Need Help Finding the Right Frame - Commuter

[MaraudingWalrus]

I'm starting to build up a commuter, something actually trying to be relatively inexpensive.
Looking for 120mm rear spacing, rack & fender mounts. No preferences to any time of brake - I can live with disc, road calipers or canti.

Building up with my 3speed fixed gear rear wheel, so I'm kind of locked in to the 120mm spacing. Would like to run full coverage fenders with generator powered lights mounted (already have the hub) and 28mm tires.

Eventually will belt-driveify it.

Steamroller is close, but doesn't have rack/fender mounts (***, surly?!).

Story the same with most stuff I find out there.

Anybody got any thoughts?

Will I hate life if I p clamp fenders onto a steamroller?

Anybody have any old 5 speed freewheel era road frames they want to get rid of ? 53/54ish cm?

[donevwil]

Are you at all open to a '70s road or touring bike? I commute on a '72 Mondia Special set-up fixed. No braze-ons, 120mm spacing, clearance for 700x35s with fenders using center mount Mafac Racers, pretty much anything from the era (Paramount, Raleigh, Bob Jackson, etc.) would suffice.

[MaraudingWalrus]

Are you at all open to a '70s road or touring bike? I commute on a '72 Mondia Special set-up fixed. No braze-ons, 120mm spacing, clearance for 700x35s with fenders using center mount Mafac Racers, pretty much anything from the era (Paramount, Raleigh, Bob Jackson, etc.) would suffice.



I'm not opposed to it. I actually just edited moments ago.

[donevwil]

I'm not opposed to it. I actually just edited moments ago.

Ouch, I hate to admit it but I recently donated a 53 or 54 '72 Bob Jackson frameset (I ride a 62+) to the local co-op because I couldn't give the thing away (no one wanted it). Five years ago my house painter had it in the back of his truck and was on the way to the dump. He gave it to me and I pulled off the Nuovo Record for a personal build.

[MaraudingWalrus]

I think the State 4130 core line is fender compatible. And the price is definitely right on those. Anyone used one, owned one, seen one?

[JAGI410]

The Steamroller does have braze ons at the dropout for fender/rack. You could just use a Salsa Racklock seat collar to bed the upper mounts.

[Shoeman]

Mercier Kilo WT Frame/Fork from BikeIsland. or complete Bike from Bikesdirect. Rack Mounts, Fender Mounts, Reynolds 520 pipes and 120mm rear. Will fit tires up to 700x45 or 29ers 1.75 whats not to like at that price.

[that guy]

I think any 125 mm steel road or touring frame with horizontal dropouts would be a great option. Lots of choices out there.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm starting to build up a commuter, something actually trying to be relatively inexpensive.
Looking for 120mm rear spacing, rack & fender mounts. No preferences to any time of brake - I can live with disc, road calipers or canti.

Building up with my 3speed fixed gear rear wheel, so I'm kind of locked in to the 120mm spacing. Would like to run full coverage fenders with generator powered lights mounted (already have the hub) and 28mm tires.

Eventually will belt-driveify it.

Steamroller is close, but doesn't have rack/fender mounts (***, surly?!).

Story the same with most stuff I find out there.

Anybody got any thoughts?

Will I hate life if I p clamp fenders onto a steamroller?

Anybody have any old 5 speed freewheel era road frames they want to get rid of ? 53/54ish cm?

Ya know you gotta have a way to get belt on..a split RH seat stay or something..

[MaraudingWalrus]

Ya know you gotta have a way to get belt on..a split RH seat stay or something..



I'm familiar with that, yes. I'm the idiot with a belt drive SuperSix.

[559Rando]

Forward facing dropouts and old frames might not mod ("ideally") well for a belt conversion. I looked into it once and my builder advised against it.

If your hub is 120mm, don't let that limit you. Just add spacers and redish as needed.

The old sport touring frames woukd be great. Clearance and brazeons abound on those!

I had a Nishiki International that was really great. The early ones were sport tourers. Later versions got shorter wheelbases, tighter clearances. I'd recommend one of these early Nishiki Internationals!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[donevwil]

... Building up with my 3speed fixed gear rear wheel, so I'm kind of locked in to the 120mm spacing...

The S3X is available in 130mm spacing which would certainly simplify the frame search.

[MaraudingWalrus]

The S3X is available in 130mm spacing which would certainly simplify the frame search.



Yes. But MY s3x that I already own and use is 120mm.

Got a cheap frame on the way. Gave up on cromoly.

[stien]

Yes. But MY s3x that I already own and use is 120mm.

Got a cheap frame on the way. Gave up on cromoly.

What did you get?

[559Rando]

Yes. But MY s3x that I already own and use is 120mm.

Got a cheap frame on the way. Gave up on cromoly.

Congrats! What did you get?

[MaraudingWalrus]

What did you get?



I've got one of the origin8 frameset on the way. At my employee purchase price it was impossible to pass up.. A frame fork headset for $<70 to commute and have get banged up on campus...

[donevwil]

Yes. But MY s3x that I already own and use is 120mm.

Got a cheap frame on the way. Gave up on cromoly.

Got it. Have you run the wheel yet ? Any initial impressions ?

[MaraudingWalrus]

Got it. Have you run the wheel yet ? Any initial impressions ?


Currently no. I built it up a month or so ago and was going to run it on my Raleigh Macaframa to try it out. I wasn't able to secure the cable enough to shift. Waiting on a funky monkey from Paul comp that I ordered a month ago...

Have a rig showing up today that'll let me use it with the frame when it shows up today too. Should have cranks tomorrow (profile racing- since I can swap the spider out to a different bcd when I go belt drive)

[MaraudingWalrus]

Got the frame, slapped it together with spare parts/parts off of other bikes for the moment until I get the final for parts for this thing in. Will revive my thread on the Sturmey Archer S3x hub with an initial impressions review.