Commuter Bicycle Pics
03-09-23, 10:29 PM
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I'm a bit - no, very late to this thread, but here's my "commutocruiser". Even though I stopped commuting regularly 6 years ago tomorrow, it's still my "commuting bike".
Here's the story behind it: It's a Ross "Mt. Cruiser" sold in the mid-1990s - swingset tubing, threaded BB, stock 5 speed freewheel. I got a pair of them brand new for me and my new girlfriend for about $300 for both in August 1995 (the same week we bought a Santana tandem). And I've upgraded both of them steadily through the years - hers is an 18-speed city bike.
One thing I quickly noticed about the bike - it fit me better than any other bike I'd owned. Its handling isn't fast at all, but rock-solid predictable and dependable - just the thing for demonstrating emergency maneuvers when teaching skills classes. And with the proper saddle and high-pressure tires it's efficient and very comfortable. It was my primary bike from 1995 until 2010, and I put many miles on it.
15 years later in 2010, I finally built up a several-pounds-lighter version of this cruiser with an aluminum Nashbar frame, and this one became my "backup primary" bike. We took it on the back of our pickup our Big 2010 Road Trip to Chicago and upper Michigan, and it worked great with my son's trailercycle. But then disaster struck - somewhere in the South Dakota Badlands, an arm on our ancient hitch rack finally fatigued and snapped, and the bike tumbled to the pavement unseen by me in the truck cab, and secured by a stout chain lock, was dragged behind the truck at 65 mph.
For several miles.
When others finally alerted us to the problem, the bike was in sorry shape indeed - wheels tacoed, components and handlebars ground into stubs, and paint missing from a good chunk of one side. We tossed the wreckage onto the shell roof, drowned our sorrows in Wall, and plodded back to AZ.
Back home, I stripped the bike and assessed the damage. The fork was completely bent and the rear triangle was bent inward, but the main tubes were still in plane and didn't have too much abrasion damage. I resigned myself to making it a wall decoration, but something deep within me said: "can we resuscitate an old friend?"
And I pondered the issue for a while. And realized: We have the technology. We have the spare parts. We can rebuild it. We can make it better, stronger, and... no, not faster. And I acquired a replacement fork, took a broom handle to the frame until the strings looked identical on both sides, grabbed several rolls of 3M Super 33 colored electricians tape off the shelf, and began wrapping. And wrapping, And wrapping. And then rebuilding.
The result: a reborn buddy who now has nearly 21,000 miles under the wheels, many enjoyable commutes and other rides, and still the "#1 backup" to the other bikes.
The current component mix is "eclectic mixed with thrifty" - 26" wheels salvaged from a doomed Giant, a Suntour short-cage rear derailleur held on by a hex bolt, a 40-24 Deore crank I painted to hide the blotchies, a 13-25 7-speed freewheel shifted either by Suntour friction thumbies or whatever salvaged index-7 shifter I'm testing, a comfy double-sprung saddle, a side basket repurposed as a front basket (with water bottle and cup holders inside), a $6 Costco flashlight set up as a decent headlight, a kluged-together super-bright rear lighting system, front n' rear racks, and of course a bell. All set up in a manner to offend anyone's sensibilities to the point where they wouldn't dare steal it.
Behold the beloved mess:
As for the "new girlfriend" I bought the bike with: We'll celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary next month.
Here's the story behind it: It's a Ross "Mt. Cruiser" sold in the mid-1990s - swingset tubing, threaded BB, stock 5 speed freewheel. I got a pair of them brand new for me and my new girlfriend for about $300 for both in August 1995 (the same week we bought a Santana tandem). And I've upgraded both of them steadily through the years - hers is an 18-speed city bike.
One thing I quickly noticed about the bike - it fit me better than any other bike I'd owned. Its handling isn't fast at all, but rock-solid predictable and dependable - just the thing for demonstrating emergency maneuvers when teaching skills classes. And with the proper saddle and high-pressure tires it's efficient and very comfortable. It was my primary bike from 1995 until 2010, and I put many miles on it.
15 years later in 2010, I finally built up a several-pounds-lighter version of this cruiser with an aluminum Nashbar frame, and this one became my "backup primary" bike. We took it on the back of our pickup our Big 2010 Road Trip to Chicago and upper Michigan, and it worked great with my son's trailercycle. But then disaster struck - somewhere in the South Dakota Badlands, an arm on our ancient hitch rack finally fatigued and snapped, and the bike tumbled to the pavement unseen by me in the truck cab, and secured by a stout chain lock, was dragged behind the truck at 65 mph.
For several miles.
When others finally alerted us to the problem, the bike was in sorry shape indeed - wheels tacoed, components and handlebars ground into stubs, and paint missing from a good chunk of one side. We tossed the wreckage onto the shell roof, drowned our sorrows in Wall, and plodded back to AZ.
Back home, I stripped the bike and assessed the damage. The fork was completely bent and the rear triangle was bent inward, but the main tubes were still in plane and didn't have too much abrasion damage. I resigned myself to making it a wall decoration, but something deep within me said: "can we resuscitate an old friend?"
And I pondered the issue for a while. And realized: We have the technology. We have the spare parts. We can rebuild it. We can make it better, stronger, and... no, not faster. And I acquired a replacement fork, took a broom handle to the frame until the strings looked identical on both sides, grabbed several rolls of 3M Super 33 colored electricians tape off the shelf, and began wrapping. And wrapping, And wrapping. And then rebuilding.
The result: a reborn buddy who now has nearly 21,000 miles under the wheels, many enjoyable commutes and other rides, and still the "#1 backup" to the other bikes.
The current component mix is "eclectic mixed with thrifty" - 26" wheels salvaged from a doomed Giant, a Suntour short-cage rear derailleur held on by a hex bolt, a 40-24 Deore crank I painted to hide the blotchies, a 13-25 7-speed freewheel shifted either by Suntour friction thumbies or whatever salvaged index-7 shifter I'm testing, a comfy double-sprung saddle, a side basket repurposed as a front basket (with water bottle and cup holders inside), a $6 Costco flashlight set up as a decent headlight, a kluged-together super-bright rear lighting system, front n' rear racks, and of course a bell. All set up in a manner to offend anyone's sensibilities to the point where they wouldn't dare steal it.
Behold the beloved mess:
As for the "new girlfriend" I bought the bike with: We'll celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary next month.
Last edited by RCMoeur; 03-09-23 at 10:37 PM. Reason: add epilogue
03-10-23, 09:15 AM
Keepin it Wheel
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What a great story, and a beautiful, crazy bike! A history like that gives it value to you that is way greater than it could ever be worth to anybody else (and I'm glad to see it here instead of as an overpriced ad on the Wacky CL thread!)
Can I get another pic of your cockpit? Is that red some kind of aerobar/trekking bar extension for a more forward handhold?
Also that blue bashguard, is that painted steel or blue plastic? I made a thread one time speculating about whether a 3D-printed plastic bashguard would be strong enough to withstand the pressure from the chainring bolts.
Can I get another pic of your cockpit? Is that red some kind of aerobar/trekking bar extension for a more forward handhold?
Also that blue bashguard, is that painted steel or blue plastic? I made a thread one time speculating about whether a 3D-printed plastic bashguard would be strong enough to withstand the pressure from the chainring bolts.
03-10-23, 10:08 AM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
What a great story, and a beautiful, crazy bike! A history like that gives it value to you that is way greater than it could ever be worth to anybody else (and I'm glad to see it here instead of as an overpriced ad on the Wacky CL thread!)
- The wife & kid can keep what they want (likely not much)
- The rest goes to the local co-op for resale or parting out (likely the latter)
Originally Posted by RubeRad
Can I get another pic of your cockpit? Is that red some kind of aerobar/trekking bar extension for a more forward handhold?
The bike has an early-generation SR touring handlebar (also used on MTBs) with a pair of longer bar ends that provide an added "aero" position when needed. The mirror is screwed to the left-side one. At a bike swap decades ago, I got a bunch of Spenco grips really cheap, and I use them to pad the bar ends. Due to the curve of the bar, there aren't a lot of mounting points for stuff, so the bell tucks in under the left shifter. The tips of the bar ends are useful for mounting handlebar accessories such as a cell phone mount if one is needed for some reason.
Originally Posted by RubeRad
Also that blue bashguard, is that painted steel or blue plastic? I made a thread one time speculating about whether a 3D-printed plastic bashguard would be strong enough to withstand the pressure from the chainring bolts.
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03-10-23, 12:35 PM
Keepin it Wheel
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Love it all, thanks for the more pics! That bar almost looks like a moustache bar.
You make me want to go crazy with my bike.
Here's an old pic with 'circus tent' bicolor bartape
Nowadays the accent color is red
You make me want to go crazy with my bike.
Here's an old pic with 'circus tent' bicolor bartape
Nowadays the accent color is red
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03-10-23, 01:26 PM
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All City space horse. I didn't believe the weatherperson. It never snows in Portland
03-10-23, 02:00 PM
Happy banana slug
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Originally Posted by Litho dbh
All City space horse. I didn't believe the weatherperson. It never snows in Portland
You should practice believing three impossible things every day before breakfast. Down here on the coast in far NorCal it rarely snows and never for long. This year we had snow days. It's been a wild couple of months. BTW, nice bike. Looks like it handled surprise!snow just fine.
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03-12-23, 07:48 PM
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Originally Posted by RCMoeur
I'm a bit - no, very late to this thread, but here's my "commutocruiser". Even though I stopped commuting regularly 6 years ago tomorrow, it's still my "commuting bike".
Here's the story behind it: It's a Ross "Mt. Cruiser" sold in the mid-1990s - swingset tubing, threaded BB, stock 5 speed freewheel. I got a pair of them brand new for me and my new girlfriend for about $300 for both in August 1995 (the same week we bought a Santana tandem). And I've upgraded both of them steadily through the years - hers is an 18-speed city bike.
One thing I quickly noticed about the bike - it fit me better than any other bike I'd owned. Its handling isn't fast at all, but rock-solid predictable and dependable - just the thing for demonstrating emergency maneuvers when teaching skills classes. And with the proper saddle and high-pressure tires it's efficient and very comfortable. It was my primary bike from 1995 until 2010, and I put many miles on it.
15 years later in 2010, I finally built up a several-pounds-lighter version of this cruiser with an aluminum Nashbar frame, and this one became my "backup primary" bike. We took it on the back of our pickup our Big 2010 Road Trip to Chicago and upper Michigan, and it worked great with my son's trailercycle. But then disaster struck - somewhere in the South Dakota Badlands, an arm on our ancient hitch rack finally fatigued and snapped, and the bike tumbled to the pavement unseen by me in the truck cab, and secured by a stout chain lock, was dragged behind the truck at 65 mph.
For several miles.
When others finally alerted us to the problem, the bike was in sorry shape indeed - wheels tacoed, components and handlebars ground into stubs, and paint missing from a good chunk of one side. We tossed the wreckage onto the shell roof, drowned our sorrows in Wall, and plodded back to AZ.
Back home, I stripped the bike and assessed the damage. The fork was completely bent and the rear triangle was bent inward, but the main tubes were still in plane and didn't have too much abrasion damage. I resigned myself to making it a wall decoration, but something deep within me said: "can we resuscitate an old friend?"
And I pondered the issue for a while. And realized: We have the technology. We have the spare parts. We can rebuild it. We can make it better, stronger, and... no, not faster. And I acquired a replacement fork, took a broom handle to the frame until the strings looked identical on both sides, grabbed several rolls of 3M Super 33 colored electricians tape off the shelf, and began wrapping. And wrapping, And wrapping. And then rebuilding.
The result: a reborn buddy who now has nearly 21,000 miles under the wheels, many enjoyable commutes and other rides, and still the "#1 backup" to the other bikes.
The current component mix is "eclectic mixed with thrifty" - 26" wheels salvaged from a doomed Giant, a Suntour short-cage rear derailleur held on by a hex bolt, a 40-24 Deore crank I painted to hide the blotchies, a 13-25 7-speed freewheel shifted either by Suntour friction thumbies or whatever salvaged index-7 shifter I'm testing, a comfy double-sprung saddle, a side basket repurposed as a front basket (with water bottle and cup holders inside), a $6 Costco flashlight set up as a decent headlight, a kluged-together super-bright rear lighting system, front n' rear racks, and of course a bell. All set up in a manner to offend anyone's sensibilities to the point where they wouldn't dare steal it.
Behold the beloved mess:
As for the "new girlfriend" I bought the bike with: We'll celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary next month.
Here's the story behind it: It's a Ross "Mt. Cruiser" sold in the mid-1990s - swingset tubing, threaded BB, stock 5 speed freewheel. I got a pair of them brand new for me and my new girlfriend for about $300 for both in August 1995 (the same week we bought a Santana tandem). And I've upgraded both of them steadily through the years - hers is an 18-speed city bike.
One thing I quickly noticed about the bike - it fit me better than any other bike I'd owned. Its handling isn't fast at all, but rock-solid predictable and dependable - just the thing for demonstrating emergency maneuvers when teaching skills classes. And with the proper saddle and high-pressure tires it's efficient and very comfortable. It was my primary bike from 1995 until 2010, and I put many miles on it.
15 years later in 2010, I finally built up a several-pounds-lighter version of this cruiser with an aluminum Nashbar frame, and this one became my "backup primary" bike. We took it on the back of our pickup our Big 2010 Road Trip to Chicago and upper Michigan, and it worked great with my son's trailercycle. But then disaster struck - somewhere in the South Dakota Badlands, an arm on our ancient hitch rack finally fatigued and snapped, and the bike tumbled to the pavement unseen by me in the truck cab, and secured by a stout chain lock, was dragged behind the truck at 65 mph.
For several miles.
When others finally alerted us to the problem, the bike was in sorry shape indeed - wheels tacoed, components and handlebars ground into stubs, and paint missing from a good chunk of one side. We tossed the wreckage onto the shell roof, drowned our sorrows in Wall, and plodded back to AZ.
Back home, I stripped the bike and assessed the damage. The fork was completely bent and the rear triangle was bent inward, but the main tubes were still in plane and didn't have too much abrasion damage. I resigned myself to making it a wall decoration, but something deep within me said: "can we resuscitate an old friend?"
And I pondered the issue for a while. And realized: We have the technology. We have the spare parts. We can rebuild it. We can make it better, stronger, and... no, not faster. And I acquired a replacement fork, took a broom handle to the frame until the strings looked identical on both sides, grabbed several rolls of 3M Super 33 colored electricians tape off the shelf, and began wrapping. And wrapping, And wrapping. And then rebuilding.
The result: a reborn buddy who now has nearly 21,000 miles under the wheels, many enjoyable commutes and other rides, and still the "#1 backup" to the other bikes.
The current component mix is "eclectic mixed with thrifty" - 26" wheels salvaged from a doomed Giant, a Suntour short-cage rear derailleur held on by a hex bolt, a 40-24 Deore crank I painted to hide the blotchies, a 13-25 7-speed freewheel shifted either by Suntour friction thumbies or whatever salvaged index-7 shifter I'm testing, a comfy double-sprung saddle, a side basket repurposed as a front basket (with water bottle and cup holders inside), a $6 Costco flashlight set up as a decent headlight, a kluged-together super-bright rear lighting system, front n' rear racks, and of course a bell. All set up in a manner to offend anyone's sensibilities to the point where they wouldn't dare steal it.
Behold the beloved mess:
As for the "new girlfriend" I bought the bike with: We'll celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary next month.
03-15-23, 08:07 PM
aka Tom Reingold
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I haven't managed to make a routine to cycle to my new job (started November 28). I'm still adjusting to having a job where punctuality is paramount and to getting up at 5:30 every morning. I used to work four blocks away from the current location, and at the time, I believed bike commuting took the same amount of time as subway commuting. It didn't matter that I was wrong. But now it matters since I have to be at work on time.
So for the time being, I take the subway every day, and even though it takes a whole hour, I really don't mind it. I just would like some more time on the bike. Maybe in the spring, I'll find the strength to renew the effort.
So for the time being, this is my "commuter pic."
So for the time being, I take the subway every day, and even though it takes a whole hour, I really don't mind it. I just would like some more time on the bike. Maybe in the spring, I'll find the strength to renew the effort.
So for the time being, this is my "commuter pic."
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
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“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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03-16-23, 03:43 PM
Ride more, eat less
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Today was the first "nice" day to ride most parts of my commute:
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03-18-23, 08:30 AM
Senior Member
Just upgraded the wheels and crank on my favorite practical ride about town.
