Practical recycled steel bicycles for commuting, touring, and general riding.
I build up custom useful bikes to order based upon your needs. These range from "rough stuff" 26" wheel drop bar bicycles to swept back bar, road slick wearing commuter bikes with either 700c or 26 inch wheels. And I do this for low prices, based on the fact that many of the parts used for the bikes are used rather than new. Think of a early 1990s Bridgestone built on a budget: an XO-1 or 2, or a CB-1.
Why bother with this arrangement? Well, first of all, I can give you a better bang for your buck than you will get at a bike shop. Because I start with a carefully chosen used bicycle frame and used wheels and components, you get high end parts at big box store bicycle prices. The parts and wheels will be medium to high end parts from somewhere between five and twenty five years ago depending on your needs, with a much better life span and performance over time than you would get on the parts of an entry level bicycle purchased new. But spare parts are readily available.
Why, number two: you will get a bike built to your needs, not to the needs of a large company's bike designer or the purchasing needs of a Chinese factory. If you like swept back bars, you'll get them; if you want drop bars on a steel MTB frame, you'll get them as well. For these cockpit choices, I used either new or carefully chosen used parts. Likewise, you'll get new tires and tubes that you specify (and if you tell me your wants, I'll advise you on the lowest price options for your needs--you need not have an encyclopedic knowledge of what's currently being made.
Why number three: I'll go over your bike and build it up just for you, so that it's built better than all big box store bicycles and most (all but the highest end) bike shop bikes. I'll install every part, every accessory, go over every adjustment, and make sure it all works well.
I have a wide knowledge of bicycles and parts, and am a careful, even picky mechanic. If your view of a good bike goes beyond a new, shiny paint job, billboard sized decals, and the shrieking advertising that fills cycling magazines, maybe you're a candidate for such a bicycle. I can start with your frame and parts or with a frame and parts that I have already in stock, or I can help you find appropriate candidates.
The price for this service start at $300 for a simple complete bike (for example a MTB based commuter with swept back bars, road tires, and a single chainring plus 7 speeds) and go up from there. Send me an email with your phone number if you are interested or curious, and I'll get back to you. I can also arrange for paint and powder coating on frames, though this will add somewhere between $100 and $300 to the cost.
These bikes cannot complete pricewise with big box store bicycles (say a Schwinn hybrid from Walmart); but they will last longer, give greater enjoyment in use, and are in general more servicable than any big box store purchase, or even most low level bike shop bicycles of below $500 in price.
Below: a rough stuff lugged steel Bianchi MTB from about 1988 that is equally at home touring (with the addition of racks) or fire-road bombing. With road slicks of 1.25 to 1.5 inches, it's also a great commuter and utility road bike. This bike features Nitto bar and stem, lugged steel frameset, 8 speed wheels, Suntour Power Ratchet bar end shifters, and Teva-and-Chaco friendly pedals.
The current price on such a bike would be $550 to $700, depending on the new parts that you required (Nitto costs more; racks add bucks; lugged frames will cost more; as do framesets of fancy lightweight tubing, while TIG welded frames of even nice tubing cost a lot less).
Please continue reading below the photograph.
Below is another iteration of the "rough stuff touring bike" based on a early to mid 1990s (1 1/8 head tube) last generation lugged steel US made frameset. It features modern Salsa Bell Lap handlebars, Kelly Take Off shifters, and a mix of old and new parts. Price on this, about $600 to 700.
For all but the highest performance riding, I have a strong bias towards steel tubing bicycles. Their lifespan is indefinite; they weigh a reasonable amount; and they take abuse far better than do aluminum and carbon frames. Likewise, I am predisposed to prefer friction shifting; but if you need indexing, I'll happily work with you on your practical build.
Below is the high end of my custom builds: a very low mileage Rivendell Sam Hillborne sold to a San Francisco buyer as his daily urban commuter for about $1700, based upon a frameset with about 300 miles, a Phil Wood bottom bracket, first generation XTR crankset, and generally good quality parts including a Nitto handlebar and stem. The saddle in this photo is a placeholder; not the final Brooks B17.
Below: a single speed based upon a early 1980s Fuji that had been powder coated. The price on this one would be between $400 and $500. Features: single speed freewheel rear wheel; high quality Japanese crank (cold forged 110mm bolt circle diameter) with pants guard custom made from a larger ring with teeth removed; moderately wide tires for cushioning on rough roads. The handlebar is an aluminum tourist style and its silver matches the rack and the fenders. This is a great short commute bike, grocery bike, and general "less than ten miles" rider for all but the most speed oriented cyclists. Note that the fender line needs improvement!
If you're interested in a custom bike that meets your needs, please email Peter, <info@2wheeltune.com>.