tuxbailey

My new commuter: 2001 Jamis Ventura. Added fenders and rack.

GriddleCakes

Bill the Pony got a new (un)paint job, new cockpit, and racks over the summer:


And a new "garage" (shared with Fatty Lumpkin, my lady's bike):


Night has returned to the North! So Pony got his lights back, too:

Kids love it, tailgaters hate it.

Today I picked up some lime green reflective tape to run down the fenders, just in case the PB Superflash and DiNotte taillight weren't enough.

monsterpile

Well fit is very subjective to different riders and so its hard to sum that up in one post. Its hard to really help someone with sizing even in person for a great number of factors. First do you now how to measure the frame size? How tall are you? These are what to get started with (basically ruling out frames that are obviously not a fit), but that gives you a general basis. In general if the frame seems fine, but you have some discomfort you can do some small adjustments to make it fit better. You can raise and lower the seat, move the seat forward and back and also raise and lower the handlebars. You can change the stem length as well. I changed my seat on my commuter bike and now after a few long rides I realize from shoulder soreness I have some adjustments I need to make. Do some google searches and you will find way more info than you need. Start with the basics don't let all the other stuff confuse you into thinking you need a different frame. I ride a 17 inch frame mountain bike even though alot of people would say thats too small. Here is a pretty helpful writeup in the link below. This site from Sheldon Brown has a ton of very useful info.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html

Basically you might find this frame just fine for now, but later you might realize you would prefer a larger frame or one with different geometry or whatever. A second bike for a different use might be just what you need in addition to this bike. If you are just getting into riding just ride what you have for a while before doing any big-time spending so you have a clue about what you want unless you have plenty of what my wife calls disposable income. LOL Part fo the reason for this is as you ride more your riding style and strength will possibly make your needs/wants different than when you started. By the way, I am jealous that you don't have a car. I wish I didn't need one for my job. =)

xB_Nutt

All tuned up and ready for winter...new tires, crankset and chain.




B&M IQ Cyo N Headlight

Brooks B17N Imperial (prototype)

fixed1313

Update to my previous post, other pic was bad and I thought I would add the specs.

Cross Check -
Tiagra F & R Derialers (? spelling) 2 x 9
Avid Shorty 4
Deore Hubs w/ Alex Adventurer Rims and Ritchey Speedmax 40c
Salsa Bell Lap Bars (awesome bars)
Shimano Clipless/ flats
Banjo Bros bags
Light and Motion Stella 120
Planet Bike Super flash and a Cat eye blinkie
Planet Bike fenders (new today)

xB_Nutt

That "Supa Commuta" is the bomb! I would love to build a Ti IGH with a Gates Carbon drive. I think that thing could survive a nuclear explosion and do it with speed! Well done sir!

JonnyHK 

Thanks!

I've just got to get the fenders to work. May have to make up a custom bracket for the front one as the fork does not have a full hole for brake mounting, just a screw hole at the back. I think I will have to be extra nice to the carbon fibre guy at work...

Grim

Thats not a "grip shift" and Grip Shift I believe is a patent design belonging to SRAM. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRAM_Corporation
Grip shifts are exactly as the name impies as it is a ring on the straight bars that forms part of the grip typical to MTB or Hybrid bike where your hand normally rests (with the exception of some bar end styles use on road bar bikes in place of a bar end shifters). That is a paddle shift that is common to low tier bikes. It is the modern equivalent to the stem shifter. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-70...d-Bike/4698938

irclean

Thanks for the clarification; I stand corrected. I have never heard of paddle shifters before - except as they relate to cars.
I did have stem shifters once years ago on an old CCM Targa ten-speed that was handed down to me from my father.
In these parts, Canadian Tire sells a "grip-shifted" CCM road bike (although the shifters are by Shimano, not SRAM):
https://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

harshbarj

Just thought I would update my pic now that I have a nice set of bags.

irclean

They look very spacious! Nice ride.

Barchettaman

My in-town commuter special. Bit of a hotch potch but goes well. Only just had clearance for the 700c-28 tyres by reverse mounting the rear brake. It now has a rack.

Fizzaly

wow not much clearance there, i like it, it looks lite and quick

91MF

*stands and applauds*

i daydream regularly about builds. you have made my dreams, your reality. super jealous of that bike forreals.

91MF

nice bike. what year is it and what was the original parts spec? heres my 90 which i commute on as well:

ryanwood

I am very curious what rack you are running under those bags, I commute on a cross check and suffer from heel strike issues with my pannier

fixed1313

It is a sunlite rack. I have heel strike issues also unless the panniers are all the way back on the rack. The frame is a 54, not sure if frame size will effect the rear triangle or not, I suspect it will 'cause it does with toe overlap issues.

Barchettaman

Clearance is tighter than a gnat's chuff.

It'sa 93 or 94 model year R800.

As far as original spec is concerned, I think the R800 had STI shifters that model year and a Mavic wheel set.
I bought it for €70-€80, can't remember exactly, as a frameset with BB, RD, FD, dual pivot 105 brakes, 105 crankset, threaded to threadless adaptor, carbon fork and a lot of dirt and dust.

I like it so much it might get STI shifters and road bars at some point in the future, but at the moment I am enjoying the cut-down flat bar for nipping throught the traffic.

Some more piccies below if you are interested. It was a really fun project that cost relatively little. Like the look of your 1x7 too, looks fast and fun!



Clearance is very tight:



hence the reverse mounted RB:





And one pre-build, but after the original clean up. I forgot to mention it came with pedals too.

jsal0503

that was really helpful i appreciate that alot, yea in the past week i havent had internet or anything so its been hard to get on here and see whats what, but i have however raised my seat and i didnt think about it but it made alot of difference as far as where my energy is going. im cutious though, what does moving your seat forward help or do? ive seen that you can do that but is it just mainly for comfort on your seat? unfortunatley for me i dont have that disposable income, i just think carbon fibre framed bikes are really cool and super fun and easy to ride.

yea not having a car is a gift and a curse (for now) im starting to get used to biking alot more, and in doing that starting to hate driving cars a ton more, but im also very young only 20 years of age and i cant really justify buying and putting penny after penny into a car you know? what job do you have that requires you to have a car?

monsterpile

I am genuinely glad I can help. Raising your seat to get better leg extension really makes a difference doesn't it? Moving your seat back and forth does a couple things including how your butt feels. It can get your body back so you are in a better spot for how you are pushing down on the pedals and for me moving it back usually helps my knees if my seat is already high enough. Moving it forward and back also effects how far away the handlebars are too so if your shoulders are hurting maybe move the seat to where you are in a better position for them or better yet play around with the handlebars. If you stick with road handlebars you have alot of ability to adjust them to fit you moving the brake levers on the bar adjusting the height of the bar (rotating it at the stem) and even considering riding in the drops. I haven't ridden alot on road bars, but I put them on my latest folding bike and I love riding in the drops it feels really good. Play around with them till you find soemthing that feels pretty good. Look at how your hands and arms are. Are they bending in natural ways? =) That seems obvious, but its easy to forget. I do it pretty often.

If you don't have disposable income think of the best way you can ride something for ridiculously cheap and take some pride in that. You are wise living within your means. Your bike is actually pretty sweet for a free one so you have no shame really. I hate commuting on nice bikes because I am paranoid someone will steal them or I will scratch it up locking it up. I like riding ghetto looking stuff thats still a good bike. My Trek bike is a perfect example. Some of my other bikes are nicer, but if I didn't have some extra cash to spend on bikes I don't really need I would be happy with the garage sale/thrift store/craigs list/pawnshop finds that I have gotten for anywhere for $65 (WCF Diamondback) down to free. Its cool to have a nice newer bike that looks nice, but vintage is really in right now and honestly out of the 200+ bikes I have ridden in the past 4 years or so some of the best ridding ones were at least 20 years old and some of them were far from the top of the line at the time. Thats what is great about biking, its cheap fun, you get exercise and it actually is transportation too.

People will think you are crazy, but if you can get used to it now try staying car free as much as you can. You might not always be able to do it, but cars cost money even if they are cheap ones I have been able to get by with for the past 3 years. My job involves me driving to some of the area public schools with college students for a mentoring program. I might be able to get by without it using college vehicles, but its more work that its worth. Its convenient to have a 2nd car for other things too I guess. This week it allowed me to bring home 4 free rod iron patio chairs. The 4th one didn't fit in my car (I had a free exercise bike in there too) so I stuck it on my bike trunk rack. LOL Fortunately my wife liked the chairs. =)

Bottom line is you got a nice free bike and you are riding it and seem to be having fun. Thats great keep it up. Bikes are the most efficient form of transportation on earth I believe. I wish my town had a legit public transportation system. If it did we would own 1 car and we would bike alot more.

irclean

Finally got my new belt-drive Norco Ceres fully commuterized:

Sixty Fiver

monsterpile

More pics please. I would like to see more of this set up. I have been considering picking up a hybrid and doing something fun with it.

Sixty Fiver

It is a 1999 Trek 7500 Multitrack which has frame geometry that is very close to the Trek 520... the only original parts are the frame and fork as I have replaced all the stock parts with stiffer and lighter bits.

It was run with drop bars for quite a long time and then I decided to try trekking bars and am very happy with these as they give me a myriad of hand positions and all I am missing is an in the drops position.

Despite being made of aluminium (steel fork) it has one of the nicest rides of any bike I have ever owned, is very stiff so climbs well, and can do pretty much anything except road race or go down-hilling.

chrism32205

Bianchi Axis
Added/Changed: Planet Bike Fenders, Sunlite Rack & Transit Bag, Tektro CR720 brakes w/koolstop pads, PB Superflash rear & Fenix front light. Front chanring changed to a 46 from a 50. Reflective tape added in various places.. along the top tube to keep the scratches down. Fender stripes I did myself..