# Advice on first singlespeed commuter bike. ~$500 6'4" tall.



## DavezFever (Mar 8, 2007)

Alright guys, im looking for my first singlespeed road bike which ill be using to commute roughly 10 miles round trip 4 days a week. Id like to keep the price range around $500 but do have the funds to adjust it higher if needed. I'm about 6'4" so i need something in the larger range. Ive never commuted by bike before and will need to take food / water / clothes with me so im not sure if its best to get something that i can put racks on or just wear a backpack. I think the backpack would be really annoying and hot when the sun is blazing. Everything near me is relatively flat and i want to keep it simple so singlespeed is the way to go, however i don't want a fixed gear. If it has a flip hub that's fine.

Id like to get a new bike now so I can stop driving and then take my time building up my own bike. Ive been searching around and have some bikes in mind but want some new perspectives. 

So yea, im looking for:
- Singlespeed for commuting ~10 miles / day.
- Around $500, can go higher if needed, but lower the better.
- Possibly fender and rack options?

Thanks.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Are you thinking road or mountain geometry? There are options in both camps...


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

my 2cents: get a rigid 29er single speed (khs, raleigh, something like that), maybe change the gearing a bit, and grab wider touring tires (like 40's or so). bomber city set-up!

I've found mountain bike geometry feels less twitchy and seems more "neutral" for people getting back into the sport.
most of the "lower end" 29ers still have rack and fender mounts.
Not everyone's going to agree, but that's my opinion.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ Totally agree.


----------



## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

byknuts said:


> my 2cents: get a rigid 29er single speed (khs, raleigh, something like that), maybe change the gearing a bit, and grab wider touring tires (like 40's or so). bomber city set-up!
> 
> I've found mountain bike geometry feels less twitchy and seems more "neutral" for people getting back into the sport.
> most of the "lower end" 29ers still have rack and fender mounts.
> Not everyone's going to agree, but that's my opinion.


Agreed! I prefer a backpack myself and it's a good way to get started. Once you get used to commuting and know how much stuff you're going to bring, you'll know whether or not you'll need to add a rack. Fenders and lights are a must though.


----------



## Silvestri (Apr 2, 2009)

Heh, good post. I'm in the same camp, same height.

Don't think I want to be riding my FS or road bike either.. 

Looking forward to more replies.


----------



## DavezFever (Mar 8, 2007)

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I was originally thinking of getting something like this Mercier Kilo WT, which looks to be a really good deal. The rigid 29er mountain bike geometry idea is appealing also. I am looking for something fast though. Fast, fun, reliable, commuter. Fenders and lights are a must, im still not sure on the rack, im going to wait how carrying a backpack feels. What 29er model would you guys start out with if you were to go that route?


----------



## Tom93R1 (Jan 26, 2005)

The Novara Transfer from rei looks interesting to me, just a little over your price but not bad. And it's internal 7-speed hub instead of singlespeed, don't know if that matters to you.

http://www.rei.com/product/791145


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

i don't like bikesdirect, but don't let my issues with them soil your choice!
the mercier kilo looks pretty slick actually.
one caveat... you must buy red.
"red wunz go fastah"
 

(says they can handle rack and such so fenders wouldn't be a prob at all, built for fatties, i dig it!)


----------



## BigE610 (Oct 24, 2007)

i was going to get a cheap mountain bike like a se stout but got a great deal on a kona paddy wagon. having never really been a road bike guy ive actually ridden it a lot more than my brand new gary fisher rig. its really nice to have a road bike and a mountain bike i think. with the nice weather its nice to ditch the fat tires and haul. but when the weather goes south i got my mountain bike. 

its also nice to have my mountain bike ready to ride when the weekend comes and have a commuter bike that i can use and not worry about braking expensive parts. i also looked at a bianchi san jose and if i had to buy new id probably buy one of those.


----------



## joss (Aug 2, 2004)

*Trek Soho S?*

I've been commuting on my first mountain bike, but realized that this bike was really way too small for me so I started looking around this year for a better option but in the same ~$500 price range.

I test rode the Trek Soho S and absolutely loved it! It's a singlespeed, looks fantastic and you can put racks on it. 
Specs: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/soho/sohos/
Larger picture: https://www.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/2010/xl/sohos_black.jpg

When I was trying to narrow down my options, I also rode the Soho because my friend was talking up the benefits of the belt drive, but I thought it felt a little sluggish compared to the Soho S.

As I am short, I couldn't find a used smaller Soho S on craigslist, but you've got some options I think: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/bik?query=soho&catAbbreviation=bik


----------



## JudgeMorris (Jun 22, 2005)

I am absolutely loving my Motobecane Fantom Uno.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm


----------



## ksturner3 (Jul 14, 2009)

joss said:


> I've been commuting on my first mountain bike, but realized that this bike was really way too small for me so I started looking around this year for a better option but in the same ~$500 price range.
> 
> I test rode the Trek Soho S and absolutely loved it! It's a singlespeed, looks fantastic and you can put racks on it.
> Specs: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/soho/sohos/
> ...


I have the Trek Soho S, and I absolutely love it. I'll start bike commuting to work next week on that bike. I wish I had the belt drive, but oh well.


----------



## Selftest (Jun 3, 2009)

Anyone know if you can put drop bars on that Soho? That bike is awesome looking, and it would be legit with some drops. Like a bastard CX from Hell.


----------



## SlurpeeKing (Apr 12, 2010)

I picked up a motobecane outcast 29 used for $180 off CL. threw new bars, new stem, new chain ring, chain. I have about $240 into it and have zero complaints. I also put Cheng Shin 700x38c tires on it.

This is a great starter bike for me.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/outcast29_08.htm


----------



## dirt farmer (Mar 28, 2005)

I suggested this to someone yesterday. It's on sale, $200 off regular price


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Selftest said:


> Anyone know if you can put drop bars on that Soho? That bike is awesome looking, and it would be legit with some drops. Like a bastard CX from Hell.


Is there like a rulebook or something somewhere that tells you what you can and can't do with handlebar options? I might be in major violation of something...

And there's something familiar about that bastard CX from Hell...


----------



## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

2010 Dawes Dead Eye 29er SS steel rigid w/ drops. :thumbsup:


----------



## Zirkel (Apr 15, 2004)

Little more than you wanted to spend:

http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes/commute/2010-metro-9


----------



## Zirkel (Apr 15, 2004)

DOH! Somehow ended up with gears on there. Sorry.


----------

