lostarchitect 

I've posted a picture of my main bike a few times in reference to various items I've bought for it, and a few people seemed interested in it to some degree, so I thought I'd make a post for it.

This bike started life last spring as a brand new, stock Mercier Kilo OS. The frame cause a lot of snarky comments and moaning in the fixed/single speed forum due to the addition of a second top tube and the perception that it was a riff on a $3000 ANT bike. Fortunately, it only cost $450 new.

After riding it for the summer I got a little bored with it. Fixed wasn't my thing, and it felt too limited as a single speed. It sat all winter. This spring I looked at it, and said to myself, "What do I need to do with this thing to enjoy it?"

I took it apart, decided what I wanted and didn't want, and sold off the wheels, stem, brake levers, and some other miscellaneous stuff. I bought a set of Soma wheels with a 3 speed SA rear hub, and set to work rebuilding. Without further ado, here are some pictures, please excuse the road dirt, I didn't really clean it before I took these, and I commute on this thing every day:

First, this is what the bike originally looked like. Now, today, I can't imagine myself buying this bike, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.



And now, a full view of what it looks like now:



The first big replacement was the wheels.





I'm sure you've noticed all the electrical tape on the downtube and the fork. Well, take a look at the ugly logos on the first picture, and you'll see what I'm covering up.

I added a SA thumb shifter insetad of the standard twist shifter. It fit neatly on the stem.



More pics in next post...

lostarchitect 

The bars are Velo Orange Porteur bars, and the levers are Dia Compe, also purchased from VO. The leather wrap was bought on sale from Nashbar. The stem is Kalloy, fairly cheap.

Brakes are stock. Oops, looks like my levers are out of alignment.



My girlfriend got me the bell. I like it.



Headset is stock.



The crankset is stock, as is the BB. The pedals and clips are MKS and the straps are from Velo Orange.



Reynolds 520 tubes, a VO moderniste bottle cage.



I added a basic rack for commuting. It's sort of meh, but it works.

lostarchitect 

And I recently added this Brooks Pro saddle, purchased from fellow C&Ver Septacycles. Looks beautiful. And yes, I did scratch it immediately after receiving it. Ugh. The tool roll is from Mopha.



And last, but not least, I made a pannier out of an old army surplus bag I had and some pannier hooks. I think it suits the bike.



So that's about it. Let me know what you think. I've found it to be a great all purpose bike. It's sporty but totally comfortable to commute on, and I really dig it. If you have any questions, ask away. Thanks all!

Sirrus Rider

Beautiful!

Chris_in_Miami

Very nice build lostarchitect! Hiding the logos really does give it a great look.

illwafer

not classic or vintage (imo), but still cool and not out of place in this forum.

have you tried a hair dryer to get those decals off?

lostarchitect 

For those curious, parts list follow:

Kilo OS stock

Items bought:

Soma Iggy wheels w/ 3 speed SA hub
SA thumbshifter
Dia Compe cable clip
leather Bar Tape
Dia Compe reverse levers
VO Porteur bars
Kalloy stem
Kalloy Seatpost
VO bottle cage
MKS pedals
MKS toe clips
VO toe straps
Brooks Pro saddl
Topeak Rack
Bell



I'm still thinking about another crankset. Any suggestions?

lostarchitect 

Unfortunately, they're under the clearcoat.

Fletch521

I don't think something can be a "Classic" unless it is vintage.

Nice bike though. You did a great job on it.

lostarchitect 

Thank you! I respectfully disagree on the "classic" classification, however. I think "classic" is a matter of style--some might say, for example, that the design of a new Ducati is "classic"--in fact they produced some bikes a few years back with spoke wheels and 70's styling, and called the line the "sport classic".

It's open to interpretation, of course, and we all have our own.

David Newton

I like what you've done, and doing it with what you already had.
I don't know why, but I really like the twin top tubes.

Fletch521

We can't allow a companies advertising and marketing to redefine our words.

Sirrus Rider

Sugino? Or Maybe velo-Orange?

lostarchitect 

I call attention to definitions 1, 7 and 9 particularly.

clas·sic [klas-ik]
–adjective Also, classical ( for defs. 1–5, 8, 10 ) .
1. of the first or highest quality, class, or rank: a classic piece of work.
2. serving as a standard, model, or guide: the classic method of teaching arithmetic.
3. of or pertaining to Greek and Roman antiquity, especially with reference to literature and art.
4. modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome: The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals.
5. of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods: a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture.
6. basic; fundamental: the classic rules of warfare.
7. of enduring interest, quality, or style: a classic design; classic clothes.
8. of literary or historical renown: the classic haunts of famous writers.
9. traditional or typical: a classic comedy routine.
10. definitive: the classic reference work on ornithology.
11. of or pertaining to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.

Fletch521

classic |ˈklasik| adjective
judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind:
noun
1 a work of art of recognized and established value

To be deemed "Classic" something has to have withstood the test of time...

lostarchitect 

Sure, like styling, for instance. Anyway, we disagree. I think new things can be classically styled, you don't. No worries.

Fletch521

That is correct.

Most things "classically styled" will never be "a classic."

...and don't let our semantics take away from, I really like what you did with that bike.

lostarchitect 

Thanks again, and you're right, it's all semantics.

hoyc

I really like the shape of the stock/original handlebars on that bike.

lostarchitect 

Supposedly they are a "path racer" type bar. I found them very uncomfortable.

Catnap 

nice job on the build! i'd build one up custom for my Dad if I thought he'd actually ride it.

20grit

I've actually been pondering a very similar build and had looked at that exact bike the other day. Nicely done on yours.


Perhaps architect types think alike.

lostarchitect 

Maybe! If I was doing it again, I'd just get the frameset and build up from there. I don't think it would save much (if any) money, but if I did that I'd certainly have different brakes and crankset, maybe a few other differences.

Coreyk

I remember you posting in the single -speed forum when you got that bike. It's pretty neat to see what you've done with it since. I'm glad to see you're still enjoying it so much.
Some bikes attract me for reasons I can't fully explain, and the Kilo OS is one of them. I still look at the framesets on E-Bay.

auchencrow

Hi lostarchitect -

I think the "before" photo was just awful but the "After" is awfully cool!
- It reminds me in a way of an old Iver Johnson (my first bike) so I have a soft spot for double top tubes.
Great job on the make-over!!!