Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

because it'll go through the seatpost.

it's a compromise, the higher mount mean that a normal rack should be useable, also to keep the arm away from the brake, but it mean the eyelit is near the seat tube instead.

I also hate having stuff on my back on road bike. on more upright bikes, its fine though.
For half day voyages into the lakes and back I can get tube/spares/tools into tiny saddle bag, two bottles (which fill up wherever I end up), pump on strappy thing to side of secondary water bottle and only as much food as will fit in pockets.
Ed - why 3x tubes?

Because I was riding with a friend for the first 35 miles to help him get the hang of riding the DD, especially not only it's his first DD, but century as well, so brought enough for him and me.

Another reason why I was carrying so much stuff too, provision for both of us.

If I'm ever on a ride with you Ed, will you carry my stuff as well? ;)

Hah, either I didn't mind carrying stuff, or I'm too used to hauling a heavy bicycle with 120kg worth of stuff on a trailer that the Brooklyn feel like it flied.

Love this Surly Cross Check, perfect for my weekly grocery shop...
/attachments/42207

1 Attachment

Looks good:

Getting the bike ready for the Exmouth Exodus. Need to find somewhere to attach another rear light. Got another bottle cage to put on. Thinking of changing the stem for a flat quill but I'll see how much the quill flexes compared to the ahead. Getting the rack on was really easy. P-clips at the bottom then replaced the seat clamp bolt with a standard M6 to get the front attachment to fit. Seat post is seized anyway so it doesn't matter too much

I don't understand why so many people use front racks instead of rears. With the rear all the shit's out of the way and it doesn't move.

Because it looks cooler.

Rear rack = tourer or commuter nodder
Front rack = 1930s deliver boy or cute girls with old fashioned bikes

In all serious tho, I loved borrowing my ex's bike with a front basket when I used to get stuff for breakfast. It was just so easy. But that's a basket, rather than a rack. At some point I'll have a front basket on a beater, possibly with a rack underneath for strength. Altho her wicker basket held up fine full of locks and shopping...which brings me on to another point...

...guys always go overkill. Like the guys my mum works with who immediately trade their Porsche for a Range as soon as their wife gets pregnant....

...or like 10st guys needing 36h deep rim wheelsets...or having to have a bulletproof ck headset to ride around the East End...etc...etc...

It's just what guys like to do.

^ this made me lol. My girlfriend has been riding the same old Raleigh Caprice with a 'shitty' £60 singlespeed wheelset for four years now - every day through rain or snow with the absolute minimum of maintenance (I baby-wipe the grime off the rims every weekend and that's it... can't remember when I last cleaned the chain).

I'm very tempted to put a shopping basket on my rack, since I can't find any cheap panniers.

yeah that nigel dean sure is overkilled

...guys always go overkill. Like the guys my mum works with who immediately trade their Porsche for a Range as soon as their wife gets pregnant....

...or like 10st guys needing 36h deep rim wheelsets...or having to have a bulletproof ck headset to ride around the East End...etc...etc...

It's just what guys like to do.

depends if its east end London or east end Glasgow.
The latter ideally your bike should be equipped with tank tracks; some potholes actually DO go to the centre of the earth, with sulfur smoke and brimstone spouting out on any given evening ;)

Some of the pot holes in Glasgow are damn scary.

..ideally your bike should be equipped with tank tracks...

vola:

I don't understand why so many people use front racks instead of rears. With the rear all the shit's out of the way and it doesn't move.

Not neccisarily the case in that Dean but I fitted a front rack over a rear as my forkls had mounts but my frame didn't.

Hugo, it's 'Voilá'.

That is fantastic.

What's your experience with those fenders/mudguards? I find that flat ones tend to have the most side spray, followed by SKS style ones (with similar hardware to yours), and the most effective I've experienced are the Berthoud/Honjo units with their own external hardware.

The bike looks terrific by the way, though I'd prefer a more traditional decal design and placement.

I don't know why but it looks really weird how the stem matches the frames colour.

Nice idea with the thumbies. I guess there's no more reason to have them at the end of the bars than there.

One thing that is a bit strange tho, is having a bottle dynamo. Especially when all that money's been spent.

Where'd you get those basket? They look good.

Love this Surly Cross Check, perfect for my weekly grocery shop...
/attachments/42207

kondorfixies

peas?