Critical Cycles Harper Single-Speed Fixed Gear Urban Commuter Bike

Right off the bat, I did a little research and quickly realized after constructing the bike I should have done more.I knew going in the bike would be heavy considering it doesn't have derailleurs and advanced mechanics. The bike is inexpensively constructed, with external cabling (not internal as most bikes are today), and made out of solid steel. Some folks enjoy steel, but I much rather prefer an aluminum frame vs. Although, aluminum commuter bikes also add ~$100 to the price.Brake components and wheels are fairly standard and work well. Putting everything together was a piece of cake. If you are mechanically inclined like I am, you will want to adjust the brake pads and pull of the brake cables. Additionally, you'll want to inspect the rear hub to ensure it was put together properly at the factory.The pedals are plastic and will need to be replaced if you want to attach toe cages.Lastly... the fit... now I am 5'10" and according to the Critical website a Large should fit me. Nope. I have a 32" inseam and the top bar of the Large frame touches my taint when standing above it. Someone who is 5'10" should definitely go for a Medium frame size. Next, I find the force required to move the bike is problematic. I live in Denver which has a little variety in grade, but not like Seattle or Portland and I KNOW this bike would not work there. It is geared for commuting at high speeds and not good for starting and stopping or commuting on hills. Right now I am researching front chain ring replacements to make pedaling easier.Overall, it looks great for $200 and solidly constructed, but the pedals will be replaced and the front chain ring will have to be replaced to accommodate easier pedaling and I definitely should have bought a Medium-size frame being that I'm 5'10".

Critical Cycles Harper Single-Speed Fixed Gear Urban Commuter Bike; 49cm, Sage Green  I absolutely love this bike. As someone who is a competitive rider, I wanted something I can ride everywhere without having to worry... and this is it! I do a 14 mile bike commute on Pennsylvania roads (more potholes than road...) and this bike can handle everything. Even tried some gravel with a little more aggressive tires and perfect. I would recommend this 100x over... though do yourself a favor and change the seat. It is pretty to look at but gosh darn does it start to hurt.

If you’re one of those people who smart enough to convert the metric math to standard, DON’T buy this bike. They got it wrong. But bike for my son and was looking for something around 24 inches which would equal 60 cm. Bought the 57 cm bike, which showed up with 28 inch tires! WTF!?

Pros:- Value- Aesthetic- Customer service/support- AdjustabilityCons:- Seat- Weather-Other manufacturing issuesThis is an excellent value for a bike. It's nice looking and works, but don't expect a precision machined racing bike. Mine had some shipping damage to the fork when I first bought it, I reached out to critical cycles directly and they replaced it at no charge. The seat is somewhat poor quality, the plastic support jutted out underneath the padding and would fray pants as I pedaled, I replaced it myself with  this seat  and it's worked out well. The chain guard is crap and not worth installing but that doesn't matter to me. There's no mud guard so when riding in the rain it tends to splash water/mud onto my butt/back. The brakes arrived a little squishy but you have the tools to tighten them up and they work well. This week, the crank on one of the pedals broke, I submitted a warranty request and they responded in under an hour offering a free upgrade shipped to me.Clearly, I'm fairly nitpicky and this bike is far from perfect, but it's a great bike overall and priced fairly.