Commuting - Upgrades to my Swobo Dixon

A month ago, the pedal on the drive side of my Dixon came loose. By the time I got to work, was able to look at the problem, and ride to the shop, the pedal had fallen off. Thus began a three week fight with SRAM to get a replacement for the entire crank and bottom bracket.

I won!

Now I have a new Truvativ crank, that, while not black, still looks pretty good. It also has 42t rather than the 38 on the old Truvativ, which gives me some more top-end oomph.

While I was waiting for the crank to come in, I added 1) a Dog trailer from SolvIt products, 2) a coffee thermos with bicycle adapter, and 3) Banjo Brothers Panniers to replace my old rear basket.

Enough, on to the pictures

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It's not black, but it was free and is bigger, so it'll do

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Ibera coffee thermos. Think it was only $15 or so on Amazon. Not the greatest mechanism for connecting to the bike (it hits the other water bottle cage) but it works and is reliable.

I'm left carrying both hot and cold liquid refreshments because this is Southern California, and while it was in the 50s on the way to work, it was 93 coming home. Hottest October on record.

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I really dig the Banjo Brothers panniers. When I started researching which panniers to buy, I kept having mini heart attacks at the price. But these things are built so well and only cost $55. Hold plenty of clothes, locks, even my miniature eeePC and a book or two with no problem.

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Rear entrance to the SolvIt dog trailer. I don't have a car and needed a way to transport my pup to the local parks. Walking sucks, ergo, this $129 dog trailer. Also surprisingly well-built considering the cost of the alternatives (Burley and Croozer).

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The total package. I also added some 3M reflective tape, since as of next week, we'll all be riding home in the dark, if you're not already. Anybody else use this?

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The old look for comparison. That was a Trek basket on the rear. It broke in August (basket separated from rail which secured to rack). Panniers are so much better because the weight is closer to the ground. I can't believe it took me this long to realize it.

What upgrades have you got planned for your bike?

uhhh...that trailer now that I've seen it! perfect for shopping!

yeah, it can double as a pretty stable and decent cargo trailer. The one restriction is that the entry points to the compartment (front and back) are comparatively small. Not that you couldn't get a big bag of groceries in there, you'd just have to twist and push a little.

I really like those Swobos. I can't decide if I want to build up an old frame with flat bars and an IGH for a winter bike or just look to buy a Dixon or Otis.

What was wrong with the crank and bb that caused the pedal to come loose? I'm assuming you couldn't just tighten up the pedal.

If you live somewhere flat,the Otis will be ok,although I really wouldn't want to deal with a coaster brake in snow. I've been lazy about upgrading my Dixon. I have a set of fenders I need to install,might put a rack on the back,and want to swap the tires for something with reflective sidewalls. Also thinking about putting a trekking bar on it like my Safari.

I had a similar pedal problem a few years back with a Spec Sirrus. Had one pedal come off and the other was ready to. The threads on the cranks were completely trashed. I had only had the bike for two weeks,so the shop just pulled the cranks off another Sirrus and they delt with the warranty prob.

Not sure why you wouldn't just put the thermos in the pannier or on the rear rack, but whatever works for you. I'm disappointed Swobo doesn't have a chainguard for the Dixon like it does for the Novak.

I built up my old Surly 1x1 like your bike. When I did it there was nothing available like the Swobo Dixon. I like it so much, I use it for more than just commuting. The MTB frame is durable, I like the riser bars with more sweep, disc brakes keep my rims from wearing out, comfy geometry, retrofitted rack for bag with panniers. I can remove all the commuter stuff and install MTB tires for an off road ride with a Nexus 8.