Getting Closer to the Destination

I lied; there's still more work to be done.  I still need to add crank arms, chain, inner tubes, dynamo headlight, and tune the bike, which is the most time consuming part.  A double kick stand would be nice.  Anyways, I am just doing this to get an idea of what the bike will be like.  And so far... I like what I seeing.

The Handlebar

Selecting the handlebar is something that one will not want to spend too much time on.  Although you can choose which ever handlebar you liked, selecting one that suits the purpose give your a better riding experience.  If your bike is designed for off-road use, you might want a flat bar, and if your bike is mainly for the paved roads/cyclocross use, you may want a drop bar for the different riding positions.   For touring and commuting bikes, it can be dropped, flat bars, or some other variations; the choices are endless.  There's also the moustache/mustache handlebars.  They are the ones found on traditional commuters, which what I am planning to install on my bike at first.   Nitto has the Northroad and RM-016 for $55-$70 shipped, and Velo Orange, Nashbar, and Ebay usually have the aluminum ones for around $20 shipped.  Different from flat handlebar that the grips position is perpendicular to the direction your bike is heading, the grips of the mustache bar points to the same direction of where your bike is going.  Although mustache handlebar looks good (at least to me), I don't think this is the type I wanted because of the grips location.

Fortunately, other than mustache, there's also the mary bars resembling the On-One Mary bars.  The position of the grips is somewhere between the flat and mustache bars (see below for a pic).   Below is a list of mary-style handlebars, which I've considered getting:

Manufacturer	Handlebar Name	Price
On-One	Mary	$40
Cinelli	Valencia City	$50
FSA	Metropolis City	$35
SOMA	Sparrow	$32
SOMA	Oxford	$30
Origin8	Spacebar (I, II, OR, OR2)	$20
Surly	Open Bar	$60
Velo Orange	Tourist	$13
Velo Orange	Milano	$13
Nashbar	Comfort MTB	$25
Demension	Arc	$15

 
I really liked the look of Cinelli Valencia City, but compared to the $12-shipped Origin8 Spacebar OR I got from Wheel and Sprocket's E-Bay store, it's a no-brainer.   I feel the width of the Spacebar (610mm) is too wide, so I used my pipe cutter and shorten it by 40mm each side to a total width of 530mm.  As a result, the handlebar width corresponds to the width of my shoulder, which equates to better fit.  Too bad I don't have a picture of the handlebar before shortening it; 610mm just look weird on the bike.

Soma Juice with Origin 8 Spacebar OR (shortened from 610mm to 530mm)

Cinelli Valencia City - 1

Cinelli Valencia City

FSA Metropolis City Review: http://urbanvelo.org/fsa-metropolis-bars/

The Bill

Originally, my estimated budget is about $900.00, but man, here's how much I've spent so far.  I hope this is all I needed.  Since this is a DIY project, I haven't show how much I spent on the tools for specific parts such as the headset, bottom bracket, wheels, etc.  With the exception of the frameset, all the parts are new.  Even though the total is not really what I expected, I think I got pretty decent deals on many of the parts.  I spent quite some time planning on what I need for each store, so I didn't have to spend too much on shipping.  Sometimes if your total was over a certain amount, you would get free shipping, which was what I tried to take advantage of.  Last but still very important, originally, I don't want anything other than Schwalbe Marathon's but decided to give Vredestein a shot since they are $22 shipped for a pair from Nashbar.  I just can't pass this deal.  Hopefully, they will be adequate for commuting.

Part	Part Description	Unit Price	Qty.	Final Price	Store
Frameset	Soma Juice 29er	225.00	1	225.00	Craigslist - Private Seller
Headset	Cane Creek S-3 1 1/8" Headset	35.00	1	35.00	Tree Fort Bikes
Stem	Ritchey Adj. length: 80mm, handlebar diameter: 25.4mm	31.00	1	12.00	Ebay - Private Seller
Seatpost	Marin Comp Alloy Micro Adjust Seatpost 27.2mm	16.00	1	16.00	Jenson USA
Front Wheel	Pavement Series 2, Front Alfine Dynamo, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective	162.99	1	162.99	AE Bike
Rear Wheel	Pavement Series 2, Rear Alfine I-8, Velocity Dyad Black Reflective	240.99	1	240.99	AE Bike
Handlebar	Origin 8 Spacebar Off-Road Handlebar	13.00	1	13.00	Ebay
Handlebar Tape/Grip	Oury Black Grip	10.00	1	10.00	Tree Fort Bikes
Saddle	Brooks B17	80.00	1	80.00	Tree Fort Bikes
Crankset & BB Combo	Shimano Alfine Crankset Silver	60.00	1	60.00	Ebay - Private Seller
Chain	Shimano HG-53	14.39	1	14.39	Tree Fort Bikes
Shifter	Alfine 8 speed shifter	40.27	1	40.27	Amazon
Misc Rear Hub Small Parts	Shimano SG-S501 Alfine/Nexus small parts kit	16.68	1	16.68	Amazon
Misc Rear Hub Small Parts	Shimano CS-500 Alfine Sprocket with Guard (20T, Black)	10.46	1	10.46	Amazon
Light	B & M Lumotec	90.00	1	90.00	xxcycle
Brake &  Levers Set	Shimano Hydraulic M-585 Kit (Levers, Calipers, Rotors)	101.00	1	101.00	Ebay - Rocky Mountain Cyclery
Grip	Oury Mountain Grips (Black)	9.99	1	9.99	Tree Fort Bikes
Tires	Vredestein Dynamic Tour Road Tire	12.00	2	24.00	Nashbar
Tube	Kenda Road Bicycle Tube - 700 x 35/43 - 32mm Presta Valve - 02289B30	4.09	2	8.18	Nashbar
Pedals	MKS Touring Lite Pedals	27.50	1	27.50	Ebay - Wheels and Sprockets
Small Parts	Cane Creek Headset Spacers Kit	4.50	1	4.50	Tree Fort Bikes
Small Parts	Shimano 160mm Caliper Adapter F+R	14.00	2	28.00	Robinson Wheelworks
Small Parts	29er Rim Tapes	10.00	1	10.00	AE Bike
				1,239.95

To Buy or Not to Buy a Bike?

Think about it.  Even if you have all the necessary tools, you probably think twice before beginning your project customizing a bike.  The components alone can be very costly unless you know someone from Trek or UBI who can hook you up with discounted parts.  Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of connection, so I have to look for alternatives.  Stealing is probably one of my options, but it may be too risky, and I still remember what it's like to have mine stolen (sad stories).  So, I would rather buy a bike and swap out the parts I don't like, which can also be more cost effective than starting something from scratch.  For example, I recently saw a (2008?) Rocky Mountain Metropolis bike with Shimano Alfine 8-speed for $549 shipped from Realcyclist.   Unless the bicycle is used, I never seen anything with a price tag that's close to this one.  Unfortunately, whenever I see any good deal similar to this one, quite often, the choice of frame size is pretty limited.  Those usually comes with frames that are either too small or too large.  If you referred to my previous post, size of the frame matters, and it mainly determines whether or not you would want to bike or stay home tomorrow staring at your computer and writing blogs.  Because of the fit, I have no choice but to pass this deal.

Even if the prices are not as good as the one from Realcyclist.com, there are plenty of good deals which make customizing your own a waste of time and money.   I have gathered a list of bikes along with specs those belong to the same category as the one I am building.  (URL coming soon).

Buying a bike is the way to go.  No doubt.  Well... except for one small problem.  This time, I want Schwalbe Marathon's (almost a must have), Brooks, steel frame, Alfine hubs front and back, and quality headlight.  Dahon is probably the only one offering Schwalbe tires, and they are not the Marathons.  I believed only Breezer's bike offers B&M headlights, which is understandable for other manufacturers due to competitive pricing.   I can go on and on, but in the end, I decided not to buy the whole package, but instead getting the spec I wanted.

Soma Juice 29er Frame

Due to budget constraint, I decided to get a used frame on Craigslist.  Soma Fab is a reputable bike frame company, and its 29er Juice frame has gotten good reviews.  Originally, I want classic black frame like the Surly Karate Monkey.  I was also considering the Origin8 cx700 cross frame, another frame that looked almost perfect on paper except for the color, but I heard there were issues with quality control.  Bad QC would mean the quality of the frame you get depends on your luck.   To keep my project as problem-free as possible, I found a used tange chromoly Soma Juice/IRD fork frame-set on Craigslist for $225.  The frame is in mint condition, but needs a little cleaning.  I thought it was a decent deal.  The only thing I don't like about this frame is the color.  Soma calls this color the Midnight Silver.  Well... it does look silver in the midnight, but under brighter sunlight it morphs into unmanly iridescent purple. 

It doesn't come with the headset, anything that is attached to the handlebar, stem, bb, seatpost, and caliper. What it does comes with is the Surly seat collar, Lizard Skins chainstay protector, and a Surly tugnutt chain tensioner. Here is a picture of what I have so far.

The Frame

To me, the frame is essential.  It holds everything together.  Whether or not biking will be enjoyable all depends on the frame.  The correct fit is extremely IMPORTANT!  I found this out the hard way.

Frame Tubing Materials
I am a steel-man.   I have nothing against aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, or the exotic bamboo.  With the exception of one bike, all my bikes are steel.  Steel is durable and has the reputation of lasting longer than my Canon one-megapixel camera.  I like steel, so this one will also be steel.

Frame Size
When I started to take biking more seriously, the bicycles I bought are from garage sales and Craigslist.   I got a Yokota Ahwahnee (700c...  mtb X road hybrid bike) and Bianchi Timberwolf (26" rigid mtb).  Both of them are about $25 each, really cheap, but the size were just too big.  I enjoyed riding the Yokota a lot, but I have to lean forward in order to get into a bikable position.  So, I either had a choice of holding the handlebar in a stand-up position, or sitting on the saddle without holding the handlebar like riding a unicycle, similar to how Lance rise his arms while pedaling after a victory, that's how bad it was.   Furthermore, the standover height (height of the top tube in this case) is too high.  If it's too high, for guys (I am sure for women too)... not a good thing.  Long story short, I ended up selling them back on Craigslist or throwing it away. 

How can you tell if the frame is too small?  I also have some experience I would like to share.  Besides being extreme uncomfortable, one of the symptoms is the front wheel will sometimes hit your toes when you turn your handlebar.  The handlebar is also too low even in its highest setting.  The lesson here: size matters.

Some of the things when I know I get the right fit is 1) I can effectively use my strength to move forward while pedaling in your most natural position, 2) effective top tube length fits your upper body in a natural position so you won't need to try hard to reach the handle bar, and 3) there needs to be clearance between the bike's standover and your inseam (as described previously).

Wheels For the Frame
Besides the size, the first thing to consider is the wheels the frame can accommodate.  In my opinion, 700c (ISO 631) wheels seems handle better on the road than 26" (ISO  559).  In addition to that, road tires are more common in 700c-size, whereas the selections for 26" are more for off-road applications.  I don't know... the 700c vs. 26-in. debate is probably a bias based on my impression of and what I see in my local bike shops and online stores.  Probably no studs on the tires.   Unless I am forced to bike on unpaved trails, the bike will be designed for the streets.  Normally, I would like the tires to be as narrow as possible... something like 700x23c.  Since I have bikes that are configured with narrow and slick tires, this time I want it to be wider and more comfortable.

Disc Brake Tabs
Why disc brake for a bike built for commuting anyways?  When it comes this question, I highly encourage enforcing the don't ask don't tell policy.  I am sure v-brakes are good enough, and discs are just overkill.  But I have a confession to make.  I've never owned/worked with a bike with disc brakes and would like to try something different.  So the frame has to have disc brake tabs to accommodate the brakes.

The Choices
So what frames met all those criteria?  Generally, what I was looking for are cross and 29er frames.  Off the top of my head, this was what I came up with:

1. Surly Karate Monkey (my favorite)
2. Surly Pugsley
3. Soma Juice (heard good things about it)
4. Soma Double Cross DC
5. Origin8 cx700
6. Niner SIR (@ around $849 just for the frame might be a bit over budget)