Commuting/touring bike

Chris Snyder said:

I currently have a Giant Yukon mountain bike that I've head for around
four years. It's an 8-speed with Shimano components (though I couldn't
figure out which ones). While I realize that it's not the best bike for
my purposes, I think it can do the job. Currently, the chain and cassette
need to be replaced, but otherwise it's in pretty good shape. I'd like to
upgrade the bike with a few items: a braking system that will be good in
wet weather/snow/ice, fenders, and racks. My main concern is the braking
system - what would be a good way for me to go to get good wet weather
braking performance? I know that discs would work great, but my frame
does not have disc brake mounts.

What do you have at the moment? V-brakes or cantilevers should be fine,
especially if you put some Kool Stop salmon-coloured brake pads on them.
If you're using cantis you may want to check out Sheldon Brown's article on
canti adjustment:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment.html

Those brake pads can make a really big difference.

Quoted message said:

Could this bike be a good commuting/occasional touring bike? If I get
into any additional touring, I'll probably get a new bike more suitable
for that purpose, while keeping my Giant around as a
commuter/beater. Would this be a good course of action? Thanks in
advance.

As long as you're comfortable on it I don't seen any problems. If you're
riding on asphalt I'd recommend putting some slick tires on it when there's
no snow on the ground, for added traction and lower rolling resistance.

I like having drop bars for longer rides myself, but this is mainly a
comfort issue. My best 200 km brevet time so far was done on a MTB with
flat bars and slick tires, before I bought my touring bike.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.
-- Walt Kelly

Chris Snyder said:

I'm just starting to get into cycling more, having basically done no riding
(other than quick rides around school) for the past couple of years. I'm
hoping to use my bike to commute, as well as occasional touring. I'd like
to bike in all weather, including rain and possibly during the winter
(Michigan, so plenty of snow/ice).

I currently have a Giant Yukon mountain bike that I've head for around four
years. It's an 8-speed with Shimano components (though I couldn't figure
out which ones). While I realize that it's not the best bike for my
purposes, I think it can do the job. Currently, the chain and cassette need
to be replaced, but otherwise it's in pretty good shape. I'd like to
upgrade the bike with a few items: a braking system that will be good in
wet weather/snow/ice, fenders, and racks. My main concern is the braking
system - what would be a good way for me to go to get good wet weather
braking performance? I know that discs would work great, but my frame does
not have disc brake mounts.

Could this bike be a good commuting/occasional touring bike? If I get into
any additional touring, I'll probably get a new bike more suitable for that
purpose, while keeping my Giant around as a commuter/beater. Would this be
a good course of action? Thanks in advance.

First congratulations and welcome.
There are really no wrong answers to commuting equipment,
both fixed gear true racing bikes and forty year old coaster
brake cruisers ( and everything in between) being commonly
seen on warm spring mornings.

Since you own this bike, I'd suggest you get a chain and
cassette, clean up your braking system and ride it.

As with so many things in life, daily commuting will lead
you to either fall in love with your bike as you find it
perfect in every way or, as you find things you dislike you
can change them as needed/desired.

For example, the stock treaded 1.9 tires are functional. But
you might be happier with some inexpensive 1.5 smooth tires.
(Or even expensive ones.) There is no reason to try to do
this all at once or even just once. We have a customer who
brings us his 2.0 smooth tires in November for installation
and he goes back to a set of 1.5 tires every April. Your
equipment doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but you.
We've taken off road bars in favor of straight or riser bars
but we also recently changed a woman's straight bar for drop
bars and aero levers.

Yes, mudguards are a good idea. Some riders prefer a minimal
seatpost mounted snap-on rear only and some riders get our
all-stainless steel full coverage set with a mudflap added
to the bottom of the front one.

And as you ride you'll probably change your mind a few
times about things like that. A rear carrier or a messenger
bag? A battery light or a dynamo? Reasonable men differ and
that's just fine.

Regarding your brakes, get a good set of pads, Kool Stops
for example, inspect the cables and replace as needed.

Sure you can get a disc-compatible frame, a disc-compatible
fork, disc-compatible wheels and spend a pile of money on
those teeny little discs if you are so inclined. But the
big discs which are holding your tires work fine too.

At any rate nothing you've mentioned should stand between
you and a daily ride. Just do it.

ps-all your Shimano equipment is clearly labeled with the
part number. Look on the back side of a crank (FC-000)or a
brake (BR-000), the underside of the derailleur (RD-000), etc.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wed, 05 May 2004 19:22:53 -0400, Chris Snyder <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm just starting to get into cycling more, having basically done no riding
(other than quick rides around school) for the past couple of years. I'm
hoping to use my bike to commute, as well as occasional touring. I'd like
to bike in all weather, including rain and possibly during the winter
(Michigan, so plenty of snow/ice).

I currently have a Giant Yukon mountain bike that I've head for around four
years. It's an 8-speed with Shimano components (though I couldn't figure
out which ones). While I realize that it's not the best bike for my
purposes, I think it can do the job. Currently, the chain and cassette need
to be replaced, but otherwise it's in pretty good shape. I'd like to
upgrade the bike with a few items: a braking system that will be good in
wet weather/snow/ice, fenders, and racks. My main concern is the braking
system - what would be a good way for me to go to get good wet weather
braking performance? I know that discs would work great, but my frame does
not have disc brake mounts.

Others have said it- Koolstop Salmon brake pads. Be sure that they
are the Salmon, not red. Accept no substitutes!

Quoted message said:

Could this bike be a good commuting/occasional touring bike?

Fine bike for commuting. Some people do well with long rides on
mountain bikes with flat bars; I don't. So I wouldn't use it for
touring myself. Then again, if the choice is either use flat bars or
not take long rides, I'll take long rides. Try it and see how it feels
for a long ride.

Quoted message said:

If I get into
any additional touring, I'll probably get a new bike more suitable for that
purpose, while keeping my Giant around as a commuter/beater. Would this be
a good course of action? Thanks in advance.

Makes sense to me.

For street riding without snow, get skinnier slick tires. I put some
Geax Street Runner tires on my mtb commuter and they have been great-
$20 each. 1.25 inch size (you'll need smaller tubes). Lots of other
good slick tires out there.

Get lights. A white LED up front and a red LED in back minimum. If you
are on lit streets, that's so others can see you, not so you can see
with the lights. They are small and don't weigh much, and make it
possible to come home in the dark with less worry.

A good place to get some ideas (although you don't need your bike
covered with every gegaw going)-

http://www.runmuki.com/commute/commuting3.html

In article <[email hidden]>, Chris Snyder <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm just starting to get into cycling more, having basically done no riding
(other than quick rides around school) for the past couple of years. I'm
hoping to use my bike to commute, as well as occasional touring. I'd like
to bike in all weather, including rain and possibly during the winter
(Michigan, so plenty of snow/ice).

Okay, first, you're starting in May, which means you can probably count
on several months of excellent, nearly rain-free weather. Take advantage
of that by making your changes, especially the eventually necessary
weatherproofing, gradually.

Quoted message said:

I currently have a Giant Yukon mountain bike that I've head for around four
years.

An excellent start. The biggest speed difference between road and
mountain bikes is caused by knobby tires, so I would consider a set of
treadless road tires the most desirable upgrade. They will make the
biggest difference. I rode for several months on a mountain bike even
older than yours with no ill effects. Don't get too pricey on the tires;
good MTB-sized (26"😉 slicks can be had for less than $20 each.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to
upgrade the bike with a few items: a braking system that will be good in
wet weather/snow/ice, fenders, and racks. My main concern is the braking
system [...]

Unless you get into truly extreme conditions of packing snow, your
current braking system is fine. Note that most serious commuters use
either road brakes or canti/V-brakes, and with no ill effects. Properly
set up, there will be marginal performance differences over discs, even
in the rain.

If you find yourself riding in snow and ice conditions that cause bad
snow packing around the brake, you might consider discs, I suppose, but
leave that decision for the Winter.

Quoted message said:

Could this bike be a good commuting/occasional touring bike?

Yes. Full fenders are a very worthy upgrade to a commuter, but aren't
vital during the warm months we're now entering. Racks are nice,
especially as a mounting point for saddlebags, which are a convenient
way to carry gear on a commute.

Ride the bike you have. It will do everything a touring bike would do
with a minimal speed disadvantage. If you really wanted to make up the
speed disadvantage, you could add aero bars 🙂.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

depends on the route!
straightaways need top speed, lay down and a long top tube
but add afew stops twists and backyards then its cyclocross
and a few more then its?
see the specialized catalog or bike mag's annual payolla issue