# SS Commuters UNITE!!



## jflurett (May 7, 2008)

How many of us are out there?:thumbsup: 

Bike: 09 Specialized Tricross Singlecross
Experience: Novice
Distance: 9-10 miles
Hills: Gradual stuff, but one long steep bastard of a hill on my way home everyday.


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## lablover (Mar 9, 2008)

*SS commuters*

I try and commute 3 times per week, 19 miles round trip and I use a monocog 29er with 42-20 gears. This rig has really helped in overall fitness, especially the core. If I don't commute to work I ride after it gets dark (twilight times are more dangerous) and do a 9-12 mile loop depending on how I feel. I plan on doing this throughout the winter and increase my days as the spring arrives. Lovin it....


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## fred-da-trog (Oct 28, 2003)

60-70 miles round trip 1-2 times a week. 42-16 gears with semi-slicks. There are no shoulders along most of the route. It's fun to pull over into the dirt and keep on rolling. With the road bike I sometimes have to pull over and stop to allow room for semi trucks to pass. Overall the SS is only about 15 minutes slower in 30 miles.


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## analoguekid (Apr 19, 2008)

1700 miles so far this year...
17 miles round trip. all on my singleated, fendered, racked trek 4300 commuting machine...surly rigid fork. Just got some Nokians for the Ice.

Viva La single speed!


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## elvez (Jul 9, 2007)

6 miles each way, most every day, 15 years now.


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## bush_belay (Oct 15, 2004)

I'm in. 
Short commute - 4 miles round trip - rain, snow or hail
Hills- yes, one big one. Heading home is always fun!
Bike - mid 80's Nishiki Colorado with a milk crate on back :thumbsup: 

I love riding my bike to work, it helps me de-tox before I get home (usually).


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## yetirich (Jan 12, 2004)

Just started up again after changing jobs.

Commute is only 4 miles the quick way or 7 miles the long way.
Doing it on a SS mtb that is set up fixie. 40/16, drop bars, v-brakes and Schwalbe Fast Freds 26x1.9
It is 80% uphill on the quick way and almost flat on the long way

With the time change this weekend, nothing will change except the light will come out.


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## Vermont29er (May 27, 2006)

Usual commute is 6 miles each way with big shoulders and very mild hills. Sometimes more. Monday I have to do a HUGE climb and about 12 miles each way.

Gary Fisher Rig, 180mm cranks, 36x22, Nashbar trailer, 50+ lbs of carpentry tools. Fenders and Nokians are going on soon. Probably gonna wuss out and get an Alfine soon for higher top speed and easier climbing with the trailer.


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## nnn (Feb 1, 2005)

18 miles a day, 5 days a week, 4th year running (been commuting 10 miles a day since more than 8 years now)
Old-school 42-18 Peugeot 
100 PSI air horn


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## Helmsdini (Oct 23, 2008)

I commute about 50% of the time on my Trek Soho S. I changed out the chainring from a 42 to a 45 tooth and left the rear 17 freewheel intact. Most of the terrain is fairly calm around here but there is one beastly hill that I churn up on my way to school. It cuts me down to about 13MPH or so, but the bike is light enough that it doesnt matter much.


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## J-No (Apr 27, 2008)

Cross check fixed. 42 X 16. Anywhere from 8-30 miles each way as time permits. Currently 2 days/week, summers are 5 days/week.


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## jcufari (Jun 20, 2008)

14miles round trip 3-5 times a week. A couple of flyovers that i have to stand for but mostly flat. Old Gary Fisher wahoo. Running the big gear up front(42t) with the derailleur taken off. I took apart the rear cassette and am using the 15t in back(had to grind the riviet, spot spacers. I got the chain line straight on the first try. Only dropped it once so far. Using the old rear derailleur as a chain tensioner. 1.5slicks. Fenders, BOB trailer


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## Fast1000 (May 23, 2005)

*SS commuters!*

Hi mates,
Just got back home luckily in one piece!
19.8 miles each way. Try to commute 1 or 2 times per week.
39 - 15 gear on a Giant TR1 roadbike with a Pauls singlator, singlespeed bars, Ti egg beaters, and front brake only.
Love this ex gearie roadbike.
Cheers! :thumbsup:


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## backcountryeti (May 21, 2004)

16mi roundtrip here in cincinnati. 2-3 times a week in a 4day workweek.
Bike: 04 Haro V3, 42x16. Lots of lights, old rusty fender, smile all the way. Its getting cold though in the morn!


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

Bare minimum, 70 miles a week. 46/16 fixed on the nice days, 42/17 fixed on the big 29" slick commuter on the crappy days.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

25 miles round trip Daily 5 days a week thats straight backand forth. 
sometimes I'll run errand's onthe way to work which depending onwhere i'm going could add up to10 miles more

In the summer I use several different bikes aweek. 
three fixxed gear langsters with either a 44-15,44-16, 42-15

in the winter it mostly my San Jose with a 42-17 fixed or if it snows my surly 1x1 with a 36-16.

Mostly flat in a Far Northwest Suburb of Chicago


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## jeeves (Mar 12, 2007)

Easy 1-mile commute - but the high point of the ride is in the middle of the ride...so it's uphill and downhill every day! I ride day or night, rain or snow. 

Right now, I ride either a Schwinn Panther cruiser or a Kona Paddy Wagon - SS, of course. 

-RAJ


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## racerdave (May 12, 2007)

70s POS beater bike, 25 mile round trip.

3-4 days in summer, 1-2 in fall (scheduling conflicts)

All fixed... 45-15 in summer, backed off to 45-17 recently.

May pull the trigger on a Moto Fantom Uno... it'll give me the rear brake I need for the hills around here, then I'll beef up the tires and take it off-road too.


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## bikeuphill9 (Apr 23, 2006)

19 miles round trip
Hilly terrain
Giant Bowery (fixes count as SS right  )

I try to commute 4 times a week when I am feeling well.


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## jflurett (May 7, 2008)

Man some of you guys do some fierce commutes. Kudos to you.

As if SS wasn't tough enough with hills, I didn't find out that I was fighting against something else until 6/10ths of my round trip. Brakes were rubbing all the way to work and 1/5 of the way home. ARG. I thought I was fat, out of shape, etc.


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## Johnnydrz (Jul 8, 2005)

Started commuting 5 weeks ago. Bought a SS just for that. Kona Paddy Wagon, installed bullhorn bars, fenders, lights. Put a lot of reflective tape on the bike. Bought myself some good warm cycling clothes to attack the freezing temperatures we have been having in Montreal. 40km round-trip. I hop on my bike around 6.00am. When it's well under the 0 celsius mark, I wear my snowboard helmet. 

Terrain is kind of hilly, but not enough to have to get off my bike. 

Cheers from Canada,

Johnnydrz


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## mtbidwell (Apr 7, 2005)

28 miles round trip, mostly hilly rural gravel via SE Racing Stout 29er SS. Currently set up at 32 x 16. No racks, no bags- Use Ergon pack to carry clothes/ work stuff. Cold one this AM, whole whoppin 8 degrees F!


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

Nobody wanted my Trek 8500 frame, so I sold the fork and built it up with road parts.
Frame: Trek 8500
Fork: Winwood carbon CX
Wheels: 
[ice] Woodman disc hubs laced to Sun CR18 700C rims with Schwalbe Snow Stud 38C tires
[not ice] Hope Pro II disc hubs laced to Mavic Open Pro rims with Continental Ultra Gatorskin 25C tires
Brakes: Dia-Comp levers, Avid BB7 Road calipers, 160mm rotors, full-length housing
Bars: cheap ass 46cm "wing" drops
Stem: 110mm 3TTT
Seating: Thomson post, Specialized saddle
Drivetrain: Sugino crank, UN54 BB, Black Spire 53T ring, SRAM PC18 chain, Surly 18T splined cog, Spot spacer kit, XT pedals, no tensioner [magic gear]
Misc: DIY LED lights [600+ lumens], Mt. Zefal clip-on rear fender

My daily commute is short and fast. The 53x18 is the biggest gear I can currently handle on the hills heading back to my house [max 16% grade]. I don't go to an easier gear in the winter because I'm really lazy. I rode a 50x17 last year, but needed a little more top end to deal with traffic downtown, hence the change. Over the x-mas break I am going to install a narrower 44cm bar and improve the lights.


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## tkblazer (Sep 18, 2005)

now that school is over i'll be riding to work again and i'm waiting on my light to come in so i can ride home at night.. riding a dawes sst 44-16 with only mods being tires, saddle and drop bars/brake levers.. round trip its about 52 miles and pretty fun


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## Jlee197853 (Mar 15, 2004)

I commute 4 days a week. Mostly flat, but some hills when I ride around town. Probably do 70-100 miles per week. Specialized Hardrock 36/13 in the winter, and an old SR road bike 44/16 in the summer.


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## sfuller (Jan 14, 2007)

3 miles one way for me. Been riding my 09 Singlecross with fenders and studded tires. Currently running 39x17. Back pack this time of year. Mostly downhill to work, mostly uphill going home (imagine that)


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## RiceKilla (Apr 21, 2008)

7 mi each way for me. 3-4 days week. Depending on weather(rain).

I ride an IRO Mark V fixed gear bike. 46/16, thinking about adding a couple of teeth.

The commute has helped me big time with my mountain biking.


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## Jiffycake (Sep 22, 2005)

2004 Specialized P.1
- a bunch of mods.
- multi-purpose commuter/trail bike/urban/dj

I Just started commuting to work for exercise and fun, and also to get away from driving there. It is only a 4.2 mile round trip to my job and there are only two "stand up and pump" hills.


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## juiced79 (Jul 9, 2008)

Started about 2 1/2 months ago about the time this thread 1st started and it's still alive so I'll post 

Bought a used 05 langster stock 48/16 in flat south fl. 10 miles round trip. I carry just clothes in a book bag and try to haul a$$ both ways. The winter is great 70 deg out the door at 7am. 5 days a week but summer might be too brutal.

I SS mt bike so I thought a road ss would be great for cummuting. It is so quiet and peacefull. I might flip and go fixie? never tried it


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## KeylessChuck (Apr 15, 2006)

2 or 5 miles each way depending on weather and mood. Everyday rain, snow, or shine for about 6 years. Big hills. 

Jamis Coda cross (ish) with brazed on slotted dropouts.
Gunnar Hoy Dog with brazed on slotted dropouts.
Giant XXIX for snow.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

https://www.pioneerlocal.com/arlingtonheights/news/1346659,bg-bikes-121708-s1.article


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## elvez (Jul 9, 2007)

*new slicks*

so i put these on yesterday and went about 25 miles on 2 different trips.
Very different from the 2.5s I had on there.
Great off the line. This is gonna be nice on my commute. 
Here are some quick phone captures.


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## KeylessChuck (Apr 15, 2006)

Oh man!

That is commuting in style. What frame is that. I commuted for about 6 months on a 24" DK Fury when ther was a vacant lot next to where I work. Spent a whole summer worth of lunches building jumps and coming back to work filthy.

Those slicks look fast.


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## elvez (Jul 9, 2007)

Thx. It a Panda Pro Am.
I also have an old MCS 24. But thats gets harder to commute on every year.
That 3 lbs a year catches up after 40!
Puts some slicks on that 24" DK.
you will be amazed.


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## greathugesnowman (Mar 1, 2009)

45 mile round trip on my Kona Paddy Wagon. I try to do it once a week and hope to do it more often someday. At the moment, I'm completely worthless once I get home.

Feels great though.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

My May SS Commuting miles was 549 miles 
My average work week this month 49.75 hours
My Average time sitting at work 20 min per day at the most
53 years old


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## goalie (Feb 17, 2008)

Surly Cross-Check built up as a SS

10 miles each way commute to work

Hill??? What hills? My commute is flatter than my prom-date was.....


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## DavidNeiles (May 8, 2008)

*My SS commuter......*

I commute on this old mongoose frame i built the whole thing up from stuff I had around. Cost 35 dollars for conversion and slick tires. 20miles round trip to work and back. Ride at least 3 times a week. 48/18 gear; average speed 20 mph. It is fast and fun to ride this bike, I love it!!


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## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

Surly Cross-Check 42x17 SS (or 42x18 fixed)
Mileage = 19miles round-trip
Confession...I'm a fair-weather commuter. I only like dry commuting, but at least cold weather commuting doesn't bother me.


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## HardyWeinberg (Aug 3, 2007)

I built up a FG crosscheck, 42/17, 7 miles each way. Running 32mm tires but want to go fatter. We have definite topography but I'm finding it pretty doable. I only ride it on days I don't have to pull my 4 yr old uphill in her trailer from her daycare though, that calls for shifting.


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## dahoos (Mar 13, 2004)

*SS is the Way to Go!*

converted Nishiki road bike
matte black paint
flipped and clipped handlebars
fenders
not too many hills on normal 5mi commute but I do just about all my city riding on it and some hills are an a** kicker. Its nice to just cruise, no shifting worries, less maintenance, lighter bike.


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## huevos (Jun 17, 2008)

picked up a KM this spring and started the 16 miles round trip commute at the end of April. Im loving it, though i must admit, sometimes i think about adding some extra gears.


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## renovator (Jul 23, 2008)

*Paddy Wagon Tires*

I see a couple of you are commuting on the Kona Paddy Wagon. I have a chance to pick one up at a real good price. Does anyone know what the maximum width tire that will fit into the frame is?

Thanks 
Russell


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## cdcomm27 (Sep 9, 2008)

My ride today was on my Masi Soulville SS. Sweet ride about 11 miles each way 42/20 with about 500ft elevation change. I love riding the SS taking my time and just enjoying riding. When I ride my geared bike I feel like I need to be in a rush even when I don't need to be.


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## bipolarbear (Mar 29, 2009)

Riding the Surly 1x1 29ered, 25 miles round trip 6 days a week. 42-16 is perfect for now but looking to bump up the chainring a little. Pretty flat commute on almost all bikepath. Looking forward to winter!


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Bike: 2010 Dawes Revolver 56cm
Experience: Novice
Distance: 10.3 round trip
Hills: I live in MN, the last time I saw one of these, I was in Wisconsin....









pink


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## the.drizzle (Jun 5, 2009)

Finally finished building this up last night, and I'm stoked!

Bike: 2004 Kona Unit frame, Surly fixed rear hub, 48/17 drive, 700c wheelset.
Experience: Many years, but it's been a while since I've used a fixed gear instead of a singlespeed...
Distance: 20.2km round trip

Hills: Minimal


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## stumonky (Mar 27, 2004)

Fairwether commuter, in the Spring/Fall/Winter I try to commute at least once per week. One way is 4-5 miles depending on which route I take. I ride a custom pink & black Surly 1X1 48T chainring to 16T Eno freewheel. It's a fast clean ride. Trip highlight is transit along a protected walkway through a below waterway tunnel.


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## Ranman (Sep 17, 2005)

I ride 30 miles, 15 each way, 4 or 5 days. I like to save the weekend for the long rides 
I just changed to the fisticuff and liken the steal frame. Use 42X16 gearing..perfect for me.


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

Update:
Icy Commuter - Misfit diSSent
Not-Icy Commuter - Wabi Cycles Lightning

My commute is still short and fast.


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## rearviewmirror (Jun 14, 2006)

I just moved to Melbourne Australia.. I bought a Giant Bowery Mashup when I arrived, and I've been commuting daily. Now my commute is 10 miles each way, I'm really enjoying racking up 100 miles per week commuting. Melbourne's bike infrastructure is brilliant..and commuting on a fixed gear makes a 10 mile ride quite nice.


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## joshed (Jun 12, 2007)

As soon as my knee is better I will be riding this bad boy to work. It arrived the day after I got hit by a car and messed up my knee.


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## bipolarbear (Mar 29, 2009)

SSing the snowmute!










First time in real snow this year, beautiful 10 mile commute to class only to find out that they had canceled class due to "inclement weather". WTF are they talking about?

I think this is my first pic of my 1x1 as a 29er too


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

Yes, more 1x1 pix!!!! Nice snowmute pic, too. How do you keep your water bottle from freezing?


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## bipolarbear (Mar 29, 2009)

Gary the No-Trash Cougar said:


> How do you keep your water bottle from freezing?


I don't, it froze but not all the way.


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## sunset1123 (Apr 28, 2009)

~5 miles per day commute to work, plus ~ 15 miles errands (groceries, misc. shopping, etc) per week. I usually try to get 20-30 miles of recreational riding in too, for an average of around 60 miles a week. I ride fixed gear bikes... 38:18 on the mountain, 40:15 road.

Celebratory note: First snow in Flagstaff, AZ today!


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## laotsu42 (Jan 5, 2004)

i was riding on a p.2 set up single but i sold it and should be ordering a new karate monkey soon but those kona are sweet might look at em but the nearest kona dealer is 200 miles away ....probably be a month or more till i get the monkey paid for but soon ....***sigh***


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

bipolarbear said:


> I don't, it froze but not all the way.


You know you can keep it from freezing by putting booze in it? :thumbsup:


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## 08HardRock (Sep 7, 2007)

The SS idea is very intriguing to me, but I dont really understand why its done. I was thinking about it today on my commute and I find I change gears regularly on hills. My commute is about 4 miles each way, with a few moderate hills/inclines. What is the advantage to the SS. Maybe SS is for me? Thanks fellas!!


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## 7daysaweek (May 7, 2008)

48x16 fixed... not sure how its gonna be in the colder, wet stuff as this will be my first winter trying to commute. It's about a 10-11 mile round trip so nothing too bad...










Besides I guess theres always the mountain bike if its nasty out.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

The Nice fall weather I have comuted on my San Jose II 100 miles in november



With the wet Weather we had in October my San Jose 1 is got one third of my October miles at 225 miles


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

Car-less. Currently on an SS 29er with hydro disc brakes. Looks and stares quite often on BART commutes. Actual riding anywhere from 2 miles to 5 miles one way. Live amongst people in the area that majority believe it is NOT possible to be car-less. Luckily a few good friends (bike techs) have shown me the light by never owning a car in their lives and riding their fixies in sunshine and downpour (the 7 days a year we actually get it in SF Bay Area)


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## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

5 days a week!


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

Nice! We need more cruiser/krate/muscle bike commuters around here.

Nice San Joses above also.


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## seth-gehman (Jan 22, 2009)

i've got a khs urban uno-
my commute is 4-5 days a week (depending on academia) averaging around 10 miles- beats looking for a parking spot-


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## Mad Chemist (Jul 17, 2007)

the.drizzle said:


>


Hawt!!! :thumbsup:


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## jflurett (May 7, 2008)

Greetings SSers. :nonod: 

I have a confession to make. Though I started this thread over a year ago, been commuting for over a year and a half, two different routes (bought my first house), the second of which cuts my distance to 1/5 of what it was.....I will be committing treason next week. 

I will begin my commute next week on my new Salsa La Cruz. I apologize for letting you down.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Wow, you guys are a dedicated bunch! There are some serious commute distances on this thread!


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## coffeespecial (Feb 3, 2007)

*Cruiser commuter*

i use this for short distances...


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

coffeespecial said:


>


Yowza! What is it?


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## coffeespecial (Feb 3, 2007)

Normbilt said:


> The Nice fall weather I have comuted on my San Jose II 100 miles in november
> 
> 
> 
> With the wet Weather we had in October my San Jose 1 is got one third of my October miles at 225 miles


wha size tires are those on the san jose?? looks sweet. i wonder if i could fit some of those on my fisty


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## coffeespecial (Feb 3, 2007)

63 murray Astro Flight. that i restored.


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

Nice tank bike Coffeespecial!


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## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

I broke my geared hardtail so I have been riding the last month on this 1993 Raleigh MTB converted to an SS.

32-12 gearing. Sporting a MagicShine LED Li-Ion light.


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## tailgunn (Oct 26, 2009)

What do you people do for a living? If I had to commute here in the St. Louis area in the summer I'd be a sweating mess; no way could wear or change into business casual. Although I do ride my Honda sportbike to work in the summer, but it's, um, air conditioned... if I get hot, I just ride faster...


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## seth-gehman (Jan 22, 2009)

work in a bike shop- go to school- and take a change of cloths if i need to- plus bend is an arid clmate so while wearing breathable clothing- i dont look like a swety mess


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

26" BMX Cruiser 39:17 when it's nice. 29er rigid 32:18 when it's crappy. 26" DJ/Street MTB 25:11 when I feel like hitting some stairs and ledges along the way. About 8 miles 4-5 days a week.

My worst was years ago I only had a 20" BMX bike that weighed about 30lbs and I rode 18 miles daily in the mountains on top of working 10-12 hour shifts. 

I do have a question for y'all. My gf is going to start commuting so I got her a SS road bike for x-mas. She doesn't ride very much so I was going to drop the chainring from 46t since it's mountainous here. With the BCD I can drop it as low as 39t, making it 39:17 but would that be too spinny on a 700c road bike with itty bitty tires? I want to make it easy for her at first so she continues using it.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

jmmorath said:


> I do have a question for y'all. My gf is going to start commuting so I got her a SS road bike for x-mas. She doesn't ride very much so I was going to drop the chainring from 46t since it's mountainous here. With the BCD I can drop it as low as 39t, making it 39:17 but would that be too spinny on a 700c road bike with itty bitty tires? I want to make it easy for her at first so she continues using it.


Why don`t you explain the basic idea of gearing to her and after she tries it out she can decide for herself if she needs lower? If she can`t imagine what you`re talking about, let her take a nice (couple days, at least) test with two different gear ratios so she gets the idea of give and take, then she should know better than anybody else what works for her or which way she needs to go.


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

For your GF, I would even suggest 36:17. My GF is on 32:20 on the nano's 700c and she enjoys the ride.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

my gf's on 42x14, only about a 45 commute each way (incl. daycare dropoff) but we've done 7 hour rides on the 3:1 ratio and she's been fine so far. depends more on weight/tires.
42x14; she's on a sub-20 pound lemond with 23mm specialized armadillos, perfect 3:1 ratio
46x17: I'm on a heifer surly steamroller with 2 trailer mounts (rear and sidecar) and 38/40mm schwalbe marathons, 2.7:1 ratio


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## toroytorero (Jul 26, 2004)




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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

December 16th on my way to work I thought this would make a nice picture


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## jdmckeel (Apr 22, 2009)

My commute is about 11-12 miles round trip to campus, however now it is winter break so my miles are variable now. Currently the cross-check is set up at 38x16 fixed, mainly because I've been to lazy to change out the front chain ring since cyclocross.


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## racerdave (May 12, 2007)

Looks great. I'm a freak about the reflective tape too. Nice to see how much it pops in the second photo. I can never tell how well mine shows up when I'm on it.


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## jdmckeel (Apr 22, 2009)

Yeah I bough the cross-check used and wanted a little more visibility than black allows. The tape is nice, but I'm going to repaint this bike this summer some obnoxiously loud color. I want to have no doubt in my mind that I am seen.


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## laotsu42 (Jan 5, 2004)

just got my karate monkey ....  now i got to get an xmas ride planed ...i feel soo happy words cannot describe but i think folks around here might comprehend ...wold post pics but no camera at the moment ....


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## muddywings (Apr 28, 2004)

*new job-new commute*

See post: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=575775 for full details
Will start new job in few weeks. Done the commute twice now. Once below 20 degrees the other around freezing. 3 miles/20 minutes (pushing through snow) with some ups and downs.


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## mt bk (Jun 2, 2006)

'nother singlespeeder here (or singleslower in my case): Felt Dispatch, works great, flat 20 or 30 mile commute (depends on whether or not I take the light rail in).


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

Here's my contribution. A mid-90's GT Tequesta that a colleague was throwing away. I stripped the frame, found an old cro-moly suspension corrected fork, cut off and re-welded the brake bosses on it and the frame (as well as the rack mounts) a little higher and converted it to 700c. I left the chain and seat stays polished metal and painted the rest of the frame black. I used the existing drive train, stripping a couple of old cassettes for spacers and the idler arm for a home made tensioner. The biggest tires I could fit were 700x40. So far geared just right for my fairly flat commute. Total investment less than $25 and a box of oatmeal cookies for my LBS who let me scrounge for parts in the junk bin!
Sorry I can't kill that third picture! it won't die...I have tried
View attachment 508916

View attachment 508917


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## Swerny (Apr 1, 2004)

Bike: 2008 Kona Paddy Wagon
Distance: 25 KM raound trip, 3-4 days per week. 
Hills: into and out of the valley, both ways.


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## Jonesy33 (Mar 18, 2008)

7daysaweek said:


> 48x16 fixed... not sure how its gonna be in the colder, wet stuff as this will be my first winter trying to commute. It's about a 10-11 mile round trip so nothing too bad...


DUDE! that is the coolest wheel I have ever seen.... where can you get those????!!!


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## fattybikejones (Aug 17, 2008)

Haven't actually started commuting to work yet.. But when I do...and I will.
Here's what I will be riding. I will probably swap out the narrow riser bars for bullhorns.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

frummaCymngaf said:


> I apologise, but it does not approach me.


 loser SPAMtard dillwad!!! You don't even know what the hell bicycle commuting is!!!


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

Sunday Commuter 


Heavy Load Commuter


Rainy Day Commuter


Mostly Everyday Commuter


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## markaitch (Feb 17, 2010)

wow Normbilt...that is a great stable you got there - all you need is couple more to have a different ss bike for each day of the week :thumbsup:

i have taken the opposite tack over the past year & shed all my bikes except for 1 mtb & this fixed gear bike that i use for just about anything including some trail riding & regular 30 mi. roundtrip commutes. 
here it is ready to take me to work. 
since there's not a fg commuter thread, hope y'all don't if i join the ss'ers...


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## Jonesy33 (Mar 18, 2008)

7daysaweek said:


> 48x16 fixed... not sure how its gonna be in the colder, wet stuff as this will be my first winter trying to commute. It's about a 10-11 mile round trip so nothing too bad...


Does anyone know where to get that wheel? I've googled checkered road bike wheel etc. etc. and can't find anything on it... what's the brand name and model?


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## markaitch (Feb 17, 2010)

Jonesy33 said:


> Does anyone know where to get that wheel? I've googled checkered road bike wheel etc. etc. and can't find anything on it... what's the brand name and model?


pretty sure that is a velocity deep-v & all city offers some checkered deep rims too


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

Looks Like Velocity made a Small run of those.

Email Them @ [email protected]

Or Be Different https://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=719


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

markaitch said:


> wow Normbilt...that is a great stable you got there - all you need is couple more to have a different ss bike for each day of the week :thumbsup:


I got That Covered








And those are just the Single Speeds


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

I have a 3 bikes I use regularly to commute on. 2 are fixed gear, and one is geared 1x9. 6 miles each way, plus errands and side-tracked rambling on the way home at night. I've been riding fixed and/or singlespeed for a looooong time.

One fixed gear is a Surly Steamroller w/ 28c Gatorskins, Nitto B206 swept flat bars, geared 43:16, Shimano SPD pedals, black with some ano pink bits (hubs, grip clamps, and seat post clamp). Pretty standard.

The other fixed gear is a Surly Cross-Check w/ 37c WTB All-Terrain tires, Surly Open Bars, fixed dingle gearing 42/39 : 17/20, fenders, toe clips and straps, rear rack, beef-gravy brown. It's my main commuter, but it's also a do-it-all setup, so its also a grocery bike, pub crawler, trail bike, camping bike, touring bike, etc. etc. etc. 

I'll have to get some pics later.


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## Bubba Dinglespeed (Jan 31, 2011)

Normbilt said:


> The Nice fall weather I have comuted on my San Jose II 100 miles in november
> 
> 
> 
> With the wet Weather we had in October my San Jose 1 is got one third of my October miles at 225 miles


Seeing a San Jose at the LBS inspired me to convert an old school, lugged frame, Schwinn Criss Cross geared hybrid to SS with track dropouts. Lots of clearance for fat tires if necessary. Nice ride.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

Awesome, your bike is named after the city I am stuck living in.


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## whileyrider (Sep 23, 2004)

2007 paddy wagon. stock but for the old swooper handlebars with cork tape and foam grips separated by cross levers. fenders, and flipflop clipless/flat hubs. it's a sleeper rocket, my total town bike. and it purrs for me. I'd like to gain some gain, I think that 44 or 46x16 would be just about right for travelling without kids in the chariot in Vancity. my commute, unfortunately, is only 15km round trip into downtown Vancouver from my east van shack. I can add some extra distance on if I drop my pack at the gym in my building and head out for a loop or two around Stanley Park.

if money was no object (I love this conversation), I'd have a dollied up vanilla or a gunnar street dog. they'd have fenders and flip/flop clipless/flat pedals and cork tape. as it is, I have to save some money for my mountain and road bike urges. so I have fairly vanilla (no pun intended) rides. Norco Fluid 1 for dirt, Norco CRD1 for the road (best value little road bike I've swung a leg over), and my paddy wagon. my old custom whiley hardtail is in a state of disrepair, 853 tubing built for me in 1998 by a framebuilder friend.


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## wheeliam (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm in! 

I commute daily using a MTB 29er for about 12kms.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

Old derelict Schwinn LeTour III that I brought back to life a while back as my ss around town coffee/commuting bike. Commute is 2 miles in the morning to my "day" job, and about 6 miles to teach my night classes.
I forgot how nice it feels to get to work energized. Maybe my first period class won't bug me as much!  
I put my bags back on it after riding last night and remembering how much I hated how my messenger bag made my back sweat.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

On-One Pompetamine

46x18 gearing and about 7-9mi round trip depending on the route I take. One hill on my route home is a challenge (but doable) at that gearing. It's getting to be about time for me to put narrower tires on so I can fit fenders. It's getting into the rainy season.


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## Bubba Dinglespeed (Jan 31, 2011)

Those old bikes still have a lot of rides left in them!


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## in2theforest (Sep 11, 2011)

Hello Everyone!

This is my singlespeed commuter. It's an old Balance Mountain bike. The frame is made of Tange Chromoly tubing, there are Tektro rear v brakes, stock front cantilevers, Specialized saddle, Planet Bike Freddy Fenders, GT BMX chain ring, Kenda Krisp multi surface tires, Dimension single speed cog, single speed chain tensioner, alloy bar ends.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

‎636 All Single Speed miles for November


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## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

When the snow gets too deep for my CX, I`ll be riding this with Ice Spiker pro.


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## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

My latest incarnation after breaking yet another frame. 32-13 gearing


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

New SS commuter here! Here's my recent build, an old Raleigh that I stripped and rebuilt with lighter and better parts. The rack is a Nashbar LTD rack and the bag is a Sette from PricePoint. Love the Nashbar rack because the mounting is very adaptable and can be made to fit most bikes. Price is only $20, and it's well-made.


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## Dann C (Nov 7, 2010)

So I have decided that I want to go SS for the winter due to feeling comfortable when moving through snow and ice and just for the benefit of my components.... Did I mention I decided to go fat front as well?










I just had this built up at my LBS and the words are failing to come out to try and justify my exitement.


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

Dann C said:


> So I have decided that I want to go SS for the winter due to feeling comfortable when moving through snow and ice and just for the benefit of my components.... Did I mention I decided to go fat front as well?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice
Have a Merry Fat Christmas Dann!


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

It Finally Snowed today but it will probably melt tomorrow

December 17 First Inch by normbilt, on Flickr


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## wheeliam (Feb 16, 2011)

Dann C said:


> So I have decided that I want to go SS for the winter due to feeling comfortable when moving through snow and ice and just for the benefit of my components.... Did I mention I decided to go fat front as well?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


sweet "get-out-of-my-way!" bike! 

Using SS it must be pretty heavy, right? But not so heavy if you're using lower gear combos.

Ride safely!


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## Dann C (Nov 7, 2010)

wheeliam said:


> sweet "get-out-of-my-way!" bike!
> 
> Using SS it must be pretty heavy, right? But not so heavy if you're using lower gear combos.
> 
> Ride safely!


It is most certainly a get-out-of-my-way bike! She weighs in at 28 pounds and she moves beautifully. I believe the gear ratio right now is 29-16 and it is an extremely easy ride. It climbs with next to no effort. Only downside is on the downhills. However, its intended purpose is snow and you don't really want to be flying down hills during the snow and ice.


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## GregoryMB (Feb 18, 2011)

Hey guys,

I am building up an old (late 80s or early 90s) Specialized Allez into a SS commuter. I really only need to buy one thing: a cheap rear wheel. I am building this bike on the CHEAP, and found a fairly good deal on a wheel with a flip flop hub (I wont lie, sometimes riding fixed is fun ).

The rear dropouts on the frame are the standard 130mm apart. Can I safely assume that this wheel will fit just fine?:

Sta-Tru Black High Flange Flip-Flop Track Hub Rear Wheel (700X20)

Thanks! Looking forward to posting the new/old wheels in this thread


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## markaitch (Feb 17, 2010)

GregoryMB said:


> ...I wont lie, sometimes riding fixed is fun  ...


why ? i commute exclusively on a fixed gear bike & wouldn't have it any other way :cornut:

but back to your question...

i won't comment on the quality of that wheel. if CHEAP is your primary concern, you certainly have found a really low-priced rear wheel

it is undoubtedly 120mm spacing...but you should be able to easily add spacers to the axle & make it fit your bike

have fun & good luck...

what the hell, since i am already here...on the way to work on new year's day


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## gearwhine (Aug 20, 2009)

Been riding my 82 schwinn voyageur 11.8 nearly every day for 2 years now...my last Fuji of very similar styling got stolen prior to getting this one. This bike pretty much goes everywhere with me. I'd seriously cry if this one got stolen...which is why I use 3 different types of locks whenever I lock it up now...paranoid...yes...a lot.

Also...if you're in Denver...slight spam, but not really...please stop by Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop and join the winter commuting team for our 2nd year going. It's very informal, just a bunch of people that force themselves to ride to work no matter the weather. The only cost is to join Denver's non-profit bicycle advocacy group...BikeDenver.org... for the 2012 year (which you should do no matter what anyway!), and sign a pledge that you'll ride at least 50% of commutes during the winter, and get one person that doesn't winter commute to at least ride 3 times total throughout the winter...not as easy as I would've expected.

Other than that...cool treats/discounts, cool people, and support from people that don't think you're crazy.


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## stubecontinued (Mar 14, 2007)

All SS all the time here. Sometimes it's a mountain bike, occasionally a BMX or old Schwinn, mostly it's this:
 
Only like this:

4 miles each way, through the pretty parts of SF


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## BEETROOT (Nov 28, 2005)

Bike - Motobecane Fantom Cross UNO
Distance - 30 miles round trip
Gearing - 46x16
Frequency - 2-3x per week


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

This Was My Last Commute of 2011
Roughly 6000 Single Speed Commuter Miles for 2011


December 31,2011  by normbilt, on Flickr


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## johns81347 (Apr 7, 2010)

Short commute as I live in town but ride a Trek 5th District in the summer and a custom fixie with studded tires during the winter.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I guess I can officially join this little club now...

It's 46/20, and it's staying that way ...because I don't need a tensioner :lol:


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## stubecontinued (Mar 14, 2007)

Well, My San Francisco just went from 4 miles each way to 4 blocks each way... but I go home for lunch now so that's a whopping 16 blocks a day!!


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## HardyWeinberg (Aug 3, 2007)

I had been riding a surly crosscheck FG for 2+ yrs to work, ~14 miles/day; this fall I experimented w/ gearing, 1x9 and then 1x7, and then last week I took put the flipflop wheel back on, but flipped over to freewheel side, so I am currently commuting single-speed, yes.


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