I need another bike like I need a hole in the head, but the reality is I build up a new bike every year pretty much without fail. Some years I’m responsible and also sell a bike or two - some years I don’t. I’ve got too many bikes at the moment so this will definitely have to be one of the years I thin the herd out a bit. That’s a hard job for sure. I’ve been thinking that one option I have is instead of selling a bike I really like is to strip the frame and reuse the parts. Storing a bare frame is easy and doesn’t take up a lot of room. Getting to reuse parts makes a new bike cheap since I’m only really buying a new frame. I’m also, perhaps vainly, thinking that once I have a bike down to a bare frame I will find it easier to sell than when it’s ready to ride. Time will tell if I’m just fooling myself!…=-)
So what’s on the books for 2010? I’m not 100% sure yet, but one bike project I had a couple years ago that I’m still interested in is a citified Surly 1×1:
- black Surly 1×1 frame
- Shimano dynohub front wheel
- Alfine or Rohloff rear wheel
- Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 26 x 2.0″ tires
- square taper BB & Shimano Alivio cranks & 38T chainring
- Shimano SLX hydraullic disc brakes
- Titec H-bars
- OMM Cold Springs racks front and rear
- Brooks Champion Flyer saddle
- NRG Slabalanche BMX pedals
- SKS Fenders
- Dynohub headlamp [not sure which one]
- dual rear LED blinkies [not sure which ones]
The result will be a badass bike you can ride in any weather, all over town, day or night and carry a lot of stuff. A lot like some of my other bikes [like my Surly Big Dummy], but not quite the same.
There are two kinds of people - those that lose sunglasses real fast and those that don’t. If you lose your sunglasses in a week or two don’t invest in $100+ shades….no point really, but if you are the kind of person who keeps sunglasses for a couple years you should invest in some high quality optics. The difference between some $25 gas station sunglasses and a pair of Oakelys that cost $150 is night and day. You’ll see better and if you are like me and spend a good chunk of your time outdoors behind some shades that means a huge part of your life is enhanced. What’s the point of biking for 2hrs to get to a great viewpoint and try and enjoy it through crappy lenses???
The other thing I have noticed is my Oakleys last so much longer than the cheaper sunglasses I’ve owned. They don’t get scratched as easily and they don’t break as easily either. I’m still rocking a set of Oakely Twenties that are coming up on 10 years old. I’ve bought a set of replacement lenses and nose/arm rubber pads, but other than that I’ve abused the crap out of these shades and they are going strong. That’s $170 for the original sunglasses and $60 in spare parts = $230 total or $23/year. I’ve never had a pair of gas station shades last a year…so those $25 cheapies aren’t really all that cheap after all.
The fact I can still buy spare parts for a 10 year old pair of sunglasses is one of the reasons that I’m a loyal Oakley customer. I once broke the arm on a pair of shades from a major brand after just 2 weeks. I talked to the local dealer about spare parts and was told they don’t offer any…what??? A current model of sunglasses breaks and you can’t sell me a spare arm??? So I still have those taped together shades that I use when lose or damage is quite likely. I won’t be buying another pair from that company.
It’s been about 6 month since I unpacked a shinny red Bow Two-Four Cyclocross bike and put it to use on the mean streets of Calgary. I don’t want to thrash a test bike in winter conditions so it probably won’t see any more action until the spring. What did I think?
The Good:
- compared to my other bikes, which are all on the heavy utilitarian end of the spectrum, it’s really light and responsive.
- it’s not stupid light though and has taken all sorts of abuse without needing any attention.
- Cannondale has the aluminum frame thing dialed 100% - they make ‘em stiff, but they don’t have a harsh ride.
- I like the combination of a fast bike I can ride like a road bike, but that has canti brakes so I can stop it when I need to and that has the ability to carry 24 beers in panniers.
- I really liked the fact there was room in the frame for fenders and 23mm road tires. I know fenders aren’t cool on a fast bike, but when it’s raining I’d rather be clean than cool!
- The bike has brazeons for a rear rack which is also pretty critical for me since I use my bikes as transportation not just for fun.
- The handling isn’t super sharp, but it’s a lot more sporty than the typical touring or cargo bike that I ride.
- I was a bit concerned that the 10 speed drivetrain would need a lot of attention, but after I got it tuned when I built the bike it has just trucked a long. With 30 gears you’ve always got a gear you can use no matter how steep the road is.
The Bad:
- I didn’t love the stock saddle and replaced it with a Selle Anatomica unit. However, I’ve only ever liked one stock saddle on all the bikes I’ve owned so that’s not shocking.
- the red paint job is really bright which is cool when you’re feeling flashy, but as an all round town bike I wouldn’t mind something black and low-pro so it doesn’t attract the attention of folks likely to try and make off with it.
- I didn’t use the interrupter brake levers on the flats of the drop bars. If I was building the bike from parts I’d skip them and clean up the bars a bit. My friends with Cannondale cross bikes love ‘em so it’s just personal preference.
Who Should Ride a Bow Two-Four:
- a bike commuter who wants to be able to ride fast, carry some gear and ride with his/her roadie buddies on the weekend.
- a casual roadie who wants to pick up some groceries from the store with his/her bike and maybe do a light bike tour in the summer.
- the Two-Four probably makes a kick ass cyclocross bike, but I’m not unqualified to judge that end of the spectrum.
