Comments on: The Perfecto Commuter Bike : Type of Shifting

By: Micah McKinley

Micah McKinley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:44:17 +0000

Bar end shifters all the way on my Surly Cross check…sure sometimes my knee will shift them by accident, but you become quite aware of them after good habits are formed.

What makes them nice is the ease of use of them at lights or gearing up or down at different grades. They’re graceful and discreet. The come stock on Surly and Ive liked them better than STI shifters…I’m commuting, not racing.

By: Max O.

Max O. — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:36:35 +0000

If you want an Alfine hub and disc setup, the new Kona “Dr. Fine” is a great choice:

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=drfine

Swap out the Contis for some cxcross tires and you can have some sloppy fire road fun.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:26:01 +0000

I’m thinking a disc or singlespeed build for winter, maybe an internal geared hub setup for summer. Really like to see something with the clearance of a Cross Check that comes with this kind of flexibility.

LHT has a popular following, great for the touring across Alaska and such–
I am looking at BB7 brakes for a disc setup.

The Big Dummy has possibilities, IMHO.

By: Max O.

Max O. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:05:19 +0000

By far the best bang for buck shifting available is lowish end Shimano stuff like Alivo/Acera/Deore pods. They do great on a trekking/butterfly bar like the brilliant one offered by Nashbar, or a traditional curved city bar like the VO Milan.

If drop bars are a must, downtube shifter really are the most inexpensive and reliable option.

For the bits that move the chain, anything Shimano that’s above bolt-on-claw level will shift a commuter drivetrain fine.

Bring everything to a stop with Vee-brakes. Tektro/Avid/Shimano–all have great offerings for less than twenty bucks an end. Add some Kool Stop pads eventually for smooth and easy to service brakes.

By: tiffany jewelry

tiffany jewelry — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:39:10 +0000

I like that answer! Handlebar type: variable

By: davidg

davidg — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:59:00 +0000

bikeshopgirl- I don’t presently have any pics, but can shoot some this week. Pretty standard fare really. Stock qbp/lht build with the exception of the on one mungo bars and brooks saddle. Requisite add-ons: front rack/wald basket, carradice on the back. Good call ordering the lht, by the way. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

By: ac

ac — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:05:17 +0000

Oops – I just took a look at the Surly website, and it looks like the LHT frameset does not accommodate disc brakes at all.

By: ac

ac — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:59:59 +0000

My only problem with the LHT complete build is the lack of disc brakes, for stopping in the rain.

By: Bike Shop Girl

Bike Shop Girl — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:50:03 +0000

David – Do you have pictures of your set up? I’m collecting photos of various mustache bars to continue this LHT build.

By: Bike Shop Girl

Bike Shop Girl — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:46:49 +0000

Mike -

I agree on the complete build, keep it a secret but I purchased a complete LHT last week thanks to all the comments. We will continue on with the perfect build to outfit it.