My mom's friend came to me to ask to build her a bike. Her funds are pretty endless, so of course I asked her about the Moots Comooter, but that is a little too much, seeing as how this bike will probably just end up in her garage. She wants me to build it up and doesn't just want prebuilt ugly crap. She wants some style, something to match her Airstream. That means chrome or polished aluminum. I say aluminum because she wants it as light as possible. I'm thinking 28c wheels, belt drive, internal geared hub, rim brakes, Brooks seat and leather grips, semi-upright positioning, possibly a front basket if anyone knows of something elegant, don't think she'll ride in the rain so not worried about fenders. Again, she wants it LIGHT, which will be hard if she wants a basket or panniers. Any input would be great, also post some pics of anything you guys have seen. I'm really stoked about this because she pretty much asked me to build her a bike of my choosing, I just got to be careful not to make it too race oriented, though she still wants to go fast. She picked up my Cinelli Mash at under 16 lbs, and said this is what I want. I'm not shooting for that low but definitely under 20 with a basket. Alright thanks!

I F Super commuter.??

Something like the Scott sub 10.

Light is the tricky part.

I'd go with a Lynskey Cooper.

https://www.lynskeyperformance.com/store/cooper-cx.html

When I saw the title, I thought, "What do you mean, If you could build the ultimate commuter." I thought I had built the ultimate commuter.

Of course it it only the ultimate commuter for me. lol

white industries hubs are lightweight and chromy and reasonable priced. if you only going with 28c tires and I'm assuming she isn't a huge woman, than you have a ton of lightweight rim options since you don't need wide "touring" rims. Funds are endless? Use some Aero spokes and go 24/28. then you can go with these brakes for lightweight https://www.planet-x-usa.com/pCNC%20U...ht-Brakes.aspx

I'd build this up on the nashbar touring frame and when I got the frame I would take it to get stripped and powdercoated/painted a more appropriate color.

I showed her the Lynskey and I think all titanium is too expensive. Ok, so I might have exaggerated when I said limitless... (compared to me, saving all i got and spending a few hundred every now and then) I'm thinking around $2,500 complete.

If style is important, I would go for a mixtie
something like this with shiny silver parts
https://www.somafab.com/bvista.html

Endless funds?

Custom titanium frame. Rohloff speedhub. Have the frame builder also build custom titanium racks and a titanium basket.

i just don't think there is one ultimate commuter for me, because when it's nice and dry, i want to be on a light-weight, fast-as-hell road bike*, but when crappy weather rolls around (especially the nonsense chicago sees in winter), i want disc brakes, fenders, clearance for bigger studded tires, and an IGH. i really do rather like having the 2-bike tag-team approach to suit daily commuting conditions rather than having one single "ultimate" bike to commute on.



(*) i'm a fairly bare-bones back-pack commuter, so elaborate rack and bag systems for large heavy loads aren't on my radar screen.

Lightweight, strong and kitted out with baskets/fenders etc seem to be a 2 of 3 situation. You can easily have any one thing, two is possible, but all three is elusive.

Personally, I'd build a bike with a step-through frame for easy mounting and dismounting, especially when loaded. I'd install 26" wheels with fat slicks and drum brakes. Drive would be an IGH, anything from 3 to 7-speed. I'd install drop handlebars at close to saddle height to be versatile and comfortable. Chainguard, fenders and a rear rack/basket would be must-haves

Light and IGH don't really go together. Neither do light and Brooks saddle. For that matter, neither do ultimate commuter and $2500, though you can get much closer with that one. The Kona Super Dew would have met most of your criteria, but they only made it for one year.

The Brooks saddle is probably worth the weight. The IGH probably isn't. It sounds like style is a very big deal, so the thing to do is first find the frame, then find the handlebars, then build it up around that. Of course, most affordable framesets are steel, so the 20 pound mark may be a challenge in your budget. A complete bike would make this much easier. Maybe something like the Giant Dash as a starting point?

If funds were not an issue, I'd second the Scott SUB 10. I don't like their proprietary rear rack, but everything else about the bike is awesome. Only downside is it's flatbar only.

If I had money AND time, I'd build one myself, or have one custom built.

I think you need to spend more time on the requirements before you start the design. Some questions I would ask:

How far is your commute?
How hilly is your ride?
What surfaces will you ride on?
Will you ride in the dark?
How much will you carrry?
Do you have secure storage?
Will you ride in snow/ice?
Will you use the bike for other than commuting (e.g. charity rides like MS 150)?
What riding position do you prefer (upright vs crouched)?
What is your mechanical ability?

I'm sure there are more questions you could ask.

I also think you need to be careful with this project. It could end badly in many ways:

You purchase parts and she doesn't pay you back.
You overlook something in the assembly and something gets damaged (or worse she gets hurt). Who is liable?
She just doesn't like the bike, and your Mom's friendship sours.
You wind up not having time to finish the project.

Paul

i have a Soctt SUB 10 as my foul weather commuter. i bought mine through REI and it did not come with the proprietary integrated rack/fender/light sets. that stuff was an extra up-charge. the frame still has the proper mounting points for any old rack system you'd want to put on it though.




yep, that is the biggest downside, but there just aren't anything but flat bar hydraulic disc levers currently on the market. a set of Ergon GC3s has made the flat-bar experience PROFOUNDLY better for me.

Under 20 with a Brooks saddle and an IGH... that is a tall order.

First you start with geometry and how she is most comfortable riding to determine the frame type and from there start picking components and educating her that if she wants light and fast an upright position with the IGH and heavier bits like a basket and Brooks is not the recipe for this.

Well above price range, but the frame kinda shares the Airstream style. Click pic for more on the Budnitz No. 1.

In addition to the rack/basket, I'd say these are going to make < 20 lbs pretty unlikely. It may be doable, but it'll definitely be tough.

The perfect commuter for me would be custom Ti based on my Trek Portland, with a couple of tweaks here and there.

I've installed a Jeff Jones "loop" H-bar in lieu of my flat bar, and I absolutely LOVE it. It ain't cheap, though. $120 for the Al. Titec makes a licensed copy of his regular (non-loop) H-bar for about 50 bucks.
The positioning is really ideal, with lots of positioning options and excellent climbing position.
That bar is on my list of components for my "ultimate" commuter, but I'd opt for the ti version if budget were not an issue.

if I had the ultimate commuter, I wouldn't ride it because I have to lock it to a rack. My ultimate commuter is not quite as nice as the nicest bike in the rack.

I've thought about this a bit, I am slowly building myself a fleet of commuters

This. The "ultimate commuter" would be a bike that I loved and that thieves did not. So far, my current ride meets the criterion.

You'll have to tie on some balloons to make this work.

That's what I've been doing for the last three years. Started out with a 1994 steel hybrid and have been tailoring it ever since.

I don't think you can have your requirements AND built it lightweight for $2500. I spent $3k and came in @ 33.5 pounds. Granted, I got a dynamo hub, went with 36 spokes, Alfine 11, and chromoly handlebars ... but ~20#? I will be eager to see this build!

Alright you guys gave me a lot to think about...
She's pretty vague and strung out - has more of a concept (hence the style) of a bike in her head that will make riding fun (hence the lightweight) - than an actual desire to ride a bike. She says she wants a really light bike, but also wants to ride it for groceries, and wants it to look real good. I like the idea of the Budnitz, or some other 29er-looking bike for the benefits of 700c but with more relaxed mtb geometry. I'd like to get a frame like that in bare metal or chrome and not go through the hassle of getting it chromed myself. Anyway, I'll be sure to post some updates when I have a better grasp of what I'm going to do.