Tag Archives: Shimano

Cannondale CAADX Cyclocross Bike Build

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In the spring of 2015 I scored a couple of great deals at a local bike swap meet.  One of them was this Cannondale CAADX frame.  It came with the frame, fork, headset, seatpost, cockpit, brakes, and Shimano 105 shifters, all for $50.  It was in pretty much new condition with no scratches or wear.  So I added a new set of Shimano Sora derailleurs, a Vuelta cyclocross crankset, new pedals, and a hand-built wheelset to get it rolling.  I listed it on Craigslist for $600 and it was sold the next day.  If only every build was this easy!

Check out the gallery of hi-res photos after the jump…

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My First Hand-Made Frame!

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So it’s been literally a year, to the day, since I’ve updated this blog.  But I haven’t been idle on the bike front!  In fact, 2015 was quite a year for me and bicycles, one where I finally achieved a long-held dream of mine: to build my own frames.  Thanks to the help and mentoring of Lance Mercado at Squarebuilt Cycles here in Brooklyn, I built my first frame this past March.

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1984 chrome Ross Mt. Hood Mountain Bike

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I recently got my hands on a blingy vintage mountain bike – a 1984 Ross Mt. Hood.  My love affair with classic hard-tail MTB’s has been documented here before, with articles on customized Univega Alpina Uno and Bridgestone MB-2‘s that I’ve built in the past.  But this one needed no work at all, except some careful hand polishing.  It’s 100% original, down to the tires!  Read on for more details…

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1972 Italvega Super Record chrome 53cm road bike

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I built this bike up over the weekend, starting with a vintage Italian-made frame that I found online.  It was fully chromed under the paint, so I stripped the paint and polished up the chrome to a nice shine.  I added a shiny silver Shimano 600 group and Dia-Compe brakes, along with brand-new wheels and saddle that complimented the classic spartan look of the frame.

While the frame didn't have any identifying logos, some research confirmed that it's an Italvega Super Record. Italvega bikes were designed and hand-built within the noted Torresini workshop at the Torpado factory in Padua, Italy.  It was carrying a sticker from Zumwalt's Bicycles in San Diego, CA so perhaps it was their in-house brand at one point. 

It's a quality frame, with gorgeous long-point lugs and Columbus SPX tubing, one of their higher-end tubesets.  Size-wise, it's 53cm bike, with a 53cm center-to-center top tube and a 53cm center-to-top seat tube.  Read on for more pictures and details:

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Bridgestone MB-2 commuter townie

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This is a cute lil' commuter / townie bike I built up in the winter of 2011 for my girlfriend.  I found an old Bridgestone MB-2 frame, a high-quality lugged rigid mountain bike from the early 1990's.  It had a lot of scratches and small dents so I gave it a new coat of paint and a built-in top tube protector made of shellacked hemp twine.  Read more after the jump…

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Surly Traveler’s Check Touring Build

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This is the Surly Traveler's Check that I built up as a touring bike to replace the Surly Long Haul Trucker I was using as my previous touring bike.  I wanted to see if a 700c-wheeled tourer would feel "faster" and would also be a better all-purpose bike.  The Traveler's Check is a version of the Surly Cross Check that has S&S couplers that allow you to dismantle the bike and pack it into a small bag for airline and train travel.

The Traveler's Check build is a combination of parts I was using on the Long Haul Trucker along with improvements based on lessons learned.  It's all come together into a very handsome package that rides wonderfully.  

Read on for more details and pictures!

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Surly Long Haul Trucker touring build

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Surly LongHaul Trucker

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is considered one of the best modern, non-custom touring bicycles on the market these days.  Introduced in 2004, it quickly became the “go-to” bike for riders looking for a reliable, no-nonsense machine for long, multi-day travels.  It can also do double duty as a solid commuter or errand-runner around town, perfect for hauling camping gear or groceries.

This one is a 2009 model in their beige “Truckaccino” color, size 52 with 26″ wheels.  I scored it off of Craigslist from a guy who won it in a radio contest and then never rode it.  It came stock with a set of Ortlieb panniers and Blackburn racks.  Since I’ve never been one to leave a stock build alone, I changed almost all of the components out.

Highlights of the build include a Gilles Berthoud “Aspin” touring saddle, Schmidt SON28 Classic generator hub with Supernova E3 light, BioLogic Reecharge system for the iPhone 4,  Schwalbe Marathon  tires, Deore XT derailleurs, Suntour Command shifters, Tubus racks, and a LOOK ErgoStem.  More details and picture gallery after the jump…

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