hairnet, the only reason im considering the butcher is its completely built like i want. flat handlebars, large tires, decent petals and seat etc... the wt would need new pedals seat and bars and brakes immediately before i even ride it. that at least a couple bills to modify to my liking. i know the kilo is a good base to build off but it would cost almost as much as the butcher before i was done. also the butcher site says it comes with a front brake included...
decisions decisions...

But the butcher is a trick bike... and you arent doing tricks. You can get the Kilo WT set-up(or one of many other options) for well under $800, and have a solid commuter.

i thought you guys were anti bikes direct im surprised you are really trying to push the merc. i will take your recommendations seriously and continue to shop around. the wt was first on my list and is still a contender, but that butcher looks super sturdy. i hate buying cheap crap and i know there are people here who dislike the mercs but it looks like not so many people have experience with the butcher...
is it so much different than a track bike? i wonder if its really heavy...

hey whats the difference between a 16 17 and 18 tooth cog?

The thing that sucks about the Kilo is the wheelset, but if you go overhaul the hubs and tension the spokes then everything should be good to go. It's a take on the Surly Steamroller, if you care to buy that instead.

Can we go back to talking about snacks now?

hey whats a good solid gear ratio for flat in city riding? the butcher offers a 45t/16t ratio and i wonder if that would be a good combination for the riding im looking to do.

ok ill bite... whats the difference between a trick bike and a commuter?

A trick bike is mainly meant for short distances a la trick riding while a commuter is for commuting.

so its because the frame is heavier? why cant the butcher be a commuter?

I actually don't see why you can't use a tricktrack/FGFS bike as a commuter, as long as the saddle is raised to a reasonable level.

It's against the rules.

Buying the butcher and using it for commuting is like buying a hummer and driving your kids to soccer practice.

So, what's wrong with that? Lots of folks here in the great state of Texas do exactly that. :p

There is absolutely nothing "wrong" with it, its just stupid

Wut, u callin' us Texans stupid? :mad:

Depends, do you drive a hummer to soccer practice? hahaha

Nah, that's for wimpy soccer moms. I drive a Bradley with a gun turret and armor plate.

Maybe you should get a butcher for your commute then :p

Absolutely, I always do stair drops and bar spinz on my commute.

If there's nothing wrong with it, why is it stupid? Because you said so?

Probably makes more sense than riding your typical brakeless track bike on the street (which I happily do, mind you).

That was in reference to driving a hummer to soccer practice.. and yeah I do think that would be pretty stupid.

Sweet!

ya i want to be able to take the occasional stairs or curb and not worry about my frame braking or a wheel turning into a taco. based on my very newbish opinion i think that the butcher would be a great commuter. i could even go in the dirt if i found a short cut to school. ive yet to find a better bike for my style of riding... but still lookin : )

check out this quote i got from a customer with tricktrack.org on the butcher:
"I've put about one hundred miles on this build in the past two weeks. It's the best riding commuter I've ever owned. It's literally everything I've wanted in a bike"
how can i argue with that?

If you have $800.00 to spend then look at the All City Big Block. I just bought one from City Grounds for $699.00. I made a few changes to it, but stock it is a pretty sweet bike. I had a hard time trying get off of mine tonight thats how much I like it. You get a great frame, Alex R450 wheels with Vittoria Zaffiro slicks, cane creek S3 headset, All City 612 cranksv(blows my sugino messengers away as far as stiffness is concerned), a good bottom bracket, tektro brakes etc. etc.

Here, check it out
http://www.allcitycycles.com/bikes/big_block_complete/

Cross tires, bro.

Was that directed towards me, bro? Not sure but if so the tires are slicks.

Directed toward the OP, but feel free to look into them.

That's not very much riding for 2 weeks