I would just about kill for a lean smoked meat sandwich right now. Damn is it EVER nice out.

Question for you boys and girls;

Let's say you bought an old Gardin road bike frame for $150 with (15 year old) dura ace brakes, levers, deraillures, etc. and a (6 year old) ultegra crankset / bottom bracket and modolo stem and bars... Let's say that you found a hairline crack in the head tube and a bunch of rust and decided to return the bike but think that it would be worthwhile holding onto the parts - what do you think a fair price would be for the components?

Can you return it? 50-75bones.

Yeah, the guy that sold it is totally cool - he just asked what i thought was fair for the parts and i have 0 idea. Thanks Andy.

that's just me though let others chime in too

Here's an answer to a question nobody asked: what do I want at teh bike show? a: a sturdy bike I can put a front and rear rack on, full fenders and all that good stuff. I want to be able to carry my kit to work by bike (approx. 50+ lbs. of camera stuff). Byah!

now im starving and totally craving schwartzs!

thanx TJammer!

a friend suggested today we do a coffeeshop hop -- can't believe no one in this thread suggested it earlier. brilliant.

I had coffee after golfing on the island today..

I got an on-one other doofer. I did a review of it here http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=414050 although I need to patch the image links. My current opinion is that it's not well suited for the lower gear ranges I wanted. When I get some cash, I'll be getting the Soulcraft Convert. The other advantage of the convert is that it releases so you can remove the rear wheel without tools . On the off chance it might work on your bike. I'd be open to selling the other doofer if you want to try it out.

I'm still interested in the tensioner Cam.

I just turned the c-dale that was the mtb into a commuter/light touring/city bike, albeit without the fenders or rack (yet). Put on mustache bars, new rigid fork with rack mounts, brooks flyer and slicks. Rises great and super comfy. With barcons, cantis and 26 inch wheels I figure and issues on a longer ride are easily fixed for minimal cost and fuss.

With some patience and searching an older steel mtb could cheaply be converted into a city/poteur bike. Most will have rear fender and rack mounts, and a rigid fork will have at least fender mounts. The mtb fork I picked up from urbane has fender and rack mounts, and the fender mounts on the fork legs as well. I'll post some pics of the bike soon.

Sorry Pyze, slipped my mind. Just give a shout and come by and grab it.

I'm slowly converting my Raliegh Record into a porteur. However, I'm unconvinced that having a substantial load on a front rack is a particularly good idea, especially when an extra-cycle DIY maybe a better option. So I may end up making it a "porteur-lite" rather than a seven rail CETMA type of porteur. Some smaller elegant racks or maybe a handlebar bag or something.

Coolio, you around this weekend? I can trade you a big almost full bottle of Arack for it:innocent:

This is pretty much what I did. An older Fiori. Has a slack head angle and longish rake so that the large basket sits nicely above the wheel. It holds 25 lbs fine (prob not much more...). When loaded it can pick up speed quite well but it can be a bit wobbly, mostly because the wimpy basket struts flex laterally and the load lags in the turn. A stiffer rack might very well do the job. I'll post pics this w-e. Not good for long distances though... it's my beater :p

Eeewww. Sorry, I love mescal and all that, but the coconut thing did me in. I'll be around off and on this weekend. Sandra is off to Guelph to do some marking so I may tag along to play disc golf at the arboretum. Just give a shout and see if I'm around.

As long as the Dura-Ace hub's don't have a thread on cog...take the parts and call it even. No wheel's? No STI? Ask for $50 tops. If it's a whole bike the parts are worth it.

Slack angles are your friend when carrying gear. An older early 90's mtn bike with rack mounts would be the bomb. A Kona Ute? http://www.konaworld.com/09_ute_c.cfm

I think I read somewhere recently that for porteurs they used to have fairly steep head-angles (which lessens the steering flop effect), paired with a fork with lots of offset. The Kogswell stuff is 73.6º for the 59cm/650B. Weren't early 90's mtbs in like the 60-something range?

Thanks Keith, that's about what I figured I'd offer and I think would be fair - no wheels, just everything else... It's a damn shame too, this frame has a lot of nice details. I'm half hoping that he decides to chuck the frame and lets me keep it so that one way, way down the road, I could have it restored... That and that old Rossin track frame I have sitting in storage...

Haha, who am I kidding? None of these projects will EVER get finished!

I'm just sick about this. Tell you what: Tomorrow, I'll bring the tensioner, and a new fork.

...plus, and autographed picture of gavin macleod...

will dooooo....

wow. that frame design is perfect. thanks keith! I just wish it had slightly nicer components.

Yeah proper porteur bikes have lower trail. Normally this would induce a twitchier ride at low speeds, but with the large loads they carried (up to 50kg apparently!) it's ok since since direction is made more sluggish with a big load.

I've been thinking of doing a 650B conversion as well; they are supposedly pretty comfy and I think that a 700c frame looks pretty good with 650B wheels. This guy's bike from the FGG Open-Design contest is particularly inspiring:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/cont...NilsSandin.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/cont...lsSandin-1.jpg

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/cont...lsSandin-9.jpg