RubeRad

yeah dude, get that rear shifter cable under control!

I'm seeing generator hub with a headlight and a power cable going back to a rear light?

Way cool man, looks like your daughter's a badass with that well-decorated monster commuter!

HardyWeinberg

dyno taillight was way easier than yelling at my kids each morning to turn on their taillight (and hope they turned if off at the other end so as not to kill the battery)

HardyWeinberg

Long Haul Trucker goes to college (I rode it for 10k miles then handed it to my son who is probably close to outgrowing it...)

RubeRad

Excellent! I had the same goal of sending my CrossCheck to college with my oldest, to give me an excuse to buy myself a new bike, but he wasn't interested. We got him a Nishiki Alamosa off his local CL, but he hardly rides it.

HardyWeinberg

He's going to learn about maintenance on his own finally...

Maslin

My trusty Salsa. 18 miles a day round trip.

RidingMatthew

Is that a Journeyman? I have a 650 Journeyman. I love it. I am running Byways vs Horizons. Great bike!

Maslin

Yes, Journeyman 650b. I was looking for Byways and found a good deal on Horizons, seems you can't go wrong either way!

Darth Lefty 

After a quick jaunt through the blackberry patch

RidingMatthew

@Maslin that is true I have 4924 miles on my byways. the rear tire is getting bald. I have a new set that will probably go on before the end of the week.

praivo

Here's the current state of my "Frankenbike" commuter. Sorry for the (lack of) quality, my phone's camera sucks.





If anyone's interested, here are the specs (and the reason why I call it a Frankenbike):

• Frame: Unknown, given to me by a friend 5+ years ago. Probably a Univega Alpina from the late '90s, but I'm not sure. 18", steel.
• Fork: Mongoose rigid from an IBOC I got for free. Spray painted with rubberized underbody coating.
• Stem: Mongoose 90mm form the same IBOC
• Handlebar: Al, 560 mm, also from said IBOC
• Headset: Generic, 1-1/8", threaded, cup-and-cone
• Bottom bracket: Shimano something, square taper, from a 2008 Specialized Hardrock XC
• Crankset: Shimano Altus M311 triple (24-34-44), also from the Hardrock.
• Pedals: Cheap Al/steel platforms
• Cassette: Shimano something, 7-speed, 11-28 teeth, from the IBOC
• Front derailer: Shimano Tourney something from my parts drawer
• Rear derailer: Shimano SLX M670, Dyna-Sys Shadow, 10-speed. Cable routing changed to somewhat compensate for the different pitch of the 7-speed cassette.
• Shifters: Shimano SLX M670 with gear indicators (they weren't removable until the next model), 3×10. Taken from my MTB (together with the RD) after that one got upgraded to 1×11.
• Chain: Shimano HG40. 8-speed
• Wheels: Double-wall rims, steel spokes, Quando hubs. Got them in exchange for a pair of clipless pedals I had lying around. Rear hub converted from a solid axle to a QR. Ghetto tubeless conversion using split 20" tubes. Caffélatex sealant.
• Tires: CST Control Viva Eco. 3/10 - heavy as hell (IIRC well over 800 grams each) and very little grip in the wet. 40 mm wide.
• Brakes and levers: Avid Single Digit, bought used for 400 CZK (<17 USD)
• Seatpost: Force Al, 25.8/400 mm, 20 (?) mm offset
• Saddle: Author/Selle San Marco Arami from a scrapped bike

Accessories:

• Fenders: B'Twin 100 (?) from Decathlon
• Rear rack: Force Disc, Al, 25-kg capacity, disc-compatible (obviously).
• Front light: Polaris "7 LUX"
• Rear light: Crivit something (from a set, the front light died), USB rechargeable, from Lidl
• Saddle bag: Crivit, the top secured with a large zip tie (which I've found far more reliable than the original detachable clamp). Inside:
  • CO2 pump, patches, and tire levers: Weldtite JetValve saddle bag set
  • Multitool: From the original set
  • Chain tool: A basic $1 Chinese one + a few generic master links
  • Tubeless repair kit: From a random automotive set (plugs and insertion tool only)
• Pannier: Random "Bike Upgrade" that Tesco had on sale for ~120 CZK (~5 USD). Claims to be water resistant without any extra cover and, to my surprise, did indeed keep everything inside dry when tested. I have two of the but haven't needed the other one yet. Inside it I keep a mini pump, a small bottle of sealant, and a cable lock.

According to my quick calculations, I spent less than 4500 CZK (190 USD) on all of the above.

RubeRad

That's quite a nice looking pannier for $US 5! I thought it was an Ortlieb, and a pair of those would set you back more than everything you've listed there!

praivo

I got VERY lucky, especially considering that I only shop at Tesco a few times a year and just randomly happened to go there when they were on sale. I haven't seen ANY other panniers remotely close to that price, let alone something decent.

davei1980

I LOVE THIS! I thought I coined the term frankenbike (not really) very cool! See my post be low for my very own frankenbike! I got sick of having multiple bikes for multiple uses so built one to fit all!

davei1980

For those of you nerds like me, here's the 411 on the build:
- Frame - Ridley X Bow butted allow - year unknown
- Fork - Cannondale, Carbon fiber
- Rims - Mavic Reflex SUP, 700c
- Hubs - Shimano Ultegra rear / front: unknown/unbranded
- Tires - Specialized Tracer tubular CX race tires (ask me - long story here, wasn't my goal to be commuting on tubulars) 700*33 (28x33, 33x622)
- Crank - Oval Concepts 520 w/ Pork Chop 39t chainwheel, 170mm crank length
- Pedals - XLC dual sided
- Seat - Fi'zik Ardea w/ hollow manganese rails
- Post - Orbea carbon fiber
- Brakes - TRP magnesium cantis, frog leg clones
- Cassette - Deore BK - 11-36T ten speed
- Shifter/Derailleur: Shimano Zee, clutched, ultra-short cage MTB
- Stem - Generic 45 deg rise, about 90mm length (snappy handling!)
- Bars - Origin8 600mm maybe? slight rise
- Levers - Tektro short pull, BMX style (short handled)
- Fenders -Portland Design Works
- Grips - NOX
- Headset - Cane Creek

I wish the graphics/paint job were less flashy.

Total build cost around $300 USD - not a bad commuter at ~20lbs - Plus I can take the fenders off and hold my own in the local CX circuit if the mood strikes (no I can't, I am not fast, but the bike can!)

jdswitters

My Timberjack is jealous and wants to know where the frame bag came from.

Darth Lefty 

Rogue Panda. Custom graphic my wife thought up and they obliged

delbiker1 

My commuter, errands, bad weather, all around use bike. Schwinn SS DBX, 2006, it is a well thought out and executed build for a multi-use bike. Mech disc brakes, can be switched to cantilever, rack and fender mounts, aluminum frame/CF fork, room for at least 38mm tires. It has a good geometry for commuting and still can be set up pretty aggressive,has a very cushy ride with the wider tires and the same rims will take 23/25mm no problem. On the heavy side as it is set up now, but can get it down to around 21 lbs. with different set up. Schwinn mostly gets a bad rap these days, probably deserved, but this model has a great reputation and was given rave reviews in Bicycling Mag, for what that is worth. It has served me well and I change things on it as the need, or wants, arise.

Bunks-TJ

i dig it

Phamilton

@davei1980, that Ridley is a sweet build. You could sticker bomb the frame if you wanted a less flashy look. I think sticker bombing is cool, anyway. If you get a set of full length fenders like SKS makes and get them fit well, it only takes like 10 minutes off and maybe 15 minutes back on. They’ll work extremely well and also look nice.

davei1980

Sincerely, thank you.

I just rode it through the aftermath of an overnight fall snow storm yesterday and the PDW fenders did keep me really dry, I love the suggestion though as I have had SKS products in the past and really enjoyed their stuff.

I would LOVE to sticker bomb it but not sure it will fit in at my boring CPA office - I need something in between the current flashy dept. store bike graphic look and full-on, messanger/punk rock look.... maybe I should powder coat in matte black this winter?? Odd that the parts are entirely mismatched, yet I managed somehow to come out with a unified black/white aesthetic... not on purpose!

liampboyle

My old Trek 820 died, so I picked this up for $150 with the trade-in. I need to add a rear rack to mount my trunk bag and panniers.

edsta74

Ive been commuting to work for 2 years, but only during the warmer months and never in the rain. This year I decided Im going to ride through winter and rain, but dont want to beat up my road bike. So this is the new commuter. Bikesdirect.com special! I added some Handsome Fenders for the rainy days. And a more comfortable saddle. $399 shipped with entry level Shimano components and disc brakes. Im happy with it!

davei1980

i like this. You can always replace the components one at a time. Cheers to you

edsta74

Added a saddle bag and some reflective tape for better visibility.