Kindaslow

Great posts with great bikes!!!

And, I look forward to posting pics of my Venge, but it will be a few weeks. No skirt pics though!!!

Oldguyonoldbike

It's your bike, do what you like with it. Personally, I find most stock bikes kind of boring. The bikes I'm attracted to are the ones that have been personalized, and given some personality.

Dan Burkhart 

Lots of people feel that way, and some of them look me up to make it happen when they lack the time or facilities to do it themselves.
Here's a build I did for a guy. It's a Gios compact frame that he wanted to stick a Sturmey Archer 5 speed IGH into. He already had the parts in hand when I got hooked up with him, so I just did the build.
About a year later, he decided he wanted a bit more gear range, so he had me install a Schlumpf Speed Drive 2 speed bottom bracket.
Weird? Most certainly. Does it work? Absolutely.

hollywoodeskimo

Ok. Here's my latest mod. I'm apparently a fat dude that weighs so very much that I bend seat posts when riding off road. So, the mod is a piece of rebar shoved into the latest seat post to keep it from bending. If that doesn't bring on the rage of purists, I don't know what will.

Kindaslow

You might be an overachiever in your efforts to p o the purists!!!

hollywoodeskimo

The only problem is that the purists can't see the rebar. So, they don't get p o'ed. My next mod will be better. Maybe handlebars made out of a broomstick.

canklecat

I'd like a seatpost or handlebars carved from endangered ivory made to look like bamboo. Because stealth trolling.

rdmjr

My whole ride is a affront to purists - it's a recumbent tadpole trike.

North Coast Joe

The "purists" don't have to ride your bike as you need to ride it, why listen to them? I see you hang in the SS/FG forum, too. Things can get bloody there!

I took grief in person and in C&V for my fixed conversion of a formerly geared roadie. I remember the comment in person: "We have freewheel technology, why on earth would you go back 100+ years?".

But those fixed fans got involved, too. I took grief way back when for my (now quite fashionable) 35c's instead of 23's on a fixed gear. I also took grief for my (admittedly "Boutique") chainguard addition.....turns out I'm astounded at how much cleaner my chain runs, even in foul weather.

We won't even get into the bobbed rear fender, or cut-out/laced B17 and the rage they drew.

Do whatcha need to your bike to make you smile!

Kindaslow

i love the ss\fg crowd. They will say they think something is stupid and then just move on (most, but not all of us/them, and only if one doesn't purposely provoke...). Some other crowd seems to never let go. As for this bike, I am very excited to give it a try. If it offends some folks that is a tiny bonus, given the bottom line is whether or not it works for me.

doctor j

Wait a minute. I thought these mods were entirely normal. They're not?

dbg

Not one of my bikes is "normal". But I build up from scratch mostly --so I'm not usually modifying anything that started out as "normal."

• Converting old tandems to IGH
• converting road bikes to 650B tourers
• subcompact cranks (46-28, 44-26, etc)
• IGH touring rigs w/ 2 front chainrings and der
• singlespeeds
• commuters from mtb frames and using IGHs
• recumbents
• numerous other weird experiments often going horribly wrong...

badger1

I'm still not 'getting it', but go for it says I! Who knows, you might end up with a "World's Greatest Venge" that rivals the World's Greatest Madone:

Kindaslow

I was thinking about a rack, but with the aero seat post I do not believe there are any options...

if one of you know of an option, please let me know. If I really like it, a rack would be nice.

BluesDawg

Questioning the thinking behind a modification is not the same as disapproving or taking offense. It is merely discussion. Maybe your antagonist is, to borrow a phrase from Kris Kristofferson, partly truth and partly fiction.

skidder

I don't have front derailleurs on my bicycles. I would rarely use them so they would just seize up or fall apart. Now I just use a rear cassette going down to a 32T gear and a long cage RD. IF I really need to use the smaller ring up front I'll quickly stop and change the chain with a finger, and off I go**.

** = (I still keep a double chain ring set-up on the crank)

Kindaslow

There is a noticeable difference. Some folks just think what you/I have done is stupid,mand they really do not like it. I am ok with that, given I do not like or understand some mods. However, I virtually never comment on mods unless asked. In contrast, some folks believe that the bike gods have been offended and they must make sure you/I know. I love folks coming forward in this thread, I feel some brotherhood in the unique mod group.

GravelMN

My beater/trainer bike is a late 1980s Schwinn World Sport that was born a 27", ten-speed (2x5). It was in decent shape for what it was but I had a lot of parts lying around and a few very windy/rainy days so . . .

- 700c 32-spoke CPX rims on low end Shimano hubs with Bontrager H2 eco 28mm tires
- 7-speed road cassette with spacer
- Shimano RX100 dual pivot brakes
- Modern drop bars (Bontrager but don't know the model) with a flat section in the drops
- Tektro brake levers
- An old school Octalink Dura Ace triple crankset (7sp)
- An Alivio 7sp long cage RD
- Modern low end aluminum seat post
- A bargain bin Specialized saddle (don't recall the model off hand, but some kind of entry level road saddle)
- Flat pedals off of a 1990s touring bike

It gets some funny looks and snickers but I've taken it on some non-competitive (if there is such a thing) group rides and it's actually comfortable and a lot of fun to ride. Fast it's not, but it has a nice wide range of well spaced gearing options, so even though it's heavy, it takes hills pretty well. I could easily tour cross-country with this bike.

Wildwood 

DiaCompe brake levers on a Campy equipped bike?
Only for a while, it was too distasteful.
Call me a purist.
I don't give a rat's azz about anybody's bike or how wonky it looks.

fietsbob

Chuck Harris' bike would rank High.
I only found 1 image https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R54d1jIh8U...Derailluer.JPG

He (RIP) is mostly known for His Mirrors ..

My Touring Bike has a rear stand that is Unique,
but the bike stands up on a wet saturated Field and Peat Bog
where the tent pins go in, like the soil was butter.

eatontkd

[QUOTE Do whatcha need to your bike to make you smile!

[/QUOTE]

Aside from all the grief you may have received, that's a sweet ride; I get your mods. If I didn't live in such a remote, hill/ridge/mountain infested area, I'd give the fixie thing a go...

My current road bike has not a single component from it's purchase back in 1985. It's a mixture of campy, mavic, and modolo and it's a joy to ride!