Nashbar Single-Speed 29er Mountain Bike

I'm going to qualify my four stars by saying it earns them based on value not on performance. My other MTB is a Superfly Elite with XTR and that I give five stars, but that bike cost 10x this one.This is an excellent bike that I use for commuting around town. I'd thought about various fixie options but then thought, at this price and given the reviews on the Nashbar site, Ill give it a try.Pros:- Cost. Wait for a coupon special on the Nashbar site and you can get it for 20% off- Frame. It's rigid, rust-proof and light. This is great for commuting, though I wouldn't spend an afternoon on single track with it.- Chainring guard. Yeah, like reflectors, it's not cool, but there's a plastic guard outside the front chainring. It's black and matches the ring so you don't really see it, but it is kind of nice to not have to tuck your pant leg into a sock.Cons:- Components: as many have pointed out, they're cheap. They're functional however and what give you this bike for less than $400. They also benefit from the technology trickle-down effect. Not having shifters eliminates worrying about the most finicky of components. -- The brakes can't compare to my XTRs, or even 15-year old Avids, then again, they're more trusty than side-pull or cantilever. -- headset and bottom bracket are functional now but I'd give them a 5 mile or 50,000 year warranty, whichever comes first -- no quick-release on the back wheel. You read that right. I didn't know this when I bought it and suspect it was done to save $ and also please people who only lock the front wheel and frame, but still.... -- pedals. Seriously, I could feel them flex underfoot when going uphill. First thing I swapped out.TBD: - Gearing - it runs a 32x18 if I recall. This is my first SS since my childhood Schwinn so I'm still not sure how to judge it. Going to work or coming back from the bar (uphill) it is fine. Going downhill I find my right thumb itching for another gear otherwise I'm just spinning. I'll eventually swap out the tires for some slicks and when I do, I'll want some more aggressive gearing.Overall, this is an excellent bike for getting around town or riding you local rails to trails paths. It's a lightweight tank. If you're an experienced rider you won't want to ride single track due to the cheap components and lack of quick release back wheel. If you're getting into MTBing, kudos for for trying it on a single-speed, but you'll want some suspension and gears. Problem is, if you spend the same amount of $$$ for those, you won't get a frame or wheel set as nice as this.......of course if you are getting into mountain biking you'll soon learn that one bike just isn't enough. :)