Cyclists UNITE! Any Roadies, Mtn Bikers, Etc. Hanging About?

[ForrestRanger]

I've been riding BMX for over 10 years now and I work at a bike shop assembling every kind of bike. Here's my baby.

 

[johnny gaijin]

i'm a bicycle mechanic in seattle. like most bike mechanics i don't have expensive fancy bikes, i just know how to fix 'em.

 

[johnny gaijin]

Very cool! I'm really wanting to build up a steel road bike to use as my primary one. Any recommendations as far as frame and components? I want to keep the entire build under $2000. I was thinking maybe something simple, like a Surly Pacer or Soma frame, with either 105 or Sram Rival components. Also, I know it's not the most conventional, but I really want to put Velocity Deep V's on it. Heavy, yes, but I can diet down enough in the off-season to make up for the extra weight those wheels will bring me, besides, they're indestructible, right?

i think sram and shimano are pretty comparable quality wise but sram is significantly cheaper. and their warranty is great too, if it breaks they don't hassle you about sending a new one.
i'm not a big fan of deep Vs, they don't have eyelets which i think is pretty cheap. i'd go with mavic cxp33s unless you want a fancy color in which case deep Vs are the way to go.

 

[johnny gaijin]

as for cranks, get a nice FSA crankset and you'll be set; again, do what you see within your budget. just always keep in mind that rotational weight is the worst kind there is.

i don't like fsa much. they made all their garbage over complicated. tiny washers that everybody loses and bottom brackets that look exactly the same but have tiny differences in dimensions. their new stuff is better because they finally came around and are just doing things like everybody else.

 

[interceptor]

I see some really nice bikes here. I got hit by the biking bug about 5 years ago.

Here's a bike I put together from some spare parts I had laying around. I used it in a small 1/2 triathlon. (I found this bike in the garbage, took it apart and cleaned it up.)

This is my baby: G.F. Ferrous 29r SS. It's got the option of being SS or geared because of its ecentric BB. And it has a steel frame

 

[Cafe-Noir]

i think sram and shimano are pretty comparable quality wise but sram is significantly cheaper. and their warranty is great too, if it breaks they don't hassle you about sending a new one.
i'm not a big fan of deep Vs, they don't have eyelets which i think is pretty cheap. i'd go with mavic cxp33s unless you want a fancy color in which case deep Vs are the way to go.

I'm going to put Sram Rival, or maybe even their entry-level Apex on my new build, though I'm not sure if it's just worth the bit extra cash to get the Rival or not. This is going to be primarily a training bike/winter ride for me.

Also, I can recognize how hipster/cheap deep v's are, I just love their look, the colors to choose from, and how durable they are. That being said, does anyone recommend any decent deep dish wheelsets that aren't insanely expensive?

 

[Cafe-Noir]

I see some really nice bikes here. I got hit by the biking bug about 5 years ago.

Here's a bike I put together from some spare parts I had laying around. I used it in a small 1/2 triathlon. (I found this bike in the garbage, took it apart and cleaned it up.)

This is my baby: G.F. Ferrous 29r SS. It's got the option of being SS or geared because of its ecentric BB. And it has a steel frame

That Ferrous is one bad mofo. Like I mentioned before, I'm really jonesin' for a 29'er SS!

 

[liam]

this is my current stable, the ciombola is built as a road bike with friction shifters, still getting into gears and all that/ the all city has 35c cyclocross tyres and centrepull front and rear brakes now, for gravel grinder rides. i got hit by a car in february riding it, and it was a technical writeoff, so got the cinelli to replace it from the insurance company. unfortunately i still have ankle pains, so have had to cut my riding down to 10km per day. the red bike is an RIH.
i love bikes

 

[FunJimmy]

Vancouver to Whistler in the inaugural Whistler Gran Fondo 2010!
Big ride, big fun.

 

[mtrace535]

Its a couple years old, but i saw this on craigslist and thought i would share. For thoes of us who work in shops Its verry therapeutic.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/1192150038.html

 

[Rocan]

Its a couple years old, but i saw this on craigslist and thought i would share. For thoes of us who work in shops Its verry therapeutic.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/1192150038.html

ahh, so true. I hope for rain every day I work....


man, that cervelo s2 is a beaut!also liam you havea beautiful collection

 

[mtrace535]

ahh, so true. I hope for rain every day I work....

Try the NW youll get all the rain you can handle!

 

[Cafe-Noir]

ahh, so true. I hope for rain every day I work....


man, that cervelo s2 is a beaut!also liam you havea beautiful collection

I laughed out loud more than once while reading that craigs post. Oh so true...

 

[valvesprung]

A few I've had...

1996 Royce Union I restored and the one that started it all...

Raleigh Sprite I had for a bit, and never got a chance to restore...

Crappy $200 commuter SE:

1982 Trek 715 I restored:

and my current steed, a 1996 Raleigh R500 that I built from parts (Ultegra group, Aksium wheelset, etc...)

 

[WeberKid]

here is my baby. excuse the drama:

more pics on my girl's flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seidenburger/sets/72157626736252405/
I made the lugged frame with Columbus Zona and Chromor seat stays. custom lugged stem w/ columbus dove and heart cut-out. custom straight blade Dedacciai lugged fork w/ heart cutouts. Dura-ace hubs, cranks, chainring, BB, seatpost, cogs, lockrings. MKS pedals and clips, toshi double straps, selle turbo saddle, brooks bar wrap, chris king headseat, velocity deep-Vs, sram chain. Orange copper metallic powdercoat over raw steel. Pinstriping by Lance Ferrell of Milltown Ink.
Here's me being a fatty:

 

[midnightcafe]

hmmm... so I will be living a half mile from my workplace in a few weeks, looking at purchasing a bicycle. Any good guides out there? btw that craigslist ad is great!

 

[johnny gaijin]

hmmm... so I will be living a half mile from my workplace in a few weeks, looking at purchasing a bicycle. Any good guides out there? btw that craigslist ad is great!

first thing you need to figure out is what kind of bike you want. mountain? road? hybrid? fixie? cruiser?
the best way to figure it out is to go to your local bike shop and test ride some bikes. even if you don't buy one there you can figure out what you're looking for and we can help you go from there.

 

[pawn]

if I were only half a mile I'd just get a mountain bike so I can putz around on my way in. You get a road bike and head straight there, it will be about 2 minutes and you in the door.

 

[PHeller]

If you want to commute back and forth to work, a commuter bike, despite being "dorky" is well adapted to that lifestyle.


I've found over the years that a MTB doesn't make a good commuter, and neither does a full on race-ready road bike.


It may look hardcore to ride your fixed gear into town with your messenger bag and Deep-Vs, but after you ride a bike with fenders, good brakes and upright geometry you'll quickly understand why a commuter bike is called that.


I generally suggest anyone who hasn't owned a modern road bike that is interested in riding lots of road but a little gravel to check out a Cyclocross Bike. They have frames designed for bigger tires (and fenders), but are lighter and more "road oriented" than an MTB.

 

[agent9]

I'm strictly a recreational rider but my current bike is a Franken-Felt.
Felt F55 frameset, Ultegra SL, and misc parts I had laying around.
I also ride an old yellow Gunnar Rouckhound with the original JudyXC forks and a set of Spinergy wheels with Spox hubs. Yellow spokes of course.