Your ultimate commuting machine

2

Comments

  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    off to find out their contact details...
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • I've just emailed Cotic to see if they are planning a dropped bar Alfine.

    A Cotic or a Genesis with Alfine..11 speed...mmm.
  • gaz545
    gaz545 Posts: 493
    I've just emailed Cotic to see if they are planning a dropped bar Alfine.

    A Cotic or a Genesis with Alfine..11 speed...mmm.
    Only problem is versa haven't released an 11 speed drop bar shifter for a hub gear. Untill then.. it's only a dream.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    MatHammond wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    What wroung with alu'?

    Its not "trendy" at the moment.

    Conversation overheard in LBS last night.

    Shop Guy "Everyone rides Carbon these days"
    Customer "'S'pose Aluminium is just for the budget end"
    Shop Guy "Naw, even poor people ride Carbon"
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • gaz545 wrote:
    Only problem is versa haven't released an 11 speed drop bar shifter for a hub gear. Untill then.. it's only a dream.

    I know :( . And have you seen the price of the 11 speed? Rumours before they came out were around 300 Euros, average price online is £365. That's a big lump of money but I guess you are doing away with a RD and a cassette. £365...that's about the price of a Super Record 11 speed cassette so I suppose it doesn't seem so bad after all!

    Would anyone on here pay £365 for an 11 speed cassette? (and saying "no because I haven't got an 11 speed drivetrain" is not an answer, you know what I mean!)
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I'm pretty happy with my Zaskar LE. Does everything I need it to.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    My Boardman does what's needed. My question was what is your ultimate commuting machine?

    The Boardman isn't as I'm having to use Crud Roadracers, when it starts peeing down with rain my braking distance quadruples, I can't mount a rack and so have to use a rucksack and I don't think I can fit tyres bigger than 25mm. None of that stops it being a great bike for the money but its not an ultimate commuting bike due to the above.

    I think the actual ultimate machine is a tank, preferably with a working 120mm canon for when WVM or Adison Lee try and cut you up.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    I'd go for;

    Roasties Ti frame (when he tells me what he's going to charge!)
    Gates carbon drive fixed
    Hammershmidt crank (ooh yeah! get the gearing right and could then run something like 50" off the lights then 100" once you're hammering - fixed!!!!)
    Some deep dish plain finish Ti rims if they're available (Halo?)
    Front hydraulic disc brake
    Bladed spokes for bling
    Ti bullhorns (anyone make them?)

    Haven't got proof of concept yet on the fixed Hammerschmidt bit, but this is fantasy land now isn't it?
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • I've just emailed Cotic to see if they are planning a dropped bar Alfine.

    A Cotic or a Genesis with Alfine..11 speed...mmm.

    About half way down the page: http://blog.sidewayscycles.co.uk/page/2/

    This is, of course, for the 8 speed, however.
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    Some sort of locable space (maybe in the seat downtube?) to keep a pump, patches, levers and a tube would be a great help.

    Also some in-built lock, so I don't have to strap them to the bike.

    For me the key things are:
    Durability
    Lack of complexity (6 gears is plenty)
    Good brakes which don't wear quickly or go out of alignment
    Space for a rack
    Puncture resistant tyres.
  • I've just emailed Cotic to see if they are planning a dropped bar Alfine.

    A Cotic or a Genesis with Alfine..11 speed...mmm.

    About half way down the page: http://blog.sidewayscycles.co.uk/page/2/

    This is, of course, for the 8 speed, however.

    Yeah I got an email reply from Cotic saying they do not do it directly...but pointed me in the direction of...Sidewayscycles.
  • Libraio
    Libraio Posts: 181
    Roasties ti frame
    Alfine 11 wheelset + fixed wheelset
    beltdrive
    avid bb7

    Oh, and a very secure place to lock it at work...
    The Commuter: 2009 Trek District
    The John Deere: 2011 Van Dessel WTF
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    When uni starts again in October, it's 1.5km from my front door to my department. Therefore, my perfect commuter bike for that is my B Twin Vitamin, because it's cheap and nothing's going to go wrong with it (there's basically nothing to go wrong on it.

    However, for my previous commute, which was a hilly 27km, I knew exactly what I wanted.

    Alu frame, carbon fork (lighter than steel)
    Disc brakes
    20 speed Campagnolo gearing
    Space for full guards with up to 28c tyres
    Drops, possibly with cross top levers
    Pannier rack

    I may still build this bike if I can find a disc compatible frame and fork I like, but without the pannier rack, and use it as a winter bike. I have thought about a hub gear, but in order to get the range I'd need, the gearing jumps would have to be huge, which I hate.
  • Libraio wrote:
    Roasties ti frame
    Alfine 11 wheelset + fixed wheelset
    beltdrive
    avid bb7

    Oh, and a very secure place to lock it at work...

    Yeah, I'll have the same please.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Sidewayscycles Cotic Alfrat seems pretty good http://www.sidewayscycles.co.uk/product ... 58&clid=23
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,484
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    http://www.on-one.co.uk/news/products/q ... ak-preview

    Drop bar alfine 8 bike from on-one
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    gaz545 wrote:
    I've just emailed Cotic to see if they are planning a dropped bar Alfine.

    A Cotic or a Genesis with Alfine..11 speed...mmm.
    Only problem is versa haven't released an 11 speed drop bar shifter for a hub gear. Untill then.. it's only a dream.

    My drop bar 8 speed Alfine doesn't use Versa shifters
    They need a travel agent to pull enough cable for V brakes, plus they cost a small fortune

    The diameter of a normal "pod" shifter can be increased by filing. Then it will fit on the slightly larger diameter of drop bars
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • Aidy
    Aidy Posts: 2,015
    vorsprung wrote:
    My drop bar 8 speed Alfine doesn't use Versa shifters
    They need a travel agent to pull enough cable for V brakes, plus they cost a small fortune

    It's a Roadrat though, you could have just put some BB7 roads on it :)
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    Aidy wrote:
    vorsprung wrote:
    My drop bar 8 speed Alfine doesn't use Versa shifters
    They need a travel agent to pull enough cable for V brakes, plus they cost a small fortune

    It's a Roadrat though, you could have just put some BB7 roads on it :)

    I didn't know Avid made a disk that needed almost no pull, interesting

    My particular Roadrat also has an additional problem with disk brakes. it has a Shimano generator front wheel
    Cotic put the disk brake mounts on the "wrong" fork. Actually it is right for dealing with breaking forces. But Shimano put the disk brake mount on the standard side of the wheel
    With a normal wheel running it "backwards" makes no difference. There isn't a forwards or backwards!
    But with a generator hub there is a definite correct direction of rotation or there is a chance it will come undone, like an Italian thread BB
    So I'm running V brakes at the moment. I might try disks anyway, just for a laugh
  • Heres my belt drive pompetamine which is so anti fixie its been called One Less Fixie. After playing with this project I want to do another so the frame will be up for sale. Its a small and is perfect apart from I have cut through the frame and then joined it back together again with stainless plates and M5 machine screws.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/53929746@N ... 832192485/

    Any offers? PM me.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Nice looking machine, but I need a 56, not a small. For interest, why did you chop the frame, so you could fold it?
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    Pretty close with my current bike. It's an old Ribble winter/audax frame with carbon forks, running single speed with an eccentric bottom bracket and a single cog with spacers on the rear wheel. It's got full SKS Chromoplastic guards, all stickers removed. Not very nickable, the only regular maintenance is cleaning the chain and turning the EBB when the chain stretches. Brakes and cranks are Shimano.

    Only things I would change if I could would be bigger clearances as the guards only fit with 23c tyres, and a front disk brake.

    When I first built it, the tyres were the most expensive part of the bike, until I replaced the chain tensioner with the EBB.
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    Wrath Rob wrote:
    Nice looking machine, but I need a 56, not a small. For interest, why did you chop the frame, so you could fold it?

    Maybe to fit the belt?
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    Wrath Rob wrote:
    Nice looking machine, but I need a 56, not a small. For interest, why did you chop the frame, so you could fold it?

    Maybe to fit the belt?
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Not just Canny by name eh!
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • Heres my belt drive pompetamine which is so anti fixie its been called One Less Fixie. After playing with this project I want to do another so the frame will be up for sale. Its a small and is perfect apart from I have cut through the frame and then joined it back together again with stainless plates and M5 machine screws.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/53929746@N ... 832192485/

    Any offers? PM me.

    Great looking bike. That really is an ultimate commuter.
  • TBH, my Focus is pretty much spot on for my commuting duties, however it could do with a couple of tweeks:

    Triple crankset up front running 53/40/30 rings.
    Find and fit aero-extensions that won't interfer with the frog-leg levers.
    Install a faster rider.

    :D