://www.ghost-bikes.com/en/bikes...e-urban-58-al/

Flat bars would be a pretty easy switch

At your size and requirements you might have to DIY. Specialized sells their AWOL Expert frameset retail about $1000. Not sure Canadian cost but I do know their dealers tend to sell Specialized frames at pretty good discounts. I got mine for $725.

Top tube for XL is 625, reach is generous 409, and stack is almost too high at 660. "Swinger" dropouts are designed for just about any drivetrain one could imagine, including belt drive. Full steel frame including fork with generous rack/fender/bottle mounts.

My size large rides nice although it's not the lightest bike I could have built. Color is butt-ugly unless you love primer brown. I have an XL that I built with a flat bar setup. It's a bit long for me but I have a lot of stem length to play with to dial in my fit.

You didn't say whether a DIY was something you'd consider, but at your (our) end of the size spectrum choices are hard to find.

-Kedosto

I've never heard of steel frames necessarily lasting longer than aluminum frames. Yes Alu is going to ride stiffer, but the steel frame needs maintenance and care to prevent rusting, if it ever gets ridden much in rain, snow or other inclement weather conditions, or if you're in a coastal region. You need to take the bare frame and coat the insides with something like Frame Saver Rust Inhibitor. With Alu frames no such maintenance or protection is required.

Steel frames have been around a lot longer, though we probably have enough data on aluminum frames. I don't have that data. Most steel frames have still not died of fatigue or rust, so those concerns are really quite small. One nice thing about steel is the way it fails: gradually, and with warnings, so you don't have things coming apart suddenly causing a bad crash.

Aluminum against steel can cause what I've learned is called galvanic corrosion, and this can happen between, say, a head tube and a steel headset cup. So occasional disassembly and inspection are good ideas, so that blows out your argument about never needing maintenance.

Aluminum frames are durable and reliable enough for most people, but I don't think they have an edge over steel frames. As I said, rust is rarely a problem. Frame Saver is not necessary. It's been applied only to a tiny number of frames compared with the number made.

soooo, don't put steel parts in the Aluminum frame, and you won't have to do any such maintenance.

I'm a hi-tensile guy myself and it's perfect for commuting. Super stiff and I literally could throw my bike in the sea and it's not a problem with the salty air here at all.

No reason to spend the extra money.

Rather go on a holiday.

We get it, bikes are cheap in the EU. Not so much here, for quality stuff.

You've made half the point. Bikes come in a box and get shipped around the world. Why not buy a bike from the UK/EU? It's a global economy man. I just put Chinese steel in my house for example.

Also, why get angry with me for pointing out an economic inequality that should be taken advantage of?

Are the European brands really that readily available? No one is angry, I think you're reading into my post a little too much.

Fairfax SC4 belt......everything except the steel frame, had mine for a year, 14 mile round trip commuting......great bike, no issues

You won't want this but at least it's not a cruiser.

Save up to 60% off new Hybrid Bicycles | Adventure Hybrid 29er Bikes Shimano Nexus 8 Speed Bikes Elite Adventure Sport Trail

Toronto does have a coast and a harbor that accommodates ocean going vessels. However, Lake Ontario happens to be fresh water.

You can find a lot of tall steel vintage frames in Detroit, Mi.

I guess my point about real steel frames needing protection for the salt water is a little overblown. Snow I can understand, especially if it has salt to melt ice mixed in it.

Well I don't know then. I know someone in south Florida with a Surly Big Dummy cargo bike, which he recently did a complete tear down and applied the framesaver to the inside of that frame due to Florida's salt air. According to him it's fairly important for a bike like his that gets lots of daily cargo use, rain or shine.

There is a significantly higher saline content to the seawater when its warm, than when its cold, so spray- mist is saltier in Florida than Penzance.

Although there is a planetary counter current of heavy saline seawater at depth ,

What about Norcos? They are Canadian. I know, not steel. And I don't know about 6'7".

Norco Bicycles

Workcycles, Azor and Batavus are all good options and since they're made for Dutch and Norhoochien riders are good for tall folk. A 73cm should be perfect for you.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

BTW, agree w/ the steel. More comfortable than aluminum in most cases. Probably 90% of bikes in Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Finland, China, Japan, ... are steel.

Perhaps your concerns about the longevity of quality aluminum frames are misplaced, but hey, you want what you want.

So I'm thinking Schwinn Superior or Sports Tourer in a 26" (67cm) frame or a Schwinn Voyageur or Super Le Tour in a 25" frame. Might have to haunt eBay for a while to find one. Three-speed wheel.