moving to Stockholm / thinking of a Surly 1x1
 

1) My move to Stockholm is looking pretty sure at this point and I'm thinking of selling my gem of a road bike, a Cinelli Supercorsa with Campy Veloce parts and replacing it with a more appropriate ss MTB that would work better on the hills, cobbles, and longer winters
2) I'm think of a Surly 1x1 or maybe another Surly SS MTB

Anybody have any thoughts they'd care to share on either of these in combination or singly?

The 1x1s are pretty fun. I think surly got it right with their "How does it ride? It feels like a bike" description.

They're not the lightest things out there, if you care about that sort of thing.

I think the perfect SS bike for Stockholm would be a 70's orange Crescent 531 frame with a flip flop 120 mm rear hub. I got one and they take Nokian 106 studded tires without problems.

I'm not really seeking a performance bike, more of a sturdy commuter. Although I don't want it to weigh a tone either. Would you say that it's more medium weight or a real clunker?

stuff that weighs a tone is horrible. :)

the rat rides (1x1s) are good and durable and can take derbuse (derby abuse) like a champ. Sturdy, heavier than a "performance racing frame," but if you give it TLC and beer, it is your friend for life.

PS - I am coming to visit you and then we need to stop through Helsinki somehow.

I'd call it more medium-weight - I've seen people get them down to 21 or so pounds, which is pretty freakin' acceptable.

Of course, for a few extra franklins, teesdale will build you something much nicer : http://www.tetcycles.com/Specials/specials.html

Helsinki?... Sure! We'll take the drunk boat.

are you set on a mtb? have you considered building up a single speed 'cross bike? the crosscheck can take HUGE tires. i think a ss cross bike would make a better commuter. or a san jose or il pompino perhaps? just throwing that idea out there.

the 1x1 is a great frame though. it handles nice on the trails.

Yeah, but fatter tires = more fun.

It's a scientific fact.

hahaha true true.

ok, still on the 700c tangent; what about a 29"er?

Like a Karate Monkey?

Who makes these? Are they similarly priced?

bianchi makes the san jose, but i don't think you can get it as a frameset. on-one mades the il pompino. 165 has an il pompino. i have their ss 29"er and i absolutely LOVE it. on-one is sort of the british surly; good prices and great steel frames with the same sort of attitude as surly. i sort of think on-one frames are a wee bit nicer.

the karate monkey is indeed a 29er. you could run it with big fat 29" mtb tires or just run big fat 'cross tires. the KM is a tank though. the on-one inbred is a bit lighter.

i'm also super bent on 'cross bikes right now. my geared 'cross bike is the ONLY bike i've been riding for the past few months now.

Have any links to the on one site?

Nevermind. Found it.

Seems they are popular since they're out of stock on complete bikes.

The Il Pompino is by on-one, which might be cheaper for you since they come from the UK. On-One also sells the Inbred SS mountain frame, which is pretty similar to the Surly 1x1.

The San Jose is from Bianchi, and is about the best value in a SS CX bike you can find.

If the wheels won't be taking the kind of abuse that requires a burly mountain bike wheelset.. like speedy offroad use and jumps, you may want to look into a Surly Cross-Check as well. It can take gigantor tires, as mentioned above, and could swap in standard road tires for summer use. It could be built up as a geared bike or single thanks to its horizontal dropouts, has cantilever brake mounts... I love mine.

you could build up a geared crosscheck using the group from your cinelli.

hey, i know this is OT but are you moving there from the states or from elsewhere in europe? just curious 'cause my girl and i are considering moving there somehow in the future and was wondering what the process is like, etc. PM if you feel like. thanks.

I would feel uncomfortable de-parting the Cinelli. I may consider leaving it here until I'm sure I'm staying in Sweden and buying a Crosscheck.

Know where to get the best price?

Stockholm is pretty flat. I always thought that a fixed gear mtb would be the way to go (in the winter, at least.)


Stockholm...

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/NJP0S...veas=074Sweden

Goteborg
http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/NJP0S...veas=022Sweden

Goteborg

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/NJP0S...veas=010Sweden

the cinelli sounds super sweet. i could see how painful it could be to dismantle it.

when i was shopping for a steel 'cross frame for my wife, i found the crosscheck frameset for 400 from www.webcyclery.com. that seemed like the best deal i could find online and without bugging my friends that work at shops to give me the hookup. webcyclery used to also carry the il pompino's and spot ss 'cross frames as well, but i'm not sure if they still do. they're also super nice guys. they carry great stuff too.

i ended up getting her a soma doublecross, since she definitely wanted gears and i liked the geometry for her specific size a bit better than her size of surly. they were cheapest from www.bikemania.biz. they're like 379 frame and fork... sweet deal.

Hey, I ride around all year here in Stockholm. My winter ride is a Surly Steamroller fixed, with studded tyres, Nokian of course. I think you will love it, the Surly performs wounderfully with 28+ tyres. I have a friend riding a 1x1 and as well loves it, pm when u get here.
Stockholm is a very friendly to cyclist, loads of cycling lanes and tons of people cycle.

Yea, these rides are a'plenty in Sweden. I think they're retired military issued models. They're good for the cheap cost, I'm sure.

I wouldn't want a 29er for any sort of urban work, stop and go is not where you want the heaviest wheels in teh universe. MTB vs cross I would decide based on preferred riding position and distance to be covered.