nolageek

My daily commuter.

Unknown year schwinn cruiser body. (EDIT: I've been told it is actually an Austro-Daimler Puch)
Homemade bullhorns.
Generic 26" wheels w/nimbus EX tires.
Shimano Acera crank.
Seven speed Suntour cluster, but only using 14T cog as single speed.







Vincent

Rogerinchrist

I think I may have figuired out how to reduce & post a picture here, FINALLY!!
If it works you'll see my '94 Trek 520 that I bought new in '95 (which I call "Mule"). It's about half stock & still goes most places I point it. Longest I've ever ridden Mule is 240 miles in three days, and ninety miles in a single day.

ddbum

Since I can't post a pic....

My commuter is a Trek 420 Touring model. I just picked it up and will be making some modifications and upgrades, specifically to the shifters for starters. Any recommendations would be appreciated though, as I'm a new commuter.

Camel

Here is a link to a picture of mine:Tourer/commuter

jlin453

Well here's mine, a Schwinn Impact I picked up from a pawn shop. Certainly isn't as purdy as the bikes here, but here it goes. I've done as much to it as I can to make the ride more comfortable, gel-pad seats, new grips, and thinner tires. Bar ends soon to come and maybe a paintjob to charcoal or flat black.



Trying to get back into shape. Commute is only a 7 minute ride to campus (which is about the same if I took the city bus) but it's much more fun riding my bike. Now all I have to do is find somewhere farther to ride to

TheDL

What kind of tubing is your Centurion made of? (i.e. what number Tange?)

cicadashell

hello folks. i just put together my commuting machine, so i can treat my track bike a little more gently. i used mostly things that were laying around the garage, basing it on my old high school french ten-speed frame. upgrades will include 165 mm cranks (that match each other, i hope), 1/8" drive train, probably different gearing. comparing gain ratios, my feet traveled 30% farther this morning on my 6.5-mile commute. i was pushing 50×17 before, now 45×20; the longer cranks and larger wheels/tires just about cancel each other out. but that was some serious spinning.

i left off the rear fender because the eyelets in the back were not tapped, and the freddy fenders didn't come with nuts for the bolts, so i have to get to the hardware store and shell out eight cents for nuts before i can install it. no rain in the forecast for the next few days, so i'm good.

oh yeah, it will also need a coat of paint.

jbhowat

My campus/commuter/beater bike is a Giant Rincon that's like, 9 years old, maybe more. I've heard that back then Giant was using a road frame for some of their mountain bikes. I tend to agree (although it isn't light at all, look at the geometry), most mountain bikes have a top tube that slants down some. Mine is parallel to the ground, as as more road bikes. The rear section's geometry seems to be more compact than most mountain bikes. Here's a pic of a similar one:



I currently have a 26x1.75 mountain bike tire on the back, and a 26x1.50 Wal-Mart Slick on the front. It also has a Trek rack on the back (which has a solid platform so it doubles as a fender/splash guard) Its pretty comfortable and maneuverable IMO. I've ridden a bunch of my buddy's inexpensive full suspension bikes (NEXT brand, Mongoose, etc - WalMart specials basically). I don't like them at all. they are really soft for me, I feel like I'm riding a rubber band or something, flexing all over the place. LOL and the reason I've ridden them is because I was test-driving them after I repaired them because the people at WalMart suck at assembling bikes. One kid's bike was brand new and the brake levers would touch the handle and still be barely contacting the rim. another one, a Mongoose, the rear wheel was not tightened correctly. He went over a bump, and suddenly his back wheel is basically on like a 10 degree angle, rubbing the frame - I went to fix it and I easily took the nut off with my fingers. That's dangerous IMO and Walmart should be more careful...

/Rant

bsyptak

Here's mine. Giant Cypress SX. Added bar ends, new pedals (one side flat, one side spd), old Blackburn rack, old Performance panniers, computer and lights. It's a nice ride.

DanO220

My commuter started out with a Sram 7 speed hub. It was great when my commute was 11 flat miles. But when I moved and had to ride 30 hilly miles I needed to make a change. You see, 1st and 2nd gear on the Sram exhibit so much mechanical friction that climbing anything other than easy grades is miserable. However, I didn't really like the idea of cluttering up an otherwise nice looking bike with a rear cassette and derailleur. So rather than put up with 7 compromised gears I just picked one real quiet, smooth one! So now it's a 42/16 single speed commuter. If it's good for millions of Chinese and East Indians, it 's good for me.

frozin

here's my surly cross check, with dura-ace. i put a shorter & silver stem on yesterday, and plan to add a rack and possibly fenders in the near future.

Lufty

My new Lemond...just got a repair kit/pump today after watching the T-Mobile race in SF!

rykoala

Well my bike has changed enough that I think it warrants a re-post of my commuter bike.

Late 80's Specialized Rock Hopper large frame (22"?)
Deore derailers
48/38/28 Biopace front
13/30 7 speed rear (soon to be 12/28 8spd)
XTR hub + Mavic M231 double wall front (and back, soon)
SRAM grip shifters... not sure if I like them or not but they stay for now
26x2.125 slicks
Avenir rack
Single pannier for commuting, 2 for bigger loads
Wally world bike computer, custom mount on top tube

kjorissen

I've been commuting on my road bike which I never posted a pic of but here is the start of my Winter bike project.

To start, it is the stock low-end build of the Surly Cross-Check. For the details on the stock bike, please click here. But I had them remove the stock bar end shifters and brake levers and replace it with 105 STI levers instead. My thinking being that if I am riding on ice, I do not want to take my hands off the hoods to shift. Also with this swap I am money ahead of buying all the pieces separately and can now start my large collection of miscellaneous spare parts. Next thing to add is the fenders and I've also ordered up a second wheelset. That being Deore hubbed with Salsa Delgado Cross rims on which I will put the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 tires. Note that the cassette will be a 105 instead of the Tiagra because the LBS had one in stock and it only cost a few bucks more. Once that is all in place I'll post a follow up pic.

Flying Wombat

Here is my commuter. I use it for a 34 mile round trip commute to work. The frame and fork is an old circa early 80's steel road that I recovered from a dumpster and powdercoated matt black. I also run the original cranks, front brake, seatpost and headset (all campy!). I run a 45x17 fixed gear with a flip side 15 for group rides.
Additions include the moustache bars and stem and clipless pedals. I run Specialized Armadillo 25C tires with thornproof tubes, heavy, but who wants a flat on their commute.
A great commuter and a blast to ride. It has turned into my favorite bike.
I commute year round from 35 degree morning rides(rare) to 110 degree evening rides (common) in Phoenix, Arizona.

spidercyclist

Nice !!!!

lt1aggie

hey guys. i'm fairly new to this board. i've been lurking a little bit for the last few weeks, but i figured i would just go ahead and start making a few posts. my bikes: 1960-1970's? Schwinn Varsity and a 2001 Giant OCR2 (see road cycling thread). I use the Varsity for my 'commute' which means getting around school and sometimes around town (Texas A&M University). The road bike is for when i want to have some fun. Nice to meet you guys.
Thanks and gig em.
-cb

JoeTown244GL

Here is my '85 Raliegh Technium with the average daily load, lights, and gear + one great dog guarding my shoes.

MartinFoster

I have a "Greg Lemond" road bike, currently out-of-action because of a broken wheel

https://mfoster.smugmug.com/gallery/226492/1/8774414

My backup bike is a GT Avalanche LE MTB. No pics yet.

The commute is probably only 16 miles roundtrip. Mostly on seperate bike paths on the beach and along a river bank. I'll probably get a bike computer soon to get more accurate distance and speed info.

Rogerinchrist

Great to see another Varsity doing it's duty!
My boy rides his yellow one & I'm fixing a light blue one for a friend on a tight bike budget. We took ownership of both for a buck!
I know that they are thought of as cheaply made, & weigh alot, but they both roll real well!

Ritz

This is the EZ-1 SC that I won on 'bentrider online during their Car-Free challenge. I like to call it my little blue truck, it's slow and heavy but it gets the job done! I use the two child trailer to carry my 3 yearold and assorted groceries, ETC... When he's not in it, I can carry enough groceries for our family of four for a week. It's a very convieniant set up. I used to ride the bike alone to and from work six miles one way, but since then have become a full time stay at home Dad. It's got about 950 miles on it and still keeps on truckin'! The bag on front is a Hydro-pak, and the little blue box on top is a water-proof stereo ( no headphones needed ). It has been a hugh Blessing, Thanks for letting me share!

520commuter

Mine is a 2002 Trek 520:

SKS Fenders
Armadillo tires (25c)
Niterider Road Rat
Arkel Panniers
seat post and stem painted copper because I was bored

...nothing else special. It's a beast though, 5,000 miles and very little maintenance!

GreenFix

How is it riding with a trailer on the street. I have not carried my son on the streets around here, but that is mostly because we have no shoulders, and I have had some bad experiences with drivers. I do not mind putting myself at risk, but I will not put my son there. It is a nice looking ride. It is nice to see a recumbent posted.

Ritz

Greenfix, I too treasure my son enough not to subject to the horrors of traffic. The trailer handles very well loaded or un-loaded; however, when the little man starts wiggling around it can feel a little squirrly. I think that has a lot to do with the spring between the trailer and the hitch. Most streets that we travel on are residential or have a six foot shoulder. Alone, I'm a bit more daring... I'll ride any where (Practicaly)

lt1aggie

mine gets the job done. it's heavy as hell, but it only makes things easier on my giant =)