Having ridden around on a conversion for the past few years I have decided it is time for a new bike. I work in a not-for-profit bike shop where I receive a 50% discount from their distributor, Babac Cycles. I realize it is more practical to buy a complete bike; however, I live in Canada and most of the online stores with good prices don't ship here. Secondly, Because I am buying parts at cost it ends up being considerably cheaper. The problem is that the only frame which Babac stocks looks pretty low-end. There is a store in my area selling the Surly Steamroller. I know the surly is better but the price seems pretty steep. I read online that the MSRP is 420, but the guy at the store wanted 440 for it. The Babac frame costs only 120$ after discount.

here are both frames for you to compare.

Babac Frame: https://www.cyclebabac.com/en/our-sto...category_id=98

Surly Steamroller: https://surlybikes.com/bikes/steamroller

At that price, I'd be tempted to build up something in-house. If you still aren't thrilled you can probably still sell it for more and then get something else. But just going from a conversion to a frame built specifically for singlespeed will give you quite a different ride already.

For 120 bucks that Babac looks fine.

Same frame material as the Steamroller too.

Any bike without a geometry chart is not worth buying.

good point. Is that crucial information to have when buying a frame? I have no idea about the geometry on my current frame and I've had no problem replacing parts and such

OP works with these bikes. I'm sure he can break out a protractor and figure out the geo if he's interested.

1. A company of worth anything knows that a purchaser would want to know the bikes size and shape.

2. Buying online means you are not able to get a fit on the bike, so you need a geo chart to see if the bike will fit.

Sure the op can find the info, but not publishing a geo chart is a sign of a shoddy company.

Would you buy a pair of shoes without knowing what size they are?

Does the only size that Babac offer actually fit you?

I love how the product listing says it's both a 54cm and a 49cm.

It is available in between the range of 52-60 cm. Each size has its own page on their site.