patrick.net

Another later operation was tossing the standard short quill stem which looks like this:

With a longer adjustable-angle quill stem to gain some handlebar height:

Did you switch levers at the same time? V's go with mountain levers & cantilevers with road levers. These levers have a different amount of cable pull. The wrong levers will work, but not as well.

YesYNot says

Did you switch levers at the same time? V's go with mountain levers & cantilevers with road levers. These levers have a different amount of cable pull. The wrong levers will work, but not as well.

Ah yes I was getting to that.

I originally had grip-shifters like these:

Some people like them. I never really liked them but I tolerated them. When I started thinking about changes I wanted road-style Shimano with shifters & brake levers in a unified body. I like very much the Quickfire style thumb and finger paddles. The V-brake changeout came along with that.

Oddly enough this is not the original handlebar either. I had replaced the straight bar with a raised bar 5-ish years ago. Later when I needed to pull the raised bar off this bike to put on new bike I couldn't find the original straight bar. So I stuck on the cheapest black one found in local shop. The grips are the cork grips off the newer Trek Atwood I had left over when I replaced it's factory grips.

There's a detail I probably won't bother with a photo of, about needing to put in a bracket to get new cable routing to work properly.

A few of the easy DIY upgrades.

C9 gel seat:

Bontrager aluminium rear rack:

Rear triangle kickstand & quick-mount for Chariot trailer:

This is the improvement I'm most unreasonably proud of, the wheels I built. I took a wheel-building class after the bike maintenance class, and this was my project bike. The original single-walled rims were OK but cheap, so I tossed them and kept the hubs. I got some nice double-walled rims and spoked them to existing hubs, after repacking the bearings of course. Now it's a tank that I'm sure will outlast me.

I have knobby mountain bike tires for it, but here it's wearing the big fat slick tires.

So contrast one of it's brothers in factory original:

With my mutant form which ended up being a city bike:

The paint job is all banged up but I don't care. If it's a rack of bikes I'm fairly sure mine will be the last one stolen they'll just see "old beatup Frankenbike". No bike thief will recognize the good components.

It was the PROCESS of arriving at all these changes that made me think & informed me what I really needed in my bike.

Why is it not my daily driver after all this work, and is now my spare/guest bike?

Because at some point during the rebuild process a few years ago, the instructor convinced me the frame is a little small for me. I wasn't conscious of it until pointed out, I had coped and worked around it with adjustments. Like raising the seat to in order to get the right height from the pedals, made me feel the handlebars were a bit low so I put in the longer stem. After this I got the next frame size larger Trek Atwood and applied the lessons learned during the years of evolution in this bike to quickly modifying that new bike to my specs.

Thanks for the pics - here's a few of my daily driver:

Electric tape for when I hook up the kids cart. When I started bike commuting, I couldn't believe the amount of abuse bikes actually took...

View over the handlebars to give you an idea of how narrow the tires are:

The kids cart - they love it.

I like how you've made your bike custom/practical/fit your needs over time, and have spent a lot of time making it comfortable for yourself. I do all the maintenance myself as well, but haven't taken a class yet. There are some pretty good tutorials on youtube that have been good to fix some of the basic problems. Wheel building/truing isn't something I've yet had to tackle.

Nice post. Awesome bike setup.

Patrick, I don't ride one, but have asked enough folks about them. One thing about "Fixies" people don't always think of ( I didn't) is that you can resist backwards to control speed.

So if you're going down a steep hill, you just pedal kind of slowly to reduce your speed?

I suppose that absolutely requires toeclips, because otherwise the pedal would just flip forward and hit you in the back of the ankle, right?

u switch levers at the same time? V's go with mountain levers & cantilevers with road levers. These levers have a different amount of cable pull. The wrong levers will work, but not as well.

Fixies are absolutely stupid hipster bikes that are way more show than go. It's plain stupid to have a bike with a fixed gear especially if you don't have a hand operated brake of some sort. The only legitimate use of a fixie that I have heard of is that it enforces smooth pedal motion, so it can help in training to improve your pedal stroke / cadence.

OK, so I guess the velodrome racing is a legitimate use, too.

Otherwise, they are just dumb "look at me" hipster toys as far as I can tell. Same thing with the super narrow handlebar...sure, a narrower bar helps in tight city traffic, getting on and off elevators / doorways, etc...but usually it's just a fashion statement. Damn stupid.

Scroll down a bit on this page:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/274916-Jackass-BFSSFG-poseur-tarck-bicyclist-of-the-day?p=9843520#post9843520

That's my old grumpy man post for the day.

Nice bikes guys.

I am too lazy to dig up pics, but have a mountain bike, three city bikes, road bike, kiddie cart converted for dogs, and tandem. Several of these have been significantly modified or were built up from the frame and parts. One of the city bikes is a cyclocross bike with a fixed gear on one side and freewheel on the other. It's had two brakes from the beginning. Nothing precludes using brakes on fixies. I've used it fixed gear on mountain road rides (Mt Baldy, CA & others) & easy off road trails with small roots and rocks and such. I've never ridden in traffic without brakes. It's hard to get used to riding fixed, because you forget a few times in the beginning. When the pedal keeps moving, it is shocking to get such a forceful reminder to pedal. Riding fixed can be fun though and is just another way to ride a bike. Of course the hipsters are a bit of a put-off, but they drink coffee too & I'm not about to give that up either.
People who ride brakeless in traffic typically know how to skid the rear wheel, which is not an effective brake, but trying to use back pressure is useless. I figure it's about as safe as riding a skateboard in traffic. To do a skid, you have to throw your weight forward and get the weight off the back wheel. Then, you can stop the wheel and start a skid. Once the wheel is stopped, you can let some more weight on it & stop faster.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/VGw5aYCQBYE

Is this a road bike or what? Frame says road bike, handlebars say mt bike. What size are those tires???

No funnin' please. I'm not a "real cyclist" because I don't use the clip-in pedals according to some.

Personally I've never seen the point in the "simplicity" of a fixie. I like at least *some* gearing. The lowest I could see going is one of those bikes with the gearing hidden inside the rear hub. I've seen 3-gear versions of that with the Brompton and that's as minimalist as I can imagine. At least then you'd have some choices for small hills and you wouldn't have all that derailleur stuff hanging on the side of the bike.

Vicente says

Is this a road bike or what? Frame says road bike, handlebars say mt bike. What size are those tires???

It's pretty much a flat bar road bike.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=52889&menuItemId=0

Tires are 700x32c. Little fatter than your standard roadbike, but definetely run smoother/quieter than my old knobby mountain bike tires.

Vicente says

No funnin' please. I'm not a "real cyclist" because I don't use the clip-in pedals according to some.

Same here. At least not yet anyways. Just watched a movie on biking the great divide (it's on netflix) - man, it looks awesome.

I used to follow that race (great divide), but realized that I'd never have the time to finish it on a bike at my pace, so did it on a motorcycle. Lot's of fun, but a bicycle would have been ideal.

YesYNot says

I used to follow that race (great divide), but realized that I'd never have the time to finish it on a bike at my pace, so did it on a motorcycle. Lot's of fun, but a bicycle would have been ideal.

Yeah, to actually "race" the great divide, you have to do at least 100 miles a day on rough terrain. It starts June of this year, so maybe I'll reconsider for next year. The other option is to enjoy the ride, and extend it 50+ days and visit all the landmarks/points of history on the way down.

Good news is, I bought my wife a bicycle a few weeks ago, and she's been riding all over town. She now actually prefers riding than driving - even when towing the kids. Hopefully, the only thing the car will be used for is distance commutes (for her), and days when time is tight.

Nice thread Vincente.

I have several bikes, I use this one for hauling, riding in the rain, or at night.

The bike frame is weatherproof, being chrome-plated with black paint on top. The brakes are sealed drums in the wheel hubs - no loss of braking because of a wet rim.

I like long crusies through my area's scenic coastal neighborhoods, country roads and quant towns. Thus the handlebar mounted Garmin 5in GPS and the MP3 player with speakers.

This bike is heavy but very stable. I ride sitting straight up with hands by my side, even when turning corners. I only need to touch the handlebars for tight turns. Very comfortable with the 40 PSI tires and the large seat.

For you "Trek" and "Specialized" weenies, here is a real bike:

It is a Cannondale Rize One Carbon, built in good ol' USA. Note the front wheel - no fork, but a strut like an airplane nose gear:

I did change out the seat from a wispy "Fis'iks" to something more comfortable, I also put on the GPS and Entertainment:

This bike is extremely light, rides smooth even over rough terrain, and is suprisingly quick for dual suspension trail bike. It has hydrolic brakes, tubeless tires, and extremely smooth shifting.

Vincente, Joshuatrio,

What is your aversion to fenders?

And Josh, does that chainguard work well enough so you can wear long pants without a band on the ankle?

HeadSet says

What is your aversion to fenders?

Weight? Don't need it?

I mean really if it's raining buckets I'm probably not biking. Or if I must bike through the rain I'm wearing rain pants & jacket, and not that concerned about road spray.

My chainguard on the Atwood works fine, I never tie up right pants leg.

HeadSet says

What is your aversion to fenders?

And Josh, does that chainguard work well enough so you can wear long pants without a band on the ankle?

Nice rides !!! Really like both of them.

Almost bought a Cannondale..... Test rode a few Cannondale Quicks a while back, but I didn't like the rider position. It was VERY upright/vertical - almost grandma style and the pedal crank arms felt really short - as in you couldn't really "put your body into it" - not sure if that made sense or not. Probably just the model though. My father in law has a few of their road bikes and they only weigh around 14-15 lbs. INSANE !

Don't have to worry about a chain guard. I ride to work in shorts/tennis shoes, shower at work, and change before the ride home : )

Fenders: while functional, they make any bike look old-man(ish). Plus, I like the big stripe that the rear rooster tail leaves. Makes me laugh in the rain. Basically, the rain doesn't bother me.

joshuatrio says

Don't have to worry about a chain guard. I ride to work in shorts/tennis shoes, shower at work, and change before the ride home : )

Enviable, all cyclists would love that arrangement. I cannot commute like you, but I do keep an $84 Walmart Mongoose XR75 at work. I like to go fror a spin mid-day to clear the head.

Surprisingly,the Mongoose is not a bad bike - it has an aluminum frame, dual suspension, and Shimano 21 speed components. The worst part of buying from Walmart is the abysmal assembly work. If you do not mind reassebling and re-adjusting, not a bad way to get a cheap additional ride. I did of course, add a big seat, entertainment, and GPS.

Do you ride during the winter? I ride all year, even if I need gloves and a ski mask. I will even ride in snow, but not on ice. Fortunately here in coastal Virginia, snow/ice is maybe a 4 day per year event.

joshuatrio says

Fenders: while functional, they make any bike look old-man(ish).

How about white walls?

I cruise at 12-15 mph on that heavy black bike and even at that slow speed any spray grit from the front wheel that hits the legs stings then itches later - thus the fender. It was a challenge to get those fenders to fit, since I put 40 PSI tires on in place of the original 65 PSI tires.

How fast do you fellows cruise?

HeadSet says

Do you ride during the winter? I ride all year, even if I need gloves and a ski mask. I will even ride in snow, but not on ice. Fortunately here in coastal Virginia, snow/ice is maybe a 4 day per year event.

I ride all year. But in Central CA it's pretty much 65 every day. Low 30's in the morning, and 60's by the afternoon. It can be a little bitter in the AM, but the ride home is usually very comfortable.

My clothing for the morning consists of padded shorts, tshirt, long sleeve tshirt, sweatshirt and thin beanie cap under the helmet - two pairs of gloves. The trip home is usually a tshirt and shorts.

HeadSet says

How about white walls?

Depends on the bike. I do like your black bike (Mongoose?) though. It's clean. Would definitely ride that.

HeadSet says

I put 40 PSI tires on in place of the original 65 PSI tires....

Seems low - mine are running 120-125 psi currently.

HeadSet says

How fast do you fellows cruise?

Not sure. Don't have a computer on this bike yet. However, from timing myself, with stop lights for 8.5 miles, I was at about 17mph. If there were no stop lights and stop signs, it would have been higher. On the average day, when I'm not in a rush, it's probably around 15mph. The thinner tires roll nicely.

On the old mountain bike, the average speed was around 10-12. But that thing was a tank.

Headset, how often do you ride that nice mountain bike? Do you do a lot of trails?

HeadSet says

How fast do you fellows cruise?

Not something I usually pay attention to, I don't think of myself as a fast biker. But since you asked, today I ran MotionX GPS on my phone on the commute to work.

Avg speed 12.1 mph
Max speed 21.7 mph

I'm curious what the weights are on y'alls bikes and if you think that's a big speed factor for you? Both of mine are heavy steel bikes been wondering if going lighter would help a lot or not.

HeadSet says

How about white walls?

Me likey! Anything to break up the boredom that is the typical rack bike.

What is that first bike anyhow? All I see as identifying marks is UKAI on the rim.

Like the accessory electronics rack how's that put together?

Vicente says

What is that first bike anyhow? All I see as identifying marks is UKAI on the rim

joshuatrio says

I do like your black bike (Mongoose?)

I got that bike when I was in the Azores (islands 900 miles west or Portugal). It was built by an enthusiast who needed to sell. The frame is fully chromed and made in England. The fenders are English "Blue Mountain", brakes are English Sturmey Archer.

The chain ring is mildly ovoid instead or round, which is like being in a slightly higher gear during the pedal downstrokes. That black triangle at the apex of the top tube and seat tube is not just storage, it is a shoulder rest for carrying the bike. This bike was designed to go over unimproved roads in any weather, even places where you may have to carry the bike a bit,

Very nice bike!

Curious though, that derailluer seems to be rather far forward, even alowing for the chain being on the largest chainring and largest rear cog. In the technology I am familiar with, that chain appears to be a couple of links too short. Is this some new fast shift device?

joshuatrio says

Seems low - mine are running 120-125 psi currently

You Sir, are a die-hard road cyclist!

Generally, the lower the PSI the bigger the tire. Big fat "Cruiser" tires are typically 40 PSI, almost as big "Comfort" tires are 40-65 PSI. Tubeless Trail Bike tires like on my Rize One are 35-55 PSI.

I have another ride, a Cannondale road bike, that has a 20 cm gum wall tire on front. That rubber band takes 110 PSI. I never knew anyone ran 125 PSI. Your bike must really do well at translating pedal stroke to speed. But with that non-curved fork and rock hard PSI, you must feel every grain of sand you run over. Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

HeadSet says

Very nice bike!

Curious though, that derailluer seems to be rather far forward, even alowing for the chain being on the largest chainring and largest rear cog. In the technology I am familiar with, that chain appears to be a couple of links too short. Is this some new fast shift device?

Thanks ! The rear derailleur goes that far forward when the chain is on the largest chain ring. When on the smallest one, it's reversed the other way at the same angle.

Factory chain. But yeah, it shifts lighting fast. Way different than the old mountain bike. The angle of the pic may not be helping. In fact I'm looking at the bike right now and it doesn't look like that.. Weird.

HeadSet says

I have another ride, a Cannondale road bike, that has a 20 cm gum wall tire on front. That rubber band takes 110 PSI. I never knew anyone ran 125 PSI. Your bike must really do well at translating pedal stroke to speed. But with that non-curved fork and rock hard PSI, you must feel every grain of sand you run over. Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

WE NEED PICS OF THE ROAD BIKE : ) !!!!

It's a pretty bumpy ride, but the carbon fork helps absorb some of the road. I can deal with it - my guess is that some of the hills around here I'm pushing over 40+mph on the downhill !! Especially if the old hardtail clocked in at 32.5 !!

HeadSet says

Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

The fork looks to be carbon, which helps a good deal. I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike....the difference in ride quality compared to the previous steel frame was surprising. I resisted getting carbon because many people talked about how plush steel is, and how harsh carbon is...my experience has been 180 degrees opposite of that.

joshuatrio says

WE NEED PICS OF THE ROAD BIKE : ) !!!!

May not be what you are expecting. This is a vintage late 80's Cannondale racer, back when Cannondale was pioneering aluminum frames. Not as advanced as your late model Specialized. Notice where the shift levers are.

Hows this for a thin tire?

Vicente says

Like the accessory electronics rack how's that put together?

Not as skilled and professional as your Atwood mod. My mod is more Hardware Store than Bike Shop.

I used luan plywood, 1/2 plywood, rubber lined clamps, and #10 bolts.

I was not able to find a commercial mount that would hold the GPS and "Entertainment" securely and with some cushion, as well as fit on a handlebar crowded with three headlights, shifters, and a bike computer.

Very nice ! I love the classic road bikes. One of my father in law's Cannondales has the shifters like that.

Something about the classic ones that look so much cleaner than the newer ones out on the road that are all decal'd out with stickers/logo's everywhere. That looks like a nice ride.

Vicente says

I'm curious what the weights are on y'alls bikes and if you think that's a big speed factor for you? Both of mine are heavy steel bikes been wondering if going lighter would help a lot or not.

If that 21.7 mph was on flat land on a steel bike, you are a pretty good pedaler (especially if you were pulling two kids in that cart). Bike weight and stiffness do make a difference in speed. With my bikes, using a a comfortable cruise cadence, flat land, little wind, I do:

Heavy steel loaded frame Black Bike: 15 mph
Rize One Carbon: 18 mph
Cannodale Aluminum racer: 22 mph

I would say that if you rode an aluminum or carbon bike you would see a noticeable speed increase.

joshuatrio says

Headset, how often do you ride that nice mountain bike? Do you do a lot of trails?

What I like to do with that bike is to take it out to a scenic areas like a coastal town, then ride around for a few hours enjoying the view. I took it to Smith Mountaim Lake last summer, which had the steep trails that kind of bike was designed for. I can go up the steep trails fast, but coming back down quick without going over the handlebars is tricky for me. Lots of rocks and roots to flip over. I have some much tamer wooded trails near where I live, but I mostly ride roads. Chesapeake Ave in Hampton is servral miles of scenic waterfront, as is Riverside Drive in Newport News. We also have Capital Landing Trail, which is an off-road bike path from the colonial capital Williamsburg to today's capital Richmond (about 60 miles). I want to check out the Tobacco Trail bike path in central VA, which was built along an old railway. Nearer to me, Colonial Parkway runs from Yorktown through Williamsburg to Jamestown. Colonial Parkway has no intersectons, lots of waterfront on the York River, and historical sights.

swebb says

I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike..

Pics?

HeadSet says

swebb says

I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike..

Pics?

I second !

joshuatrio says

I'm pushing over 40+mph on the downhill

Better get those brakes fixed!

Seriously, that is really cool. How fast can you go back up that same hill?

HeadSet says

Seriously, that is really cool. How fast can you go back up that same hill?

Heh - like 5-10mph... and my legs are burning !