Looking for a suitable frame to move an IGH over for my commuter, so I need the horizontal dropouts. I've thought of the Pake C'mute and the surly cross check. Any other suggestions?

Used is often cheap enough (craig's list), but you want new, I guess..

an IGH without a coaster brake and you can add a chain tensioner to a Vertical dropout frame.

you got any Bike shops around you? what do they sell ?

China and Taiwan make a lot of frames sold under various brand names, Pake one of them.

There are now several copies of the Cross Check frame at various price levels. The Surly is going for big bucks of late because its versatile. It's not a magical/specially made frame, so I think any of the other options is probably as good. Bikesdirect has a steel cross, Nashbar has a steel SS cross, and the lowest price I've found on an Cross Check is actually Retrospec Amok. Seems to be a clone frame of the Cross Check.
https://www.jensonusa.com/Cyclocross-...ocross-SS-Bike

I don't think Retrospec did any research when specing the rear cable routing. But seems like a good price.

There are about a million (not an exaggeration) older steel road bikes out there with horizontal dropouts. Craigslist, bike swapmeets, your nearest dirtbag bike shop with used frames in a pile. I bought my commuter's frame for 20 dollars and it weighs less than a Surly.

yeah, no friends in the CX realm there but as an urban bike/commuter option its versatile, fork eyelets too. I have no idea on the actual tire clearance though, never seen one but came across it at $380 for a complete bike it was tempting to try it out as a knock-around/lockup bike.

Origin8 CX700
https://www.origin-8.com/product-description/?prod_model_uid=7399
Product Details

• 4130 Triple butted heat treated chromoly frame and fork
• Disc and Canti brake compatible with Removable cantilever brake mounts
• Custom machined dropout with integrated tensioners
• 27mm ovalized chainstays w/ 2.1 (52c) clearance
• *2011 Black version (machined head tube; alloy head badge; 200g lighter weight)
• Horizontal dropout with derailleur hanger
• 6.1 lb weight (50cm)
• Designed for 38T x 48T or less rings (MTN crank)
• 27.2mm seatpost; 1 1/8" Threadless headset
• 68mm bottom bracket shell

Our Price: $299.00

I like it but it's about the same price as the nashbar single speed cross bike, https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...86_-1___203559 and the BD Moto fantom uno, https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm.

kinda wished I found that Retrospec bike when I started looking. I ended up buying a BD Fantom Cross Uno, moved to a hilly area, and sold it to buy a Fantom CX frame and dressed it up with my parts bin. Would have been easier to stick with the same frame

Keep in mind that the Retrospec dropouts are spaced to take a rear cassette (if you want). The Nashbar and Uno are not.

The difference being it has dropouts that can be changed to geared for the future.
Not a shill for that frame but if someone is looking to only have one frame I think its a good option to look at versatility. I have a lightweight geared CX so I opted for an On One Pompino for a fixed/SS commuter.

The Origin 8 I've seen in person, yes, good choice for a all rounder, more of a disc 29er/tourer. The thing is no lightweight!
The Bikes direct steel geared CX bike is a direct clone of the Surly but can't be bought just as a frame unfortunately.

what is the spacing on your IGH? a lot of the SS-specific frames have 120mm spacing, which is for a singlespeed/track hub.

I was going to recommend the On One Pompino, but note that it has 120mm spacing.

No, it is not.
Neither is a CrossCheck or Straggler.

Surly Straggler
54cm = 4.74 lb (2.27kg) Fork—uncut = 2.3 lb (1050g)

Origin8 CX700

• 6.1 lb weight (50cm) frame and fork

Another option not yet mentioned is the Handsome Devil.

Didn't know the weights were the same on the straggler. I would have thought they'd have been able to do a little better than that.
This is one of the reasons I went with a non-Surly at this point. You're paying for the name way too much. I loved my CrossCheck, don't get me wrong, but sold it because I could make way more than what I paid for it and then replace it with a cheaper option.

Here's one in Amazon with free shipping

https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Fix-Cycle...rds=bike+frame

Don't forget that the Strag comes with ED coating, which adds a little weight. But besides all that, you're not paying for the name (maybe a little), but all the R&D and innovation that goes into the bike. Surly has come out with some pretty unique and ballsy ideas that they took a lot of risk on. It took some of those ideas time to "catch up" (ie Fat Bikes, SS, etc), but thanks to them, we have some pretty cool bikes to trounce around on. And even inspired some to cycle to the South Pole on a bike. Other copy cats can profit off of them and even (afford to) under cut their prices, but I like to "reward" and support innovative companies who took all the risk.

There's the IGH compatible Fyxation Quiver at $300, too: https://www.fyxation.com/products/quiver-road-frameset

You might want to look at using an eccentric bottom bracket instead. My Giant Seek 0 came from the factory with IGH and an EBB. It works fine and when I have to take the rear wheel off for something, it just goes right back on without fiddling about chain tension.

It may not be the cheapest, but the Kinesis Crosslight 5T is interesting...
https://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/produc...sslight/five-t

I bought one of these. Clean fab, aligned, beautiful paint. And, uh, a boat anchor - for that price you want an egg in your beer? It built up into a nice IGH light tour/commuter. They list it as "track" but I stuffed a XRK8(W) into the fork ends without any problem - OLD must be catholic.

This.