Critical Cycles Harper Single-Speed Fixed Gear Urban Commuter Bike

I recently moved to an area where daily bike commuting has become an option for me, so I'm only just getting back into riding a bike - My review is written from that frame of reference. Also, I'm rating it 5 stars based on value (obviously there are better bikes, but none that can even remotely compete at this price level). I've been using this bike as a daily commuter for about five months now. This bike is AWESOME for $199. I challenge you to find another bike remotely close to the quality of this one for the same price (besides used/self-built). I wasn't ready to invest the time/effort into hunting for a used bike (with potential issues) nor do I have the expertise to comfortably build a bike from the ground up. My goal was to find an affordable, decent quality, good-looking, simple and comfortable daily commuter for a relatively flat area. Critical totally delivered on every front.Unboxing/Assembly:The bike came well-packaged and assembly was EXTREMELY straightforward. All necessary tools are included (though a phillips screwdriver is required to adjust/remove the reflectors). No, the tools aren't great quality, but you're buying a bike, not a tool kit. The brakes needed some adjustment to get the wheel clearance right (easily done with a single nut). Unboxing to road-ready was probably a 20-30 minute process at most, and would be intuitive to anyone who's ever assembled a piece of IKEA furniture. One key item that is not included is a bicycle pump to inflate the tires. If you don't have one, be sure to order one. Also, as others have said, if you're not experienced with bikes, take it by a shop/professional to have your work inspected.Material Quality/First Impressions: The bike frame is solid, has clean welds, and actually doesn't have much plastic on it at all. In fact the only plastic parts are the rings that attach the front and rear reflectors to the bike, the wheel reflectors (obviously), the brake-line clips and the pedals. I saw in other reviews that the pedals felt cheap to some, so I ordered an aluminum set for $12. Link here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XIZTGRW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I mounted the metal pedals, but upon seeing the included plastic ones, I have no doubt that they'd be totally adequate. Also, with reference to what some have said about the bike's weight: I don't have a good frame of reference here, but it's certainly not cumbersome. The whole package feels solid, reliable and trustworthy. It definitely "feels expensive," AND it looks AWESOME - It's really a fantastic looking bike. I went with "Sangria," which is a little more muted than it looks in the picture - closer to a faded crimson or maroon.Ride Quality: The ride is great, but it's definitely a road bike. The thin tires definitely let you know if you're on a poorly paved street and you do notice every bump. That's fine for my purposes, but if you're in an area with lots of cracked pavement and pot holes, this will shake you up. It took me a few days to work through the "saddle soreness," and the bike feels awesome now: It's quick, stable, easy to control, and the gear ratio is perfectly balanced for speed/ease of start/small hills.Overall: If you're in a similar position to me, and want something of decent quality that is handsome, simple, safe and great-looking, I would highly recommend this bike. The price is unbeatable, and the assembly is super easy, and the ride rocks. Happy riding!

I love my bike, been riding it to and from work for the past couple weeks, but already my chain broke. Other then that I'm super happy. The bike is sturdy and pretty quick. I'm used to 5 ish mile commutes, but now I'm riding 17.5 miles each way and cruising around 15 mph. I bought the single speed because of the price and ruggedness of this type of bike. Really disappointed about the chain though. I just had a link fall apart. I guess I should have done a better job inspecting all the parts. Chains should last more then 300 miles.

We received this bike yesterday afternoon, I purchased it for my girlfriend who stands at 5'0 tall. This bike is a perfect fit, we purchased the 43cm and there is about an inch clearance when standing over the top tube. This is an excellent starter bike for under $200, this is the 5th Critical Cycles bike I've built from shipment and has to be my absolute favorite. Front and rear brake, 2' risers, large bmx style pedals that are open for straps, eyelids for front and rear rack, the list goes on! Beautiful accents showing off "Harper", "Critical" and "Critical Cycles" on the frame and wheel set, it looks great. I love the dual water cages, perfect for a long commutes! (Sold separately) We will be adding a front rack soon. This does have 700c tires with Schrader valves! a bit unusual for 700c usually come Presta. This does come with a flip-flop hub for those who enjoy riding fixed or single speed (arrived with chain side on freewheel). I believe the gear ratio is standard at 46 x 16, perfect for city riding.Yes you do compromise when you purchase such an affordable bike, this is made from hi-ten steel, loose ball bearing hubs and generic components. Definitely not a reason to deter from purchasing this bike. Box arrived intact with no holes, the bike arrived 85% complete, you also receive a guide to build the rest, along with some allen keys long with 15mm open wrench to complete the built. If this is your first bike ever or haven't built a bike, I strongly recommend visiting your LBS (Local Bike Shop)! If you plan ahead you can contact your LBS, have your CC bike shipped there and they can do the rest! You won't have to worry about theft and your handy LBS will take care of you, just remember this is not a free service! A LBS can charge anywhere from $25-50 for the build FYI.Overall, this has to be the best Critical Cycles single-speed bike I have seen yet. Critical has been around for a handful of years and the quality seems to get better each year. The first two I built were the fixed bikes with BMX risers, the second two I built were the pista bikes with the drop downs handle bars. The fixed/BMX came with rear brakes only (I found that to be really strange due to the fact most of your momentum 70%+ is in the front), the pista/drop downs came with front brake only. With that said, both of those models always seem to have something missing. The Harper seem to close the gaps for what those models missed!