I've been into steel, lugs, and commuting for the last year or so. It all started when my $4000 dollar carbon bike was stolen from my garage. I wanted to find a replacement and discovered the beauty of lugged steel. I became quite influenced by Grant Peterson's ideas and pursued building what I thought would be the ultimate commuter/ utility bike. I found a lugged 1988 Panasonic MC3500 and put on albatross bars, city brakes, brook saddle, and a tubus rack, blah blah.
Just this last weekend I came across a 1996 Trek 970 SHX for $100 from Craigslist. It's in excellent condition with just some scratches on the frame. I fell in love with this bike immediately! I like that straight-bar leaned-over feel better than that albatross feel. Go figure.
Do you all think it's worth hitting up the trails with this vintage bike? I don't do anything crazy, just solid xc riding. I do most of my riding in Phoenix. I've invested so much into my "ultimate commuter" but I just wanna throw the slicks on my new Trek and make it my daily rider.
Also, has anyone come full circle with their preconceived notions of what biking is? You know- going from on extreme to another?

I haven't gone from one extreme to the other, but I have always approached bicycling from the Grant Petersen School of Thought. As a result, I have never gotten "down" on cycling and have never lost a minute of bicycling enjoyment worrying about the bike I was riding, the clothes I was wearing, etc. I think you will be quite surprised at how much fun bicycling will be now that you've had that $4000 burden lifted off your shoulders. Sorry about the loss, though.

Actually, losing that bike was the best thing that happened to me. There are so many awesome used bikes out there.

I commute with both of my 1993 steel mtbs. One wears the slicks and aero bars and the other is ready for an XC trail event(or inclement weather). Expensive high-zoot can sometimes reduce the thrill of the daily ride. Plus its fun to come up on high dollar riders with a classic and still hang with them

I can't comment on the xc trail stuff, but it sounds like the albatross bars may not be the best fit for you. Fortunately, handlebars are easily changed! The rest of it sounds awesome for hauling around the city.

just keep the rubber side down, no reason to not go , where you want to see..

Aka 'touring'

Vintage bike as a daily rider? Why... that's heresy.

There must be millions of high end road bikes collecting dust. Eventually, most people come around when it comes to riding or they'll just quit. My high end Bianchi has been collecting dust for 3 years. However, my 3 speed with albatross bars gets used most of the time.

For any here that would like to lift their $4,000 58-60 cm or 19.5-21 inch burdens from their shoulders, PM me.

It doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you like it and are having fun. If it ain't fun, what's the point?

I went from race geometry bike and racing attitude to Rivendell bike and riding for fun attitude this year.
The new perspective came first, the Rivendell Bleriot later.
This has been my most fun and best year of riding I have ever had. I even enjoyed going on multiple long rides this year as well as commuting almost daily.
I think I have done more miles this year than ever before.
It is so nice to not have to worry about torque specs and every scratch/ding/impact/time that might cause carbon failure (I am a worrier).

I just ride and have fun on my comfortable, safe, steel bike. By the way, the steel bike is only 2 or 3 lbs. heavier than my race bike.
It handles much better and feels safer. So steady on descents. No fear of riding at terminal velocity on downhills. And the great clearance allows me to run fatter tires which means safer and cushier rolling over rough roadways.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/70237737@N00/8225310547/

~shrug~ I'm not sure I get the thread title...commuting by bike is the second least glamorous type of riding, after the sort that involves a trailer... so, "hype?" Really?!?

To me, it doesn't matter what you spend on a commuter bike, it's worth every penny. Gasoline savings alone will justify the expense. The point is that you're a fitter, richer man for having made the switch. Are you more virtuous or less hip if you ride a hand-me-down to work instead of a $4k custom job? No.

I'd be happy with either the $4,000 carbon wonder or the Riv. Let me know if you go through a Phat bike phase.

Anyway, I think one should be an agnostic about bikes, bike gear, etc. and not get too caught up in what the "right" way to ride is.

So yeah. Going full circle is just fine. Variety is the spice of life.

Ride whatever makes you happy.

For me, it's always been about getting from point A to Point B. I used to ride a hybrid that I bought used for $75, and it worked just fine. Now I have a nice touring bike, and it works a little better. The nice touring bike is a better riding experience for sure, but the old hybrid was still a whole lot of fun, and it still got me to where I needed to be. No one should dissuade themselves from bicycle commuting out of anxiety that their bike isn't good enough.

That 970 was my first MTB and a very trail/street/tour-worthy ride. If I see one for sale in my size and good condition, I'll very likely buy it.

If I ever see the one that was stolen from me in '99 around, I'll own it, too.

"Plus its fun to come up on high dollar riders with a classic and still hang with them" Love it! This happened to me yesterday while out for a ride. Two guys I knew came up on me into a nasty head wind (25 mph) and I tucked in with them. From behind I hear, "Is that a six speed"? I reply, no five. He answered, "You are such a retrogrouch"! Huh? Told him the stuff works really well and I like it. One was on a 5 grand Specialized the other on a 6 grand Serrotta. Me? I am on a newer Ti frame with the 1986 parts package from my old race bike. Just love it!

Preconceived notions? I'm more like, 2 wheels, pedal, have fun. Mountain biking, touring , commuting all works for me. Studded tires, fat tires, knobby tires too.

Same here. I didn't have a new bike; I started riding again on my old bike (a mint 1983 or 84 Nishiki), but then I crashed and bent the frame. I cobbled it together good enough to commute until my birthday, when I planned to buy a new bike. Before my birthday arrived, though, I had already acquired 2 or 3 used bikes.


As it sits right now, I have 3 bikes ready to go (it was 4, but I crashed over the weekend and need to do some repairs), and a couple in the garage with flats (one really needs a wheel rebuild). The benefit of all those bikes is that when I crashed on Saturday and sprained my thumb, making riding in the drops or on the hoods kind of painful, I just switched over to a bike I have with cruiser bars and an upright posture. No prob.

YOu guys are all right. I guess what I was getting at from my thread title is that, ultimately, it's what makes you happy. Perhaps for me, in the past, it was easy to get caught up with one extreme view to another. I started biking by getting into triathlons. So to me, it was all about weight and speed. I guess that as I got into mountain biking, it became the same mentallity. THen once my bike was stolen I was like, "F this". Discovering the "Grant Peterson" paradigm was more like a revelation. Now my bikes are more about practicality, which is cool and somewhat cheaper. Although Grant is a big fan of the upright ride and albatross bar thing, I discovered that it wasn't my thing which is where the "hype" comes from.
I think this thread is more about discovering an identity through biking (through trial and error). You know, it's not just about racing or retro-grouching out. Although, it very well can be about those things to some. Like most of you guys said, it was what you make of it. Ride and be happy.

Deep, man.

I've been enjoying my hybridized 80's mountain bike and riding it more than my Bianchi road bike lately. I was feeling bad for a bit about ignoring the "hot rod", but Old Red is just more practical for a lot of the riding I do, especially at night. The 1.5" tires just soak up those unseen potholes and I can carry a bunch of stuff on it. Both bikes have their place.

I try not to get wrapped up in labels. A commute bike is a bike you ride from home to work and back. For me, some days that's a hybridized old Rock Hopper. Other days it's a Cervelo Soloist. Figure out what works for you and makes you happy, then set up your bike(s) to optimize that.

well I have looped back to Sturmey Archer AW3 hubs , after my last one was when JFK was still breathing.

though this time it's in a Brompton made folding bike .. instead of a Puch- J.C. Higgins bike from Sears.

'Commuter bike' to me means a bike that can carry my lunch, has fenders so I don't have to worry about the rain, and big fat tires to soak up the bad pavement and let me wander about on trails.

I like these things because even though they add to the bike, they simplify its use. I just want a bike I can jump on and not have to think about.