# Disc brake commuter frames?



## Johnny K (Mar 14, 2005)

Alright, I'm looking for a new frame to base a new commuter build around to replace and ancient Trek I have been riding.

Here is the criteria I think needs to be filled:

Available in frameset only
700c wheels
Disc brakes
Clearance for a road compact crank
Flat MTB bars (read long TT compared to ST here...)

My number one pick right now is a Salsa Vaya frameset followed by a Soma Double Cross Disc...OR I guess I could use a 26" rigid frame and fork and stuff the 700c wheels in there but that just seems wrong somehow. Any thoughts here?


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## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

Surly Troll/Ogre/Disc Trucker, Civia Bryant/Hyland, Vassago Fisticuff, Voodoo Nakisi


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

Deja Vu all over again? This thread might be an interesting read for you. Your thoughts after that would help.

Enjoy.

BrianMc


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## Bulldog (Jan 13, 2004)

Cotic RoadRat long. Loving mine. 
the Product of COTIC cycles : ROADRAT, for commuting, training, touring, cyclocross, family rides, courier work...


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## Agwan (Feb 16, 2011)

BrianMc said:


> Deja Vu all over again? This thread might be an interesting read for you. Your thoughts after that would help.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> BrianMc


Its building up to be a Gem, but I sacrified 700c wheels. this bike still seems like its gonna be a heck of a Commuter!


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

What about the Rocky Mountain Metropolis ? Looks great to me.

David


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Bulldog said:


> Cotic RoadRat long. Loving mine.
> the Product of COTIC cycles : ROADRAT, for commuting, training, touring, cyclocross, family rides, courier work...


Hijack: I have been eyeing those for a long time. How big of a tire will that frame clear?


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

On topic: 

I built an Access 29er from Performance Bike for my commuter... It meets all of your criteria. My compact double crankset (50/36) clears the chainstay, but wow...it's close. I've been riding it for a couple years with no issues.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Agwan said:


> Its building up to be a Gem, but I sacrified 700c wheels. this bike still seems like its gonna be a heck of a Commuter!


Just to be clear, _you_ sacrificed 700Cs. The frame would support them fine.

A while ago, I was thinking it would be cool to do all my speed work on my XC bike with road wheels. I tried sticking my road bike's front wheel in the fork, which is the tightest clearance on my bike, to see if it would fit. There's a lot of clearance with a 23mm tire. It's a little funky looking, but IMO not nearly as bad as 26" wheels with 1" slicks. The outside diameters of 700C wheels with road slicks and 26" wheels with knobbies are more similar than 700C with road slicks vs. 29er knobbies, so I actually think that on a disc build, 700C road wheels in a 26" frame are less wrong than in a 29er frame. You can also tweak the head angle of a hardtail frame with a shorter axle-crown fork if you want to to get a little lower bottom bracket and snappier, more "road" handling. It would take a seat post with a lot of setback to make things fit right for a lot of us at that point.

Didn't end up following through on that project. I didn't want to spend a few hundred dollars on a set of wheels when I already have a perfectly good road bike.


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## JordyB (Oct 26, 2007)

I think my next commute build will be a Surly Ogre.


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## Agwan (Feb 16, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Just to be clear, _you_ sacrificed 700Cs. The frame would support them fine.
> 
> A while ago, I was thinking it would be cool to do all my speed work on my XC bike with road wheels. I tried sticking my road bike's front wheel in the fork, which is the tightest clearance on my bike, to see if it would fit. There's a lot of clearance with a 23mm tire. It's a little funky looking, but IMO not nearly as bad as 26" wheels with 1" slicks. The outside diameters of 700C wheels with road slicks and 26" wheels with knobbies are more similar than 700C with road slicks vs. 29er knobbies, so I actually think that on a disc build, 700C road wheels in a 26" frame are less wrong than in a 29er frame. You can also tweak the head angle of a hardtail frame with a shorter axle-crown fork if you want to to get a little lower bottom bracket and snappier, more "road" handling. It would take a seat post with a lot of setback to make things fit right for a lot of us at that point.
> 
> Didn't end up following through on that project. I didn't want to spend a few hundred dollars on a set of wheels when I already have a perfectly good road bike.


I agree. Particularly with the Some Groove, Rigid Soma fork. just go look at the pics. there is a TON of vertical space in there!


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

David C said:


> What about the Rocky Mountain Metropolis ? Looks great to me.
> 
> David


See it at Jenson...

Commuter / Urban / Fitness at JensonUSA.com - Your Mountain & Road Bike online parts supplier!










Those might also be available as frame only if you look online a bit.

David

David


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

The On-One Pompetamine might be worth a look. It's got the crankset clearance, but the frame is designed around the Alfine IGH so you would only want to run a single ring, anyway. You can also run it SS (as I am).


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## Bulldog (Jan 13, 2004)

CommuterBoy said:


> Hijack: I have been eyeing those for a long time. How big of a tire will that frame clear?


I'm running 700x47c front and rear. Yes, Forty-Seven! :thumbsup:


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## Minnesnowtan (Oct 14, 2011)

Salsa Vaya & Salsa Fargo

salsacycles.com

The Jamis Aurora Elite / Bossanove has less tire clearance as does the Gunnar FastLane (38mm with fenders)

The Vaya is a good choice, the Fargo may be tractor-slow accelerating but it takes a big tire.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Bulldog said:


> I'm running 700x47c front and rear. Yes, Forty-Seven! :thumbsup:


Yeah, I pretty much need one of those.


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## Xtracycletony (Oct 11, 2011)

*29'er commuter choice*

My choice was a Schlick Cycles Smitty. I opted for belt drive and in Alfine 8 as I ride this every day and WI winters are brutal on chains. Studs in the winter (700x38) and Big Apples 2.35's in the summer. It's a very versatile frame set made in the US of A by Tom Teesdale.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*Swobo Crosby*

SS, IGH or geared (by changing the dropout) disc or V brakes.


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## Simonns (Mar 25, 2004)

I love my Vaya. It was the first touring/commuter/road bike I tested and took it home that day. It just felt "right"


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## WMBigs (Jul 11, 2009)

Raleigh Bicycles Furley
Raleigh Furley looks like a whole lot of fun.


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## crdean1 (Oct 19, 2011)

You could retrofit a CC using a dimension disc fork. I did it and it worked out nicely.


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## slower_than_u (Sep 28, 2008)

CommuterBoy said:


> On topic:
> 
> I built an Access 29er from Performance Bike for my commuter... It meets all of your criteria. My compact double crankset (50/36) clears the chainstay, but wow...it's close. I've been riding it for a couple years with no issues.


Same here, although I run a single ring. This thing never breaks. And now that I've gone tubeless, I don't get flats anymore either.


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## Coloradoxj13 (Sep 9, 2009)

slower_than_u said:


> Same here, although I run a single ring. This thing never breaks. And now that I've gone tubeless, I don't get flats anymore either.


Can you post a pic of how you dealt with mounting the rear rack around the disc brake caliper?


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

Coloradoxj13 said:


> Can you post a pic of how you dealt with mounting the rear rack around the disc brake caliper?


Just buy a disc-compatible rack, like the disc version of theTopeak Explorer. It comes all set to mount around the disc caliper.


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## lawfarm (May 14, 2010)

Vaya....

No, wait.

Ti Vaya. There you go.


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## jako7 (May 25, 2010)

i have a rocky mountain metropolis good for a commuter bike. i just upgraded the disc brake and put knobby tires for winter commute.


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## harvestlaser (Oct 3, 2005)

I have a civia bryant belt. I re-laced some velocity dyad rims and it is great, the only other thing I will change is the crank (wide q-factor). As the frame goes it is great, good amount of fork flex to smooth things out, good finish and adaptability and a good price.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Traitor Ruben?


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## CYRON10k (Mar 12, 2008)

jasevr4 said:


> Traitor Ruben?


I absolutely love my Traitor.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Yeah I'm thinking about building one up with an Alfine hub. Only thing is that I'll need a Trickstuff BB and Shimano cranks..


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

Singular Gryphon.

SS, geared, IGH, flat bar, drop bar, fat tires, skinny tires, whatever you want.
The Surly Ogre would be my second choice, and the Salsa Fargo if you don;t intend to go SS/IGH.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Forgot about that one - the Singular Gryphon is a quality option. Also the Raleigh Roper/Furley too.


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## nameresu (Jun 19, 2009)

Hi. Is there any option exept Singular Peregrine, that is single speed capable, can fit fat tires ( 700x45c ) , disc brakes and have a nice fork with curved blade? Like Peregrine/Disc LHT/Jamis Aurora etc.. ???


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## Larryscustomcycles (Oct 27, 2010)

Singular Peregrine does all that.


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## nameresu (Jun 19, 2009)

Larryscustomcycles, yes, peregrine, always type "gryphon" instead "peregrine" for some reason.
But if not Singular, then what? The problem is... I live in Russia, I wrote a letter to Singular, still no response...If it possible, I'll buy Peregrine, but if I can't, then what ? %)


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## Larryscustomcycles (Oct 27, 2010)

Email Sam here: [email protected]

Or PM him on this forum...his name is Singular.


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## mitzikatzi (Sep 9, 2008)

nameresu said:


> Larryscustomcycles, yes, peregrine, always type "gryphon" instead "peregrine" for some reason.
> But if not Singular, then what? The problem is... I live in Russia, I wrote a letter to Singular, still no response...If it possible, I'll buy Peregrine, but if I can't, then what ? %)


Triton bikes


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Rocky Mountain Ebay store seems to be selling RM commuter/hybrid frames on the cheap. Been considering a Whistler but to be honest I sort of prefer 26 tires because I really don't want to buy a new set of 700 wheels and tires. Would prefer to reuse my 26 wheelset and a number of 26 semi-slicks and slicks.


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## Singular (Sep 21, 2005)

nameresu said:


> Larryscustomcycles, yes, peregrine, always type "gryphon" instead "peregrine" for some reason.
> But if not Singular, then what? The problem is... I live in Russia, I wrote a letter to Singular, still no response...If it possible, I'll buy Peregrine, but if I can't, then what ? %)


Don't think I've seen any email from anyone in Russia. Please try again or PM me here - I will also check my spam.


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

Since the OP is considering the Gryphon among his choices, here's my thread on my Gryphon in its present commuter guise.
I've just started riding it, so don't have alot of saddle time on it, but first impression is quite good. This is a really nice frame - build quality as well as ride quality.

The only tradeoff is the (easy to overcome) lack of mudguard specific braze-ons and bosses. You can see from my pics how I've handled it. Easy peasy.


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## G-Ryder (Jan 29, 2007)

djork said:


> Rocky Mountain Ebay store seems to be selling RM commuter/hybrid frames on the cheap. Been considering a Whistler but to be honest I sort of prefer 26 tires because I really don't want to buy a new set of 700 wheels and tires. Would prefer to reuse my 26 wheelset and a number of 26 semi-slicks and slicks.


Yep, I just picked up a RM Whistler 30 frame for $26! didn't need it but for $26 what the hell. Been wanting to do some road/commuting so what the hell.


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## grandsalmon (Oct 24, 2005)

K2 Enemy from my parts bin (frame was $10 at the swap). Had to buy the spokes, and fork. I was posting this bike in commuter photos- 2 years going and nary a touch.


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## trevrev97 (Jul 19, 2009)

2012 JAMIS BICYCLES - CODA ELITE


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

grandsalmon said:


> K2 Enemy from my parts bin (frame was $10 at the swap). Had to buy the spokes, and fork. I was posting this bike in commuter photos- 2 years going and nary a touch.


That's pretty sweet grandsalmon. My previous commuter was a K2 Enemy. I did not realize that there was a disc version of that bike? Mine had cantis. I gave my Enemy to my son and got a Soma DoubleCross DC which I love, but there are times when I miss my Enemy.

Thanks for the photo.


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