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    Steel frame geared bike?

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    39 Comments

    1. PartyAnimal75 on

      That Crust in the first picture is steel, geared bike. Bomboras are great all-arounders but not super cheap.

    2. pic_of_toes on

      Depends on your budget, but the first picture is from a bike company named Crust and they might just be what you’re looking for.

    3. thejoshwhite on

      If you flip through this sub you will see many examples of people who put more modern parts on older steel frames. It takes more work but buying used is often a cheaper entry point. That being said there are lots of companies like Crust or Black Mountain cycles or Primos who are making what you are looking for.

    4. Smaxlax on

      Steel hybrid bikes might be what you’re looking for like 90s early 2000s trek multi-tracks

    7. __-___-__-__-__- on

      I bought an All City Space Horse which is a steel gravel bike.  They’ve since stopped being produced as far as I’m aware.  Surly and State are two other brands that sell complete steel bikes.  

      You seem to be new to bikes so I wouldn’t recommend building something up from scratch just yet.

    8. raptoroftimeandspace on

      The State 4130 All Road is steel and a great entry point to gravel or just a wide tire clearance frame. Also can recommend their 4130 single speed; I own both. Probably the best bang for the buck on the market right now unless you can snag a used Surly.

    12. Dangerous-Run-6804 on

      Super broad question.

      If looking for a new bike, Ritchey, Crust, Surly, Marin, Kona, Soma, New Albion and State ,are all readily available modern steel bikes that fit the general aesthetic of this subreddit.

      You will tell very quickly which are the more economical brands. I love the Marin Nicasio (and Nicasio+) as an everyday modern steel bike. It’s very cost effective for what you get.

    13. Jetstreamer on

      Surly has good bang for the buck and have a good variety of bikes to suit your riding style/environment.

    15. kupofjoe on

      All but the very last picture you’ve posted are geared bikes. Only the last picture is not geared.

    16. Mistergardenbear on

      i’m so confused, all the bikes except the last one you posted have gears…

    18. The_Folding_Atty on

      I gather from the photo of the Moser and some others that what attracts you about the look is the basic round-tube, double-diamond form of the bikes, as opposed to the highly sculpted alloy and carbon frames more common today. You might look at r/multitrackgang here for a look at common Treks that have been updated.

      These are older steel bikes equipped with (some) updated components. Generally, *most* older bikes are going to be updateable without too much trouble, because hey were built in an era of (relatively) standardized construction, and this continued into the 9-speed era. You do need to watch out for things like 27″-tired bikes, because the wheels those used have pretty much died out, and there can be issues with rim brakes when moving from 27″-compatible wheels to more modern but slightly smaller 700C (sometimes AKA 28″, though that’s not really accurate) wheels, or to even smaller (but equipped with much larger tires) 650B wheels.

      But there are “new” manufacturers working with this sort of frame as well–Crust, Velo Orange, Public, Rivendell. Or you can go custom for $$.

    19. irvin999 on

      The Omnium CXC and Mash All-Road frames are based on track bike (fixed gear) geometry, but with gears.

    20. sharkystarky on

      Surprised I’m not seeing anyone mention Primos Dame. Perfect for what you’re looking for USA made steel 650b out of Portland. Fun colors/designs, budget friendly, built with quality components. Check out my post history to see mine. I live in Atlanta and would take mine to the mountains to ride gravel or road no problem.

    21. broom_rocket on

      Fixies have simple aesthetic that kinda goes away with brakes and cables for derailleurs. The second picture you posted is the closest look you would be getting(although that’s an aluminum bike so the frame tubing could be thinner).

      You want to find an old steel road bike and do a flat bar 1x conversion on it to look like the second pictured bike. Sure there are some steel frames today but most don’t have the horizontal top tube fixies tend to have. On vintage bikes you would have skinny tires and rim brakes. If you want fat tires and disc brakes you would need to get a modern frame and built it up, but this is getting farther from the fixie aesthetic

    23. Meirvan_Kahl on

      State bikes. Maybe they’ve got a decent one for your needs.

      The first pic, crust… Is quite expensive. Id stay away from it(for now).. unless you want to go down that rabbit hole 😅

    24. paintedflags on

      I rode a steel track bike all over Seattle. If I can do that there, you can do that in North Georgia.

    25. this_guy_finks on

      Check out the MASH All Road if you want a geared bike from a fixed gear company.

    26. MahatmaAndhi on

      On One Bootzipper is full steel. They’re a British brand. Not sure what US availability is like. I think it’s £1,000.

    29. Thats_That_On_That on

      My wife and I both have bomboras and hands down it’s my favorite bike in the category. 

    30. Far-Resource3365 on

      I think you can buy almost any steel bike and install Shimano Alfine or something like this. It will be geared but rear hub will be little bigger with no rear derailleur. I will go with Marin Nicasio because Marin is only US brand that sells in Poland and 2025 green Nicasio looks very pretty.

    31. iCTMSBICFYBitch on

      There are thousands of barely ridden bikes from the 90s in garages, lofts, cellars. They were steel bikes when steel bikes were cutting edge and for very little money you can pick up a bike that would have cost four times your budget new, and get it worked over at a repair shop. If you’re min/maxing for a round the world race it won’t do the job, if you’re looking for a retro-cool bike that’ll ride nicely and last forever, pick a retro bike that rides nicely and has already stood the test of time.

    32. simp_biscuit807 on

      I dont know if you have them in your country but, my country has a lot of Japanese/korean surplus/thriftshop and most of them have every decent steen frame bikes.

      I got mine from one of them for abount 40 usd, and served my very well. The only upgrade i had to do to it over the years was buying new tires, a derailleur and a sweep back handle bar (for comfort). I used as my do everything from buying groceries and biking to school. Sadly, the bike was stolen a a month ago and im still trying to find a new one.

    33. wannabe_biceguy on

      I second what others have said, but want to emphasize the accessibility aspect of getting into cycling. If you’re looking to get into this sport/hobby/lifestyle, State or Bombtrack are two brands that sell **good quality reasonably priced steel frame bikes** with decent modern standards so that you can upgrade in the future if you ever want to. They also specialize in gravel or ATB bicycles, which I genuinely believe offer so much more to people ‘getting into’ the sport. If what you want is basically what’s in the picture, check out those two brands first!!

      In my opinion, road bikes are often uncomfortable and designed for speed and efficiency, which aren’t always the most appealing qualities for someone who hasn’t really ridden a lot.

    34. TheGreatManitou on

      Check Wilde or Black Mountain Cycles, both offer framesets as well as complete builds.

    35. Alert-Jellyfish on

      First bike just check out Facebook marketplace. You don’t wanna buy a whole ass 1,000 dollar bike and maybe not even enjoy the sport.

      Be sure to research what size you need based on height.

    38. espressocycle on

      The used market is packed with steel bikes with multiple speeds. I have a 40-year-old Japanese bike that is a blast to ride.

    39. pl74 on

      Genesis (I have a longitude, they don’t make it anymore, which is too bad, it’s a true swiss army knife)

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