Well my budget fixie project is fast becoming a big-budget project I was going to use a crappy tigged steel frame my mum used to ride, but I don't like it. Then I toyed with the idea of buying some lugs and tubes from Ceeway (www.framebuilding.com) and getting my cousin to teach me to braze, but what with uni and the fact it's really hard to build a frame without a jig I don't think that'll happen. So now I'm looking at an Il Pompino (www.on-one.co.uk). It's pretty much perfect for what I want, even in the right colour, and comes with a carbon fork for just £300 (about $550), and canti mounts too (wouldn't have chosen them, but I don't have a choice).

Does anyone have one? Do you like it? Anything else in the 'singlespeed, 700c, racks, fenders, bottles, road geometry' bracket I should look at? I've looked at Surly's page a million times and I still don't like them much (nice frames, just not for me).

Since it has canti mounts, I'll need some new brakes, but cantis or mini Vs? I have road levers so proper Vs are out. I'm thinking mini Vs, they look neater and don't need ugly cable hangers, but I'm open to suggestions.

Finally, does anyone want a tigged steel compact hybrid with a 1" Ahead Look alloy fork, front brake and seatpost?

Check out the picture thread at the top of the page. Somebody just posted their on one on page 17. Very nice looking bike. I too was looking at purchasing that bike, but I got a nice deal on a different frame. I don't really think you can go wrong with it. If you're running conventional drops somebody (dia compe?) makes road levers that work with v brakes for the cyclocross crowd. They are supposed to work quite well. Get it, ride it, report back.

I have Profile cowhorns and bar end levers (much like Bikkhu's bike, but not identical), and besides, if I get the frame I won't have any money left, so new levers are out

I know a guy at my LBS at uni that has one, I'm hoping that it'll be lying around next time I go to the shop, I'll see if I can ride it. He has the same Surly rear hub as me too, should be useful for figuring out chainline and stuff.

I use 51cm Pompino as my messenger work bike - my advice is to get the Planet X-cross fork so you can fit in proper Cyclocross tires (I am now running 35c Nokian Hakkapeliitta snow tires).

Note the 135 mm rear spacing, which basically means you have to get Phil Wood fixie hub (EXPENSIVE!), a Kogswell or a Goltec. Paul components also plan to make a 135 rear soon. Check out https://www.hubjub.co.uk for more info

IMHO get Avid shorty 4 cantis, much better than mini-v's, which are fiddly, bastard to center correctly and leave very little space between rim and the pads.

Frame is great, though

Don't forget the Surly hub, which I have