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I've started commuting to work (Aberdeen -City Centre to Bridge of Don) as usual with all my fitness ideas the first thing to do is spend shit loads of money..
Anyway the racer feels a bit delicate, the streets are like a World Cup Dh track (king street cycleway WTF pot holes drains covers like proud granite grave stones and cycleways that end with no dropped kerb to help you whip up onto the pavement before you get killed by a HGV with 60 lengths of drill pipe ont he back)and anyway I fancy going through Uni via some of the cobbled streets.
Wants - simple light fast cheap tough size small 27.5" inside leg.
Options:
1) I could buld up a spare macinato frame I have as a single speed, its mostly flat, but I need wideish cheep wheels that I can fit some fatter slicks to for kerb,pothole and cobble thrashing. (by the time I've sourced cranks, brakes, wheels bars, tyres and posted the frame from Devon to Aberdeen I coudl spend a lot..)
2) An already existing light fast cheep tough commuter with fatter wheels that I could buy??
Hive Mind... GO!
In typical STW mode I will recommend wot I dun to solve similar problem.
Pompetamine frame, high spokecount 29er wheels running small block 8's in 32 flavour, avid cable disks and SKS chroma plastics full length guards.
I made slight mods to the frame to take a 3x9 groupset too. Comparatively light-ish, durable, comfy well sorted bike.
I too will recommend what I have, PX Kaffenback. Tough steel frame, clearance for 32mm tyres, disk brakes so bending a rim isn't the end of the world and drop bars to get out of the wind.
I have a Kona City (49c) with Deore hubs on Mavic a319 rims with XT brakes, Deore rear mech and FSA/Selle Italia bits for sale if your interested, great commuter.
palmer pics to forum name at the mail of hot with a com
Decathlon special and semi-slicks is what I did. Cheap, does the job.
[url= http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-rove-2014/ ]Something like this[/url] might be ideal.
Vitus do a singlespeed rigid mountain bike with slicks for this type of thing. 29er or 26er and probably a 27b too. Check CRC. £250 for the 26 version.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-dee-1-26-city-bike-2014/rp-prod80998
See that Rove? I would buy that in a heartbeat, but its about £700 over budget!
Thanks for all your suggestions stwers, I have lots to chew over now, cheers.
There's a Boardman Urban frame+fork on the bay for £45, new.
i ride a pompino with 28c tyres (and mudguards - machinato doesn't take em) it'd be perfect for that.
35c slicks are even better.
Having seen a few threads about braking bumps at the likes of Cannock Chase, I can only suggest the following.
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Anything else and you'll be under-biked 😆
a [b]3 mile[/b] FLAT city centre commute?
Yeah, you definitely need to start a discussion on what bike to buy for that.
mind and get a "bike fit" while you're at it
😆
serious answer.. a BMX. - you'll hopefully learn skills like hopping onto non-dropped kerbs to avoid HGV squashage and standing for 3 miles will improve your core fitness no end.
dannyh, after I hit the deck earlier in the week I am thinking of wearing somebody armour..
mtbpel, Aren't you cute. I do so love it when people flirt with me, but I'm all fixed up just now, I'll let you know if things change sweetie. xxx
I'd try option 2) - I organised the sale of a mate's old Rockhopper to another mate, for his Aberdeen (across town to Altens, but same idea) commute - worked well as a low impact cheap commuter, racks, guards, might have gone SS as well.
Old steel rigid MTB for not much cash?
Or as above Pompino style do-anything?
kcal cheers I'm finding hard to find the parts I need for option 1) for less than a bargain commuter. Like there is also this for 290. Hard to decide between this and the Vitus.
[url= http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-courier-race-disc-14 ]ebc courier[/url]
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It's your 27.5 inch inside leg, doesn't roll over holes as well as 29
Tons of hybrids'll do the job, you just need a bit of clearance for fat tyres. My boardman hybrid can take 35s and proper mudguards, just. My brother's old courier race is the same. Both prety ideal.
Aye, for town commute I'd go for the flat bar option for sure.
Discs. Guards and rack bosses would be on my list too.
NW thats true, you have more travel than me..
kcal, I put a rack and guards on the racer for precisely this so it will all swap over.
I meant option 1) of course, doh!
Is there a bike swap shop scene in Aberdeen at all?
But yes the EBC one would be good VFM I reckon.
How dare anyone claim 27.5" inside leg
I'd look at the Evans hybrids. Cheap an room for big tyres. IMHO 32mm isn't that big for potholes
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This is £275
kcal, yeah I need a bike jumble and I could probs do it. But for 290 that ebc or the vitus 29er with discs at 279 are both bloody compelling..