let me apologize in advance, this probably happens often on here, but I was hoping for some bike-buying advice. I know what I want, I just don't know if anyone makes it.

• no suspension, steel frame
• single speed or geared capability (preferably semi-horizontal dropouts, no tensioners)
• disc brake or rim brake capability
• rack and fender mounts
• clearance for 700 x 45's
• fit for a guy 6'4"
• under or close to $2,000 complete

There are some things I've found that come really close - the vassago fisticuff seems to be all of these things, but I'm afraid it will be too small and I've heard the company is on hiatus right now. Same thing with the Rawland Drakkar, I'm worried about the fit. The van dessel WTF is sweet, but I'm not sure about the EBB (any opinions on that?)

What do you guys think? Am I screwed? I'm hoping I don't have to go custom, I don't think I can afford it. (although the Soulcraft Dirtbomb does look really f'ing cool)

Surly Troll comes close. Might be as close as you'll get.

EBB is an excellent way to tension the chain for IG hub bikes .

Particularly rear disc hubs, as the hub/slave caliper mount relation ship is fixed..

note on the troll the caliper has to move by unbolting it
and shifting it in a slotted track, when you pull the hub back.

something with a Paragon dropout , has the hub and the disc mount on the same sliding dropout assembly , so they move together, but i dont think it's as tidy.

disc mounts on the top of the chainstay make fitting a rear rack easier too.

I know I am not from your part of the world but I have not heard of any of these bikes. But Get yourself to a decent bike shop or 6 and pick up catalogues. I recently looked for a style of bike for a friend and happened to go through the Giant catalogue online. They do bikes that I never knew existed and I dare say it will be the same for Trek- Specialised and many more "Known" manufacturers.

I agree with Stap- get to a couple bike shops, grab a bunch of catalogs. Bike shops can't carry everything in a manufacturer's line, especially if it's not a popular style in your area.
I was looking at one of these this afternoon in Portland:
https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/stee...e-roadster-11/

There's also a couple possibilities from Civia:
https://civiacycles.com/bikes/bryant/

Kona does aluminum frames, but otherwise this fits:
https://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dr_fine

Thanks for the replies, everybody. I hadn't thought of the troll yet, good call! Still kind of bummed that it only rolls on 26's though.

As far as the big companies go, I have spent lots of time looking through everybody's websites, and they just don't make a bike like this. Trust me, those are the first places I've looked. I also have a close relationship with my LBS and have talked to them about it, I was just trying to see if there were any smaller companies you guys might know about that we don't here in the corn belt. (like Civia - thanks for that Mr. Wills! That's a cool bike)

Uhm......hmmmmm.................Troll rolling on 650B?

In the UK , the Cotic Roadrat

Take a look at the contact info for Civia- they're one of the brands from Quality Bike Products, as are Dimension, Problem Solvers, Surly, Salsa, and a few more. If your bike shop deals with QBP (which is likely) you shouldn't have a problem getting a Civia bike.

Okay, stupid thought here. But for $2,000, couldn't you just buy two bikes and have all that covered?

In general, if a bike is set up for disk brakes, is there some reason that you can't use rim brakes on it?
In general, if a bike is set up for geared use, is there some reason that you can't convert it to single-speed? (other than the dropouts?)

Voodoo Nakisi is pretty close to what you describe. It is set up with a very interesting drop bar oriented geometry (wacky looking), but it has the rest of what you mentioned. I'd consider it if the geometry design was what you wanted - it's definitely unconventional.

My personal experience with EBB systems has been pretty good. I've had a Cannondale with a wedge based EBB and a Globe with a pinch bolt EBB, neither of which has been any trouble. It eliminates the possibility of the wheel slipping, makes wheel removal a bit more convenient, and keeps you from having to do fiddling around with the caliper as with the horizontal dropout types. Based on my own personal experiences, i'd be pretty inclined to consider the Van Dessel WTF.

I had forgotten about Voodoo. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. But wow is that ugly! Thanks for the tip.

Yes there is a reason: Most modern bikes that come equipped with disks do not have mounts for rim brakes. And many wheels on modern disk-equipped bikes do not have a brake track. Ofher than likely being impossible, it is entirely possible.

This is the only real trooublesome thing here - the disk/rim compatibility issue.

Many Surly bikes have rim/disk brake mounts. I inmmediately thought of the Karate monkey when I read the post. THe only issue might be fit for a tall rider. I am 6'4" and from studying the KM specs I think it might be a little small for me - but I like big fitting bikes. Surly also recommends against using rear disk brakes and a rear rack at the same time... although front disks and rear rim brakes are usually enough.

THe other option (and it is a good option since you have a decent budget to work with) is going with a custom frame. They will put whatever gadgets and nick-knacks on that wish. ANd you can be guaranteed a bike that fits. I have dealt with a lot of tall people buying bikes and there are a lot of people riding around on bikes that are too small. This could be the first time you ever ride a bike that fits!

Another bike that might work:
Kona Unit (but has no rack mounts or rim brake mounts but fit should be good);
Soma 29" MTB (but again, size might be an issue)

Edit:

I just read the OP last statement about not wanting to go custom - why not? It really is the best way to go. You could get a custom frame with everything you want that FITS, slap on a component set off a budget 29er mtb and seel the cheap frame and have the most kickass unique bike around! If I were you I would not be trying to avoid going custom but looking to convince myself or my financial manager that it is necessary. Sorry, buddy, but not many manufacturers are making frames for guys your size, and it is very unlikely that you'll find one that meets all yor strict conditions and have a decent fit.

Have you got a bike now?

yeah, right now I ride a 62cm Steamroller and an "XL" Stumpjumper FSR - they seem to do ok for me, but I'm not that demanding of a rider either. I know that custom is the ideal move, and convincing myself isn't really the problem - it's convincing my wife. She already hates the fact that my Stumpy cost more than her engagement ring did!

Thanks for all of your suggestions, but I'm not really looking for a mountain bike - I'm thinking more of a monstercross sort of geometry. I will be taking this thing on longer gravel rides, bike camping trips, winter commuting, and our local singletrack (which is very flat and smooth). My biggest mistake was buying two very specific-purpose bikes before I bought something versatile like I'm needing now.

I'm building a Nakisi right now. Pleased to say that so far, it's not quite as ugly as you'd think. That stem takes some getting used to, but it's a separate purchase so you can just use a normal stem if you want.

Here's one thing to consider- I got the Nakisi because it takes rim brakes. 29er wheels built for rim brakes (pre-built) are few and far between, especially if you want to run big tires. So I ended up going disc. At which point, I'd probably have been better off just getting a Salsa Fargo...