Stop the presses!! I didn't know you could get the 2011 Vaya in charcoal. The website mentions only the orange. Is it a custom order?

It could be the Titanium version: https://salsacycles.com/bikes/vaya_ti/

Here's mine. a 2001 Trek 7300 Multitrack. Fitted with 700x47 tires, flat bars, rack w/bag and panniers. Soaks up the city streets nicely and still at a nice clip. Have been riding it for a year, and bike commuting just started this week (thanks to an office move).

That's a great looking bike, I like that huge trunk bag!

Any idea where I can score a 20" rack? Unfortunately, I can't use the one pictured on your folder (Pletscher?). I need one with long struts that will reach down to the low-slung seatstays on my son's bike:



If anyone else has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated!

Finally getting back to commuting by bike. The last time I did it was in 2008, 34-mi r/t on a Kona Dew. Now it's 20-mi r/t on my new-to-me Bianchi San Jose 7-spd IGH. I have Schwalbe Marathons coming in to replace the Conti Ultra Sports on there now. Aside from that, everything rides great. Now for your viewing pleasure:

Universal cycles sells the charcoal and orange frames

Hmmm. I think a trip to the local store is in order. The house doesn't need new windows! I need a new bike!!

Here's a picture of most of my bike taken with a low resolution cell phone on my way into work today. It was too bright out to see the display, my eyes aren't used to this much sun after all the overcast weather we've been having.

*thwack!*

Yeah, I have a lot of love for that 26" LHT. No money, so I will stick with my Nashbar-framed beast, but... wow.

Thats it I am going to have to build a budget LHT-like bike from a well picked 90's mountain bike or frame which I have some possible frames and access to plenty of options to build from at the bike charity. I think I have all the parts I need to do it except some bar end shifters and some bar tape. So many fun bike projects so little time.

I'm thinking it's about time the fizz get started on another project, so many beautiful builds lately keep it up guys

Will do. I haven't been able to find a sticker on it with any information as to model or anything like that and at this point i've checked pretty well. The bike has a good deal of sticker damage though so who knows it might have been stripped off at this point.

I like pugs too. I don't know why, I'm only in my late 20's and as such don't remember anything about Peugeots in the United States, but it just feels right being on a French bicycle and Peugeot, to me, seems like the royalty of French bicycles. I know this isn't fact but it feels correct.

Hey guys…That isn’t the titanium Vaya, just the steel in charcoal. Originally I heard that the orange comes as a complete and the frame comes as charcoal. I am not sure if that it true or not. I just know there seems to be less of the charcoal running around. Then again it could be because the orange is an AWESOME color for an "adventure" bike! Funny that I was really disappointed as I wanted the orange, but wanted to buy just the frame and the only color I could get ni a 56cm was charcoal. When I saw the charcoal in person, I was really blown away by the paint. Pics do not do it justice. I MUCH prefer the charcoal after seeing both in person (but I would take ANY of the Vaya colors!)

I have since added 700X37c All Terrain tires and a Selle SMP saddle. The Brooks is killer looking, but I prefer the SMP. I ride this bike a lot, so function before looks.

Let me know next time you're here and I'll buy you a beer (or two).

EDIT: I'm sure my wife will be cool with it when I say "hey babe I'm going to hang out with my internet friend".

Maybe we can all hang out... plan to marry that girl in Portland in July so might bring my fiancee or might bring my wife with me.

There are some incredibly nice bikes here. My 2007 Specialized Hardrock turned commyter cannot complete with the awesomeness of FunkyStickMan's LHT or Terry66's Salsa Vaya. Beautiful machines!

Nonetheless, the Hardrock has what I need, is comfortable, and most importantly, it's the vehicle I most frequently take during the work week, no matter the destination.

But even I will admit... God it is an ugly machine! =D

Form follows function. Looks good to me.

"Ugly" is such an ugly word, I prefer to say "it looks purposeful." That's how my wife describes me.

Nice job!

Not sure that I have ever seen an "ugly" bike or a bike I didn't like.

Awesome ride! Enjoy the heck out of it!

about bike looks: early in my bike commuting career I was nursing my first road bike at a local shop. it was an old bike I got cheap and I was working out the details of commuting. anyway it wasn't pretty including my homemade front rack. as I was picking up the bike I was a little embarrassed by my beast and I apologized for it's appearance. the tech was so nice he chuckled and said: "it's a bike" i felt so much better and realized, especially with commuters, bikes are ingenious inventions that lend themselves to further personal modification and creativity. here's the rack I made that I didn't use very long. but it was fun making it.

That is a cool looking bike -- I love the color scheme. Looks practically cartoonish (not in a bad way)

Here's pretty much the final rendition of my "disposable" commuter bike (although I've come to like this bike so much that at the end of this assignment I'm going to fork over the $150.00 or so it will cost to ship it home!).







Since last I posted I've upgraded the tires and tubes (Since a cut tire-shaped-object forced me to walk 6-1/2 miles on a 95-degree day to get home!), added an Italian Racing Bike mirror, a rack and panniers, and a Greenfield kickstand. I also replaced the stem with one that's a little shorter and higher, as I had too much weight on my hands. Much better now!

This is my only bike with a kickstand, besides my 40 year old Ross 10-speed, and I have to say that these things my be appearing on ALL of my bikes after this. It is SO NICE not having to lay the bike down in the grass, or to look around for a tree or signpost or utility pole to lean it against! And, if I use the bike for an errand, it's so much more convenient to have the bike stand up by itself while I'm loading something in the panniers or strapping it to the rack!

I know kickstands are so Fred, but for a bike that is really used for real transportation, I think they can't be beat!

Thats a good looking bike in a rugged kind of way. Not every car needs to be a Ferrari and not every bike needs to be a Bianchi. I like what you've done to her. She looks butch in a good way.

+1 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Hardrock would be kick a$$ on poorly maintained roads or taking a game trail shortcut..