Here is my one and only bike, a 2008 Surly Cross Check. Had it built up with Long Haul Trucker specs. Here's what I've added so far:
-Brooks B-17
-Topeak MTX Explorer Rack
-Ortleib Front Roller Classics
-PB Fenders w/ homemade mudflap!
-Shimano M520 pedals
-PB Blaze 1W
-PB SuperFlash Stealth
-Cheap Blinky
-Bell cyclometer (was only $8 and works pretty well)
-UltraLite Bike Mirror
-Topeak Road Morph G pump (just realized I hadn't cut the zip-ties down here)
-Nashbar frame bag
-Cheap water bottle cage and bottle
I'm not sure if I like the looks of the frame bag or not. Just added it a few days ago.

The Surly Cross Check is a very popular bike these days!

Surly really makes some nice bikes in the Cross Check and the Steamroller... if it was not for my love of old Kuwaharas I would probably have a Surly LHT in the garage.

I won't have any new pics until spring but here's an oldie but a goodie.


1987 Kuwahara Cascade - Ishiwata quad butted frame - fixed gear conversion.

here's my IRO jamie roy:





Sorry the pictures kind of suck. I just put a toplight xs plus tail light on the rear rack.

Recent shot of my bike dressed in it's commuter garb (as opposed to stripped for racing). Note the fuzzy handlebar tops and shifter hoods:

Schwinn Hinge




Ernest

It's a Cliché on this forum.

Why thank you! I like it. I can't really take too much credit though- except for the baskets that's pretty much the way it came to me last year (for $30).

I thought my free Rudge was a deal but $30.00 is unbelievable for such a perfect looking bike.

This is my Surly with the weather proof bags I make and my old tires (everyone should do this) for fenders. The snow and ice just falls off and you can't crack them, they are tires! This is my 6th winter on a bike and 100% car free and I love it!!! O-yea, the picture is of Canada on the other side of the Detroit river. I think I make the best bags in the world. They handle all shoping needs, pot holes up the wazooO in this town and I always have a dry hoody and hat. even in a down poor!

Yeah... perfect looking, with looking being the operative word. The rims are a bit out of true, and with rod brakes that's critical. They pulse pretty good. One of the tires got a bubble so I ordered a new pair. While I'm waiting for them to arrive I tried truing the wheels (no truing stand; I use an old fork and eyeball it). I'm not expecting great results. I think eventually I'll have to lace some new westwood rims on them.

Oh, and your Rudge looks more perfect than my Raleigh... pics can hide the subtle flaws.

I have to admit those look very nice. I may be showing my ignorance, but what brand are they?

[QUOTE=mechanicalron;8477939]This is my Surly with the weather proof bags I make and my old tires (everyone should do this) for fenders. The snow and ice just falls off and you can't crack them, they are tires! QUOTE]

Very nice!! I would love to see some more detail on how you make fenders from the old tires. How do you get the shape to hold? Closer pics?

With all that leather, do you keep the bike covered during the day?

Er? Oh, wow... that is cool. I guess I didn't understand that from the original post... that would be cool.

I make them out of canvas and leather i get from a sadle shop.

My friend, who is far more knowledgeable than me on old bikes, tells me that with rod brakes there will always be a little pulsing.

I laced up a new rear for my Rudge using an old but decent hoop as the original was rusted completely through in places and this was really hard on the brake pads.

Those wheels are insanely tough and were meant to be fixed with a hammer...

Finding some NOS hoops in an English over size would be nice although the 700c /28 inch wheel size is a lot easier to find tyres for... my new rear wheel is actually a non oversized 28.

Ok if you cut a wire bead tire with your cable cuters, the tire will open up like a fender! Next, tuck it past your rack, seat stays and down to your chain stays and it will hold itself in place so you can mark the places to put your holes in the side walls with a hole punch and zip-tye it of and, whalla! If you don't want to zip them to your frame and rack you can use stainles wire like I did in the pictures here.


The bags I make myself out of canvas and leather. I mix up my own batch of proofing cream fron bezwax and neetsfoot oil. This makes them totaly weather proof with no need for plastick bags or rain covers. I ride every day and got rid of my cars 6 years ago so the weather just don't matter to me. If you want to stay dry use oiled canvas!

That is hella-sweet idea. Hey, are my eyes decieving me, or you do have braze-ons for holding spare spokes on your chainstay?

Love the LTH mechanical ron. Those bags look great. Also love that Cross Check right above. Some very pretty commuter bikes.

Yeah, my Rocky Mountain Sherpa has those too...

Yeah, I want to see a photo essay full of close-up shots of your bike, mechanicalron. I see where you get your name!

I love the sound of that.

Anyways. Just finished my new build today:








Cotic RoadRat with Ritchy/easton finishing kit. Plus Some RS20's for rolling.

Yea Surly LHT's have them but you always break spokes on the drive side of the back wheel so what do you do? Get some spokes that are to long and bend them like I did in the photo. you just simply hook it into the hole and use the nipple that is in the rim from the old spoke. You won't have to have a free wheel tool with you and it will out last standard spokes! ron.

Do you make bags commercially? Do you have a website???

[QUOTE=mechanicalron;8481032]Yea Surly LHT's have them but you always break spokes on the drive side of the back wheel so what do you do? Get some spokes that are to long and bend them like I did in the photo. you just simply hook it into the hole and use the nipple that is in the rim from the old spoke. You won't have to have a free wheel tool with you and it will out last standard spokes! ron.
QUOTE]

That is just Gosh Dang Brilliant (seriously)!!!!
Where have you been hiding dude? You have been holding back on us with only 29 posts since August!

What are you using for stays on the tire fenders? I love the idea because I can finally get the length I really want on the front end with this method!