Roger M

1985 Bridgestone catalog scan

So, I am seeking assistance from the experts here. My twenty year old kid is commuting about nine miles a day by bike(during the nice summer weather). Currently she is riding an old Diamondback mtb. It has worked pretty well, but it's heavy.

I've had this Bridgestone frame for too many years, taking up space. The plan is to build a cute and comfortable commuter bike. It will have 27 inch wheels(read: freewheel), and have an upright sitting position.

I have:
Frameset
Wheels
Derailleur(s)
shifters(thumb or bar end)
coupla stem options

She rides the Burke Gillman trail(MUP) to work, so there's no roads to worry about. At the moment, she's using a messenger bag to carry lunch, laptop, and a jacket. I am not sure about a rack yet. I'm thinking maybe a front basket, or rear rack/single pannier.

I'm looking for some opinions/advice on the following:
Handlebars
Stem
Rack or basket
Crankset(1× or 2x)
shifters

What would you put together for your kid?

Here's a few pictures of the frame.

merziac

Wow, very cool, you're obviously on the right track.

Not much to offer but Northroad bars are popular and they have quite bit of sweep back so any stem in the bin that puts them out there is ok as the bars will bring it back, I would have a rack and basket in case one works better than the other for her and would make for more hauling capacity.

The crank that is on there should be just fine, I would utilize all the parts already there as, well they are already there and pretty decent spec.

I would expect this to have come with 700c and would stick with that, plenty of them with freewheel hubs and far more tire choices and deals.

Can you use the shifters off the mtb she has been riding and is used to, maybe brake levers as well?

Here's some inspiration just for fun.

A couple of Ms. merziac's, the Moto is slated to get upright bars, and has had the shifters moved to the stem already.

The Paramount came that way so it was a no brainer AND a smokin deal.

clubman 

That's a beauty. I'd go with porteur bars and bar ends. Mudguards? Silver rear Blackburn rack with single mount? When my daughter was 18 she got this one but outgrew it quickly so I sold it. The ITM city bars were unusual and perfect for the bike.

gugie 

Sweet, Roger!

7 years ago I did the same, one of my first attempts at using a torch. An old Nishiki Olympic 12 mixte became this:

tricky 

I am sure you know this and if she's regularly commuting in Seattle she's probably figured this out, but make sure she'll be locking it up well and ideally not in a bicycle cage or bike room. That might mean attaching a mount for a u-lock and a cable lock for the wheels. The old MTB would be a little less of a target than a nice road bike like this.

Roger M

Thanks for the reminder. She gets to park inside the shop that she's working at. There's only three people working there. However, I will give her a lock to use if she needs to stop along the way.

dweenk

A minor detail. Since the end of the rear brake cable is upside down, it will collect water which will fall to the low part of the cable loop unless you have the little rubber plug thing (tech term) that helps shed water.

I have one and it is yours for shipping if you need it.

Roger M

Thanks Merziac. Those are two beautiful mixtes.

This bike came with 27 inch wheels. I have a nice set of 27s to go on here. The shifters on the mtb are low end Shimano 7 speed push button. This bike will get a 6 speed freewheel.

I like your Northroad suggestion. Noted.

non-fixie 

My lesson learned: start by finding out what she likes. If she likes the idea of C&V you'll arrive at a totally different outcome than when she doesn't care and just wants "a bike".

My two cents.

jdawginsc 

Might want to invest in ratcheting thumb shifters. With 6 speed gearing (likely wide range, you might want to go compact double maybe? 48/36 or something with a chain guard?

I like the idea of Gugie's handlebars, and fenders would definitely fit with 700c...maybe slightly bigger tires.

Odd that only single eyelets in the rear...

LOVE the color.

nlerner

I’d suggest stem shifters and sticking with that crankset or installing a triple. The SunTour power ratchet shifters work great; I have a set I can send your way, Roger.

Roger M

Great looking bike, clubman.

Thanks for the porteur suggestion. I forgot that I have a set of them. However, I am not sure how much she'll like bar end shifters...

As for the mudguards, I would really like to put some on. But she hauls her bike in the back of her VW Rabbit, and the fenders wouldn't like that...

merziac

Tx, no worries, the 27's will help up front with the build, Gatorskins come in 27 and despite their lack of love here, I get great service out of them on most of my bikes with the ride being just fine for me, maybe I don't know any better.

jdawginsc 

Didn't know that...all I know is my Zaffiros do not... I might have kept the 27s on the Trek.

merziac

Bike shop?

merziac

BTD has the Gators in stock, on sale w/free ship plus 5-10% back in VIP points for $42, they also show Zaffiro's 27 X 1 1/8 in stock and 1 1/4 coming.

The Gator 27 x 1 1/4 are marked 32mm so it's a great size as well in the here and now.

I think they are like MKS pedals, one of the best values in all of cycling.

tiger1964 

That paint color just screams out for a gold-anodized gruppo!

Roger M

That's pretty much what I would like to see in the Bridgestone, Mark. Very nice. As I mentioned above, fenders are not likely, due to her hauling it in the back of her car. I like the IGH, but it probably won't happen this time..

Roger M

not a bike shop. sadly.

ofajen

I built up a Lotus mixte from that era for similar purpose for one of my kids. A bit hard to see, but I think this frame also has the option to install the rear calipers on the “mixte” frame tubes rather than the seat stays. That’s what I did on the Lotus and it is a much simpler and more effective location for the rear brake.

Also, that Lotus now sports the cheap Sunlite version of the North Road bar, known as the Elson Roadster, as do both of my bikes.

Otto

Roger M

Thanks for pointing that out, non-fixie. Yeah, in the past she wasn't into bikes, period. A couple years back I set her up with the Diamondback mtb so she could ride to Community College.

Only recently she expressed interest in a 'nicer bike, after seeing the bike that I built for her little brother(picture below).

Roger M

Thanks very much for the offer, Neal. I'll run the options by her and see if she has a preference. The double chainrings will be more than enough for her. She will not be climbing any big hills. Her commute has about two and a half feet of elevation gain...

gugie 

Velo Orange handlebar rack with a bolted on Nantucket bike basket is her favorite feature.

nlerner

Roger, here's my wife's mixte, which started life as a drop-bar Raleigh Olympian. While I have those double power stem shifers, you'll see it's set up as a 1 x 6, so the left lever is only for show! Those are Rivendell Albatross bars--very wide!

TABMixte3.jpg

Roger M

Here's a few parts that I have if they end up working out for this build.


These are 27" Mavic rims on early Dura Ace hubs.

If thumb shifters win out, these are them.


If I can make it work, these will go on. I need to source a seatpost cinch bolt mounted cable stop/pulley for the rear...