qw1a

I've moved to the 'burbs, which has increased my commute time to about an hour from 12.5 min . However, instead of riding 3 miles directly to my office, I could now ride to the train station (about 6.5 miles). The only problem - I need to be able to lock this bike at the station in the middle of Newark. In order to remedy this I bought myself a 1989 Peugeot race bike that is almost guaranteed to be theft-free. Now, I want to upgrade it into a stealth-bike, meaning a bike that has higher quality components but looks like ****. So far I am thinking of spending around 300 to 400 bucks on that project.
Has anyone actually done something like that?
What is the most likeley wheelset I should use?
Should I try to find a used grouppo rather then shelling out for Sora?
Any other ideas are welcome!

cyccommute 

Krylon is your friend And always park your bike next to the nicest bike you can find in the rack.

JBS103

You can't take the bike on the train with you and then lock it at work like you previously did?

Szczuldo

nothing wrong with an hour commute. For the most part of the year i won't see a problem with that, only when it gets cold can it start to get annoying. But yeah, whats wrong with taking it on the train with you?

Machka 

Have you asked these questions in the Commuting or Utility Bikes forums? They'd probably have some good answers for you.

But really a 1-hour commute isn't bad at all.

qw1a

I would not mind an hour commute if I had a chance to do it all on a bike. It's the train part that gets to me. And NJ Transit does not allow to take bikes on the train in peak hours (NJ is a backward state in general, as far as I can see). So, I can either bike about a mile to the nearest train station or bike to any other train station. Makes no difference in terms of commuting time, but makes a lot of difference in terms of

On a side note - I hate suburbs, hate them with passion. I hate my stuck-up neighbor, I hate the fact that you have to drive everywhere, hate the fact that the city is an hour away, etc. If it weren't for my wifes dellusions grandeur, I would never, ever, ever even consider it, but now I am stuck.

Machka 

Why do you have to use the train? Can't you ride the whole distance from home to work? Anyway, like I say, they go into long discussions about this stuff in the Commuting forum.

Treefox

I converted a 1992 Peugeot into a racing bike.

You'll just have to sort of pull the chainstays outwards as you put the back wheel in as the width is different on newer wheels.

Otherwise easy.

Try to find scraped up old 105 shifters with the shiny bit on the front messed up.

Szczuldo

unless you have a river that is more than waist deep in the center with no bridge or the berlin wall is in your city, i'm confused at how you won't be able to do the whole thing on a bike.

Marrock

Pay an extra fare and stick it in the seat next to you, tell them it's a seeing eye bike or something.

derath

1 hour commute? Bah. Skip the train. My ride to work is 32 miles. Oh and that is each way. I get in a metric century whenever I bike to and from work.

-D

Versa2nr

Stealth bike...Hrmmm... I built one myself. Used an old mtn bike though. a few tips

1. Gaudy trashy stickers are your friend
2. 2 primary colors for paint, Neon orange and Black
3. the uglier the better.

I know that leaving a bike in plain sight locked up is something uneasy to deal with. Like several have said, have you considered riding the full distance? If it is not feasible, it is best to just make your bike ugly/undesirable. Splash a little of the neon orange and black paint on the frame and maybe the components, black electrical tape in random places. Create paint chips an scuffs using a dremel. But above all else just get a good lock and park next to the nicest bike on the rack. For myself I wanted to outfit my rig with the old 8 speed xtr so I scuffed anything that had a brand name on the concrete to give it the "abused" look. I only clean the mechanical parts of the bike and braking surfaces. Everything else stays dirty (not worried about getting dirty on the commute) If you have any other questions feel free to stroll on over to the commuting forum, they have plenty more ideas for you there as well.

xg43x

Black paint is your friend.

Idioteque

that is awesome, i want my own office eventually with a shower. then i can just skip weekly training and do that everyday for a load of miles and fun

mrbubbles

How about a folding bike?

adam

If you are getting some good components for it, just rub off the name brand (Ultegra or whatever). Then is just looks like low end stuff.

Used shifters abound on ebay from guys who have dropped their Dura Ace equipped bikes and can't stand a scratch on a lever.

jpbrew814

just take the wheels with you, nobody would probally steal it then.

derath

Yea unfortunately no showers. And my usual commute these days is a walk downstairs with maybe a pit stop at the bathroom. I try to never go into the office, but I usually end up going once or twice a week.

-D

Sammyboy

Ride to work, get your base miles up, get round the bike problem, and save money. Sweet!

koine2002

DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has bike lockers at a number of the train/bus stations. They are available for around $40 for 3 months plus a one time re-keying fee. You may want to check and see if your transit authority has this kind of thing. Also, I agree on the rant against the suburbs. I love the simplicity, "character" and diversity of urban living.

Crast

Well, it's the same with Long Island Railroad, Metro North, and more or less any other metro train system in the US. When I lived in Atlanta, MARTA didn't allow bikes during peak hours, and that's bull**** because most of the times, the trains aren't even full. At least going to Manhattan they are justified to do it, the trains are packed to the brim.

I'm guessing the bike racks at your local station are probably going to get some rain and snow exposure? That's the way it is here out on the island, even with the overhead tracks; your bike will still get wet underneath the train station. There's no real sense in buying a brand new groupset to leave it in the rain; You can probably find a used tiagra or 105 groupset for the same price as brand new Sora, and since it'll likely be a little scratched up on the exterior, it'll be less attractive to steal.

A quick search on ebay came up with this:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-105-Tiag...QQcmdZViewItem


You could probably also ask the guy at your LBS if he's come upon any used equip.

Machka 

My commute last summer, and two summers ago was 70 kms round trip (43.5 miles round trip). I did it anywhere from 1-3 times a week .... it was a really nice ride. I'd leave home about 5:45 am, and get back about 6:45 pm with a full day's work and a good ride all taken care of ... and an evening to relax ahead of me. I miss those days!

qw1a

Well, Hudson river is an obstacle to me. I would not try biking through the tunnell(s) and the GWB is way too far.

I have to be at work around 6:30 am (7am the latest) and I usually get out around 8pm (worst cases 11pm). So, an hour commute is a problem. Especially tired after a day of "heavy lifting" and riding along-side New Jersey drivers.

That's the plan, actually.

Warning - my next post is going to be a rant...

DieselDan

One suggestion that popped into my head would be quick release pedals.

Just a thought that removing the pedals would really deter theft.

Frunkin

excel sports has 9 speed ultegra "upgrade groups" for 400$. Brifters, rear d, cassette and chain. You would just need a new rear wheel.