Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

Fucking love that colnago

http://24.media.tumblr.com/2c339dc0be9670db6acef624c1d2bec9/tumblr_n6ehkvMwWK1s5dcnxo2_500.jpg

just finished building this bike - early 80s fuji touring converted to 700c from 27" and 9 speed campy veloce

rides absolutely great

took it out on its inaugural ride, 30 miles California headlands. Quite a bit heavier than my friends cross bikes :). Still needs fenders tweaked and bar tape and front derailleur.

Look like a fun bike, you fit the front mudguard a little too forward thought.

Looks awesome.

Looks ace. Did you have to reposition the canti studs?

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE0LzA1LzMxL2M0L1NhbkZyYW5jaXNjLjBmN2Y5LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/b493cb3a/842/San-Francisco-Bike.jpg

Looks ace. Did you have to reposition the canti studs?

no - I found some mtb canti's that had a longer adjustment. They work fine. putting in a pink chris king headset I have lying around too.

that Orange Tonic is amazing

Yes yes yes yes yes! So good!

I love that.

Come on little Oliver and little Cressida. Hop on the front there Ollie, and you jump in the middle there but I'M FUCKING STEERING.

Imaging trying to navigate Soho on it...

"Oliver! Cressida! put your foot down, we're reversing"

So...

    I'm getting an art studio at the end of the summer and need a bike that'll allow me to transport materials and supplies to and from. It's not going to be a long commute but will be about ten miles.
    I've been looking into a Surly Karate Monkey. I like the idea of the simplicity of a singlespeed but would it make a lot more sense to have gears? I've also read somewhere that disc brakes and racks don't work together on the Surly. I'd want to put drops on it and then occasionally be able to go out on some weekend rides doing a bit of light bike packing.

Is this doable or should I be looking at other options?

To be quite frank, a cheap Ridgeback would be more than apt for that, put mudguard, front or rear rack, and you got a decent bike to go back and forth.

All the money you saved not getting a surly can be put toward art equipment.

would a ridgeback hold up for like weekend bike packing?

or would this work?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/charge/cooker-ss-2014-mountain-bike-ec054210

Most bikes should survive the odd weekend bikepacking assuming you don't live next to a desert or in Alaska...

Saying that I do have a Karate Monkey and I do enjoy it.

Here's my functional bike. Set up for an Audax tomorrow.

](http://s153.photobucket.com/user/danlayton/media/DSCF4806.jpg.html)[/IMG]

Furiously adjusting my chinos because of this

That orange 3 person rear steering bicycle is brilliant!

Dakin, Surly's are expensive for what they are IMO. I love them but my ECR was fucking expensive, but because they've filled a niche, they charge an arm and a leg. Get a Pompino or something similar.

Good day to post this then: http://surlybikes.com/blog

Those multi-asterisk footnotes aren't annoying at all!

Rode to Llandudno and back this weekend, 170 mile round trip, completing both May and June's Strava Grand Fondo requirements.

Emma's new bike:
Mini-Vs not really compatible with mudguards so once I've got cantis on there I'll cut down the stays.
This is her first bike with drops so I set the drop position to be only a little lower than her hybrid to encourage her to use the drops but she seems to have too much pressure on a nerve in her palm and her arms looked too straight, so I think a 90mm stem instead of the 100mm would be the first change.
She had Bicycle Doctor's Cambium C17S demo saddle for a few weeks and swapped that for this slate item on Friday. It costs twice what I paid for that DA 7800 chainset. Will be sad if I have to change that for a Compact (unless it ends up on my bike)

My bike for the weekend:
That's the Identiti Crisis I built up as a 26er for Emma, then I managed to ruin the axle on my Mielec I swapped the wheels for these 29ers and fitted some slicks. My other "working" bikes on Friday night were my polo bike and my fatbike :-/

Those multi-asterisk footnotes aren't annoying at all!

my fav part