I’ve got a Genesis on one but it looks nothing like that samuri! got it as a fixed now, one front brake, full guards. I need to spend money on it TBH it’s falling apart.

OP, would that saddle bag take a shirt well, IE would it crease it?

Yeah it’ll take a laptop, shirt and trousers easily without crushing them. Here’s a better photo:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/carradice-sqr-slim-bag-including-sqr-bracket/

But there are no dividers, straps or pockets inside it (other than a small zip pocket for tools/valuables) so you’d want to think about how to stop them moving around too much or sliding down to the end.

I just wear jeans an t-shirt to work so I just wrap them around the laptop and sling the lot in the bag – which has the added bonus of protecting the laptop from being bounced around too much.

You may also want to consider the Topeak Office Bag which may suit your needs better as it keeps everything flat.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut8uvElicZA[/video]

Bit more pricey though and I was put off by reports of the MTX bar swinging about a bit.

cheers Graham, might have a look at both of them, currently I’m coming into the office on a sunday with shirts for the week, and its getting right on my nerves!

One thing to note with the Carradice bag warton: They are very much a “some blokes in a shed” operation so they can be hard to find in stock and stock takes a looooong time to arrive (I ordered that bag in mid November and finally got it at the end of December).

Late but as promised a picture of my converted Cove Handjob to help share your pain. I usually have an Altura pannier bag attached to the rack. It works pretty well as it has a nice low centre of gravity.

Even have bar ends and pretty good mudguard coverage. Hangs head!

That’s not too bad jp-t853.

The proper black front fork helps, rather than the Reba I have which looks a bit gangly when matched against skinny tyres 😕

I thought about a pannier rack, but it would have to be P-clip mounted (as I think yours is) and it all seemed a bit permanent. The current arrangement means I can still kid myself on that I can remove it and take her back to the proper trails. 😀

Too be fair p-clips do make things a bit permenant as it takes the best part of an hour to make the change 😐 It therefore stays like this for a large part of the summer. It is then a MTB full time in winter.

I keep thinking of switching to a full time commuter/tourer but I need the freedom of a ride on the hills every now and then and I only have room for one bike in my life.

Here’s my commuterised Speccy Hardrock.I was running it with disc brakes,marzocchi forks & hope wheels.Now it’s got a cheapo fork,full mudguards V-brakes and cheapo wheels

It’s now been relieved of commuting duties as I got a Specialized Allez roadbike the other year.I use it when it’s icy & snowy maybe get some ice tyres next

here’s my Specialized Crosstrail which I converted into a decent hybrid commuter

replaced the crappy undamped Suntour suspension fork with a Kona P2 rigid fork

installed a SRAM 1 x 9 transmission, Shimano brakes, Thomson stem/seatpost, Pro Atherton bar, WTB Devo Ti saddle, SPD pedals, SLX crankset with M-Part chain device and Specialized Armadillo tires on Mavic 700c / Deore wheelset, and most importantly full length SKS mudguards for wet weather riding

only “original” part is the frame

it feels really confident to ride in heavy traffic and takes abuse from potholes without flinching, but also feels very spritely under power, like a big wheeled mountain bike

commute bike = mtb but with 2.35 SuperMoto tyres = brraaap and cush to the power of awesome.
Slicks so fat they work in the dirt.

I have bought a rack and ortlieb panniers (2 yellow ones) and so I am now a bona fida commuter

the thing is I actually like it

Well done headsup. I think we all agree that was very brave.
Would anyone else in the group like to tell their story?

Mine’s that gopping someone has even started a thread after seeing it….

singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/exeter-cyclists

Dialled PA with skinny tyres, fox floats (no lockout for that added climbing bob) and set up SS using a big ring and tensioner. I just feel sorry for it at times.

From this:

Inbred 013 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

Through this:

IMG_1459 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

To this:

IMG_7246 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

And now this:

IMG_1412 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

But it’s not SHAME. It’s my favourite bike, and still the one I ride the most, the most versatile, and I’m always happy riding it. 😀

What next????????????

EDIT
Huh! The only thing that’s lasted through all those 4 builds is the cranks…. 🙂

planning permission for the stem 😀 LOL

Thanks guys. it is nice. It’s a day-one Alfine. but I ditched the Alfine hub and went fixed because I’m a lot happier that way.

So can someone tell me about bar bags or even a basket?

I need to take my daughter on the back so no space for panniers so wondering about how to take her stuff on the bike. How do racks on the forks affect steering if only loading one side?

Would I be better with a bar bag? If so how big do they go? Her stuff is light and squash-able so it doesn’t have to be too big. P-P what do you and Mrs P-P have there – they look about the right size

I did see a basket that just hooks over the bars which seems nice and easy and would really add to the thread if I got it…

Had to replace my busted Principia 🙁 for dog walking duties (sorry, not commuting), so bought a frame for £25 off Ebay.

How vile is this? Thing is, as it’s a Carrera, all the horrid things can probably be considered upgrades .. 🙂

If you want to build up some stamina then try commuting on a six inch AM bike. I regularly do a 20 mile commute on my Wolf Ridge, complete with Wotans and Nevegals up front. As a concession to sanity, I run an Ardent at the back and both tyres are pressurised to about 70psi.

I also commute on my old Spesh Enduro running on 2″ wide tyres. It feels like a race bike in comparison and I’ve been known to reel in and catch a few of the roadie brigade on it. Again, the key is to run a lot of pressure in the tyres.

It’s cheating, but the look on the faces of folk as you pass them is priceless.

My old ’98 vintage Hardrock. Sadly now relieved of its commuting duties as the job has moved too far away. Normally wears crudcatchers front and rear. Still fun to ride around town. No apologies for the stem and bar ends – fast and low (well fast-ish… downhill anyway…), plus the bar ends give a little more leverage on the hills to compensate for the narrow bars.
Nothing reflective anywhere, and I usually ride in stealth black. Its a wonder I’m still alive really…

I do feel sorry for thepoor bike. Its a genesis IOID under all the crap.

cheap cruddy fork, nasty tape job, nasty home made mudguards, intended to look crap to avoid the attention of theives. rides really well tho and some subtle upgrades.

sorry

commuter by TandemJeremy, on Flickr

I don’t think some of you are getting this at all. Some of those look like perfectly acceptable bikes to me 😕

Wooooaah! TJ gets it! That is truly shameful. Top work that man. Loving the bumble bee effect. 😀

So can someone tell me about bar bags or even a basket?

Dunno anything about front bags but have you considered moving your daughter into a child trailer instead? Depends how old she is, but our daughter started in one at 17 months and loved it.

Mine old 2001 hardrock is juuuuuust like bustaspoke’s hardrock above, but mine is all black (still has huge spesh decal on downtube though) surly 1×1 fork, sks full mudguards and with a rack and pannier too. Many reflectors put back on it again too. I don’t do cycle computers, but I am certain that it has the most miles on the clock of any bike I’ve had, and easily gets more miles on it per month than my xc bike.

day touring lite Swift by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

Practical tho 🙂

barbags: i always think this looks cool. don’t have the right bike for it though

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/pdw-portland-design-works-takeout-basketrack–bag–in-stock-now-1245-p.asp

GrahamS – The trouble with going for a trailer is storage at home and work

That basket looks way better than the wicker one I was looking at though

Yeah fair enough. They do fold up, but they are cumbersome and probably take up about the same room as an adult bike.

Great for trips to the pub though 😀