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Old 04-03-09, 10:44 AM
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lightning60
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Dedicated Commuter Bike Build Advice

I commuted by mountain bike approx 500 miles last summer. Knobby-tired 1988 rigid Cannondale.

I want to setup a commuting-specific bike that is more efficient that my MTB and allows me to set my mountain bike up for trails-only.

I have very little money to spend on this project, as my wife and I are focused on paying off our school loans.

I have two 80s steel frame bikes that I am starting with.

1 - Ross (Signature Gran Tour, IIRC) Shimano 600 gruppo (is gruppo a word? I mean FD, RD, brakes and cranks)
2 - Maruishi, Suntour RD, everything corroded

I think that the best plan would be to strip components from the Ross and use the Maruishi frame as it seems to be a better fit for me. It is about 1/2" longer TT to BB and TT length.

Can anyone comment on the sizing of the bikes based on the attached picture? My mountain bike setup is provided for reference (first row), this riding position is pretty comfortable for me over my 14 mile (one-way) commute. Ross is second row, Maruishi is third row. I've never ridden a road bike before.

Are there any parts compatibility issues that I may run into between the two bikes?

Can anyone recommend a dependable, inexpensive rack/bag combination? I need to carry lunch, work clothes, and a laptop.

20090328 Bike Collection-1.jpg

Full size image available here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

Thanks in advance
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