Commuting - Broke down - spec'd my new commuter

I finally decided to purchase a new commuter bike. I've opted for a Cramerotti Tour D frame with Veloce group with triple chainring, deore hubs, Mavic rims, fenders, etc.

I've pondered this for sometime after reading many posts on types of bikes being used as commuters. Some members prefer to use an older bike or a beater, others are using newer bikes such as the Trek 520. As my commute is 26km/16mi one-way, I was looking for a reliable and more current equipment to ride on. My current commuter bike is an '83 Apollo Prestige 12-speed which was given to me a year ago by my cycling friend. I've used a converted Kona mtb from June 2001 to the end of 2002. I prefer the road bike style vs a hybrid/mtb.

As I live in the Vancouver, BC area, there is enough rainy/wet days that has given me some concerns as to the effect of the dirt and grit that will be picked up on the drivetrain of my new ride. To prolong the life of the drivetrain over a couple of years, is it enough to rinse the bike off after a wet ride and at least do a good weekly cleaning of the chain and the rest of the bike? Any experiences of Vancouver, BC cyclists/commuters?

I also have a '99 Cramerotti steel road bike that I purchased used a couple of months ago (steel) that I like to ride on sunny days and dry roads.

Thanks.

Hi Antonius:

I am from Vancouver...

Cramerotti, ouch!! They have a 2001 Tour 'D on sale for something like 450US? Man... I guess if you are upgrading, it makes sense. However, I would caution you on one thing: Your new bike, especially if you are going to be leaving it parked outside, is a MAGNET for thieves (who know that Cramerotti is an upscale frame). Just my 2c.

I dunno what you are looking for, but Dizzy Cycles (the erstwhile Bike Cellar on 4th Avenue and Cypress) has Trek 1000's on sale, and it looks like they have adequate fender clearance (a MUST for Vancouver).

I currently commute on a MTB and am ready for more hand positions and a faster commute. :) I am leaning towards getting a used bike to make it a bit cheap (from Cheapskates on Dunbar).

Regarding keeping drivetrain: I use MEC's chain cleaner and clean my chain and the pulleys every weekend. I also use Phil Wood's oil. Seems to work well.

Cheers!
Narayan

Hello Narayan

Thank you for the tips. It's good to hear from other Vancouver commuters and get ideas.

I have been cycle commuting since June 2001. I cycle from near Steveston to the Burnaby/New West border (the incinerator)along the Westminster Hwy route in Richmond, then over the Queensborough Bridge (ugly) (at other times will take Knight Street Bridge but sections of Kent Ave are dangerous due to the terrible blacktop job Vancouver has done....looking forward to the renewed Kent Ave cycle route upgrade.....then I can whip through the airport then over Arthur Laing and then east strait across south of Marine Drive.)

I started to use my Kona mtb then switched to an '83 Apollo Prestige 12-speed roadbike. The Apollo has worked out great for the commute but I've had to make several adjustments to accomodate. If I had a shorter commute I wouldn't be concerned. My concern is the reliability of what I am riding and I'm spending too much time doing maintenance on the older bike.

Regarding theft, if I need to, I can bring my bike into my office (not always a good thing) otherwise I leave it outside below my office window. I can also arrange to lock it. I don't work in a high traffic area but one shouldn't take too many liberties.

I appreciated the attention I received at Campione. I know I may have paid a premium for my new bike. But they were able to put together various components to fit my needs. Also, they had several frames to clear out (they are moving) and we found one that was my fit. So I got a better price on the frame and was able to get better components.

I have visited several other shops in Vancouver but mostly these handled mtbs, city and comfort bikes, and some road bikes. And at times I didn't get too much attention. And I didn't have that much time to visit more shops. I would prefer to honour my LBS in Steveston but roadbike selection is limited and mostly handles a market for mtbs, city bikes, etc.

I'll need to get into a weekly routine to clean my drivetrain and I do use MEC's chain cleaner. I'll have to check out Phil Wood's oil.

Cheers
Antonius

Hello Antonius:

We (my wife and I both work at the same company in Burnaby). We currently use SW Marine Dr and Kent. The railway crossings and the quality of the air are the worst concerns on the kent route. however, the alternative for us is midtown-ridgeway. Too much traffic and too many intersections...

I am looking for a used sport-tourer from Cheapskates. I am assuming that you will use the bike only for commuting and not on grocery shopping trips or as a major means of transportation. If you head downtown and have to park your bike, LOOKOUT.

Cramerotti's look like nice bikes. Campione looked too much like a roadie place, but then I was just surfing around and didn't quite express a very serious interest in them. :)

What bike did you get? What gruppo?

Cheers!
N.

Hello Narayan

This will be my second Cramerotti. My first is a used '99, I don't recall the model, and it came with Shimano 600 group, probably '97. Looked in very good shape. I bought it from someone who lives in the Dunbar area in mid-Jan this year. Really nice ride. I wanted to get a road bike and was considering possibly a Trek 2300 but this one came up and I thought why not as a way to step up. In a couple of years I would consider another new road bike with latest components.

So, the bike I'm getting is a Tour D frame and fork, 2002 model, at a price I couldn't refuse, clearing out the shop for their upcoming move. Complete with Veloce gruppo, triple chainring, Deore hubs, caliper brakes - because of clearance for fenders, Canecreek headset, Nera handlebar, Deda NERO stem, Mavic ceramic rims and SKS fenders.

I've also ordered a Brooks Team Pro saddle from Wallingford and I will be considering a Topeak rack and QT Super Trunk Bag. I have been using panniers, usually one, as I have clothing and shoes stored in my office.

This bike is strictly for commuting and for those wet-weather trips I need to do. I justified it by the one-year payback for not driving my car to work, even 3 times per week by bike. And I can also use public transit as I live right on the bus route that will take me to 22nd Street Station in New West. Then downhill on a 4km ride to work. Gotta like that. And for only $ 2.00 one way.

When I go into Vancouver, usually with a cycling friend of mine, who by the way just turned 69 years old, we always lock our bikes together, in fact whereever we go, we lock up. Otherwise I'll ride the Apollo when I need to go on lengthy shopping trips.

So, if you are traveling on Kent Ave, how do you deal with the 2 block section west and east under the Knight Street Bridge. This is the ugliest section of road I have ever travelled.

When I do take the Kent Ave route, I continue east to Boundary Rd, south/southeast along Boundary Rd/N Fraser Way to Glenlyon and past Ballard Power and Telus to Byrne Rd, along Mandeville Road and then past the Women's Prison and through the Burnaby Foreshoe Park to the Incinerator. It is a nice pleasant route and beats the Westminster Hwy route with it's car and large truck traffic which I can do without.

You may want to try looking at the Cycling BC Online website: http://cycling.bc.ca/. It has a "buy and sell" link where members post bikes for sale. That's where I found the ad for the used Cramerotti.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And cheers back to you.
Antonius

:) :)

Hello Antonius,

I am the "wife" that Narayan mentioned :)

Well, I agree that along Kent Ave, many sections are pretty bad..I wrote to the City and also VACC (Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) about it...You might know that the "Kent Bike path project" starts only east of Ontario st.

I asked them if it would be possible to extend it till oak street so that cyclists from SW marine dr, Arthur Laing bridge etc can continue on to Burnaby without going on se marine dr...The response from the City was not very positive, while the VACC guy promised to get back to me about it.

I guess if many of us cyclists can write to them, they will think about doing something about the route..What do you think?

Anyways, good luck with your new bike..May be we will see you on the road someday..:)

Cheers,
Raji.

Originally posted by antonius
Hello Narayan

So, if you are traveling on Kent Ave, how do you deal with the 2 block section west and east under the Knight Street Bridge. This is the ugliest section of road I have ever travelled.

:) :)

Dude,

If you think the stretch under knight street is bad, you gotta check out the stretch from Oak to Cambie on Kent. Arrgh! The tracks and stink doesn't make it nicer.

BTW, you right straight past where I work. I work on North Fraser Way in Burnaby.

If I see a Cramerotti Zipping by, I will know its you. Maybe we should get together for some short rides or whatever..

<cliche> Tis' a small world indeed. </cliche>.

Gotta check out the ads on cycling bc.

Cheers!
Narayan.

Yes, I agree that the piece between Oak and Cambie is ugly as well. I've ridden that stretch many times.

I just returned home from attending a meeting with the Richmond Citizens' Cycling Committee, of which I am a volunteer member. This committee advises the council of the City of Richmond on cycling issues within the city of Richmond. It's a great way to promote on-going addition of new cycling facilities around the city, which is on an island and is all flat, for inform those who are not from the area.

I have raised, on several occasions, the shortsightedness of the engineers who design the roads and road improvements. They only think of the pavement for cars, not access for cyclists. So there is a purpose for the committe, because without our voice, the city would be lacking the cycling facilities it does have. Many of these facilities start somewhere but end in nowhere. Then you're on your own. But we have a plan, it will take time.

I like raji's answer earlier as the "wife" that you mentioned. It's great that both of you can be cycling together. I'm working on my wife to get her on the bike more often and soon she'll have her own hybrid. She's a stay at home mom and enjoys it. She would like to have a bike of her own to get around to places close to home instead of using the car for short distances.

Well, hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll cycle along Kent and Glenlyon and bump into you two and we can ride together along the way, if I can keep up. And those short rides would be great as well.

BTW, if you look east from your workplace and see the red and white stack at the big blue building, that's where I am during the day. Right now we're installing a steam turbine and soon will be producing electric power from burning waste.

'Tis a small world.

Good night.
Antonius


:) :)

Hi Antonius:

My wife really liked reading Barbara Savage's Miles from Nowhere, which I borrowed from the library and set on the coffee table. She started liking it and pretty soon became a very avid biker. :) So, there's hope.

Hopefully we can ride together sometime...

Cheers!
Narayan.

Ahh... I should have a look for that book as well, later on, when I get back.

Picked up the new bike on Saturday and it rides really nice. Need to make some seat height adjustments to get it right on. Rode it all afternoon Saturday.

Right now I'm in Charleston, SC for a couple of days of meetings with finance people from other WTE facilities in the US. I'm going through withdrawls. Saw a bike shop up the road. Should have brought my gear and maybe I could've gone for a short ride.

Can't figure out the weather down here. Pretty well been raining the whole time I'm been here. Reminds me of home.

Hope to be back in the saddle for a bit when I get back on Thursday.

:) :)

Hi Antonius:

What's the gearing on the bike? I am riding a (little-used, $500 CDN) Jamis Quest this evening with 39/52T in front and a 11-28 cassette in the back. It has Conti Sport 1000 700x25 rear and 700/23 front, and am wondering if the gearing is sufficient for hills in my commute... My initial impression is that it is too high..

Speaking of the weather: It was gorgeous yesterday here in Vancouver and today has been so-so. :) Cloudy, but NO rain so far.

Cheers!
Narayan

Hello THV

On the gearing, I have a triple on the front: 30-42-52 and the rear as I far as I can recall is a 12-27. On my Apollo, I have a 39-53 crankset on the front and the rear, as I recall, is a 12-29.

It's hard to say if by not having that smaller chainring, you may not have sufficient gearing. But I have cycled into Vancouver on several occasions on the Apollo and didn't have difficulty but then I didn't have loaded panniers. However, on my return route home, if I opt to use the sidestreet instead of Marine Way to get to 22nd Street Station, the hill is steeper. And it was tougher to get up the hill. But then I may be not in the greatest shape to do this with a little more ease. I like to do it just for the added challenge. I don't think the hills in Vancouver are as steep as that one.

You could ask about setting up a triple on the Jamis. On this I don't have enough knowledge to know if it can be done. Maybe need to change the BB to do that. Raise the question at a bike shop or anyone else on this forum can answer that question.

I arrived home yesterday and I did get out for a short ride to the local drugstore in the late afternoon. This morning I rode to work for the first time on my new ride. It was nice. This afternoon should be better. I plan to leave around 4:00 (not set in stone) and I'll head out through Glenlyon towards Kent Ave. If you leave a little later maybe I can meet up with you and ride on the way home. Let me know if that works.

Maybe see you then.

:) :)