Commuter Bicycle Pics
aka Tom Reingold
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Location: New York, NY, USA
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Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
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It's the calipers, not the levers, but I think you mentioned that your hands are having trouble reaching. You can mitigate that a bit by moving the levers up the bars a bit, but maybe they're also the wrong levers for you. Those calipers are pretty bad, though.
Weinmann Vainqueur brakes, if set up right, are not terrible!
Weinmann Vainqueur brakes, if set up right, are not terrible!
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
bill nyecycles
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It's the calipers, not the levers, but I think you mentioned that your hands are having trouble reaching. You can mitigate that a bit by moving the levers up the bars a bit, but maybe they're also the wrong levers for you. Those calipers are pretty bad, though.
Weinmann Vainqueur brakes, if set up right, are not terrible!
Weinmann Vainqueur brakes, if set up right, are not terrible!


But yes, I am having trouble getting my fingers around them - the reach seems to be a bit much from the hoods, and they're hard to pull in that position. If I am in the drops and can pull the levers like a regular grip - the brakes work pretty well. But riding in the drops constantly, and braking from there isn't really feasible.
The bike is a 54, and I should ride a 52, and with the rando bars already having a long top/reach on them, the setup just isn't working in general. So I think I'm going to switch to a Soma Late Riser bar, with these levers: https://velo-orange.com/collections/...-22-2-dia-bars
I'll see how the calipers work in this setup and if braking still sucks I'll get some new brakes.
I was also considering a Velo Orange Porteur bar, or a Soma Mustache II bar, or a Soma Sparrow, but I'm not confident enough to buy one having never used any of them.
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
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Those levers look terrific. They're based on an old design I loved back in the day.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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My current commuter. Nothing particularly fancy. Depending on what I'm carrying, I use a variety of different panniers/baskets.

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bill nyecycles
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Wasn't sure where else to put this just to share, but I see this guy a few times a week on my bike commute route through the park. He's got LEDs in the front for headlights, too. He hauls at a pretty good clip. I love it!

Let's Ride!
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Just Keep Pedaling
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Bianchi Vigorelli- has better cubicle than I do

On overpass over 605 freeway
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Keepin it Wheel
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Wow, the lighting makes that color look SO different in the two photos!
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Hear myself getting fat
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Between Winwick and Hamerton. Lavender fields on my commute.
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Hear myself getting fat
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Not really. If you load one side only, you might notice at first that you're correcting for it, but your brain knows how to keep the bike upright. It doesn't care if the weight comes from you leaning or from stuff in a bag. The weight is also low enough to the ground that it doesn't really pull the bike over very much.
bill nyecycles
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Had to swap the randonneur bars and original levers because they were not working for me at all. Bike is now sporting a Soma Late Riser bar, with Brooks leather grips, and Tektro city brake levers



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Keepin it Wheel
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Very classy! One plus of downtube shifters is, they free up your handlebar choices
Last edited by RubeRad; 07-25-19 at 09:48 AM.
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My 2017 Genesis CDF 20.
Been using this for over 2 years now and love it.
Recently upgraded the rims/hubs, tyres, saddle and bar tape! Old hubs needed replacing so went for cassette style freehub to keep maintenance to a minimum going forwards!
Quite often have a rear rack with panniers or just a large saddle bag for my commute or rides out.
Let's Ride!
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My 2017 Genesis CDF 20.
Been using this for over 2 years now and love it.
Recently upgraded the rims/hubs, tyres, saddle and bar tape! Old hubs needed replacing so went for cassette style freehub to keep maintenance to a minimum going forwards!
Quite often have a rear rack with panniers or just a large saddle bag for my commute or rides out.
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Commute is around 6 miles each way on a mixture of road, gravel track and woodland. Also go on longer 20+mile rides a few times a week incorporating the same. Yes running WTB Nano 40c Fast Rollers.
My office is also near coastal trails and the 2012 Olympic Mountain bike course so sometimes nip out at lunch and have some fun plus take longer way home 😊🚲
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This has been my commuter for the past many months. It’s an old Trek 820 I found in a junk pile mated to a Crust Clydesdale fork. Mostly 90s XT group. Front/rear dynamo lighting, full fenders, big ol’ basket. It’s a super-commuter.
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^^^^^ Whiskey Tango with that "stem"? Is that a cut piece from a top tube / downtube from a Miyata? Excuse the OCD, but how on Earth is that assembled/secured?
And +1; you need an office with a better view....
And +1; you need an office with a better view....