I'm looking at getting one through the C2W scheme and fancied a look at other peoples builds. It will be for the sheffield commute so geared and considering discs, was also thinking Alfine but maybe it would be wise to wait until the new one in september?
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It's a bit less fugly now - sorted the saddle out, got rid of the rack...
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just sold it last week to pay the taxman. it was a bit surplus as ive just moved within walking distance to work. was great for the 10 mile hilly mixed surface commute.
thanks guys, tang, that's jsut the sort of build i'm looking for
Tang, I'm after something like that as well. Can I ask, what size tyres have you got in that pic?
Cheers
Mike.
conti sport contact 32c with conti tubes. flipping great tyre. fastish on the road and enough size to really help on crap lanes/cycletrack/towpath, never flatted either. slid a few times on wet rides home on the tracks, just got to be careful at full tilt! panracer crosstowns in 28c were good also. heres the build:
long medium frame and roadhog forks, hope silver headset
105 triple chainset 172.5
520 spds
105 rear mech
9spd shimano road flatbar shifters
flatbar specific triple front mech
12-27 9spd ultegra cassette
wh-r500 wheelset, conti sport contact 32c and conti tubes
avid sd-7 v brakes
full sks guards p45
raceface 130mm stem
fsa xc280 flat bars, spesh ergon grips, tioga bar ends.
fsa slk carbon seatpost
old spesh saddle
lifeline rack
On mine (no pic bigger pic here sorry), I went for alfine, the magura julie HP discs, schwalbe marthaon plus and charge/ easton finishing kit. It is ACE.
18bikes built mine and they did a good job.
Pic here: [img] 
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[url= http://www.18bikes.co.uk/content/custom_build_bike.php ]Full page[/url]
The tyres have not had one single puncture in it's near full year of 5 mile a day manchester riding, I can infact seek glass out and ping it out the way.
The whole thing is solid, confidence inspiring fun, and the alfine just tops it all off with modern gearing tech that never seems to go wrong. The only maintenance I have had to do/get done was some shinanigans with the discs, they stop well but appear to have some issues. They both took on air over the winter and the front appears to have a slow leak, I have to bleed it (takes 30 seconds, I just pull bubbles out the top cap) every 3 weeks. I may change the hose at some point but cba right now.
Ace bike, but comes in at over £1k if you go alfine and discs, but it's worth it.
2nd for the Conti contact tyres (I think I have city contact?) heavy, but run ok, never flat and plenty of cush.
Check out 18bikes various roadrat builds on flickr - lots of
nice setups
Seem to be quite a few Roadrats coming on to ebay - not that I'm looking or anything, dear 🙄
yeh ive seen the 18 bikes thread, good as i'll be getting from there, goin gin at the weekend for a natter and to try a medium for size.
Ewok, what do you think of the alfine, do you find it heavy or draggy. The advantages i'm looking in the Roadrat over my current mtb commute is more speed for less effort but will this be offset by an alfine??
I"ve got a large roadrat, set up with Mary bars, which is great. For pure roadrat porn though, I've always fancied this one:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2008/apr/1/TonySilver.htm
Looks magic!
