Figured since the first batch of parts came i might as well start the thread. Plan is a custom Ti frame on 650b wheels.

Sram rival 22 hydro groupset with force med cage rear derailleur from ebay for $280, which i believe is pretty cheap. Not much wear, just needs a good cleaning.

I wouldn't call those grinder parts. Also, most urban bikes don't run drops.

I love it, look forward to the build. I blast around on a 29er in the city, lots of fun!

The all-road bikes / gravel bikes have re-introduced the touring bike option into commuting. The ability to add fenders and racks, wider & low pressure tires, & wider drop bars makes these bikes attractive to some. FWIW, I replaced my hybrid with a gravel bike 2 months ago & I couldn't be happier. It may not be traditional, but it works great for me.

Grinder? Urban?
Defy labels [MENTION=485184]Keiffith[/MENTION] and just ride your ride!
Let us know how it works out for you.

its just what i coined the project as.

Its for ripping up the urban enviroment. And not the way of a roadie, but how a BMX or trials rider would navigate.

We have all the stuff without the need for a "gravel" bike as it never left so no need to reintroduce.

Just seems like a fad.

Im sure many said the same about 'hybrids'.

"all road" is definitely not going away, as you are suggesting. Some people want a 'road' bike that is actually bearable to ride, and comfortable on actual roads, not the pristine, well maintained pathways found in 'high class' areas.

I live in a rust belt city, and my 28c road bike just doesnt cut it for being a year round, get me where im going, machine.

This will be fitted with studded snow tires for winter, whch im hoping wont start early since it wont be finished until december.

We've had these for ages. I just think the and American bike market is always behind the rest of the planet.

I can't wait to see how this progresses. Coming form the car world where build threads are a huge part of my enjoyment of the forums, I love seeing how things progress and the rational behind the decisions made during the build, these are the types of things I love to see.

"Urban Grinder" what a great name!

Can't wait to see your bike when it is finished.

I guess I'm confused here because my previous message was terse.

I don't understand what problem has been solved.

Most bikes in Europe have the option of hydro/cable discs, racks, fenders, dynamos / LEDs, thin/thick, 622/559 wheel sets and drop/flats as changeable combos drops can be installed on any bike ... so what's the revolution here?

I ride in very heavily urban area now (the population dense in the UK and in the entire EU it seems and 5x more dense than London it seems) and ditched the drops as the fractions of a second spend looking down caused issues with visibility with doors opening/closing and such. Also, in a heavily urban environment, drops are useless because you're always starting/stopping whereas flats/risers make more sense when mixing with traffic and the low bits of the bars weren't getting any use. If I want that style, bullhorns seem a much better option with a bar-end shifter.

Average space per inhabitant in selected metropolitan regions, 2013 (m² per inhabitant)



URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statis...lation_density

For example. This combo has been around as I long as I remember looking (at least 5 years and probably longer even).

https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en/...-disc-800-2019

closeup:

I look forward to seeing this.

I used to think I preferred upright bars for city riding, but I got back into drop bars, and I'm happy with them.

I'm going to try 650B wheels on a tight-geometry titanium racing bike. That might be fun.

exactly. 10sp is now more affordable than ever with widely available parts. Sram shifters are just a huge rip off. I pick up just the right rival shifter and run 1x10 with sram mtb cassette and rd for maximum wattage.

hard-working and good parts can be quite cheap. rear mechs can be run with various brifters as an example.

parts like this for example would be more worthy of a grinder:

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Sh...8-fach-p35965/

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Sh...-Lever-p50386/

however, i'd rather go with bull horns in a heavy urban environment with a bar end shifter and if one is really in a proper urban environment FGSS is the best option.

the OPs ride is anything but an urban grinder and will end being like an the equivalent to a fox-body 5.0 mustang or a similar-era camaro. generic with some nice parts but never really nice or unique.

The responses in this thread are why the 'cycling' community has earned its reputation.

I named my bike what i wanted to name it. '650b 47c, dropper post, disc brake, Ti road bike' is too long, so i named it what i believe the stack of components will be best for my style of riding and where im riding it.

No need to justify yourself as it just looks defensive.

Okay acidfast7, we get it, you don't like drop bars for commuting. That doesn't mean that the rest of us who do like them and use them are wrong. Amazingly, you posted that urban bikes don't have drop bars, but then posted a picture of one, maintaining that they have been around for years. The problem is labels vs uses. Urban & commuter bikes don't have drop bars, but bikes that work well for urban and commuting uses may have drop bars. My adventure/gravel bike is exactly that, but 90% of its use is urban & commuting and it works very well.

I am of the opinion that any bike with used for urban / commuting use needs to have the ability to operate the derailleurs and brakes without requiring the rider to change their hand position. Does that mean that you are wrong by suggesting or liking bar end shifters? No, it only means that you have different preferences and priorities than I do. Additionally, I would never ride a fixie by choice, but I realize and accept that many people intentionally make the choice to ride them.

I had a Diamondback WCF that I called my Urban Assault bike. Only change from stock was slick tires, but I tore up the streets in Little Rock with it.

Love to see your build. I recently switched to drop bars on one of my bikes. My neck had been keeping me from them for years but I am feeling better after a job change and taking another stab at it. Good luck and let's see more pics.

This sounds like an interesting build. Please ignore the single naysayer and continue to post