|   what to do with this bike??!? | tdubjump
Feb 26, 2003 8:32 PM | | am in need of help deciding on what to do about a commuter. i have a $4000+ trek elite 9.8 but i don't want to ride that around. i can't decide wether to go single speed or not, what frame would be good, what brakes, fork, etc.
im thinking azonic ds-1 frame single speed with a rigid fork avid mech discs, and dunno what wheels.
want this to be an inexpensive project that is usable. however i am willing to fork out another grand if i have to. (i don't like used parts)
--thankyou
**and please help i am confused and need guidence!** |
| go ugly | dave66
Feb 27, 2003 7:11 AM | | I will second the SS idea as i have 2 SS beaters and one i will pull out when the roads are a little nicer.
the one i am riding thru the winter fits the ugly bill - fully rigid, SS [36x18] hot pink [late 80's bike]and filthy. i have gotten somewhere ove r13 seasons out of it so if it is stolen no big deal.
i would pass on the discs tho - you want your commuter to blend and disc brakes will attact a thief more than a rim brake set up.
look at some of the lower priced complete SS rigs [both roadie and MTB] you will be amazed with what you can get for round 500 bones.
places to look:
kona unit
Bianchi [both road and mb]
or look on the singlespeed forum here for TONS of other ideas.
one last plug - http://www.ucycle.com/
based in Toronto Canada - if you are a canuck - no boder grief if you are a yank prices are in canuck bucks [.65$US] so still a sweet deal
/Dave |
| I think you're thinking too much. It's a COMMUTE bike, dude | Retro
Feb 27, 2003 9:02 AM | | Unless you're going pretty far, I'd just get a bike and ride it. I split my commute (22 miles round trip) between an old Bridgestone mountain bike with slicks and fenders and a roadie Trek I converted to singlespeed. The Bstone is 10 or 12 years old and got hammered offroad for years, and the Trek was a $100 classified-ad special in about 1994. I've repacked and adjusted everything and they work fine, but they look ratty and blend in at the bike rack. I can lean them against the wall at the coffee place and not worry about them. |
| re: what to do with this bike??!? | JDZ
Feb 27, 2003 10:32 AM | | Might as well get a used bike and give it a good tune up. It will be used after you commute for awhile and it won't see near as much abuse as an off road rig. I prefer a rigid bike with a few gears for a commuter. Single speed is fun and all but riding in traffic means you need to accelerate quickly while still being able to maintain a high top speed. Don't worry about brakes. Whatever you have will be overkill for commuting. Do you really want to stop quickly when a 2 ton vehicle is riding your ass? |
| Agreed... except when it comes to brakes | uber-stupid
Feb 27, 2003 11:14 AM | | I think spending a grand, let let alone shelling out ANOTHER grand, is excessive for a commuting bike. I'll be honest. If I found something like that locked up on a daily basis outside, I'd be forced to steal it, as nothing that nice should be left out in the rain. I'm not one to talk, as I've spent perhaps more on my commuter than is justifiable, but I haven't even come close to the thousand dollar mark.
You'll want somethign inconspicuous, not something pricey. Something that you don't mind leaving out in the rain, or riding through the rain... or snow... or whatever, depending on where you are. Something with wheels that for one reason or another don't have QRs. SOme people go with cheap clunky lug nut wheels. Some get bolt on QR skewers. Some go the distance and get Pitlock or something like that for the extra protection.
I agree that gears can be mandatory. Depending on what kind of traffic you're playing in, the ability to accelerate more easily comes in handy. I do think that good brakes are definately necessary though, as people in cars are often stupid, and will cut you off from time to time. Also... weird road hazards can come up that you either couldn't or didn't see before... brakes are a simple safety item. I'd rather do (and be able to do) the emergency endo where I end up falling over in my attempts to stop than slam into a wheelwell or something else and destroy a wheel and/or fork, and potentially injure myself. Traffic in Boston usually has space to the right of the right lane, so I can get away with this... I'm not riding in the middle of the lane. Stopping slowly in front of a larger vehicle, or not being in front of them when you stop is part of basic road handling skills, IMO, so I'd rather I be able to stop... and start... with as much facility as possible.
Don't spend a grand. That's just foolishness, unless you're locking up inside a building every time where you know access is controlled, and you know the bike is safe from weather and people. And even with that, you'll still want to lock up outside the occasional store or whatever when you go in to get a drink, or when you go to visit a friend. Commuters are, as I said, something you shoudl be able to lock up anywhere in any kind of weather. Used parts aren't that bad, as long as you know to take the time to clean everything, service it, and rebuild it if necessary... and that can go a long way to get you a little bit of affection towards your bike, when you're that intimate with it. But if you have to go new... start with a Nashbar steel frame. They're $40 right now, and I can say after a year of mine, that they hold up pretty well to a lot of things. |
| get a decent cheapie used bike | Grumpy Old Man
Feb 27, 2003 1:55 PM | | i ride an old ugly turquoise and white Centurion Accordo road bike that i paid $50 at the thrift store.
commuter bikes get abused and banged around.
just get a decent old ride and enjoy your nice ride after work ;) |
| Another Option | Drewdane
Feb 28, 2003 8:29 AM | | Get a $69.95 wally-world P.O.S. from your friendly neighborhood big-box warehouse store. Just make sure to double-check the assembly. |
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