Yeh that raleigh is nice! I would agree, you have a lot of bikes btw, do you ride them all yourself (obviously not all at once) or are some your friends/ family bikes

All my own - I ride whichever one I wish to ride when I head out, although the path, destination, and purpose of the ride sometimes dictate what I'll ride (in other words, the Robin Hood). The ladies machines are usually set up for my Mum to ride.

Moxfyre, since you liked that '86 Raleigh Grand Prix, may I solicit your opinion of this '84 Raleigh Competition?

-Kurt

Simply amazing. I really like the idea using the rear rack mounts for lighting. What Brooks is that?

My opinion is: MUST... HAVE... THAT-- oh, you get the idea!

Yeah, they both look awesome. I have to say I think I'm partial to the light green color of the Grand Prix, and the Brooks saddle. The chromed fork and stays on the Competition are cool but I don't think they go as well with white. It looks like the Competition is a little more agressive racing geometry? Any other differences between the frames? To be on the safe side, I would steal them both :p

You're right about those Grand Prix frames going cheap, very nice. I was sorely tempted to bid on that one you posted, except that I'm in some kind of self-inflicted bike-buying moratorium right now... I can't believe it went for only $105 shipped. I already have one high-quality lugged steel touring frame, but I would like to have a sportier steel bike as well. Where have you obtained yours from?

Actually, it's the Competition that has the Brooks - a Brooks Pro, in fact. The '86 has a cheap Belt saddle on it which will be replaced with a Brooks Pro I have since aquired a few days ago.

I've always been a sucker for the white/chrome. Has a slick "iced" look, IMHO, as the white has a pearlescent tint to it in person - photo doesn't show this very well.

I believe each frame has the same geometry, although I believe the fork on the '86 might have a tad more rake. Don't quote me on the frame geometry, for both the '84 and '86 have slight differences in their frames, and the definite manufacturer of these Raleigh USA frames have not been confirmed to be Panasonic alone.

In fact, even the '86 frame on eBay differs considerably from that of my own '86. The seat lug sticks out in particular as being completely different (quite similar to what was used on the Schwinn Prelude), other differences include the lack of fender eyelets, slightly different head lugs and "Cycle Company Of America" ommitted on the badge (which curiously states "THE RALEIGH", as most post-'82 Nottingham badges).

I bought mine on eBay as a frameset, around $57 shipped, if I recall. Helped that the frame was in-state.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Raleigh-Frame-an...QQcmdZViewItem

The donor Basso with the Triomphe components was a local find from a cycle-reseller, $50.

Take care,

-Kurt

This is the best thread on the site IMO.

That Kogswell fills me with serious bike envy. I followed its build a little bit because I check out your blog, and the Zugster bag site every so often. I've come across your pics on Flickr a few times too. Actually I think I saw the messenger bags on Etsy originally. My wife sells on Etsy and sent me a link to the red squid bag, knowing I would like it.

I've never seen a picture of a Kogswell that I didn't like, but your's may be the best because it is more like the type of build I would like to do. Does the Nexus 8 handle those hills there in San Francisco well? If it had a Rohloff, I would pretty much have to hate you.:D :D The muted color is great too. Do you lock that up around SF? All the bikes I saw there locked up on the street were ugly as hell.

Keep up the great Zugster work. Hopefully I'll get one soon, when my house and vet bills stop sucking up all my spending cash.

Thanks for the compliments! The bags, they are getting better all the time.

I just rode the Kogswell to work for the first time yesterday. Naturally, I was more nervous all day about it being locked on Market Street :). There are some other nice bikes that I see locked up on Market regularly. I even saw an ANT Major Taylor about 3 months ago.

The Nexus 8 does pretty well - I have it geared 44 x 21 (you can use Sheldon Brown's gear calculator to get the range with that), and 1st gear is a pretty good spinning gear - around 28 gear inches, I think.

I'm diggin' it. :)

Curious, can that particular Kogswell frameset be ordered with a longer top tube?

It's a beautiful machine otherwise. Just looks as if the C-to-C is a bit cramming.

Take care,

-Kurt

There aren't any variations in other than the 5 frame sizes available (the dimensions are all listed here: http://kogswell.com/PR.html ).

It actually fits almost exactly the same as my 56cm Nishiki (link to that in my sig as well) - the facts that the seat tube extends 2cm above the top tube, the top tube slopes upwards (2 degrees, I think), AND the head tube is extended all conspire to make it look visually like it's proportioned differently.

I like to stretch out, and I don't feel cramped on it, despite the fact that I've got a VERY different position than my Nishiki thanks to the radically different handlebars I've chosen for each.

YMMV, of course.

Aha. I knew the down tube appeared to be angled as on a standard length frame - it was the headtube height (particularly as it extends past the top tube) that caught me off guard.

-Kurt

Locking it on Market Street huh? From your pictures it looks like you lock it up well though. If I had that bike and it got vandalized or stolen I would cry for a week. The lack of decals may fool the less sophistacated, too.

Twenty eight gear inches sounds plenty low. I love that gear calculator. I use it when I fantasize about building up a Rohloff equipped bike.

Just beautiful!! Loved the slide show.

No rear rack, though, huh? Obviously it would block the lighting set up.

Yup, and anyway, this bike was designed to carry weight in the front (although it's fine with the weight in the rear with the 50mm fork. I bought the 40mm (moderate front weight), and 30mm (CARGO!) forks). That said, one of these beauties would look great on the back.

That Kogswell is sooo insanely sexy. Bravo.

And.. the price is pretty hard to be. Dangit. Too many bikes, not enough budget!! ;)

No doubt...and that applies to every sentence. Seeing FlippingHades bike completed got me back onto the Kogswell site, and the P/R frame, with fenders, and two forks is a bargain. Surly price, but much nicer.

FlippingHades,
Are those frames made by Toyo, or what? Do you know? I noticed on their site that they had pictures of some of their bikes that seemed to be in the same factory as some Rivendells. Those seemed to have lugs though.

Kog frames are all made by Maxway. (I think it's all the frames - I know the P/R is). Matthew's mentioned that they use a couple of different shops for the forks. Riv's new Bleriot is also made by Maxway,

The frame price, btw, includes one fork, not two (but it also includes a headset, seatpost, and seatpost binder) - you can pick one of the three different rakes. Additional forks are $60 each, I think. I'm glad I bought two, since I shipped one to Ira Ryan to build a rack for it!

here's my commuter bike for now

http://i9.tinypic.com/34hdm3l.jpg

[Regarding my earlier question about posting photos vice links]

So how does everyone get their photos to just appear in the thread? What's the trick?

Thanks FlippingHades, my brain put the Taiwan aspect together after I posted that when I remembered that the Bleriot is made in Taiwan. They still look amazing.

I don't know where I got the idea about two forks being included either. It's a wonder I can remember which way the crank turns.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=233107

steel is real ;)

I've spent far too long drooling over everyone else's bikes, so it is high time that I posted a shot of my late 80's or perhaps early 90's Bianchi MTB that I'm pretty much finished converting for full time commutage. It hung in my parent's garage for years, and three years ago I began fixing it up, with only utility and not aesthetics in mind, as you can tell from its generally mongrel look.

I recently took off my home-made light that I created after reading all of the interesting stuff in the Dork Light sticky. I lost the battery charger in a recent move, the whole thing weighed a ton, was never really waterproof (a big deal in coastal Florida) and I never managed to get a bulb that could focus all of that light well. I'm happy with a new 3000 candlepower Cateye clip on and off. As much as I like gizmos, there is alot to be said for simplicity.

I've really enjoyed getting to know the guys at the LBS and put on slick tires, cool fenders, a rack, grocery bag panniers (that I love) headlight and blinkie, lots of reflective tape, bell, reasonably good saddle, mirror (that I think I'll take off, fairly useless) and a new adjustable stem that I enjoyed tinkering with, as it required redirecting my front brake cable. That little thing on the top tube is a radio, because alot of my ride is wide open sidewalk which borders a shoulderless heavily travelled road which is totally unsuitable for any bikes slower than the fastest roadies- trust me on this one. Anyway the sidewalks are nearly empty, so I feel comfortable listening to NPR on that section of my morning commute, as I'm nowhere near any cars. When I'm on a street I, of course, do not have headphones in my ears.

I teach high school social studies and haven't begun commuting yet this year, as it is still too hot here in South Florida, and my school doesn't have showers available. However, I'm looking forward to begin commuting again perhaps this coming week, right after I replace my ancient freewheel and chain. I've almost convinced my wife to ride in with me, she also teaches at my school, which is really nice. To entice her, I've been making her beach cruiser more comfortable. I'd love to buy her a proper commuter, or an Electra Townie, but the budget won't allow that sort of thing now.


-----
Well, after writing all of that, I am unable to post my photos, because I can't get my camera to take pics smaller than 100k, which the website is telling me is all it allows. How do you guys do it? Until I figure it out, the above rambling description won't have accompanying photos, which seems pretty useless.

Put it on Flickr and send us a link?

Or make them smaller?

a

My LHT...again!
 

Just figuring out how to post pictures in the body of the post...

http://static.flickr.com/93/252416656_a0de1c3b19.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/105/252416659_4a5f3e15fd.jpg

...as you were.

okay now that i have commuted i can officially call my bike a commuter! :D

here it is:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...milano03bf.jpg

i know, there is so much stuff. too much stuff. but i NEED it! now there is a bit more reflective tape (i made it symmetrical, so it's on all 4 of the rack stays and both sides of bottle cage etc.) and i don't use the seat bag anymore because it's in the way of my cateye ld1000. i always have my banjo bros pannier on the rack, now, for tools and water and all that. i used a pump mount to attach my pepper spray to the top tube. :) on the handlebar i have the airzound, headlight, bike computer, and sometimes the bike computer nightlight. someday i'll get a dynahub and get the headlight off of there. when i get my new pannier the pump will go in there. then i'll be happy with the amount of crap i have attached to the bike. i really do like stuff to be spartan, although you couldn't tell from my house or my bicycle :)

Ok, I've taken your advice and posted my bike photos on Flickr. The bike I'm talking about is the red Bianchi. The blue bike is my wife's rarely used low-quality beach cruiser. Hoping to upgrade that. I seriously recomend those Nasbar grocery panniers. Cheap, fold up well, and simple.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neoands...06402611/show/
Attachment 26096

this is my Ross Mt.Snow 256 i wonder if i can turn it into a commuter http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l4...0591/bike1.jpg

Here's my new commuter...Rivendell Bleriot 51cm, 650b wheels. It's first commute was last friday...I hope to have many many more because it was truly a pleasure! It will be getting Honjo hammered fenders and an Inoled 2+ LED light with shimano dynohub as soon as I feel like installing them!

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8...iot3jr5.th.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/850...iot5cv7.th.jpg

My commuter, now I just have to find a job to commute to since I was fired last week. Damn shame too, I had a nice 12 mile commute going on. Anyway, the bike is a stock Redline 9.2.5. I added the rack and the "geek light". The trunk is a $2 tool box that holds my tubes, tools and such, plus the 5ah SLA battery with charger to run the lights. The light consists of a 10w and 20w hallogen MR-16's. Soon I will be adding a Velman strobe for some serious blinding power. I have a set of panniers for clothes and a laptop I used to have to carry. I'm loving this bike, the bars work well for me, I understand they don't for everyone, and the single speed is giving me legs like tree trunks, serious calves of mass destruction.

Boo yah!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...1/ecb0db5d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...a/ecb0db54.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/ecb0db4e.jpg