I think this bike has potential. I can forgive the paint scheme, and the tires are even a bit fun. With the right staging you could probably make the paint look good.

The things that I don't like are the saddle and the brake levers, especially the latter. Old bikes are cool, but old components (particularly old components that used to be white) aren't.

Working on it. Actually commuted on it for the first time on Wednesday. I've made one more change since that picture was taken...the stock chainring was too small, so I installed a bigger one, which also meant a new chain - bye bye white chain!

I'll replace the tires eventually, but they're perfectly functional, so I'll stick with them until they wear out.

If I get really ambitious, I'll disassemble the bike and rattle-can flat black over the frame. But that'll be a while.

Nobody wants to rate this bike, eh? Maybe commuter peeps are just too kind for a proper Hot or Not thread.

http://sheepcamp.com/~ben/pics/IMG_3379.jpg

syracuse orange bar tape on purpose:thumb:
understand your thought about the comp, but i like to use it to track my speed and time. i also use it on weekend rides to see how far we've gone, etc.
i don't care for fenders, so i won't be adding those.
thanks for the input!

well if we're just rating strictly bikes as commuters, i'd say yeah. clean lines, clean bike, nice and bright.
but for me, i strongly dislike the look beach cruisers and wizard of oz baskets on the front of any bike. i may add extra points for the sheer campiness of the coaster breaks though.

Yeah, probably so because I think that bike is a hideous, ugly, overweight monstrosity, but I'd never say so publicly.

I'll be nicer than above, it's stately.

i think it looks great except for the tires.

a dynamo and some lights and it would be ready for CPH.

:D

Speaking of monstrosities, I had the misfortune to ride this collection of plumbing pipe for a while. I have no idea why I put up with it as long as I did.

http://sheepcamp.com/~ben/pics/IMG_3396.jpg

I think we may need to rename this thread to just "Not".

My painted tow nails and hammock should have saved it. Also, my bikes in Hungary are really good :)

Let's see if we can't get this thread back on track....

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/5...1560c55e_b.jpg

besides the tires, I find it quite boring ... lukewarm at best.

And the tires are awful!

Needs fenders. :)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=335471

For your consideration, a 1997 Schwinn LeTour II. Had the frame powdercoated right after I bought it. Single speed wheels, but I still use the FD, so its a two-speed bike. Basket on the rear rack perfectly fits my goodie bag - throw it in, lash it down with a bungie cord, and I'm pedaling away. Puncture-resistant tires, old school brake levers (original Schwinn calipers), and original crank. Perfect commuter for me. :thumb:

What make and model is that?The forks look like something from the latest Batman movie.Formidable looking.

I like it, especially the one piece crank-set.

whats the bike model?

Isn't posting a Surly on the Commuter Hot or Not thread like posting a Trek on the Roadie Hot or Not thread? Don't get me wrong - this is a very nice bike - I'd say it's hot - but in a similar vein as [MENTION=200073]acidfast7[/MENTION]'s comment, it's also very pedestrian. There's nothing that I can criticize about the bike, but it's not inspiring.

What?!? Those tires were great.

Anyway, the best feature of this bike was the color, but for some reason I could never get the color to properly show up in a picture of the whole bike. It looked like this (at least when I bothered to wash it):

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2580/4...52b5a037b6.jpg

You can mostly see it here:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2629/4...1a0e3c11_z.jpg

The only thing this bike is missing are suicide levers. Those things rocked.

Blue, my very first work commuter...

It used to be a "Carrera Combat" but I removed all the hideous stickers and now it's simply a "".

Also, FD was taken off so it's an 8-speed.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps0a059283.jpg

The lack of decals is just about the only good thing about this bike.

Knobby tires and suspension are very unhot on a commuter, and unused chainrings are an outright atrocity.

I don't see that the ability to shift is gone but perhaps the ability to do it without wearing some chain grease.

Very true, it's a 24-speed with manual transmission. :)

I don't use it for commuting any more, though it may make an appearance on a snow day.

I must say that attractive colors are rather out of character for Surly and makes me wonder if this is some sort of impostor. If this is a genuine Surly and that is the original paint, I would be willing to call it hot except that I don't like egg beaters.

Surly Creamrollers were hot.

Now I remember why I like this bike. It's virtually the same color as the bike that sees most of my summer miles:

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...psd3b7a5c6.jpg

I know the picture doesn't quite live up to the standards of the Hot or Not thread. If only Hotness were based on the number of logos on a bike. This one has 8 "Specialized" logos on just the frame and fork. Plus there's the "S" on the head tube. It's too bad I still don't have the original stem on there which sported 4 more Specialized logos. Yes, 4. There were two on each side and one logo would always be right side up no matter which way you flipped the stem.

Apparently Specialized was really worried that somebody might confuse the bike with a Rivendell or something. Speaking of Rivs, I have to say I'm kind of shocked we haven't seen one posted yet, or did I just miss it?

This is my commuter. It has Hope Pro II hubs and 7 close-ratio cogs in the back. I just replaced the Shimano R505 brakes with TRP Spyre brakes.


http://wilderness.smugmug.com/Bikes/...0-23_01r-L.jpg


This "Commuter" crowd is a lot tougher than the "Road Biker" crowd.

Hot!

I'll put my anti-compact geometry prejudices aside and give this one a "hot."

It's a flyxii fr-302. If you Google it, you'll find their website. They have made improvements like internal cable routing, so they don't make this particular frame now. Some people call them Chinarello's because they come from China and they are supposed to copies of Pinarello's.