Beater love!

I have what I think is a really nice T700 Cannondale upgraded to Tiagra brifters, Octalink cranks, 105 derailleurs, Velo Orange Campagne Bag on one of their Pass hunter racks, SKS fenders and Super tourist rack for a MTX and or panniers when I need to carry a load.. This is my main commuter that I have been building on for quite a while.

Now I flip a few bikes a year and I picked up a beater 1984 Trek 420 for $40 last fall that I intended to clean up and flip. Nothign special about it. Many original parts missing. Lower end of the Trek lines, Double butted Tange 2001 Mangealloy, SR Custom triple 30/46/50 crank and Diacompe 500 brakes and original bars and stem. Paint is all screwed up. All the aluminum is a bit haggard and needs a good polish. Has at least a 15 year old 700x28 Conti gator on the back and a equal old Avocett 700x25 on the front, both showing a bit of dry rot. It looks like crap next to my T700.

Cleaned up, set of tires maybe $150ish on the flip to the right person that could look past all the chips and faded logos.

For some reason I find myself more and more grabbing it for quick trips and riding it to work a couple days a week. It rides great!

It makes no sense to keep when I look at the rest or my fleet it but I cant bring myself to sell it! I love this beat up old bike!

Now I got real lucky and the original 27's on Atoms hubs and Mallard Helcomatic were replaced with a set of polished (well were they are in need of polishing again) 700c CR18's on 105 hubs with a 7speed hyperglide at some point. That's a MAJOR upgrade and made this an outstanding buy for the wheels alone. It also had a nice set of Shimano Aero lever swapped on at some point.

This week I swapped out the Acera RD and FD that were on it with Deore LX I picked up recently and threw on a set of 7 speed indexed bar ends. Topped it off with a Fitzik Pave' saddle and a old bar bag and this thing is quickly becoming my favorite commuter. I think I need to hang on to this for a while.

I just dont know if I should just leave it looking beat up or break down and get it a proper paint job. I think part of my attraction to it is that it has the patina of many years of use but I think it would really look nice in an appliance white paint.

This may be a before picture. I have two other bikes I plan to paint this year and maybe this bike is practice.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...7&d=1302662672

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2011shasta2.JPG

The chain guard only lasted a few days... it did not work when I installed the new dual drive. Have been pondering this for some time and decided to add the dual cogs and derailleur to expand the three speed's range and make for closer shifting.

Love it... made towing my trailer pretty nice today.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...dualdrive6.JPG

How did this thread lose its stickiness?

The latest incarnation of the UAC (Urban Assault Cruiser)

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/y...es/UAC/UAC.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~adrian_spidle/tc-spring.jpg

I've been riding this almost 2 yrs now, little tweaks now and again but nothing too major. I noticed this morning that the undercoat of a half-inch crust of pine needles washed off the bottom bracket last night.

My commuter and grocery getter. I love this bike. The front basket was weighted down by a heavy backpack and 3 grocery bags; it usually isn't tilted down so much.

http://i.imgur.com/jUOkwl.jpg

I'm thinking about giving it a proper basket, drop bars, fenders and a new bottom bracket. :D

Are those bar-ends backwards? Why?

Yesterday...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...11stretch1.JPG

Congratulations on a beautiful spring.

Those old Mongoose mountain bikes are great!

From the setup, it looks like the frame is way too small for you. Just sayin'.

Unusual commuter bike
 

Something a little different from your normal commuters:
http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/...n/DSCF1143.jpg

Strange as it looks it cuts 10-15 minutes off my commute, or allows me to ride in street clothes.

With just the tailbox - I throw shoes, tools, etc in there:

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/.../tailbox2a.jpg

Maybe these will show up - sorry.

Am I the only one not seeing an image?

I don't see one either.

My latest updates to the ride. Waterproof Panniers, a Dynamo Hub, and 2.4W headlight/dynamo powered taillight. A little on the heavy side, but I feel invincible on this tank.

https://mail.google.com/mail/h/111qd...attid=file2&zw

This is my 2004 Giant Sedona Hybrid. It is time for some new tires so next Friday I will be adding some 26x1.75 tires to these wheels. I have 26x1.95 now but want something a little thinner. I have enjoyed riding this bike so much and every time I ride it I am reminded why I love this bike. I think I am going to dedicate this bike as my "grocery and transporting" bike because I plan on buying a Redline 925 for commuting and my girlfriend will be getting a new bike and probable will not want to ride this one any more but I love this bike and will never get rid of it so I will find a purpose for it.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=198074

Wicked!

It was the closest feel I could get to drop bars. Not a permanent solution, but I like 'em okay :p

Yeah, it's pretty small. I inherited it from a family member who was 6 inches shorter than me :lol: What exactly would be the benefits of a correctly sized frame, though? I've heard that it'd be "more comfortable", but that always sounded too vague to me.

The topic of bike fit is a whole onion unto itself, and it is very personal - some people are pretty proportional - legs, arms, torso, all pretty balanced - others may have short legs and a really long torso but short arms, no two of us are likely to be exactly alike.

There are rules of thumb for various types of riding - location of the knee in relation to the pedal axle, for example, and rider position between the saddle and the bars - upright? bent over? Arms extending forward and bent? straight? There are countless variables. What works for a racer may not work for an urban transportation cyclist.

On top of this is the much more subjective "comfort" factor, which "fit" plays into.

I'm spouting a bunch of gibberish right now ;)

Anyway, There are not any absolutes, just rules of thumb and personal preferences. I think you've probably tweaked the daylights out of that bike so it works for you - you've done alot with something that didn't set you back an arm and a leg.

A few links for fun and info:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frames/index.html

http://www.cyclemetrics.com/Pages/Fi..._fit_links.htm

Great looking bike. Sorry, I am new to these forums (and to cycling in general). Is this a steamroller or a crosscheck setup as a SS? I ask, because I am actually in the market for a commuter bike as I type.

Sun has come out and melted the snow off the roads so I went from riding the loooooong bike to the smaaaaallll bike.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...11forrest6.JPG

Just built new wheels on cartridge bearing hubs and upgraded my brakes since the little fella is way faster than he looks.

The bike or the rider?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/...53996d5b_b.jpg

my 57cm Vaya custom build

LOVE it!

Favorit
 

Hi,

I live in Bratislava, Slovakia and ride to work 1 to 5 times a week (in bad weather I take the bus) 10km there and another 10 back on this Favorit 58cm:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=198644

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=198645

I found the frame by the railway tracks near the place where I work. I actually saw it from the window of my office.
Built it with surplus components found at home (RX100+Rigida wheels, 300EX crankset, cheapest SIS shifters). Tires are 700x28.

In the near future I am planning to replace the rear wheel with a 7sp Nexus and a wider rim, to be able to use 700x32 or 35 tires.

My windsor

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/u...n/1defcc0c.jpg

And its light

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/u...n/c31e3339.jpg

New Ride
 

My 2010 Marin San Rafael. I got a pretty deal, $130 off msrp, the catch was it had to be assembled. I did it myself.

Just out of the box and on the bike stand
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...BikePix005.jpg

Freshly assembled, not even test ridden yet
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...BikePix006.jpg

Finished with all the odds and ends installed, back from the shake down ride to work and back
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...BikePix011.jpg
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...BikePix012.jpg
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...BikePix013.jpg