This years winter beater

[plodderslusk]

Due to a new mix of salt and magnesium or something bikes are eaten alive during the winter here in Oslo. Last years singlespeed was not looing good so I bought this Miyata Ridgerunner Team from 89-90 and converted it to a studded winter beater. This is the same kind of frame that Greg Herbold won the first Downhill world championship with. (he had a first generation Rock Shox though)
Very nice ride, only needs Coolstops instead of the old Shimano pads.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/plodderslusk/121_2121.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/plodderslusk/121_2115_r1.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/plodderslusk/121_2118.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/plodderslusk/121_2119.jpg

[diff_lock2]

If i could find parts readily in Finland, i would have a bike that looks like that.

i cant find anything. and if i find something its 2x the price i see online, or what other members paid for it.

Looks like a really nice bike, but the brake levers look a pit too high.
Like its not easy to reach. but i never had drops, so i wouldn't know. and your saddle is pointed up, (i find it very uncomfortable that way, maybe its just me)

if you can explain why your setup is the way it is, it might help me setup my bike for a more enjoyable ride. (its great now, but maybe it could be better, just maybe)

[plodderslusk]

The seat is fairly level, I think it just looks strange in the photo. This bike is set up like this partly to take me to work during the winter, a 4 mile trip through parts of Oslo and partly to go on snowy roads for long weekend training rides(hopefully some weekday nightrides with lights too). I like to go on quite long rides (40-100 km)in the forests during wintertime and I find it more comfortable with road bars than Mtb bars. The brake levers are set quite high because an aero position is not very important at the speed I get up to with this bike. It is a singlespeed simply to get as few possibilities for trouble as possible.
I got the bike for 50 euros and had the rest of the parts for the singlespeed conversion so it did not cost a lot.

[darkmother]

Cool conversion. How did you manage the SS conversion? Is that a cassette hub, or freewheel?

[plodderslusk]

Thanks, it is an old STX hub were I removed the cassette, ground off the teeth on two cogs for solid support and used the old spacers in between. I bought a cheap dedicated SS cog and a cheap Big Cheese ring from Cyclecomponenets in Sweden. Could not get short crank bolts so I ground the old ones shorter too (not a very safe procedure).