We don't need to go on about how great commuting is (keeps you fit, cheaper than public transport etc), but it's surprising - especially in London - that there's so many different styles of bikes being used by commuters. It's a kaleidoscope of bikes, from ragged old MTBs with once fresh decals pealing off, to brand-new flat-barred road bikes, to the annoying small-wheeled folding bikes that seem to undertake and overtake far too much for our liking.
So, with the onset of winter, we decided to put our nice bikes away for Sunday best, and embark on a project to build the ultimate commuter. OK, not ultimate, but we don't think it's too far off, but we'll let you decide. With a box of bits from Cotic, Ultimate Pursuits, Upgrade, FSA and Mavic, we built Project Commuter.
In previous articles we've looked at a cross-section of the commuter bike market in our Commuting Bike Buyers Guide, and there's plenty of tips in the RCUK Commuter Guide.
Where did we start? The first decision was whether to go singlespeed or geared. It's a tricky one, both have their advantages, but we opted for singlespeed, firstly because I've never ridden a singlespeed for more than a few metres, and riding around London doesn't really require a full host of gears - especially with the specifics of my commute. So singlespeed it was. Frame wise, you're spoilt for choice. There's plenty of small UK brands who will look after you, but some of the bigger companies are starting to jump on the singlespeed commuting bandwagon, so you've got tons of options.
Another reason for going singlespeed is the cost, with the lack of mechs and other expensive components keeping the price down. It'll also mean less maintenance when it gets exceedingly mucky. Some of you might find you have enough bits and bobs scattered around your bike shed/bedroom/kitchen that you might just need a frame to bolt them all onto, this certainly keeps the cost down.
Right, so we've decided what our bike is going to look like, lets take a closer look at the final build, starting from the top, well the centre, with the frame.
Frame
The frame (always a good place to start) is the new Roadrat from more-often-known-for-making-MTBs-company Cotic. Cy Turner wanted a road frame that drew inspiration from his MTBs, something fast and which MTBers would feel at home on. Dogsbody's dropouts make it geared/singlespeed compatible, it'll take 26" or 700c wheels, is disc brake ready, and costs £255. The deep gloss black paintjob is drop dead gorgeous, and not bad considering the price, giving it value beyond its price tag. The discreet decals not only look smart but don't grab a thiefs attention - we hope, we're not actually going to put it to the test by chaining it up outside work...
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Oval bars and stem |
No fuss with a singlespeed setup |
Carbon is a bit over the top |
A comfy saddle is a must |
Wheels
Going singlespeed
Convert an old frame: Vertical dropouts make chain tensioning a little trickier than the horizontal dropouts on a track or singlespeed specific frame. This can be solved by using a chain tensioner, such as an old rear mech or a DMR Singulator to keep the chain tensioned.
Gear ratios: Track gears are measured in inches, and is the effective diameter of the wheel. Track riders such as Chris Hoy will typically run anything above 90", but for the streets you want something a lot easier to spin.
We opted for Mavic CXP22 black rims built around DMR Revolver singlespeed hubs, laced with double butted black spokes. All suits the black frame very well, don't you think. The rims are 6106 aluminium and semi-profiled, single eyeletted and have a handy wear indicator. The hubs will take a stack of abuse as they're more commonly intended for those used to flinging themselves through the air on bikes which are too small, but they look good and double sealed bearings should last well. The rear is zero-dished for extra strength, and accepts screw-on freewheels or track sprockets.
Rims: £44.95 each. Front hub: £39.95. Rear hub: £44.95.
Tyres
As this bike will be used around the streets of London, a pair of puncture resistant tyres is a must. Vittoria’s Rubino Pro's are a good choice. They’re good value (£14.99 each), they shouldn't puncture that easily thanks to PRB puncture protection, and with 120TPI casing and Kevlar Edura 3D Compound promise good performance too.
Drivetrain
True, the FSA Vigorelli track cranks (£256.99) look the business, but are a overkill for such a bike. They are incredibly stiff and the carbon centre improve the aero performance, though of questionable value riding to work, we hasten to add. We'll be speccing a more down-to-earth crankset in a future update, but for now they're staying on. Attached to the rear hub is an 18t singlespeed freewheel, and connecting the whole setup is a YBN chain. Combined with the 49t chainset we've got a 74" gear.
Brakes
We were going to stick on some disc brakes as they fit perfectly with the low-maintenance ethos behind this bike, but we decided to fit more afforable V-Brakes. These we had lying unused in the office so they went straight on. Lots of power and simple to setup, they're ideal. We upgraded the stock pads with better performing Aztec's.
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Wishbone stays with rack mounts |
Solid DMR hubs |
Vittoria tyres |
Cotic's own rigid fork |
Contact Points
From the excellent Oval range of components, we picked an M400 flat bar (£32.99) and an R700 stem (£49.95). We decided on a flat bar from the outset as opposed to drop bar setup, purely because for most commuting a flat bar is easier, safer and more comfortable. 2014 T6 aluminium is light, a comfortable width at 580mm (though it may yet get some attention from my junior hacksaw) and a 5 degree bend is just right. It's held in place by a 25.4mm stem of 90mm length . Now this is a little short but it keeps the steering nippy, a longer stem will be going on soon. FSA supplied saddle and seatpost from their K-Force range, both items of the lightweight variety. The saddle has a slim carbon shell, ti rails and minimum padding, weighing just 150g. The carbon post is, like the cranks, overkill on such a bike, but has a handy amount of lay-back. Two bolts make adjustment a breeze, and once broken in the saddle turned out to be comfortable.
How does it ride?
First impressions are very good. For nipping in and out of double deckers and taxis the setup shows it's agility, while it's not adverse to piling on the speed in huge, lovable chunks. We'll be swapping bits over (stem, post and cranks to begin with) to try some other components out, and see what improves the setup further.
Watch our for a more in-depth review soon...
