Looking for a SS/FG commuter frame
 

So I hit a huge pothole coming in to work yesterday and bent the frame of my all-weather commuter. It's a cheap frame, and any possible repair would cost more than it's worth, so I'm in the market for something new.

My last two commuters have been old road bikes from Craigslist or thrift stores, stripped down and rebuilt with new parts. I might do the same thing again, but I'm not sure I feel up to it right now -- it's a lot of effort to track down something decent on Craiglist, and then I have to worry about messed-up paint jobs, weird incompatible parts, and all the other hassles that come with an old bike.

Plus, both those commuters met untimely ends. It would be nice to have a better frame that will last a while.

What I'm looking for:

• 700c wheels
• Clearance for at least 28mm tires and fenders
• Horizontal dropouts
• Caliper brakes
• Geometry somewhere around "relaxed road bike", but I'm a somewhat flexible on this.
• Not too expensive. I don't want something so nice that I'm afraid to subject it to my commute.

I don't need rack mounts or clearance for panniers. I have a geared bike for the big loads, with this one I usually just take a Carradice bag.

I wasn't planning on buying a bike and haven't been looking at new bikes at all lately. What's out there? What do you guys recommend?

If you're not too big this looks like a great deal to me:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...s.php?id=27006

I probably need a 57cm or so. And I'm actually looking for a frame rather than a complete bike -- I should be able to transfer almost all my current parents to a new frame.

bikeisland.com

Bike island has some good deals on frames, starting at 125.00$$ with free shipping.

Pake C'mute? Or does that take cantilevers? I can't remember.

If not already suggested try www.nashbar.com and put nb-hndr into the search. They've got a ss/fg for 199.00. Shipping is 26.00. Or try www.bikesdirect.com. They've got comparable bikes w/free shipping. If one goes the 'strip and rebuild' thriftstore find it can run up to 300.00 for quality parts. Been there, done that. :p

Well, I already spent $300 on quality parts when I built up the last bike. :) Probably more actually, since I have a generator light setup. It's all in good shape except the frame and the headset, and most of it is probably better than what I'd find on a cheap complete bike.

That said, at $200 the Nashbar single-speed isn't a bad deal even if I throw away the wheels, cranks, BB, bars, and brake levers. ;-)

It looks like the Pake C'mute does take cantis, which is not a complete deal breaker -- but I already have some caliper brakes I can reuse. Otherwise it looks like a nice bike.

Hello from a fellow Boston commuter. I've been thoroughly happy with my Cross-Check, which meets all your criteria in spades -- except one. So it strikes me as a little curious that you'd predicate your choice of frame on the fact that you have a set of calipers. I'll tell you what. I just bought a new set of cantis, and I'll give you my old ones (Shimanos in perfectly fine condition) if that would help tip the balance in favor of a cross-style frame. It's ridiculously easy to cope with fat tires and fenders if you run cantis.

The Casseroll is available as a frame set. I was actually in sorta the same boat as you with a SS road conversion, and looking for a new frame but wasn't interested in a track bike. I ended up buying a complete Casseroll Single instead of the frame, because for another $200 I could have some pretty decent components. So far I love it, though I've only had it about a week so I can't say much on the long term. It's comfortable, and quick and a lot lighter than the old school steel frame I was using. Just remember about the wonky sizing if you do pick one up.

I also looked at the Pake C'mute, here's the cheapest I found with (from what I can tell from the wording) fork included: http://store.somafab.com/pacfrfoset.html

You can have my caliper brakes when you pry them from my cold, dead hands! :)

But seriously, like I said before, caliper brakes aren't a must have. But I'm used to them, and find them easier to set up, and I have at least one perfectly good set lying around. So all other things being equal, I'll go with the frame that takes calipers. But if I decide to go with the CC, I'll keep your offer in mind, ortcutt.

Right now I'm tempted by this frame from bikeisland: http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1184. Has anybody ridden on of these?

I looked at them too... from what I remember, and a bike forums search will bring up, they require ridiculously long reach brakes. Longer than what most 27" to 700c conversions would even use. So if you're trying to fit your current brakes to this, it may not work.

No problem there, Mr. Heston. :) But just to be clear: I wasn't proposing a swap. You can have my cantis and keep your durned calipers!

This is probably more what you're after:

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1237

Want Cheap? Subtract another 10% due to the current sale...

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._1073274_-1___

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...=Draft+SE+lite

Hi-ten frames=bleh.

Redline 925. Not sure how to get just a frame though.

He was looking for cheap.. Cheap and Cro-Mo aren't usually in the same sentence :)

This looks like a good excuse to post pictures of my baby.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/...924a51f53a.jpg

It's not actually available in this color, of course, but the Cross Check is a nice frame. It does take cantis though (or V-brakes if you prefer). The Salsa Casseroll may be a better fit for you, and you can get it for $375 right now at Bikeman.com. Unfortunately, the frameset seems to only come in ginger beer.

My theory is that Surly and Salsa make their bikes in ugly colors so you won't be afraid to use them the way they're meant to be used. I can't account for the new Vaya, which is gorgeous.

stick with CL frames. stay away from online shops. 2c.

Hey, PM me and I'll give you a mailing address where you can send those 'throwaways'. ;) I'll even pay the shipping. :thumb:

Casseroll would jump to mind but it might be more than you want to spend. I was shopping for something similar recently, though I didn't have a preference for calipers vs cantis. The casseroll I ruled out due to price . It's not expensive, but I was on a big budget. I looked at the Pake. It's a good deal. Kind of a poor man's crosscheck. A little less tire clearance and a little heavier but otherwise similar. I also looked at Bikeisland. The Jury might work for you, but there's a good chance your calipers are too short. It takes EXTRA long brakes. Kind of an odd looking design but otherwise nice frame. Then there's the fantom cross uno which I almost bought but couldn't get over the Moto logos (I know, vain).

I ended up building a used Bianchi Volpe which has short horizontal dropouts. I really like it. Stable and comfy but doesn't handle like a boat like some touring frames. The dropouts are on the short side so depending on your gear ratio you might have to use a half link. 39 x 15 pouts me almost at the very front but no slippage so far. Cool. The San Jose is the same frame but with 120mm track ends. Also there's the On One Pompino if you can find it.

What spacing do you need or want? That narrows the options a bit.

+1 on the Casseroll. I've been commuting with this framefor the past year or so and it has been very solid. It' built very well, has the long horizontal drops, and I happen to like the color (mine is the original color scheme) Casseroll is a solid and quick single speed option

I have a "Motobecane" Jury built up as a ss commuter/city bike. Right now, it's got 700x32c tires, fenders, Brooks saddle, MKS flat pedals, Velo-Orange porteur bars with inverse levers, and a big 'ole Wald basket.

For the price, it's an okay frame. It has the same basic geomentry as the Surly Steamroller (angles and lengths) and is made with essentially the same steel (Reynolds 520 is simply Reynolds branded butted 4130).

There were several issues with this frame:
1.) brake reach: they welded the brake bridge in the rear so high no readily available calipers will reach. They include a dropbolt made specifically for this frame that will allow you to use brakes, and then only one that I know of will work: Tektro R556. That being said, these brakes are great and altho visually kludgy, the drop-bolt/brake system is perfectly fine functionally.

2.) chainring clearance: the designers of this frame widened the chainstays so they could out-fat the Steamroller, but they didn't bother to dimple the chainstay enough to allow sufficient chainring clearance and a normal 42mm chainline. I dimpled the stay myself, but this is a pretty bad offense from a frame design standpoint

3.) fit and finish: the right rear track end was bent slightly shut, most likely damaged during shipping. The frame could have been packed better for sure. I had this shipped from Texas (I think they ship from Houston or Dallas) to Houston, so it didn't have far to travel. There was also a lot of welding slag inside the fork blades. You can hear it rattle around when you tip the fork over. A lot came out through the vent hole after some shaking around.


Ok, now the positives: this frame rides just fine, is plenty cheap enough to lock up wherever, and looks pretty good (there is a slight pearl finish to the orange I got). Also, it has double eyelets on the frame and fork and rack mounts on the seat stays. This is the ONE thing that kicks the Steamroller's butt in. If you're a tinkerer and don't mind doing slight frame mods and are mechanically adept, this frame is pretty rad considering you're getting a Steamroller copy for about have the cost of the Steamroller, with a decent headset (FSA Orbit) for free.


Here are some pics of mine from its original build, fixed with Velo-Orange Milan bars, clipless pedals, etc. It's much different now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2097.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2122.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2123.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2124.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2125.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h/100_2128.jpg

I've put ~1700 commuting miles on a bikesdirect steel Dawes SST. It's not a "nice" bike, and the components are low-end, but it has never given me any problems, and I never feel bad about it getting mucked up in the rain. It rides fine, and is pretty comfortable with a couple component swaps. I run 28mm Gatorskins easily, but fender clearance is very tight.

Hmm, I hadn't even thought about rear dropout spacing. My current frame is 126mm, but I have the IRO flip-flop hub which I think can be respaced easily.

I'm not necessarily looking for something dirt cheap (certainly not hi-ten steel cheap). The Cross Check and Casseroll are in my price range (the Soma Van Ness is not, which is a shame because it's so pretty). Actually, the Caseroll is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, except that the fork is the ugliest thing I've ever seen. But if I can overcome my vanity I might go for it. :)