From that point to work do you just CX straight through those weeds?

I know what you mean. I don't particularly like like the looks on a Roubaix (which I am thinking about getting someday), but it seems to somehow work on this bike.

Prairie grass :D It is a restored Prairie area. That is not actually on my commute path but on a four mile circular road on the site (it is a large site). I commute mostly on limestone/gravel that go through forest preserve and restored prairie, with some portion of paved road. My long commute (> 30 mi RT) I don't have to ride on any road until I get on-site. On shorter days in fall I have to do more road for a shorter commute ( 26-28 mi). Gravel bike is ideal.

In the winter and early spring I can't commute because the trails are the only safe path to my work. The alternative is a busy 50-60 mph road that is pretty risky.

Here's my Jamus Aurora with Origin8 mustache bars. Finally have a pannier situation I'm happy with. I'm using some cheapo Axiom panniers I found on Amazon: the "Mount Royale" model.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3_...=w1362-h766-no

My Brother's New Bike
 

My brother and sister in law are moving back to the twin cities after 10 years abroad. They'll be living in a spot where everything is accessible by bike paths, and I'm building them commuter bikes as a housewarming gift. I tried to make the nicest bikes I could as cheap as I could, getting a lot of stuff used and from my parts bin. This is the one for my brother, right after I took it out for it's first ride.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/q...pswoayiaju.jpg

It's a Soma ES with Vuelta 36-spoke wheels. I really like the frame-- I'd heard a lot of praise for Soma, but I'd never ridden one. I like the subtle slope of the top tube and long head tube. Even without much stack height I was able to get the bars up to what I consider a comfortable height. On my bikes I often end up with a comically large number of spacers! I found the frame used on Ebay.

Gearing is 1x8, with a surly stainless steel chainring, a 105 derailleur, and a bar end shifter. The 105 derailleur has a really short cage, and is stretched to its limit with this cassette. I wanted to use this derailleur because it's a nice one, but I'm not sure. I might change it out. It can hit all the gears though.

Tires are panaracer pasela, and it's a Blackburn EX-1 rack. All together it weighs 27.2 pounds. Overall I really like it. It's fast and reasonably light, and I like the look. The frame really softens out bumps in the road. I'll post my sister in law's bike when I finish it.

That's awesome! Both the gesture and the bike.

Post pictures of the moment you give them their bikes. :thumb:

-Shin

Will do, but I have to admit: I ruined the surprise when they visited last month!

Thanks! It's been a lot of fun for me, trying to think of what each of them would like, and getting to put some of my own preferences and personality into a big gift. Each of them likes to ride, but they don't know much about bikes. My wife and I ride a lot, and so does my sister, so I'm really looking forward to family bike outings together.

My sister in law's new bike
 

This is the one for my sister in law: a Surly Pacer. I bought this one complete on Craigslist, so I inherited most of it from the previous owner. I added the Axiom Streamliner rack, interrupter levers, the seat, the chain, and all the funky green stuff.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/q...psesuisxul.jpg

Her previous bike was a comfort bike, which is why I kept the bars so high and added the interrupter levers. I took the front derailleur off and added a chainring guard, to make it regular-pants friendly. As shown it weighs 25.5 pounds.

If you see them riding around the Twin Cities, say hi-- their names are Olaf and Cathleen!

I'll flip it around to the crankside next time

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psxg7qhgji.jpg
Surly Ogre. I just put on a set of Velocity Cliffhangers.

Beautiful! Do you carry that much stuff to work, or is that set up for touring?

What model is that?

My winter ride, still tweaking basket placement. The rack is off an exceptionally cheap folder I have yet to take down to the local bike collective to either be some other individuals dream bike... or well, parts :P

That is what I am carrying everyday now. Last time I weighed the bike was with an IGH so it was 40lbs on the nose, I think it got lighter actually with the 3x10 setup.

I am planning a tour with some friends this summer, so I am slowly adding more and more things to the bike to get it up to tour weight. But most of those bags are actually empty except for my pannier which has a change of clothes and a few other misc items, but it is not uncommon for me to go to the grocery store after work. Very soon I will start adding the items I plan to tour with and get a feel for the weight.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7306/2...99b92eb1f0.jpgSunset New York City by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

It's an SE Draft. It went on sale for 90 bucks around Xmas. Upgraded with BikeIsland blem parts.

Specialized Diverge Sport A1.
Changed saddle to my Rido R2 and added the Topeak Super Tourist DX rack and pannier.

Owned for 10 months and been using it for my 9 mile daily commute plus 30 milers at weekends (without rack and pannier) and loving it so far

nice bike

My wife's bike has some new bags and parts, so I thought I should take a pic and post it up! She commutes a very modest 3mile round trip to work, but also uses her bike for most other transportation, as we are currently car-free.
Bruce
http://i.imgur.com/kl7YD71.jpg?1

what a sweetheart. nice bike too. stay safe

$40 Peugeot. No rust, everything works perfectly. Had to modify the rack to get the panniers on, but it seems to be holding. I added the fenders and all the lights, replaced a couple cables. It's perfect for around town!

My current rig:

http://www.gravelbike.com/wp-content...1-56-53-PM.jpg

(I just realized that photo makes the bike look really odd.)

Is that the current Sora R3000? Looks really good.