Avoid Ebay at all costs if you hope for a "cheap" aeroapoke or trispoke; international buyers with money to throw are the worst.

True. Too bad Missouri doesn't have a great "fixie" crowd... :lol:

Planning for a future wheel build. Kinlin XR-200/Novatec build kit or A23 20H front w/road hub, 32H rear track hub? Looking for light and nice ride.

hi flange isn't lightweight or nice ride. spokes will make a huge difference too. hi flange is for stiff and not much else.

Should I refinance my life to accommodate a SS Pugsley build? If I play my cards right/stupid enough I could get one going in time for the first snow... And oh my god it would be so badass. If it wasn't for stupid college tuition I could do it right now, no questions asked.

education should come first and honestly i don't think the pugsley has a place in philly. artic tundra, beaches, yes...
your winter bike... no.

just get a regular mtb hardtail and get studded tires for it. maybe swap a wheelset out for snow.

Oh yeah, this is not a "college or bike" question, especially considering that this is my last semester of undergrad. The idea would be to make both work somehow. Of course it wouldn't be the smartest decision, but it might be the most fun decision. Just imagine what I could ride through...

Job market is highly competitive. Keep your bike as collateral for grad-school loan. Another two years, economy might be up, but look for the doctorate.

-500,000 Sorry, forgot.

I'm studying linguistics and Russian. Maybe I could land a job in the Fatherland and use the Pug to commute through Siberian tundra?

pro white, duh.

Should I get a chrome threaded steel fork for my incoming purple Kilo or one of those threaded Leader S805 jawns from eBay?

I'm having a heckuva time finding a good looking threaded 1" fork for a decent price (tryna stay away from straight blade steel for looks) and everything good looking is in the same price range as that Leader ($99).

I have a threaded steel "tange 5" fork I'd be willing to let go for a trade...

Agreed with cc700. If you want to buy any other bike, I fully support being fiscally irresponsible in order to acquire new bikes, but not a pugsley in for a winter bike. haha

Yeah, I finally decided against it. One day, though. One day I will have my monster-bike. For the time being, though, I'm thinking either snipe Craigslist for a good MTB frame to build up, or Bikesdirect SS 29er. To have something I can actually ride when there's snow on the ground.

I'm thinking about changing the components on my Motobecane Track into silver ones:

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/7600/photo1fd.jpg

(So maybe Silver Omniums, a silver stem [thinking about slamming the stem and cutting the steerer tube], and a silver seatpost.)

Should I?

No. Replace your wheels to make a difference that actually matters. Buy a pretty bike if you want a pretty bike, the Moto will always be a "basic" bike.

Should I... buy a trainer? They're expensive, but I've discovered that my daily commute no matter how hard I mash does not give me the cardio workout I need for CX. And as winter approaches, declining daylight means it will be impossible to fit in riding beyond the commute most days. My husband wants a trainer, and I can kind of see the benefit, even outside of CX.

Also, should I buy cross brake levers (cheap, but don't like crowded handlebars) or get whole new brifters (expensive, current ones are too big for my small hands)?

Kaz - there are small rubber inserts you can pick up at any bike shop made for bringing your levers further inward. A lot of women and people with smaller hands use them.

Thanks for the idea, but I already have the biggest shims they make in there. It's not that the levers aren't far enough inward, it's that the hoods themselves are gigantic plus the pivot point of the levers is in a strange place. Check it out:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/...df5a89ffb3.jpg
Ye Olde Century by kazbo, on Flickr

Even my husband says they are a very awkward lever to use and he's normal human-sized. I have played around with my friend's SRAM levers and they are infinitely better. Alas, I don't think I can afford changing over to SRAM components.

I just got new bar tape and when I install it I might move the levers around on the bar a bit to see if a different angle changes things around.

Gotcha. Looks like it's cross levers for you.

Ultegra di2... should I sell my old red group for this in the new? I'm really liking my DA di2/ electronic shifting.

I'll take your red group! ;)

Never!

On second thought...

yes, test it out. the ultegra cabling is much less of a hassle than da apparently.

My LBS just got them in stock; I'll have to check back once they get a showroom model with it fitted.

and keep the red. get a custom frame with fancy internalized di2.

*ultegra wiring, rather.

+1

With a cutout for the battery or plug?

Anyhow, I'm in no financial shape to buy another bike at the moment... =/

The economy has really gone to **** when leuky says he can't afford it.