[CR]Re: What's your commuter Bike?

(Example: Events)

Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 15:39:07 -0500
From: "Julian C. Westerhout" <juwester@indiana.edu>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Re: What's your commuter Bike?

I've enjoyed reading this thread -- a pretty eclectic group!

I used to commute on my early 1980's Specialized Expedition touring bike, but was growing sad at the toll that nicks from university bike-rack parking were having on it, and since I really like it, and replacing it won't be easy (it is a 67 cm), I retired it from that duty.

I now ride to and fro on a 1978 Raleigh Super Course frame with a mish-mash of parts -- Cinelli 66-44 bars on an older 5 degree welded steel stem, a Nexus 7/Sun CR18 rear wheel with bar-end twist shifting (the frame and many other odd bits bought from Larry Black, who employed me in the 1980's, and whose shops are great fun to dig around in on my trips back to Maryland -- did this over Xmas, spent two days poking in boxes and various warehouses, looking for tidbits and ogling all of the weird and wonderful stuff that makes Larry's shops so great -- every time I visit I grow nostalgic for those summer days in the College Park shop when we'd have 15 + test-rides out at a time, each of us on the floor juggling another few customers [test rides have a terrific side benefit of being a great way to get a few moments to talk with new prospects, and also free up standing room], repairs a-plenty mixed in with the builds/modifications in the shop, and at least two oddball projects at hand for Larry to work on while talking on the phone [and to a few of the folks who stood waiting to ask him stumpers -- although they were rarely stumpers to him] -- man was that fun... tiring, but fun!), a Nexus NX-30 front hub dynamo with light-sensing switch powering a Lumotec Oval Plus (purchased from Peter White, and a wonderful setup -- very bright, good beam pattern, not too much drag, and a standlight), topped off by an ex Roy Drinkwater Brooks B-15, comfy and classic!

Julian Westerhout
Bloomington, IN