sh00k

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its been like this for a year or 2 now. im looking for ways to make it look more............ "used" or "townie" or more like a beater..... any ideas guys?

Trueblood

1980 Zebrakenko Storm conversion to a city bike. Originally had drop bars and shifters on the downtube. Couple more pictures on this thread - 1980 Zebrakenko Storm.



1980 Storm

Mogens

These are just gorgeous. Powdercoated, I assume? There's a weird softness to the way they look.

SquidPuppet

Thanks. Yep, powdered with a high gloss clear on top. They do look soft, even in person. The colors are quite muted so you can't even see the shine until you are right up close.

Mr. 66

Shaved off 10 pounds of steel with new wheels cranks, handlebars and got the Berkeley to under 26 lbs.

DanBikeFan

Really beautiful! Great choice of colors--they look solid, but still light and clean. This really brings out the elegance of these frames. Are they fixed, or with a rear coaster hub?

polymorphself

All built for friends:

~1971 Peugeot UO-18 single speed with Son TB14 rims, VO porteur bars, VO city levers, Stronglight crankset, VO fenders, Brooks flyer, Brooks saddlebag. Full album here.


1973 Nishiki Competition Stepthrough all stock except for VO porteur bars, VO city levers and Suntour bar ends. Full album here.


1976 Motobecane Super Mirage single speed. VO Porteur bars, VO city levers, Son M13II wheels, Stronglight crankset, VO fenders, Brooks Flyer. Full album here.

ascherer 

I did a couple this year. Here's my 1971 Raleigh International frame in it's third incarnation with an 8 speed Sturmey hub, Sanyo front Dynamo, 700x35 Paselas, Mafac Racers, 34T Origin8 crankset with Riv bash guard, VO Tourist bars and City levers, B66, fenders, racks, Wald basket. When I fetch groceries I put Linus canvas rollups on the back. If not for Covid I'd be commuting on it.


It replaced a 1966 Raleigh Sports I was using for my townie. I gave the Sports to my son who decided he wanted something lighter after a few trips up and down the stairs to his apartment with it. I found a 1972 Super Course that fit the bill. It received parts bin cranks and derailleurs, all-rounder bars possibly from a Raleigh Twenty from noglider, thumbies from nlerner, a nice new-ish B72 and classic Pletscher rear rack. Kept the 27x1.25 wheels - stock Weinmann/Normandy in good order and Paselas. Saddle and tires from other forum members, sorry I forget exactly who but thank you all for encouraging my behavior!


They're both great rides and were fun to build.

Dylansbob 

Here are the 2 from this year.


Cannondale Black Lightning, an homage to my former fixie gooning days.

I'm absolutely in love with this old Falcon. It's been my first choice the past 2 weeks.

SquidPuppet

Shimano coasters. Really low gearing for sightseeing.

Shp4man

This little World Sport came from a swap meet. It was low miles, but neglected. I took off the 27 inch wheels for another project. I had some black SKS fenders and a set of decent 700C wheels and got the idea to build this one day. Its Suntour 6 speed Accushift with stem shifters. It cleaned up really well, the frame paint polished out like new. It's like 24 pounds, nice ride.

an

ascherer 

High likelihood that this is the world's only Varsity running Compass. Of course, that's another tale entirely.

Roger M 

1972 Gitane Tour de France

The only things changed are bars, fenders,, and the added bag. And to be honest, I haven't ridden it much in town...

scarlson 

'80s Holdsworth/Claud with Joe Bell paint. As seen in another thread, I have commuted on this for 5 years now and broken the frame in multifarious ways. Still truckin that daily grind. Got two mismatched 165 cranks (Dura Ace on the left and Takagi or something on the right) and the ultra-pricey IQ-X light is probably the most expensive part of the bike. Strictly a townie for hauling and grinding in Boston dirt and darkness. Goes through a drivetrain and a set of Kool stoppers every year.

sd5782 

1973 Super Sport

As the title says, a 73 Super Sport conversion. This is also my first conversion. Bike was incomplete from the co-op for very cheap as were many of the parts. Flatlands riding here for an old guy, so I took off the outer chainring and made it a 1X6 indexed with a Deore thumb shifter. Most expensive part was a nearly NOS Brooks B72 for $60.



cockpit
I found the bars at the co-op with only a 15 degree bend allowing me to use my favorite bar end mirror. The B72 goes well with this build.



Weinmann and Deore XT
Vintage grips and Deore XT from a swap meet. The indexed Deore is a pleasure to use.



14-28 six speed and Shimano 105

The 6 speed Shimano 14-28 fit the rear spacing easily. Gearing is from 38 gear inches to about 78. This makes for some casual flatland suburban riding. Not going anyplace fast, just getting some exercise in my old bones and being a nosey neighbor. No hills, so the 10-20mph speed range is just fine. Easy simple shifting is nice. The 105 had just barely enough swing to reach the 28T low gear as the RD is mounted on a hanger putting it 4-5mm further out. Too many bikes I guess, so just "needed" to try building something different thanks to all the enablers here.

Mogens

This is a Trek 420 that I bought as a frame set, with Suntour New Spirit rear derailleur, Suntour Barçon, Mafac Racer breaks, Shimano levers, a Sugino crankset (I’m still thinking about what chainring I want to use, but I’m going to replace the 52t with a chain guard), Nitto Albatross bars, Conti 28mm Gatorskins, Brooks saddle. This was my election anxiety project and I love riding it, though recently it’s felt a little too cold in Wisconsin for super casual riding. My last city bike was built on a Trek 730 multitrack and this just feels more spritely and fun.

gugie 

A couple of the early 70's Raleigh Gran(d) Sport(s) somehow survived getting the torch. The first one I bought was converted to a 5 speed Sturmey Archer IGH, with fenders and a Nitto Mark's rack for a handlebar bag. Back then you could find a Sanyo generator hub fully built wheel for $95, so that went on to. This has been my PNW winter rider for a few years now.



A BF member pointed out a rare fully chromed G.S. on a SoCal Craigslist ad. I snapped that up and built it as a 2 speed kickback. Black Bluemel fenders are a nice contrast, I think.

Mogens

And each has its Stronglight 93 in a subliminal satanic pentagram position I’ve never seen one fully chromed like that, it’s stunning. Someone at Raleigh had an eye for color. Is that the VO Rando front rack in he first shot? I took mine out for its inaugural spin the other day and I had issues with the rack sagging and pressing down on the fender. Is it just a matter of getting the right angles and tension on the p clamps?

AustinFitz

Not quite a road bike, but here's my 1985 Mongoose ATB as a city bike.

gugie 

Yeah, BITD when I worked at an LBS, we called then satan cranks.

That's a Nitto Mark's rack (no relation). If your rack is sagging and pressing down on the fender, maybe you're using the wrong size P clamps? I've been riding with the one on the Grand Sport for 3 winter seasons, and I also have one on my Zero Bike. I've got about 8 pounds in that bag, three separate tours never had it slip.

dumpsterhuffy

1989 Bridgestone RB-2, Frame, fork and headset are original. Modern Fulcrum wheels with 28c Specialized Turbo pro tires. CroMo Ritchey mtb stem with no-name swept back bars. Original Suntour Sprint crank has had original chainrings replaced with single 48t QBP engagement rings chainring.

bikemig 

What size tire are you running? I thought that the 70s TdFs didn’t have much clearance. Very pretty bike

Doohickie

I have an old 1983 Raleigh Marathon that suffered a derailleur hanger injury. It sat in the garage for a while; eventually I acquired a wheel with a two-speed kickback hub and used that with on the Marathon. Add an OLD Brooks saddle from Yo Spiff and some big spread cruiser bars and now I have a .... City Bike? I think of it more as a Pub Crawler or maybe even a Jalopy.

Roger M 

Thank you. Those are Veloflex 700x23. Without fenders, I'm pretty sure I could fit 700x30 with no issues, and maybe bigger. I will look into it next spring or summer.

bikingshearer 

1967 Paramount. Just was on it today to run to the post office. Before Covid struck, I used to to go between home and the BART station as part of my daily commute. Suffice to say, that is not happening these days.