LHT done New Photos
12-14-05, 12:07 PM
#26
Senior Curmudgeon
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Congratulations! Looks like a pleasant ride. I'm having wheels built for my Klein Navigator and will post photos when it's done.
12-14-05, 03:52 PM
#28
The Rock Cycle
Originally Posted by metal_cowboy
I like the "no sticker look". I guess I need to take the butter knife to my LHT!
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Gunnar Sport
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Gunnar Sport
Specialized Ruby
Salsa Vaya Ti
Novara Randonee x2
Motobecane Fantom CXX
Jamis Dakar XCR
12-15-05, 10:16 AM
#29
senile member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Taiwan
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Bikes: 1 mtb converted for commuting (actually, collecting dust in the garage), a LHT with "durable components"
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What a beauty Fixer, can I have it for Christmas?
12-15-05, 04:58 PM
#30
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Somerville, MA
Posts: 19
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This one's mine:
Build details:
- Sugino XD600 cranks
- SRAM 8.0 rear cassette (8-speed)
- Deore rder
- Deore XT fder
- Deore LX/CR18 rear wheel
- Shimano 600/CR18 front wheel
- Shimano low-profile cantis
- Cane Creek headset
- Brooks B17
- Nitto B115 h'bars
- Parts-bin Dia-Compe levers
- Tektro extension levers
- Shimano 8-speed bar-ends
- SKS P45 fenders
- Blackburn rack
I'm still getting used to the very low bottom bracket; I normally ride fixed, and I can't really pedal through turns the way I'm used to. But it's a very capable bike, and very, very solid and stable.
Build details:
- Sugino XD600 cranks
- SRAM 8.0 rear cassette (8-speed)
- Deore rder
- Deore XT fder
- Deore LX/CR18 rear wheel
- Shimano 600/CR18 front wheel
- Shimano low-profile cantis
- Cane Creek headset
- Brooks B17
- Nitto B115 h'bars
- Parts-bin Dia-Compe levers
- Tektro extension levers
- Shimano 8-speed bar-ends
- SKS P45 fenders
- Blackburn rack
I'm still getting used to the very low bottom bracket; I normally ride fixed, and I can't really pedal through turns the way I'm used to. But it's a very capable bike, and very, very solid and stable.
Last edited by smasher; 12-18-05 at 07:56 AM.
12-15-05, 06:12 PM
#31
Senior Member
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Just the bike I've been considering! A local shop will build one for me for $2000. That's too rich for me so I'm considering building my own. Is that the route you took, and did you save lots that way? I've never built a bike before, but I am handy and up for the challenge if it will cost less in the long run. Just how steep is the learning curve for bike building? Thanks, Rich
12-16-05, 08:52 AM
#32
Junior Member
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Location: Somerville, MA
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I'm not a pro, but I've built a lot of bikes, and I volunteer regularly at Bikes Not Bombs in Boston.
It all depends on how ambitious you want to be. If you haven't built one before, start with a single-speed conversion, or find an old bike and take it apart to see it's put together. I don't think I'd start with a LHT.
You don't need to build EVERYTHING yourself. (Wheel building is its own thing, and takes a while to learn how to do well.) There are some places where you can make your life a little easier (cartridge bottom brackets, friction shifting instead of indexed, new-style cantilevers (the new Shimanos, or the Tektro Oryx, or Avid Shorties), etc.) Scrounge around and you should be able to find some good stuff.
It'd be a good idea to work with somebody who knows what they're doing, who can check your work and make sure you haven't done anything unsafe (like a bad brake setup, etc.). And there are a lot of specialized tools you'll need access to in order to do some of the work.
It all depends on how ambitious you want to be. If you haven't built one before, start with a single-speed conversion, or find an old bike and take it apart to see it's put together. I don't think I'd start with a LHT.
You don't need to build EVERYTHING yourself. (Wheel building is its own thing, and takes a while to learn how to do well.) There are some places where you can make your life a little easier (cartridge bottom brackets, friction shifting instead of indexed, new-style cantilevers (the new Shimanos, or the Tektro Oryx, or Avid Shorties), etc.) Scrounge around and you should be able to find some good stuff.
It'd be a good idea to work with somebody who knows what they're doing, who can check your work and make sure you haven't done anything unsafe (like a bad brake setup, etc.). And there are a lot of specialized tools you'll need access to in order to do some of the work.
12-16-05, 08:58 AM
#33
Junior Member
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Oh--and I scrounged up a lot of the parts. Most of it was stuff I had lying around. The crank, bb, headset and brakes were new; everything else either came from other bikes (my old Volpe, and another bike I'd built up a few years ago), or was bought over time at swap meets, Bikes Not Bombs, or off Craig's List. So this bike wasn't a $2000 bike for me.
12-16-05, 11:14 AM
#34
hello
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by smasher
This one's mine:
Prior posts.....thanks for all your comments. I've been commuting to work on weekends on the LHT, lightly loaded. The bike is everything I expected and have absolutely no complaints. I'm getting a lot of compliments on the color....
Since I had most used mtb components on hand, my build only cost me a bit over $600, and that includes the cost of the new frameset and new Tubus rack. I'm happy with the component selection so far and don't think I'll change anything. Thanks...
George
12-16-05, 02:38 PM
#35
dangerous with tools
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Originally Posted by The Fixer
I'm getting a lot of compliments on the color....
I can't believe they dropped sage green.
12-18-05, 08:02 AM
#36
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Location: Somerville, MA
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Originally Posted by The Fixer
Smasher.....Your bike photo isn't popping up.
Prior posts.....thanks for all your comments. I've been commuting to work on weekends on the LHT, lightly loaded. The bike is everything I expected and have absolutely no complaints. I'm getting a lot of compliments on the color....
Since I had most used mtb components on hand, my build only cost me a bit over $600, and that includes the cost of the new frameset and new Tubus rack. I'm happy with the component selection so far and don't think I'll change anything. Thanks...
George
Prior posts.....thanks for all your comments. I've been commuting to work on weekends on the LHT, lightly loaded. The bike is everything I expected and have absolutely no complaints. I'm getting a lot of compliments on the color....
Since I had most used mtb components on hand, my build only cost me a bit over $600, and that includes the cost of the new frameset and new Tubus rack. I'm happy with the component selection so far and don't think I'll change anything. Thanks...
George
I'm getting a lot of comments on the color, too, though I haven't honestly bonded with it yet. Just finished the build in October or so--just in time for the weather to go wrong. Now I'm back on my winter bike.
My LHT replaces a burgundy Bianchi Volpe. The Volpe is a good bike, but I wasn't so happy with the geometry. I liked the color, though.
12-18-05, 11:38 AM
#37
hello
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by smasher
Whoops; I fixed it. (I'm new to this forum and I haven't gotten the hang of everything yet.)
I'm getting a lot of comments on the color, too, though I haven't honestly bonded with it yet. Just finished the build in October or so--just in time for the weather to go wrong. Now I'm back on my winter bike.
My LHT replaces a burgundy Bianchi Volpe. The Volpe is a good bike, but I wasn't so happy with the geometry. I liked the color, though.
I'm getting a lot of comments on the color, too, though I haven't honestly bonded with it yet. Just finished the build in October or so--just in time for the weather to go wrong. Now I'm back on my winter bike.
My LHT replaces a burgundy Bianchi Volpe. The Volpe is a good bike, but I wasn't so happy with the geometry. I liked the color, though.
