Costing the same as a decent fully geared, entry-level sportive bike, you’d expect the Ignacio to set the world alight with what minimal kit it does have and its ride.
At first glance the specification is certainly beyond reproach, with trusted premium brand names all over: Sugino chainset and bottom bracket, a Nitto keirin approved track bar, deep section Alex Race rims built onto high flange 32-hole track hubs, with Vittoria 28mm armoured tyres and Tektro brakes.
The finishing touches are classy too, with leather bar tape, a matching tan leather WTB saddle and leather toe-straps on old-style alloy flat pedals with steel toe-clips. The frame looks the part, with much more subtle, classic looks than some of the racy, hi-viz singlespeeds on the streets.
If you want a true fixie rather than a singlespeed, you can flip the rear wheel in the horizontal dropouts and run it on the 17-tooth fixed sprocket on the other side. On the road, the Ignacio is solid, with a bombproof ride quality that smooths out the most broken up of city streets.
The bar is narrower than many riders used to modern bikes would prefer, and most people we know would ditch the pretty – but pretty annoying – toe-strap pedals in favour of some clipless pedals. Perhaps we should be grateful that, unlike so many new bikes, it actually comes with pedals at all.
The downside to this solidity, though, seems to be slightly sluggish acceleration, despite a triple-butted 4130 chromoly steel frame paired with a triple-butted chromoly fork. Lighter wheels and tyres would no doubt set its acceleration free, but at the potential cost of some comfort and durability.