The 'Supa Commuta' is done!

My little project is now a reality after about 6 months of research and then tracking down of parts.

The single speed conversion that I was riding to work and about town was fine and fun, but it was a bit limited. In the present it struggled on the longer hills, in the future it was going to struggle as it had no mounts for anything like racks or fenders.

Enter the Supa Commuta...
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- I wanted gears, but no hassle from derailleurs etc. The simplicity of single speed is great, but an IGH gives you the best of both.
- A frame that had lots of options would be a plus. This frame will allow me multiple drivetrain options as well as racks and fenders. I can even race cyclecross on it later if I really want to.
- Everything rusts and gets filthy in this town, so a Ti frame and avoiding a regular chain is a plus.

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New parts list:
- Lynskey Crosstown frame, Alpha Q fork. Great deal from the Lynskey Loft.
- Nexus Alfine 8spd hub
- Gates belt drive, 55t chainring, 24t cog, 125t belt
- Versa VRS8 shifters
- Velocity Dyad rims
- Wellgo pedals with MKS toe clips

Second hand parts:
- Ultegra front hub (from BF member)
- Tektro brakes (from BF member)
- Schwalbe Marathon 28mm tyres (from BF member)
- Shimano crank (from LBS pile)
- Thomson seat post (local classifieds)

From the parts bin:
- Handlebars (from my Caad9)
- Saddle (from my Caad9)
- Stem

The Ride
It is tall - the bars are about 8cm taller than my road bike. It seems a bit odd at the moment. The canti brakes shuddered terribly on the first ride, but with some playing with the spring tension and toe in has made this a lot better. Shifting was a bit imprecise, but a bit of cable tension has fixed that (and I'm more used to the throw of the shifter too).

The Future
Haven't worked out fenders, racks or anything else yet. I have an option of going single speed because the guys at Gates messed up and sent a cog for a Shimano freewheel the first time around. They sent the new Nexus style for free. All I need is some spacers to convert a regular road wheel to single speed with the belt.

Thanks to my long suffering LBS mechanic Jobar, and to Don at Lynskey for all his help on this unique project.