doomkin

So I've got a week left of college and I'm going back to Chicago find my fortune. In the mean time I'm headed back to the 'rents house and will be working at the LBS till I find full time work.

I've been drawing up ideas for a new full-time, all-weather, ass-kicking commuter do-it-all and am getting tripped up by all the options.

So here's the major considerations:
1. I really want a front generator hub so I can run really bright lights as I ride at night fairly often.
2. Streets are flat so I'm more interested in distance and speed.
3. Has to be fender/rack friendly, I've got a half-chub for a set of full coverage Fast Boy Fenders, Pass and Stow front rack and have a very expensive set of Brooks Leather panniers my girlfriend bought me that I have to use or face her wrath.
4. I prefer a classic-looking steel frame, Brooks saddle, Brooks leather bartape on CX drop bars.

Frames I've been looking at:
Planet-X Kaffenback
Planet-X Uncle John
Soma DoubleCross (disc)
Surly CrossCheck

Drivetrain:
I can't decide whether I want to keep ss/fixed, or go geared with a 1x9 or IGH. Alfine? Nexus 8 Premium? Sram, Sturmey Archer, Shimano, Campy - gah! I can't decide!

Brakes:
I work on V-Brakes 90% of the time at the shop and feel comfortable with 'em so I'd like to use 'em but more and more I've been swayed by the look of disc brakes. However, finding a steel bike with horizontal dropouts and disc tabs have been tough. Actually, finding a steel frame bike with horizontal dropouts and canti-bosses with a subdued look has been difficult too.

I'm sure some of you guys have similar visions of bicycles circling around in your brains and occasionally see a bike posted here or there matching my ideas. It seems silly but I guess I'm asking a bunch of anonymous persons how to spend my money. I need to pair down my ideas and find something concrete I can stick with. Any considerations I'm missing? Any options I haven't considered? Have you done it? Does it work? Did it fail?

Machka 

Have you considered checking your local thrift shop, and then building something up from that?


Now, when I commuted year round in Winnipeg for 6 years, I did it on a Walmart mtn bike ... and that worked very well for me. It was the only bicycle I've "made" money on ... inexpensive to buy and saved me thousands of dollars.

Here in Alberta, I commute on my sport-touring, Marinoni.

doomkin

i guess what i'm thinking is that since the bike will be my primary source of transportation i'd like it to be suitably stylish. i want to be able to ride it to the supermarket and pick up lunch then go back out later with the lady friend on a bicycle date to a nice restaurant.

with chicago quickly becoming a more and more bicycle friendly metropolis having both a stylish and utilitarian bike is more and more the norm. at the shop i work at between semesters we've been slowly selling more and more classy city bikes and will soon eclipse the the dedicated road bikes, mountain bikes, and hybrids you see out in the suburbs.

perhaps my post ought to be in the car-free forum. :/

making

I am sorry i have nothing to contribute. But I kinda want to follow this thread, might learn something. Thanks.

Machka 

But "suitably stylish", and parking the bicycle anywhere, don't go together. The more stylish a bicycle is, the higher the risk of theft.

The key is to have both a stylish and a utilitarian bicycle ... something fancier for picnics in the country with your lady friend, and the local century rides ... and something plain, basic, and nothing to look at for commuting and running errands.

doomkin

i see your point and if i found myself in situations where my bike would be left outside for a significant period of time i would consider riding my 'beater' but with the constantly improving conditions i find it to be less of something i'm worried about. most places i frequent allow for indoor bike parking and even those that don't have a bicycle rack often no less than half a block from where i'll be, well lit and placed along major streets.

also, as a plus, a lot of thieves in our area have been trained to look for things like aerospokes and track ends.

Sirrus Rider

If I had to do it all again I would emulate the following:

https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianc...os8/index.html



It's multispeed but mimics the lines of s single speed. Plus, if you get bored with multispeed you can change out the rear wheel and take it single speed.

mosquito

I have a crosscheck with Nexus 8. I love it. It's not fast though, with the rack, Brooks, dyad rim, 35mm tires it weighs well over 30lbs. Then again I'm not a speed guy.

However, if I lived in a moderately flat neighborhood and insisted on getting the Nexus 8, I would get lighter rims (open sport) and thinner tires (28s). Might just be a bit under 30. You can also get carbon handlebars in seatpost, mine are Nitto steel. If you go front dynamo you'd have a tank of a bike.

Another option is to just go 1x8 with a rear derailer. If you want a do it all bike I wouldn't go fixed, although I have seen some cool utility fixies with front racks and dynamo.

JeffS

Salsa La Cruz gets you steel with disk brakes if that's what you're after. Not really suitable for singlespeed or IGH though.