Its currently built up as a FG/SS commuter with good solid brand name parts (Surly hubs, Mavic rims, DT spokes, Shimano 600 cranks, etc.), but since I bought a long Haul Trucker, this thing is just sitting here looking ugly and not getting ridden. (sorry for the mismatched chainring…it was cheap)
This bike is basically redundant…I have other bikes that can do the same job and more, so I was considering selling it, but I decided to keep it and transform it into something that is less redundant. I lack a true cyclocross bike, and I don’t really do any real cyclocross-type riding. So I’m thinking of making this a little more cyclocrossy so I could perhaps expand the types of riding I do. I would probably use it for some light offroading (fireroads), snow riding, occasional commuting, and other miscellaneous dicking around. I live near several dirt trails that I could actually add-on to a road ride and do sort of a 50-60 mile road-dirt combo ride. That would be a lot of fun.
Here’s my thoughts so far…
get a new saddle - the one on it is broken
gear it down with a smaller chainring
put a carbon fork on it (to make it lighter, but I still need eyelets for fenders)
install some cross tires
build a new wheel with an internally geared hub (or maybe the new Sturmey Archer S3X hub).
I’ll take any suggestions regarding specific replacement parts for the above suggestions (particularly 3, 4, and 5).
And I’ll take any other suggestions or ideas that I could do with this bike.
As I noted above, this bike is currently redundant, so I need to do something to it to make worth riding.
Or maybe I should just sell this thing and buy something with gears.
Build it into a true 'cross bike? You’re most of the way there - just lose the fenders, cages, computer, get a durable-but-somewhat-light saddle, CX tires, smaller chainring (62 g.i.), 175/180mm cranks if you don’t have them already, and a carbon fork would be a good idea. Then train for next season by hitting the local trails. Here’s mine, before I put on the carbon fork and lighter front wheel:
