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I had previously a 7.5 FX disc and it is a great bike. Later swapped for a newer 7.4 FX that my son rides few times now.
I got a 7.2FX for my wife that rarely rides and now I got her a cheap e-bike I got on CL :innocent: - Now she is able to keep pace if I ride on leisure pace.

As for me, 3 years ago I got a cheap aluminum road bike and since them didn't look back.
Then, time goes on and learned about the comfort of steel bikes for a longish rides and along learned the fun of building/maintaining a bike.
One thing I like on drop bars is that you have various positions to hold the handlebar and in long rides you can change the position.
And lastly, I can go much faster with a road bike than hybrid ones :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imperatore (Post 21405283)

I'm still extremely new to biking, and was unaware of there being a Big Three, haha. I'll be more aware of it from now on.

One bike I saw that was not a part of the big three - and is incredibly similar to the FX Disc series - is the Cannondale Quick, which is incredibly sleek looking and seems to be very well-liked. Either way, I think I made the right decision, like you said the FX is a winner, but the bike world sure is huge and a bit intimidating to get into. I'll be alright, though. In a couple years, I'll know my way around!
:giver:

While I'm here, let me ask you, if you don't mind. I went for the FX 3 Disc over the 2 because of the carbon fork. How important is that? I read that that's a feature mainly seen in higher end bikes. Is that correct? I'm sure it doesn't hurt, obviously, but is it a game-changer type of feature?

The big three are Trek, Giant, and Specialized. These companies are all evil in some ways but also fantastic in other ways. You may need to choose a favorite based on who is least evil, like the cable companies.

The Cannondale looks great, too. Maybe I just like this class of bike, whatever it is called.

The nice thing about the Quick and the FX is that it can be a stepping stone bike but it might also be the last bike you buy. And they're not terribly expensive.

The carbon fork reduces weight, and reducing weight is almost always a good thing. I only know one person who replaced his fork with something heavier, but he has special needs, and he has a stout, heavy body. The carbon fork might also be better in absorbing shock than the aluminum it replaces, but I don't really know. So since you spent the money on it, it's a good thing.

Finally got my new 'FX 3 Disc' (2020) today!

Picked up my new 'FX 3 Disc' (2020) today. It's my first real bike purchase and I'm loving it so far. Rode it around the neighborhood today. It's fast, comfortable, and just rides really nicely. Fits my riding style and my aesthetic preferences. It's super sleek looking.

I do think I might have to take it back to see if the disc brakes are functioning properly. I'm hearing a noise when I brake and it's definitely not an instant stop, even at slower speed.

Also, I have no clue how the DuoTrap works. My Wahoo will not find the sensor. I don't know what to pair it with on my iPhone.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fac6db6edb.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a5c91e1c95.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...06ea7fa12b.jpg

I'm pretty much done with this for now save for some proper front lighting even though I don't often ride at night - chicken, or egg? Anyway, I'm sure something will change as I tend to tinker with bikes like this. It's the 1971 International frame and fork that noglider nudged me into buying 4 or 5 years ago. Now it's my commuter, grocery getter and local casual quickie rider. Thanks to Covid I've only ridden it to work once.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...db3cdcea9e.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zephri (Post 20127074)

My Masi commuter set up for winter.

https://image.ibb.co/i5vptb/IMG_20180123_134946_01.jpg
https://image.ibb.co/m2JLzG/IMG_20180123_134834.jpg
https://image.ibb.co/ko9FYb/IMG_20180123_134726.jpg

Absolutely love that shade of blue

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachleft (Post 21430525)

Absolutely love that shade of blue

And the yellow especially makes it pop. Lovely monsterX!

Quote:

Originally Posted by praivo (Post 21207291)

The hub bearings on my commuter are starting to fail, probably because the cups are damaged (I guess that's why the wheels were so cheap). I'm not going to get around to replacing the hubs until about Christmas, so the Hardrock mentioned in component list will be doing the commuting until then. Here it is:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1a6e3ade86.jpg

It started its life as a regular 2008 Specialized Hardrock XC Disc that I got in April, 2009 for my 13th birthday. All that's left of that now is the frame, the headset cups and the fork. Almost everything else has been swapped from my MTB whose frame cracked in June, probably in a small crash that I had on the way from work. I only bought a new saddle (the old one was destroyed in said crash) and a seatpost (which is smaller that the one from the MTB). And yes, those are 27.5" wheels in a 26" frame, still having more than enough clearance. At 12.5 kg it's also quite a bit lighter than I thought it would be with that fork.

The photo is from the day I built it. I have since replaced the tires (from Schwalbe Hurricanes to CST Soft Sevens) and the stem (from 60 mm to 80, because this frame is REALLY short) and done about 1000 km on it.

It's been another about 1500 km since I posted the photo above, but it's been a pain on longer rides because the frame is simply too short for me to ride comfortable with a reasonably-sized stem (I'd need 110+ mm to get the fit I'd like, and I absolutely hate long stems). This made me revisit a project I'd originally abandoned years ago, which is converting the thing to a gravel-like drop-bar configuration. I found the shifters and brake levers I bought for that purpose back in 2016, got a compact drop bar, and this happened:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2e9eb95a7a.jpg

I decided to keep the single chainring and ordered a 10-speed 11-42 cassette and a RD extender, but I had to have the bike ready to ride before they arrived, hence the old 11-36t CS-HG50 from my parts drawer. I'm using an old LX (M570) derailer that surprisingly handles the 36-tooth cog perfectly fine,

I'm still trying to figure out the best position of the handlebar and the brake levers (I've never had a drop-bar bike that actually fit me, so this is my very first time doing it), but so far it seems to be working quite well. The hoods of the brake levers feel a bit too small to be comfortable, but I've already ordered a pair of Tektro RL520s anyway (to be used with my Avid BB5 MTB calipers - short-pull levers like the ones I'm using now can be made to work but the setup gets VERY finicky and prone to misalignment), so I hope that'll help.

I like the Microshift bar-end shifter (BS-A10, sold as a pair) a lot. It's in a comfortable position, indexes very nicely, and can be switched over to friction mode if there are any problems with the indexing (which is extremely useful since I don't have an inline barrel adjuster and the one on the derailer refuses to move). The build quality is also very good and the shifter indexes with little to no preload, making shifting a lot easier than I expected.

Other planned changes not mentioned above are a rigid fork (still can't decide whether a CF fork would make sense or not), a sealed-bearing headset (for said fork), and a bigger chainring (36t instead of 34).

Some serious built rigs in here. I didn't know people carry so much stuff with them daily, crazy.

My soon to be Commuter. 1996 Koga-Miyata SilverAce (project thread), a 5-speed IGH 90mm drum brake commuter. Just waiting for the final parts.
Optional Ikea Sladda Trailer below.

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

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

I have been commuting solely on this Ace build for the past 2 years and it has undergone many tweaks. Usually my commute is around 21 miles round trip and the panniers are loaded down. It serves every purpose that I need. 200Ks on the side are just great too.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ce658171a8.jpg

I've made some progress on the Hardrock gravel/do-it-all build:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...108279f6e0.jpg

I replaced the crappy Force brake levers (which also had the wrong pull ratio) with a pair of Tektro RL520s and also got rid of the old bar tape that had been reused several times while I was figuring out the position of the levers and no longer felt very nice.

The 11-36t cassette has been replaced by a 11-42. I did buy a cheap one which means it's really heavy (630 g, more than the NX 11-speed cassette) and the RD hanger extender means it's doesn't shift very well, but it gives me the range I need and I'll eventually get rid of all of this anyway when I have the money for a proper 12-speed setup.

I've now done about 220 km on the bike and I'm really happy about the way it turned out. I do still need to get a slightly shorter stem (probably a 70mm instead of the 80 I'm using now) because the handlebar feels a little bit too far, but I can already spend well over an hour on the bike every day without any significant discomfort.

praivo , what year is that Hard Rock? It's confusing my husband.

It's a 2008, originally looked like this:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e716c5054b.jpg
I guess they didn't sell very well because in the 11+ years of owning the thing I've never seen another one, not even online.

My main commuter is this Dawes Galaxy, seen here in the work car park not long before lockdown. I drive about fifteen miles to the outskirts of Bristol, UK with this in the boot (trunk). front wheel off, and cycle about six miles in with some decent climbs. The heavy chain on the stand lives in the office since we had a couple of bikes get stolen from the car park. If you lost the black tool bottle last year in Ashton Court, let me know.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d068f00571.jpg

2011 Dawes Galaxy

I bought this 1974 Galaxy in Glasgow UK when I was working there for six months, commuting weekly by plane. I liked it well enough by the end to rent a car and drive it home where it is my backup commuter. This one has a cheap dynohub front wheel nowadays

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...93ca507895.jpg

1974 Dawes Galaxy

Quote:

Originally Posted by praivo (Post 21474937)

I've made some progress on the Hardrock gravel/do-it-all build:
I replaced the crappy Force brake levers (which also had the wrong pull ratio) with a pair of Tektro RL520s and also got rid of the old bar tape that had been reused several times while I was figuring out the position of the levers and no longer felt very nice.

The 11-36t cassette has been replaced by a 11-42. I did buy a cheap one which means it's really heavy (630 g, more than the NX 11-speed cassette) and the RD hanger extender means it's doesn't shift very well, but it gives me the range I need and I'll eventually get rid of all of this anyway when I have the money for a proper 12-speed setup.

I've now done about 220 km on the bike and I'm really happy about the way it turned out. I do still need to get a slightly shorter stem (probably a 70mm instead of the 80 I'm using now) because the handlebar feels a little bit too far, but I can already spend well over an hour on the bike every day without any significant discomfort.

Dang, this is exactly what I'm thinking of, when people talk about gravel bikes. Looks ready for the Tour Divide.
I might take some inspiration from this off road monster rig of yours.

Here's a picture of my commuter (Trek 7.3 FX) that I enjoy riding so much. I've been going back and forth to work since 2009ish through GBP and Terry Hershey with exception to "high water" days!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...79b9fe55a6.jpg

I should mention that b/c of covid, I have not had opportunity to commute. This is the longest (by far) break that I've had in commuting. Really miss it!

New to the site. Lots of great looking bikes in this thread. Anyone here ever use a fat bike for commuting?

Still lover our Burley Runabout fitted with a Nexus 7 speed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinCrudo (Post 21486247)

New to the site. Lots of great looking bikes in this thread. Anyone here ever use a fat bike for commuting?

You were just out of season. We have a few in the wintry climes, though they tend to switch to disposable old MTB’s with studs when it’s slushy or icy. On the MTBR commuter forum you might find a few doing the “Krampug “ thing with a 29er wheelset in the non frozen months.

My commuter with 35mm fun-time summer gravel tires mounted.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...41e5423c63.jpg
2015 Norco Search S1 - steel frame w. carbon fork, 105 groupset w. Hayes cable disc calipers. Tools, tubes, air, snacks all go in the Roadrunner 'Burrito Supreme' bar bag and I carry a change of clothes in a small backpack.
This is also my gravel bike and I've done 4 seasons of amature CX racing on it. Very versatile.

Here’s my commuter, after being de-commuter-ized, due to no longer having a daily, all-weather, long-distance commute.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...76e8f4362.jpeg