All City Big Block

Just been looking at different frames on the net in my spare time and came across these frames/completes. Complete comes in at £799 and is made of 4130 Chromoly steel, frame would be about £350 I should think. The rest is what you would expect to find on a complete but they say no part is "begging for an upgrade". Its got there own hubs which I read about else where, they dont have bad bad reviews on them...

Look pretty strong and has funky track ends, not sure if I like them!

Opinions?

nice track frame that can fit big tires
its a frame that id love to own!

All I'm thinking is, what would make me get this over the Charge Scissor?

This is not a trick frame where the charge is if your thinking polo, I reckon it would be perfect, they do are cyclocross frame as well!

All I'm thinking is, what would make me get this over the Charge Scissor?

It could be lighter (in fact it would be hard to make it heavier!) and it is available complete where I don't think the Scissor is, is it?

I have recently reformatted my Scissor and it is pretty close to that (got rid of scissor forks and replaced with whisk to save 500G as I didn't need the strength)
The nice thing is the scissor (even with whisk forks) can comfortably fit a true 35c tyre. Does the All City take 35c?

It looks like a nice fixed gear bike for hammering round town, not a trick/polo specific frame.

this is designed as a street fix in a similar vein to the surly steamroller i beleive

It could be lighter (in fact it would be hard to make it heavier!) and it is available complete where I don't think the Scissor is, is it?

doubt weight play an important part, the Gorilla and the BMW launchpad are quite heavy despite being expensive.

get a dropout! http://allcitycycles.com/bikes/dropout_framesets/

and you can run rear bmx brake if polo/single speed is your thing! Its definitely on my list.

doubt weight play an important part, the Gorilla and the BMW launchpad are quite heavy despite being expensive.

well it is down to you whether weight plays a part as you asked why you should get one instead of a scissor :-)

I think the complete vs frame only is an important point though.

All I'm thinking is, what would make me get this over the Charge Scissor?

the fact that they are designed completely different things?

The Big Block is a killer streetfighter/track day ride. I love wat it handles in the city, and with a relatively high BB, is well suited for the track.

If you get a complete, it is a pretty dope build right out of the box. AC hubs spin super nice-much nicer than a lot of others in that price range.

Another big plus IMHO, is the ED coating applied inside and out before paint. living at the beach, salt air is pretty bad. But as for winters where they salt the roads, it sure as hell beats having to framesaver your bike every season.

I honestly really love the way the bike rides and handles. Plus, Jeff (the man behind A/C) is a really nice guy.

Bringing this back from the dead hoping some people have experience with these? Looking for a modern steel track frame and forks, and fatter tyre clearance makes these look like a good bet for something that can take a beating? Opinions on how they ride?

I'm currently (very slowly) building one of these up. Will let you know how it rides once it's done!

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/284163/

I had one few years back. I think it rides great. Nice one bike to rule them all frame especially for people who prefer less bb drop and steeper ST & HT angle than for example with Steamroller. Also a lot cheaper than Mash Work (has less tyre clearance of course though should fit most 35mm cross tires tightly). Only thing I´d change is the seatpost binder bolt --> separate collar.

Yeah I'm waiting on one too, will report back once I've ridden it for a bit. Sadly not in the same fetching lavender colour which will no doubt dampen the riding experience.

Did you buy the white one for sale on here?

I squeezed 32c gravelkings on mine, but it was tight.

Yup, really like the idea of a track(ish) geo with generous clearances. Not a fan of white frames so will probably respray at some point. Plan is relatively spinny fixed and 32mm tyres so that's good to hear. Following your build thread obviously!

I have one. Lovely bike, very nimble.

Yeah I've got to agree now I've ridden mine for a bit. 32s are fine for commuting and training rides alike. Any pics of yours @Pish ?

Here it is - shortly after I built it. I sorted out one or two things since then - and it lost a lot of paint (the candy red version wasn't very u-lock proof)

What's the general consensus on these? I have a Bianchi Pista & a beater Fuji, and I want to get rid of both and just have one bike that I love and don't need to worry about. I was considering a Steamroller, but the geometry of the big block looks like it will be more nimble?

No idea about steamrollers as I've never ridden one but the big block has been a solid commuter and occasional trainer for me. Would buy again.

Nice build! They look pretty solid! Are they fun to ride? I think I'll have to wait a while for one to come in, in a 61...

but the geometry of the big block looks like it will be more nimble?

How? both are heavy, have similar track geometry, and make decent everyday bicycle, except the All City is a little longer than the Surly in term of Reach (the 58cm All City is over 13mm longer than the 59cm Surly)