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The Downtube 9FS rebuild - Presenting the "Monster Commuter!"

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The Downtube 9FS rebuild - Presenting the "Monster Commuter!"

Old 02-06-12, 07:26 PM
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The Downtube 9FS rebuild - Presenting the "Monster Commuter!"

Well its all done. Will be giving it the commute test tomorrow. Sram X9 triggers shift like a dream compared to whatever it was stock. The tires are a bit on the beefy side but I love the balloon ride. Some Duranos on this thing would make me have to rename it. LOL

With the parts bin/spare stuff I already had saving me from needing a fortune of new stuff, I am well under 400 bills for this configuration. Loving it!

As seen here the ride comes in at just over 30 lbs.

The BB7's are great as well. No problem stopping here.



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Old 02-06-12, 08:45 PM
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nice good job
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Old 02-06-12, 09:14 PM
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Niiiiice!
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Old 02-07-12, 01:15 AM
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Challenge now is figuring out a good way to carry something. There are no rack mount holes on the drive side rear... the Cross Rack seems heavy...

Any suggestion for adding carrying capacity to this thing??
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Old 02-07-12, 05:06 AM
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I really like the way it turned out, congrats.

With the disks and full suspension, it is functionally like a lower cost option to a Jetstream EX.
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Old 02-07-12, 06:42 AM
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Great job, well done!
How about threading the front of your frame to take a Brompton luggage block, or Klickfix one? Failing that, how about a single wheel trailer?
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Old 02-07-12, 09:23 AM
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Nice job. A while ago someone on this forum wanted to build a disc brake folder.
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Old 02-07-12, 09:51 AM
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I like this one: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/alloy-fro...loy-prod14021/
Can support weight up to approx 10 kg, like a bag or a basket.

Combine it with this one: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rixen-and...851-prod21945/ for the handlebar stem and something like this: https://rixen-kaul.com/index.php?lang=en The Caddu is rated for approx 7 kg.

If you manage to rest some of the weight on the Caddy and the bottom of the bag on the front rack you should be able to carry approx 17 kg on the front without a heavy and complicated system like lowriders or a bigger frontrack.
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Old 02-07-12, 02:10 PM
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Carradice SQR?
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Old 02-07-12, 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by pcrx
Challenge now is figuring out a good way to carry something. There are no rack mount holes on the drive side rear... the Cross Rack seems heavy...

Any suggestion for adding carrying capacity to this thing??
www.downtube.com/Folding_Bike_Forum/file.php?4,file=22
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Old 02-08-12, 04:17 AM
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"Permission denied".
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Old 02-08-12, 05:16 AM
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Originally Posted by badmother
"Permission denied".

Pics of rack setup can be found in the thread, "Full tour set up on 111V FS includes pictures", in the Customer Bike forum at the Downtube site.
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Old 02-08-12, 09:37 AM
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Hmmm I would have to drill and tap a hole on the drive side of my rear fork. Since I converted to disc brakes I'll have to see if they would get in the way of this type of rack.



I was under the impression that adding a rack to a suspended fork of a bike is a bad idea and that it is better to have the weight mounted off the main frame somewhere. That is how my rear rack is on my ICE trike and how it was on my ICE B1. The rack extends over the rear swingarm but all the mounting points are off the arm itself. Is mounting like this "OK" or more likely to get you in trouble somehow?
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Old 02-09-12, 09:13 PM
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How about a rack like this mounted to the rear (since there is a lack of screw hole on the drive side) and then the struts mounted to either side of the lower shock mount?

https://www.blackburndesign.com/en_us...isc-rack.html/
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Old 02-09-12, 09:24 PM
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that's awesome. i am trying to build up a Xootr Swift similarly, at least with a disc in the front (the frame designer told me that adding one in back would make the bike hard to fold).

sadly, no one except HPM in Oregon seems willing to try to weld a disc tab onto the front fork. sigh...
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Old 02-10-12, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by mtalinm
that's awesome. i am trying to build up a Xootr Swift similarly, at least with a disc in the front (the frame designer told me that adding one in back would make the bike hard to fold).

sadly, no one except HPM in Oregon seems willing to try to weld a disc tab onto the front fork. sigh...
Any welder would? Just jig it yourself.
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Old 02-10-12, 07:19 PM
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Darn it!!!

So I tapped a hole on the chain side rear arm to mount my Woody's fenders... need a longer stay. Also discovered sadly that in the front, the Big Apple Lites are just too big for me to use with the fenders. They were already a bit too wide for even regular plastic fenders....

Anyway, it looks like I am going to take these Big Apple Lites off and they will become spares for my ICE QNT trike that I run those same tires on...

What are some suggestions for a good 406 tire that:

1. Does not have as massive of a side profile
2. Have a nice ride.
3. Don't weigh 4000 lbs
4. Roll fast without being flat fairy prone
5. Are easy to get on and off of Velocity Aeroheat rims.

I would say #5 - while listed last - is most important (save the best for last!)
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Old 02-10-12, 07:41 PM
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5 is hard to guess, because the tolerances are not always spot on from the different batches.

just get a narrower tire than the big apples. like a 20x1.75 or 20x1.5
some schwalbe marathon plain or marathon racer should be just as good.
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Old 02-13-12, 12:33 PM
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pcrx,
I'm running primo comets on my DT front suspension (8H). I kept the rear tire bigger than the front (1.75 rear vs. 1.50 front). Able to get fenders on this bike with these tires. So far, no flats (knocks on wood). Can't help you on the ability of getting them on those rims. My blog entry here:
https://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2...wntube-8h.html
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Old 02-13-12, 10:17 PM
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Well I picked up some Duranos... far skinnier than the Big Apples by a mile, but looks slick. Will have to see how they roll tomorrow. Best part is the tires went onto the Velocity rims with zero hassle.
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