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Just Pulled The Trigger On My "Disposable" Commuter

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Just Pulled The Trigger On My "Disposable" Commuter

Old 03-04-11, 10:53 AM
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Just Pulled The Trigger On My "Disposable" Commuter

I'm currently on a temporary (six to nine month) out-of-town work assignment in Moreno Valley, CA. I was looking for an inexpensive bike in a large size (I'm 6'-2" with a 36" standover clearance) that I can use for weekend exploring and for possibly riding back and forth to the job site - less than a 5 mile commute. The "disposable" in the subject line refers to the fact that, at the end of the job, if I decide it's too expensive to ship the bike back home, I'll strip my accessories off of it and either sell it cheap or give it away.

I like "retro" stuff, and I do not like brifters (my current bike is a LHT with bar-end shifters), so when this guy popped up on the Bikes Direct web site, I just had to go for it:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...e_xi_steel.htm

I was a little hesitant about (maybe) the SunRace and MicroShift driveline, but I was won over by the gearing (3-chainrings) and by it's totally retro look. But the info given is a little conflicting, as in the specs it lists SunRace and MicroShift, but in the description in refers to Shimano components. So I don't know exactly what I'm getting - I guess I'll see. I figure, if I end up keeping it, and if the driveline gives me trouble, I can always swap out the components for something better. Hopefully the shifter for the RD can be set to friction mode if I don't like how it shifts.

I've never ridden a bike with downtube shifters, but I really like the bar-ends on my LHT. I also started out riding about 35 years ago on a 10-speed gas pipe bike (Ross) with stem shifters, so I'll probably be able to quickly adapt.

I already have a suitcase packed with a Brooks B17, a headlight and rear blinkie, and a touring-style handlebar bag, an under-seat bag, plus a few extra tools to help with assembly that I'll take out there with me - I'm currently home (my REAL home) for the weekend. Still have to score a floor pump and a frame pump, plus a couple of other goodies, and I'm on the road again!

Last edited by tpelle; 03-04-11 at 05:18 PM.
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Old 03-04-11, 11:09 AM
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Good luck - keep us posted on how you like/dislike your new bike.
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Old 03-04-11, 11:24 AM
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Nice retro looking bike!

Please send it to me when you're ready to "dispose" it.
Thanks in advance!
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Old 03-04-11, 12:14 PM
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Sounds like a good plan. The down-tube shifters probably work in friction mode. You will need to relearn shifting if you have index shifting on your current bike. Friction shifting is easy, once you get the hang of it.

You could also install bar-end shifters for about $60 if you wanted.
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Old 03-04-11, 12:26 PM
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Looks nice for $300. Let us know if it rides like a bike costing more.
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Old 03-04-11, 01:10 PM
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Nice looking ride. I take it you are having it shipped to Moreno Valley and not Kentucky?
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Old 03-04-11, 02:32 PM
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Mountain bike might not be bad choice here either if you are into that. We do have some good trails around in area for that. (nothing wrong with road bike either, we do have some bike lanes as well... )
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Old 03-04-11, 02:55 PM
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That seems to be a pretty fantastic bike for the price. Do keep us informed if it decides to spontaneously explode on you, I'm sure our wallets would all thank you.
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Old 03-04-11, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by bored117
Mountain bike might not be bad choice here either if you are into that. We do have some good trails around in area for that. (nothing wrong with road bike either, we do have some bike lanes as well... )
If you head east from Riverside on the Pomona Freeway (60), as you leave the built-up area, there's a big, long (about 1/2 mile long) building right alongside the south side of the freeway. That's my project.

The apartment complex where I'm staying in Moreno Valley actually has a "mountain" that's full of trails right behind the building, and MTB's that, as a tenant, I can borrow, so I'm set if I want to go that route. However I've tried mountain biking and it just never "clicked" with me.

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Old 03-04-11, 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by DVC45
Nice retro looking bike!

Please send it to me when you're ready to "dispose" it.
Thanks in advance!
With a user name like "DVC45", I bet you're set up to get pretty much any bike you want, huh?
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Old 03-04-11, 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by exile
Nice looking ride. I take it you are having it shipped to Moreno Valley and not Kentucky?
That's right. I decided that I didn't want to disassemble and package my LHT for shipping, and risk having it get crunched in transit.

Also, this way I have bike on both ends of the country, and since I'm home for four days after each ten-day stay in Moreno Valley, I can still get some riding in back here.

Last edited by tpelle; 03-04-11 at 06:06 PM.
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Old 03-06-11, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by tpelle
With a user name like "DVC45", I bet you're set up to get pretty much any bike you want, huh?
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