Official commuter thread
- Thread starter LordOpie
- Start date
Haha, my wife and I only have one car. So for me it's either the bike or moto each day. Really wasn't a bad ride, but with the wind and an additional 8 miles on the commute.... :^)
Not sure if I should put this here, or in the image thread, but it's an image of my commuter, so I guess it's here...
Finally got her back up and running, new fork to replace the scary titanium one, new inner chainring, and swapped out the old Race Face/Titec stem/bar combo for Easton EA70 stuff.
I have some of the cheaper EggBeaters I'll slap on tonight, then hopefully back to the regimen...
One thing I did kinda mess up in putting it back together was the cable routing, just put the cockpit stuff back on the bar in the wrong order. Not a big deal, just a little thing that's going to annoy me until I snap and strip the bar to do it over. Or just forget about it. Either one.
Specs:
Older Specialized S-Works CX frame
Easton EC90X fork
EA70 bar/stem
Generic carbon post
Old-skooool Cook Bros cranks, 34/46 double
9.0 Grip Shift
7.0 rear derailleur
LX front
Old 105 9spd cassette
Old 9.0SL brake levers
Avid SD-5 v-brakes
Conti CX tires (for now)
Some super-old 105/Mavic rim rear wheel, and a loose carbon clincher front, for now...
Finally got her back up and running, new fork to replace the scary titanium one, new inner chainring, and swapped out the old Race Face/Titec stem/bar combo for Easton EA70 stuff.
I have some of the cheaper EggBeaters I'll slap on tonight, then hopefully back to the regimen...
One thing I did kinda mess up in putting it back together was the cable routing, just put the cockpit stuff back on the bar in the wrong order. Not a big deal, just a little thing that's going to annoy me until I snap and strip the bar to do it over. Or just forget about it. Either one.
Specs:
Older Specialized S-Works CX frame
Easton EC90X fork
EA70 bar/stem
Generic carbon post
Old-skooool Cook Bros cranks, 34/46 double
9.0 Grip Shift
7.0 rear derailleur
LX front
Old 105 9spd cassette
Old 9.0SL brake levers
Avid SD-5 v-brakes
Conti CX tires (for now)
Some super-old 105/Mavic rim rear wheel, and a loose carbon clincher front, for now...
You shut your mouth, before I shut it for you!No pictures in the discussion thread!
Your commuter is nicer than most people's bikes
It's pretty cool, I like it. It's mostly pieced together, but it works pretty well.
Worked great on my way to/from the bar tonight!
I could turn that into a wonderfull fart joke.
umm, ok? go for it.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's commute that's gonna be 10*F with icy roads.
Why you ask?
I just picked up and put on my Nokian Mount & Ground W160 tires. I'll take side streets as I'm afraid of idiots sliding into me on the main roads I normally take.
Hovering somewhere below 30 when I headed home from work yesterday and I had a great ride home. It isn't icy out yet so I'm still rocking the cyclocross bike. I took the back way along the river and enjoyed the scenery. The bridge is all lit up and reflects beautifully off the water. Christmas lights are more enjoyable on a bike then a car because you can take in the smell of winter along the way. 
Cheers and ride safely!
Cheers and ride safely!
I wish I had such a route home. Sounds nice!
amen!Christmas lights are more enjoyable on a bike then a car because you can take in the smell of winter along the way.
And it's true about most stuff.
Thanks again to Clifster5 for reminding me to enjoy the scenery on my first century ride. Made all the difference.
That brings me back...Love my Nokians! I hope it snows and ices like last winter
Taking advice from Splat and others, I decided to NOT use my new bike that I love so much and USE my five year old mtb for winter commuting, so here's pics of that.
To your days at G?
Yeah, that bike, and when those cranks/stem came out, that little "scallop" design in the side.
Good times.
Magical hidden rack mount on my new commuter frame.
Waiting for the paint dry to finish building it up...
Waiting for the paint dry to finish building it up...
That rack mount is actually brazed on. My buddy Niall went a little overboard on the finishing and made the entire braze on disappear. There's a full water bottle braze on in there somewhere I'm taking pictures of the painted, built up frame right now. This one has a Sram Inter 3 coaster brake hub in the back, a King 'cross hub up front all wrapped up on Mavic open pro's and 32c Michelin Transworld City's. Thomson stem and bar, King headset and Soma 7075 3speed style bars. It's called a Kittenpaste, and we make them here at Spooky in track, club racer and internally geared flavors.
This one is a deep and lustrous gloss black, The next one out to dealers (this one in Gainesville Florida) will be bead blasted and then black oxide coated. It'll be a durable matte black finish. That frame has a lighter toptube spec and a deraileur hanger to make it a pretty killer do everything but win the Tour De France bike... I'll post up some pictures when it's done...
This one is a deep and lustrous gloss black, The next one out to dealers (this one in Gainesville Florida) will be bead blasted and then black oxide coated. It'll be a durable matte black finish. That frame has a lighter toptube spec and a deraileur hanger to make it a pretty killer do everything but win the Tour De France bike... I'll post up some pictures when it's done...
Finished the paint work just in time to have a bike to ride around when I visit my parents somewhere warm for Christmas.
I'm bringing a fixed wheel and a pair of drops with me as well for the times when I want to ride a little faster.
I'm bringing a fixed wheel and a pair of drops with me as well for the times when I want to ride a little faster.
I like the E.thirteen supercharger on it! 
Superchargers make great pants-guards. Single chainring bikes without some sort of guard are a recipe for disaster when you ride in pants.
Suspect, that bike is fockin' hot!
I love the bars, but I'd rather have bullhorns. Can you get the shifter onto bullhorns?
Are you running a 42-20? What's the range on the hub? I haven't ridden a coaster brake in like 30 years. Are you confident in it? Would you prefer a front brake too?
Gonna put fenders on it? At least a front one?
I'm gonna go check out your website.
I love the bars, but I'd rather have bullhorns. Can you get the shifter onto bullhorns?
Are you running a 42-20? What's the range on the hub? I haven't ridden a coaster brake in like 30 years. Are you confident in it? Would you prefer a front brake too?
Gonna put fenders on it? At least a front one?
I'm gonna go check out your website.
The Imotion shifter would fit onto the bullhorns, no problem. It's geared 38-18 and the hub has a 186% ratio.
The 3Speed Imotion hub is also available in drum, disc or no brake configurations. Sram makes a super 9 speed hub as well that Swobo uses on a new bike. Unfortunately these hubs aren't available retail yet, but we get them OE for shops that want them.
We threw the coaster brake on there for simplicity and clean lines, but the frame has mounts for long-reach calipers.
This bike will probably end up spending it's life down in Savannah, Ga, and as such it won't need a front brake or fenders.
If I were to re-build this for more wintry climes I'd certainly throw on fenders, the frame has some sweet hidden mounts on the bridges and the inside of the drops. I'd also build it with the Sram Ibrake up front (it's a drum-type brake).
The rest of these we've built have had deraileur hangers on them, and they tend to get built up with a 2x10 drivetrain, full fenders and the EXCELLENT Paul Racer brakes
The Paul's brakes have clearance for HUUGE tires, way bigger than the 38's our frame fits.
Start with a good heart of a frame with versatile geometry and you can achieve a few goals acceptably well, and few to perfection.
The 3Speed Imotion hub is also available in drum, disc or no brake configurations. Sram makes a super 9 speed hub as well that Swobo uses on a new bike. Unfortunately these hubs aren't available retail yet, but we get them OE for shops that want them.
We threw the coaster brake on there for simplicity and clean lines, but the frame has mounts for long-reach calipers.
This bike will probably end up spending it's life down in Savannah, Ga, and as such it won't need a front brake or fenders.
If I were to re-build this for more wintry climes I'd certainly throw on fenders, the frame has some sweet hidden mounts on the bridges and the inside of the drops. I'd also build it with the Sram Ibrake up front (it's a drum-type brake).
The rest of these we've built have had deraileur hangers on them, and they tend to get built up with a 2x10 drivetrain, full fenders and the EXCELLENT Paul Racer brakes
The Paul's brakes have clearance for HUUGE tires, way bigger than the 38's our frame fits.
Start with a good heart of a frame with versatile geometry and you can achieve a few goals acceptably well, and few to perfection.
holy crap, 186%? Isn't that much wider than typical 3-speeds? I think something like a 34-20 + that coaster hub would be awesome on my winter commuter.
Are these expensive? Are you allowed to sell the 9-speeds separate or just part of a wheel build?
I looked at your website and while I like your stuff, due to my long legs, I'd need something with a long head-tube or at least a lot of steerer tube.
Here's my beater. Scrounged from hard rubbish day.
It's got like a 25" seat tube and a 21" top tube. Sounds funky, but is nice and relaxed for riding around town.
It's got like a 25" seat tube and a 21" top tube. Sounds funky, but is nice and relaxed for riding around town.
Holy crap... a YETI in OZ?
I ride by Yeti offices on my regular rides. They make great stuff and that bike is a beauty!
Yep. Yeti special projects.
This one comes with a high-tech coating of iron-oxide, which has psycho-active properties. Basically, it makes people not want to steal it. Cutting-edge commuter innovation.
I've thought about painting my bikes rusty colored to hopefully prevent theft.
I forgot that SWOBO was doing Imotion 3 bikes now. They've got a bunch of them. Including one that is similar to our Kittenpaste, but costs about half as much complete as our frame and fork...
If you want a longer headtube from us, that's no big deal. I buy headtube stock from TrueTemper in 4 foot lengths....
I agree - smart move.
Commuted this morning.
First time in 2 weeks.
Last week was in flu recovery mode.
Temp at the bank was 20F.
Coldest roadish ride ever for me....so far...
My forehead was in pain after 4 minutes.
Rolled over a few ice patches.
Not a fan of the ice at all.
Was in the shower at work and feet were in pain thawing out.
Dressed too lite down low.
Never thought about putting heavy tights on.
Brain was still asleep i guess.....
Ride home mid 30's with sun.....should be nice....
First time in 2 weeks.
Last week was in flu recovery mode.
Temp at the bank was 20F.
Coldest roadish ride ever for me....so far...
My forehead was in pain after 4 minutes.
Rolled over a few ice patches.
Not a fan of the ice at all.
Was in the shower at work and feet were in pain thawing out.
Dressed too lite down low.
Never thought about putting heavy tights on.
Brain was still asleep i guess.....
Ride home mid 30's with sun.....should be nice....
The only thing worse than the forehead is the little patch of skin under your eyes.
Why?
studded tires might be needed?
neoprene boots?
Not sure why, prob because of the cold
....i didn't care really. Just was surprised at how much i felt it so soon. Was kind of funny really....Not sure about studded tires. I don't see that $$$ in my biking budget plus i really don't want to add any more time to my commute. It takes me 90-95 minutes one way now....studded tires just sound slow_rolling to me...
Got the Neoprene boots. I think heavier tights will keep my legs warm so my feet will have an easier time staying warm.....
We talked about tires awhile back......ended up going with 32mm Panaracer T-Serv's. Haven't gotten a flat with them in 4-5 weeks now......got good grip too.oh right, you're one of them crazy long-distance commuters
Put in a 5-10 mile ride when it's raining without a jacket. :^) Actually I tend to get pretty dry and cracked hands; I have some vaseline moisturizer that works well for my hand.
BTW, just got back from a couple weeks in Europe. Copenhagen has their own bike "streets"! There's the road, a raised curb, 6 ft bike lane, and another raised curb before the sidewalk. The bike lane even had it's own stop lights to let bikes take turns across intersections before the cars could go. :-O Why can we do that over here!?
BTW, just got back from a couple weeks in Europe. Copenhagen has their own bike "streets"! There's the road, a raised curb, 6 ft bike lane, and another raised curb before the sidewalk. The bike lane even had it's own stop lights to let bikes take turns across intersections before the cars could go. :-O Why can we do that over here!?
Coldest commute of the winter today at 2 deg F and a nice wind chill this morning. Burr! Good thing it's a short ride.
that would be awesome!
yikes!