If you were to build a commuter/winter/beater...

[93legendti]

How would you build it?

I'm entertaining the notion of a Salsa Casseroll, with fenders, 32c tires, single 48t chainring and a 10 speed 11-26 cogset.

[rice rocket]

I'm doing a Nashbar cross frame, Nashbar carbon cross fork, Avid BB7 road disc brakes, Ultegra 9sp shifters, Ultegra compact 50/34, Shimano XT rear derailleur, 11-34 cassette.

I'll use it as a trail bike as well.

I should probably downgrade some though, I think I'm making myself into a theft target.

[Likes2ridefar]

I like the surly cross check more than the salsa. it has a bit more versatility.

planet bike fenders, a rear rack with ortlieb bags, 1x9/10. if riding in the dark a generator hub would be pretty sweet. I've always wanted one of those but have a full light handlebar kit so have a hard time justifying the switch.

I'd probably use a smaller front chain ring for those nasty, windy days or any hills you may face.

[AndrewS]

I'd find an old '80s sport frame for 27 wheels - that should give nice fender clearance or allow smaller cross tires - and be cheap enough to not care. I have Technium set up like that.

[bagochips3]

I've been thinking about this for myself. So, if it were me:

I'd want it as low maintenance as possible with as much sealed/out of the weather as possible:

Belt drive
Alfine 8 speed internal gear rear hub w/ Versa shifters (or the new 11 speed if/when Versa makes shifters for it)
dyno front hub for lights (Schmidt if you got the $, but I'd probably get Alfine)
disc brakes for wet weather stopping
room for 28mm tires (at least, 33mm would be better) with fenders
belt guard
rear rack

Frame/fork: with the above requirements, their aren't many options unless you go custom. From my research, the Civia Bryant fits the bill (minus the front dyno hub). It would be nice to have a non-corrosive frame material, though.

[bike22]

for me it's gotta have full fenders at the minimum.

most of last winter/spring i rode on 28c gatorskins. worked well. not flat proof, i think i averaged a flat about once every 1,000 miles, riding on the streets within the city of boston.

my bike was an older redline conquest cx bike, in a horrendous state of disrepair.
canti brakes. i thought about replacing the fork with a disc one, and running a front disc brake, but i never got around to doing it.

i'd say think about what tire size you want to run first, and if you want full fenders, and the brake choice. those will dictate the frame more than anything else.

a used cx bike is hard to beat, especially if you pick one up at the end of cross season- who cares if it's already a little beat, riding all winter will take it's toll.

[Lifecycle]

I've been thinking about this for myself. So, if it were me:

I'd want it as low maintenance as possible with as much sealed/out of the weather as possible:

Belt drive
Alfine 8 speed internal gear rear hub w/ Versa shifters (or the new 11 speed if/when Versa makes shifters for it)
dyno front hub for lights (Schmidt if you got the $, but I'd probably get Alfine)
disc brakes for wet weather stopping
room for 28mm tires (at least, 33mm would be better) with fenders
belt guard
rear rack

Frame/fork: with the above requirements, their aren't many options unless you go custom. From my research, the Civia Bryant fits the bill (minus the front dyno hub). It would be nice to have a non-corrosive frame material, though.


sounds intriging - does the belt seperate like a chain or is the frame specific with a belt already on it ? like the specs on the build though......

[vqdriver]

how come not too many people put together a commuter based on a 26" mtb frame? instead of beefing up a road wheel/tire, you'll have a large existing base of tires ranging from 1.25 all the way to 2.5 urban warfare type deals.

after seeing the maxxis hookworm, i've been wanting to put together something just to use those things.

[BengeBoy]

how come not too many people put together a commuter based on a 26" mtb frame? instead of beefing up a road wheel/tire, you'll have a large existing base of tires ranging from 1.25 all the way to 2.5 urban warfare type deals.

I did one like this. The advantage of starting with an old MTB is that they are really cheap (at least here in Seattle) and plentiful. I got a great old steel Stumpjumper for $100.. powdercoated the frame, put in a new stem, seatpost, handlebars, cables, tires -- it's a great urban assault bike now.

[Dave B]

:D


http://ifbikes.com/OurBikes/Concept/Super_Commuter/

[Frankwurst]

how come not too many people put together a commuter based on a 26" mtb frame? instead of beefing up a road wheel/tire, you'll have a large existing base of tires ranging from 1.25 all the way to 2.5 urban warfare type deals.

after seeing the maxxis hookworm, i've been wanting to put together something just to use those things.

I'd do 26" 1x6,7,8,9 drivetrain. BA fenders, Racks front and rear and anything else I could think of to haul me and clothes and stuff. Kinda like my old Cannondale MTB is set up which is commonly refered to as The War Pig. :beer:

[oliver1850]

.

[vqdriver]

I did one like this. The advantage of starting with an old MTB is that they are really cheap (at least here in Seattle) and plentiful. I got a great old steel Stumpjumper for $100.. powdercoated the frame, put in a new stem, seatpost, handlebars, cables, tires -- it's a great urban assault bike now.

hehe, my steel stumpy is a candidate for that. i'm just waffling on whether to resurrect it once again or start with something else. hard to turn my back on an amp fork with its sweet 1.5" of travel....

[xjoex]

I used to think a CX bike was the best year round commuter. No more.

I switched to a Cannondale Bad Boy. It is aluminum, rigid, mine is set up 1x9 and it has hydraulic brakes with room for 700c cross tires and also fit 26" wheels. I can't say how much nicer it is commuting in fowl weather with discs. (now that I have said that 20 people will chime in with the fact that coaster/canti/fixed/delta brakes are better, they just haven't tried discs yet).

Summer time.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/bikes/badboy.jpg

Winter time with 26" studs.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/DSC_7073.jpg

Also its fun to ride the trails on:
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/IMG_1660.jpg

-Joe

[Bob Loblaw]

Have you thought about a single speed? I ride a SS road rig all winter here in CT. It's an old univega frame with full fenders (plus a sweet custom egg carton foot-protecting mud flap) and some old Bontrager 700c wheels. Riding a single speed is a great way to switch it up in the off season, and the disposable drivetrain is great for any rainy/snowy/slushy/sandy/gritty conditions mother nature throws my way.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5084802995_2470ab89a4_b.jpg

BL

[Kirk007]

Tout Terrain Metropolitan. As soon as I win the lottery.

[bagochips3]

sounds intriging - does the belt seperate like a chain or is the frame specific with a belt already on it ? like the specs on the build though......

The frame has to have a "break" in it on the drive-side rear triangle to let you put the belt on/off. The Bryant does this at the dropout:

http://civiacycles.com/blog/civia_bryant_dropout_development/

I think the Trek District does it this way as well.

[Blue Jays]

"...I can't say how much nicer it is commuting in fowl weather with discs..."That bird will fly, and stop on a dime!

[Velosmith]

For sloppy winter rides, think fixed with sealed bearings everywhere. Less maintenance. I love my Chris King headset, Phil hubs and BB. Clean the chain once and a while and ride.

[spartacus]

I used to think a CX bike was the best year round commuter. No more.

I switched to a Cannondale Bad Boy. It is aluminum, rigid, mine is set up 1x9 and it has hydraulic brakes with room for 700c cross tires and also fit 26" wheels. I can't say how much nicer it is commuting in fowl weather with discs. (now that I have said that 20 people will chime in with the fact that coaster/canti/fixed/delta brakes are better, they just haven't tried discs yet).

Summer time.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/bikes/badboy.jpg

Winter time with 26" studs.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/DSC_7073.jpg

Also its fun to ride the trails on:
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/IMG_1660.jpg

-Joe

+1 for discs.
I prefer a cyclocross 'backbone' though, and drop bars for the wind, with cross top brake levers.

[michael white]

I use an old Colnago set up with single 48 front ring, a single retrofriction dt shifter, Jitensha flat bars, 28 c. Gatorskins. Fun to ride. It doesn't have fenders but it doesn't rain that much here.

I just bought a full tourer (Rocky Mountain Sherpa 10) which I'll use the rest of the time. I am planning a lot of parts upgrades.

I've recently realized that it's appropriate to put a lot of thought into these daily bikes, since we often spend more time on them than any other.

[BengeBoy]

The frame has to have a "break" in it on the drive-side rear triangle to let you put the belt on/off. The Bryant does this at the dropout:
I think the Trek District does it this way as well.

Here's a great implementation that just popped up at Baron Bicycles last weekend (a new-ish Seattle builder) -- steel frame, Rohloff hub, S&S couplers, carbon fiber belt drive:

http://www.baronbicycles.com/blog/post/outsider-long-reach-w-gates-carbon-belt-drive-and-rohloff-hub

The frame break is on the seatstay with an S&S coupler

[RFC]

how come not too many people put together a commuter based on a 26" mtb frame? instead of beefing up a road wheel/tire, you'll have a large existing base of tires ranging from 1.25 all the way to 2.5 urban warfare type deals.

after seeing the maxxis hookworm, i've been wanting to put together something just to use those things.

+1 I have built several fast, fun, do almost anything bikes by tricking out rigid fork MTB's. Go with drops or, if you can find one, the old Scott eliptical aerobars for MTB's.

[93legendti]

Well, I found a new Casseroll frameset for $275 shipped. The price made it a pretty easy decision.

[auto_rock]

I'd find an old '80s sport frame for 27 wheels - that should give nice fender clearance or allow smaller cross tires - and be cheap enough to not care. I have Technium set up like that.

I rode a Montreal winter on some old 27", put some long reach brake calipers on it, it had clearance for 34c studded snow tires and fenders. Ran it single speed.

Granted, when you build a winter commuter here you build for apocalyptically bad weather, but that's still what I'd recommend. At the end of the winter, you're done with it. Doesn't matter if it got road salt everywhere and is now useless.

[Ken Robb]

Rivendell still sells the Nitto Dirt Drop stem that Grant designed to use drop bars on the 26" XO bike 20 years ago. This makes it easy to put together an urban assault bike w/drops and brifters as suggested above.

[Velosmith]

A friend of mine rode a Casserole all last winter. Very versatile frame-set with a nice ride. I'm not sure you could go wrong at $275.

Nice score!

[93legendti]

A friend of mine rode a Casserole all last winter. Very versatile frame-set with a nice ride. I'm not sure you could go wrong at $275.

Nice score!
Thanks. :)

[RGW]

i ride a Casseroll for my Commuter/all rounder. i like it alot - nice comfortable ride. It's the original paint scheme with the white Salsa panel on the downtube, which i find preferable to the mustard color. I have had it set up as a fixed gear, with PB Cascadia fenders, & a Tubus rear rack. I will be converting it to a 9 speed though with bar end shifters in a week or so just to change up the commuter ride. That way - I get to build up another fixed ride ! :banana:

Good luck with the build - I think you'll enjoy the ride

[slowandsteady]

+1 I have built several fast, fun, do almost anything bikes by tricking out rigid fork MTB's. Go with drops or, if you can find one, the old Scott eliptical aerobars for MTB's.

Pics Please

[PETER REID]

i ride a Landshark cyclo cross frame with Canti's and a compact crank. Decent wide ratio, 700 x 28c tires with full fenders and a rear rack. Last summer I bought a set of Chorus flat bar shifters to go on it. It makes a nice winter commuting bike.... :beer:

[sherok]

I'd find an old trek 520 frame (with lugs) throw some 700X32 or fatter Panaracer Paselas and switch to Nitto Albatross Bars with Paul Thumbies for shifters. I'd also put a set of Velo Orange Fenders on and a Tubus Cosmos Rear Rack.

[tuscanyswe]

I learned as a messenger that if you ride in lots of snow or rain during the winter theres no substitute for disc brakes and good fenders. Thats really all that matters to me on a winter bike thats gonna c alot of use.

I had a badboy with discs n i thought it was an exellent bike. Had a couple of cross bikes with discs that were good but my memory of the badboy is a good one.

Had a couple of cross bikes without discs that i got rid of after hardly riding them. Cantis just werent made for foul weather combined with traffic.

[cid499]

Currently building up a surly crosscheck with the parts box. Friction shifting on a 8sp dura ace derailleur (looking for Kelly Takeoffs - anybody selling any? :) ).

Lightening it up with a carbon fork and some carbon bits here and there. Oh, and of course removing the IN YO' FACE surly graphics.

Let me also mention that I'm in LA, so my definition of "winter" maybe slightly different from yours.

[AndrewS]

I rode a Montreal winter on some old 27", put some long reach brake calipers on it, it had clearance for 34c studded snow tires and fenders. Ran it single speed.

Granted, when you build a winter commuter here you build for apocalyptically bad weather, but that's still what I'd recommend. At the end of the winter, you're done with it. Doesn't matter if it got road salt everywhere and is now useless.
I think this is an important point. Expect winter to ruin the bike. An 80s road bike will set you back $100. A shot STI shifter or nicer hub will cost more to replace if the wet, salt and temp changes get to it.

An old Univega, Raleigh, Fuji, Miyata will really ride nice, and watching the icicles grow on the non-aero brake cables passes the time.

[93legendti]

Currently building up a surly crosscheck with the parts box. Friction shifting on a 8sp dura ace derailleur (looking for Kelly Takeoffs - anybody selling any? :) ).

Lightening it up with a carbon fork and some carbon bits here and there. Oh, and of course removing the IN YO' FACE surly graphics.

Let me also mention that I'm in LA, so my definition of "winter" maybe slightly different from yours.
I think I have a new set or 2 (minus the instructions). Please email me and I will send you a pic of the set in the a.m.
My bad, sorry for the tease, I decided to put them in 2 bikes (Casseroll and Bike Friday and keep a backup for my BF). Sorry.

[roydyates]

I've got a nice Technium that I plan to build similar to yours. But any of the cross frames mentioned also fit the bill. One thing I don't understand: what's the real advantage of a single ring? I could see it if you had a dead left lever anyway, but why give up the extra ratios on a bike thats purpose is to be versatile?

It's too cold to ride fast enough to need the big ring. Once you don't need it, getting rid of it save you from trimming the FD. It's a big improvement. Before I went 1x8 on my commuter, I found that 9 out of 10 touches on the left shifter were trim adjustments.

[pascii]

Find an old UJB, convert it to a lowish fixed gear, mount some fenders with additional wide mud flaps to save your BB (it should almost drag on the ground), some cheap wire bead cross tires and your set. I rode a smilar set up to work everyday in Ottawa during the winter of 2008. We got record snow accumulation yet I was not deterred.

[AngryScientist]

here's my lowly fixed gear winter commuter, running 25c tires. gets the job done. fenders are in the works.

http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af153/aero_dynamic8/DSC_0702110.jpg

[rcnute]

I just scored this bike for this purpose.

[SEABREEZE]

Alan, May i suggest http://www.vandesselsports.com/?page_id=17 , it can be set up in many configurations, as you desire, and fairly reasonable....