After a trip to Glasgow, to see my friend Kevin, we did a lot of bike watching and bike chat while drinking too much Coffee. We even popped in to Evans Cycles to see examples of things we spoke about and to take a look at Bromptons.
My issue is I want a nice analogue 'touring' bike. I have a converted E-Bike for V and myself to go riding. I have a hard-tail MTB for going round local forests, but I want something for in between. I keep looking at new bikes that mostly fit what I want and I end up losing out on something else. I will admit there might be my ideal bike somewhere but I don't know the correct search terms so until then, I'm going to make one - cheaply.
The base for this is an old Specialized Globe 'Hybrid Commuter' bike. It was cheap, its got 700c wheels, 3x7 gearing, rim brakes, a lovely seating position for wide set 6"2 bloke and its also really light.
Key Criteria -
- Lightweight
- Cheap
- Basic Operation - Simple to repair and keep working.
The first job was to get the wheels sorted. They need trued and the axles fixed, so in the mean time I got some replacements from a local cycling recycling charity. Going with 700c x 35 Schwalbe Land Cruisers tires on them, they have great on road and trail performance. Along with some Slime in the tubes and the K-Guard layer, I have a lovely wheel setup, especially as having the 26" version of the tire setup on my E-Bike, I know this is reliable.
Next job is to get the cockpit sorted out. The Globe comes with a stem that adjusts up and down and 'straight-ish' bars, kinda angled up for a more a more upright riding position. This stem has been converted to a rigid one at about 100mm at a 7 degree angle. I know it's nice to be able adjust the angle but once when riding it slacked off and became a hazard. I was introduced to Jones H-Bars, I love them on my E-Bike as my arms are apart for when my little one is in the WeeRide and also for being able to attach bags and accessories to my bars. Stamina is also improved with the position of my arms on longer rides. The main issue with H-Bars is the cost, the ones I have were given to me. I was able to find a On-One Geoff Handlebar that fits the bill really well on what i was looking for and is much, much cheaper.
Other bits I needed done -
- Find the lower jockey wheel for a Shimano RDM340 Rear Derailleur. This took a little while to find and get replaced. The teeth on the old one were completely worn out. This brings me to my next point..
- New chain, nothing really to note other than the chain that came with it was completely worn out and I did have awful drive train noise.
- Brake and Gear cables replaced and new brake pads. I would love to be able to run disc but rims brakes are all its set up for sadly.
- Fit a old luggage rack to the bike.
I'd like to think it turned out well. Here is my bike away to start Cycle Ride Leader training -
