SkippyX

Hey, guys.

So....I have this 80's Peugeot ATB. I like it. It looks like a stout touring bike from back in the day, with a full compliment - for the time - of braze-ons for whatever you'd like to mount. Other than the saddle, tires & tubes it looks to be bone stock. It also fits me better than any frame I've ridden yet. It's strong and it's big and that's the way I like it.

I spent some time riding it over the last couple of days through winding neighborhood streets - never straying far from home - shaking it down, looking for potential issues. It all seems good. Gotta replace the wheels soon, raise the handlebars about an inch & a half and start loading it up w/ what I want (racks, fenders, etc).

The last few days I started thinking about it as a potential "poor man's Sam Hilbourne". We'll see. I'm leaving it stock for a bit once I have it shod & adjusted properly.

But that led me to thinking about y'all. There are all kinds of posts - great, informative, helpful posts - about fitness, exercise, weight loss, the challenge of riding at the weight most of us (me included) carry.

What about the fun stuff? What's your favorite ride? How'd you doll it up? What is (or, heaven forbid, was) it about the bike that made it your favorite ride? Did you build one up? Refurbish one? Buy it all hussied up and ready to go? Ever build one and turn out disappointed w/ the results?

Just curious.

bbeasley

Well since you asked

I got a Wabi Lightning RE frame set, Columbus steel frame with a carbon fork. The ride is so plush it feels like I'm cheating, but lay into the pedals and this baby checks out. I used my Trek 2.3 with 105s as a component donor, I had recently upgraded it with internal cable brifters and an Utegra front derailleur. For me, the above coupled with an almost total lack of marketing decals makes it perfect. I have zero bike envy, it's cured me of upgradeitis.

It costs a lot more to build one as the big manufacturers do such a good job. For me it's worth it, I've ridden more miles this year already than in any other whole year. It's 100% related to how much I'm enjoying this bike.

SkippyX

Sounds like a nice bike. I'm with you on the ride quality.

I'm holding off on doing anything to the Peugeot aside from wheels and a cheap rack until I get to know it better. I know that finding a decent rear hub is going to be a chore. 120mm frame spacing. I'll probably end up w/ friction shifters, which is fine by me. I grew up using those.

Yeah - there's no way I could source new parts and build one less than a manufacturer can. I might be able to do it through e-Bay, though. I'm not looking for top flight, bike-envy-inspiring bling. I just want solid, dependable and low maintenance. Fast isn't a big issue - strong is. I'm looking for the sort of bike I can ride until I'm too broken down to ride any longer. I'm thinking that if I spend the dough on good quality components when I have the dough to spare, I should be able to do it.

TrojanHorse

I haven't bought a complete bike since 1992... upgraded the drive train on that bike in 97, stopped riding it for a while in 01, got an old merlin frame in 99 maybe, and bought a new SRAM group and a build kit and put that together, then got jonesing for a carbon frame so I found a used '07 Roubaix frame on ebay and moved all my components over, then a year later got jonesing for a newer used frame and found ANOTHER roubaix on ebay, moved my stuff over again. Along the way, I swapped teh cranks because I wanted a compact crank, then the FD because the new roubaix needed a braze-on, then the rear derailleur because I wanted a 32 tooth cog.

I don't care if I could have gotten it all for less all at once, I enjoy fiddling with mechanical objects.

I still have my '92 bike in the shed - it needs a new rear shifter, so i found a pair of 9 speed tiagra shifters to replace the busted ultegra ones and ANY DAY now I'll get my butt in gear and finish putting that together. That'll be my family flat-route bike (standard crank and tiny cogs).

Turzy

Haven't built anything...yet ! I really want to get a frame from nashbar and build a road bike just for the fun of building...well that and n+1 lol

TrojanHorse

Well you should do it!

cyccommute 

Everything. I have bought complete bikes since 1992 but they rarely stay stock and the last 7 (of 9) have been from frame up. In ascending order of usefulness (i.e. fun to work bikes)

Specialized S-Works Epic


Dean El Diente. Totally useless and a complete joy to ride


Specialized Stumpjumper Pro. Daughter's house bike


Moots YBB. Mostly useless but does make a really good "slop" bike.


Specialized Rock Hopper. Used to be the Stumpjumper but I wanted a different color. It is also my totally Shimano free bike. Not a single Shimano component. That's not easy to do, by the way.


Nashbar Flashback. Useful and fun to ride


Salsa Las Cruces. My work horse. Not quite as much fun as the Dean but it beats walking

Turzy

I will...when the time is right...I need to build a garage first lol and get a few things done/finished in the house too...Hopefully next year

arex

I'm working on, as time allows, an old Raleigh Sports frame that I'm building into a path racer, as well as rebuilding a Nishiki mountain bike into a pseudo-touring bike. In the meantime, I ride my old mountain bike to work.

TrojanHorse

Man, you need to reevaluate your priorities.

Turzy

lol I have! Garage = more room for bikes