Ned_Detroit

I like it, but I wish you'd an old inner-tube around the chain securing your seat. It would cut down on rattling and prevent abrasion on the seat rails and paint on the seat stays lessening the likelihood of rusting.

darkmanx2g

My 2008 Trek 7.3 FX - My do it all bike

Ibis Barends, Specialized Geometry Comfort Grips, Cateye el-220 and blinkie, and rear rack.

Caleab

Is that the stock saddle?
it looks different than mine (I also have a 2008 Trek 7.3FX.

-holiday76

I just built up this monstrosity for winter snow commuting:

darkmanx2g

No, the stock saddle was too uncomfortable. Thats from my mountain bike which is more comfortable for me (Avenir).

rich9cinti

As a Christmas present to myself , I got my first single speed, the Scattante Emerald City, to ride to work and to the local bookstores... shouldn't have to look like a racer just to commute around. Wanted a casual steel commuter bike without shelling out too many $$$. They changed the bars in mid Dec "08" to a curved flat bar... hated it. I swapped out the bars for a 52cm Soma Sparrow North Road bar and will most likely get leather tape and cross type levers in the coming year. I need to save up my pennies for a Brooks Swift saddle... lots of pennies!!!

Although I just got it, I think the quality is great considering that I bought it for $340 (had an additional 15% off).

Don't be a bike snob. Single speeds commuter bikes should be inexpensive and simple, period. I also have a custom built Litespeed Titanium mtn bike, custom Kestrel KM40 carbon fiber tribike and a LeMond Buenos Aires "01" steel road bike... I enjoy them all for what they are used for.

paulwwalters

I like it! It's the kind of bike I'd have with a Cetma rack on the front, and use it as a general utility bike.
The only thing is, does it come in 61cm+?

petflunky

M-30's are good bikes. I just gave mine away last summer, to my sons friend. It was all original (except for the neck) and ran perfectly. My wife still uses hers, and loves it. BTW, mine was either a '92 or '93, and the same for my wife.

edit: This was supposed to be a reply to XavierB

themanmachine

I like the look of that bike. How effective are the fenders? And what about that seat? You see lots of OEM seats in snazzy colors like that but they are hard to come by unless they are attached to a new bike.

eucarya

Here's my commuter geared out for winter. Used this as my daily commuter over the summer too although I'll probably keep it for nasty days and ride a FG conversion when the weather is nice. It's a 1995 GT Avalanche, stock stuff (Shimano, Aheadset, Mavic rims) with Bontrager Saddle & Bontrager Connection Tires (haven't had a problem with them on the snowy days yet) and a few cheap lights and fenders.

rich9cinti

Hey Paul, just logged in. To answer your question about the Emerald City Single Speed... It does come in 61cm. The pic I posted was my 54cm.

rich9cinti

Posted by themanmachine: "I like the look of that bike. How effective are the fenders? And what about that seat? You see lots of OEM seats in snazzy colors like that but they are hard to come by unless they are attached to a new bike."

I haven't had a chance to test the fenders yet but I can assume they are bare minimum protection since the fenders are flat and not curved inward. But, it fit the look I was going for and may find myself in rain just occasionally. If I lived in a region in the south and was able to ride everyday despite rain or shine, then I would probably look into getting larger fenders. Velo Orange site has lots of nice retro fenders!

As for the seat, I agree that you can't find an after-market saddle exactly as this one. But I don't think it is anything special. I will most likely replace it with a Brooks Swift/Swallow or the inexpensive version like the Cardiff Gull saddle.

Unapomer

Here's one of my commuters (I commute 11 miles each way, some singletrack, but mostly paved road) an old Trek 800 with drop bars and Suntour friction
barcons, cheap suspension seatpost, Walmart/Bell mtb tires. I have less than $200 in it and it is my favorite, even though I have lighter and faster bikes
for commuting.

Doohickie

Ready for commuting duty:



A week before Christmas, I found this Raleigh Marathon in a dumpster. I cleaned it up some, put on wheels and a seat from another bike I had, and added fenders, a rack, toe clips, a headlight and rear blinky, saddlebag with spare tube and tool kit, frame pump, and I retaped the handlebars. For commuting I'll hang panniers from the rack.

It is my backup commuter, but I'll start the New Year on the backup because my primary ride is down and awaiting parts (Shimano crank recall).

bugly64

Just put my Soma Eurotrip 35mm fenders for the rain, and my NiteRider MiNewt x2 on and some reflective tape for night rides.

BassNotBass

Here's what I ride most of the time:

BassNotBass

Wow... thanks for the memories. I bought a Marathon back in '83 ( I believe I paid about $260 for it) that has served me well. What I've always found funny about 80's Raleighs was how many times the word "Raleigh" appears on the frame. Although the bike has been stripped and repainted it is still being ridden... by my step-son.

4SEVEN3

That,s what it is about right there......inexpensive, saving something perfectly good from the trash, and making it yours!

Nice job!!

quidquam

bugly64, That's one pretty ride. Is that a LHT?

Doohickie

2 on the forks
2 on the downtube
1 on the front of the seat tube (large)
1 on the rear of the seat tube (small)
1 (stamped in) in the top of each chain stay
1 on the headbadge
1 on the decal that looks like a headbadge at the top of the seat tube, above the big vertical Raleigh decal
1 (stamped in) at the top of the head tube

I think that makes 11

You do know, don't you, that these bikes were made by Huffy under license to Raleigh, out of Asian components, right? I think the only British component is the Britannialloy frame pump I put on from my DL-1. Maybe they were compensatin' for somethin'. No matter, I like how it rides.

Dr. Hellyes

Heck those are a dime a dozen around here, heh. Glad it's working out for you!

manlem01

My current commuter. Bianchi San Jose with fenders, Nokian Hakkapeliitta 106s, some lights/blinkies, rear rack, Brooks B17 and leather bar tape.

chrism32205

Very nice Bianchi

BarracksSi

I very nearly got myself a San Jose like that. I couldn't live without gears, though -- don't think that my knees will take it. I picked up a Valle instead. I should've gotten it two or three bikes ago..

bugly64

It's a crossxcheck.