Finally.
I finally accumulated the parts I needed to put together my perfect Vermont winter commuter bike. I picked up the two crucial pieces from the Denver craigslist. It seems that there is a lot of honesty in the biking world, and I was able to get exactly what the sellers promised. I ended up with a used Surly 1x1 frame (completely built up as a nice single-speed) and a used Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub, built into a 26-inch wheel. Combine this with the studded Nokians I already owned, and my new MiNewt Mini-USB headlight (and tail lights, of course)... and I now have a dependable, safe commuter bike that will take me through all but the worst of conditions. I've been riding it all this week and LOVE it. Bring on the snow and ice. I'm ready.
3 comments:
I'm in the process of building a bike similar to your setup. Did you have to add any braze-on for the shifter cable on the chainstay? The 1x1 frame pics at Surly doesn't show any. I'll probably use disc brakes, but not sure how that would affect me being able to install a rear rack.
I used good old-fashioned electrical tape for the shifter cable! It actually held up fine through the winter. In April, the bottom bracket died a noisy death, so that bike is now in the back of the garage, and I've been on another bike ever since. Unfortunately, being a regular bike commuter does not make me a good bike mechanic!
Post a Comment