What bike won't get nicked, that I would still want to ride?

What bike won't get nicked, that I would still want to ride?

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idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Thursday 24th November 2016
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I'm thinking about doing a partial commute over the winter getting the train some of the way. This means I either need to use a folder or keep a bike overnight at the station (likely to be a mixture of London Bridge and East Croydon).

I think I've decided that I don't want to be lugging a folder around... So have been scouring ebay and gumtree for something cheap enough to be disposable, nice enough to ride 12 miles and horrible enough looking to be invisible to thieves. I'm not sure that such a thing exists, but does anyone have some ideas?

I was originally thinking single-speed for hardiness but they seem ever so popular and mostly ever so heavy too. Older bikes that I might previously thought that the robbers would overlook seem also to be all the rage.

Ideally I want something road bike like so as to be able to make progress.


idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 25th November 2016
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Interesting. I suppose I probably had been on the look out for something that looks grotty but with nice, maybe older model components, but maybe that isn't the way to go.

I fell in love with this bike and planned to wake up at 3am last night to bid on it: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172412644179




As it happened I failed to rouse until 15 minutes after it had ended. I had pretty much decided that I wouldn't have had the heart to leave it over night at a station though so it would have been a bit of an n+2 and ended up getting a polish, sat in my garage waiting for the day I fancied riding it. I think I would have been gutted to lose all that campag kit.

Aside my road bikes (2009 Specialized Allez tiagra, 2013 Colnago CLX 105 (crashed, but I am rebuilding)), I have an old 26" MTB that I bought new in 1991. It's a bright pink Dawes "the edge". I suppose it's not really worth anything much, but with it's full deore XT groupset, I imagine it could get stripped down. It looked like this when new

I have narrower, slicker tyres on it now and use it for cycling back from the garage when I put a car in for MOT or towing a tandem trail-a-bike with the kids. With narrower wheels it would be an ok bike to ride, but I'd not want to lose it.

I guess I need to lower my expectations and accept that anything nice is going to be a thief magnet and just get something. The more time I invest in looking for the perfect ride, the more painful it's going to be to lose it regardless of purchase price.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 25th November 2016
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https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/viking-single-s...

It's a whole hundred pounds, but what do folk think of a viking singlesped/fixie for thief magnetism and ride-ability?

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 25th November 2016
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Yeah, I am wary of the cheese components. There's a conflict because at the same time I want anonymous parts. By chance I know the vendor having checked the phone number and found I have it saved as a contact in my phone which would make it a comforting buy. I think it's a no though.

What about this £70 Kona: https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/kona-bike-.-men...

Vendor doesn't say what size it is, I am 6ft - anyone able to estimate if it'll fit?
I suppose the best way is to ask the vendor if it fits him and how tall he is.

I went to http://www.fullcitycycles.co.uk/ at lunch time which was a super place. They can build a bike up from a vintage/knackered looking but decent steel frame for probably £225. Probably has the same cheese gear on it as a cheapie singlespeed I suppose.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 25th November 2016
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TwistingMyMelon said:
Ran one of those years ago, was great but heavy bike...Looks a bit small, see if the seller can find out size, you would want 19" at a minimum I would say. They were designed to run a lot of seat post out though
I'm going to try and get a look at it tomorrow. Vendor says it's 'oversize' and perfect for someone of 6ft.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 25th November 2016
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I bought the kona, bringing it home on the train for fettling now.

It's got a patina in places but I rode it 2 miles to Croydon from Anerley where I picked it up.

The vendor only mentioned the lack of a chain when we'd started emailing. I bought a kmc for £4 from Evans (price matched against wiggle) on the way.

I had to text him when I got to his road, then he brought the bike out to under a street light near his home to show it to me. It was a pain not being able to test ride it, but it looked like I could make it work, so I got him down from 70 to 56 quid.

Once he'd scarpered I fitted the chain and vowed to use large cogs only as I couldn't split the chain in the field not having a chain tool.

It has some issues, some a bonus for my purposes...
- the qr seat post clamp won't hold the post in place. Don't want a qr anyway.
- many rusty bolts, fittings and cogs - good for that tatty look I'm aiming for
- large chainring rubs on the front mech, should adjust out though
- slight sexy shimmy to the buckled rear wheel
- tyres running at about 4psi
- frame is a 54, so a little small in theory, but the short reach probably suits my 41 year old inflexible body.



Edited by idiotgap on Friday 25th November 20:11

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 28th November 2016
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Dizeee said:
In 2013 I went to local bike shop in Wimbledon and looked at the stock. They were a Trek dispenser.

There was an FX 7.0 there - up at £300. Alu frame, Shimano drive - lifetime frame warranty. Brand new. I felt cheeky and said "250?". The salesman nodded his head.

3 years later that bike has been a god send. Flat barred alu hybrid with road wheels. Its taken everything I have thrown at it and only because if that have I kept it. It's fab. I like the fact it's heavier as I have to work harder - but it is more than capable of rolling on nicely when asked.

Go to all the local bike shops you can - ESPECIALLY at this time of year and haggle.
Definitely didn't want to go new for this. I am expecting this to get nicked so I'm trying hard to fly under the thieves radar and reduce cost to pennies.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 28th November 2016
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scherzkeks said:
markoc said:
I'd recommend going retro. Components will have a nice patina and it won't stand out to anyone. The average Joe wouldn't recognise a nice lugged steel frame and some retro campag among all the hipster cut down bars and fixed wheel racers. Would probably be a lot of fun to ride.
This (assuming no snow involved). Relatively cheap. Quick, light, and low-key. Only negative is a lack of rack mounting points in the event that you need more than a backpack or shoulder bag.

Find an old steel frame from a proper make, toss on some old Mavic SSCs, 25mm tires, some Campy, and a good rear fender and you have an indestructable commuting machine. Have used my current one for 10 years and have only ever replaced chainrings and consumables.



Edited by scherzkeks on Monday 28th November 10:51
Great idea in theory and where I was headed to begin with, but the conversation with Leather Lane cycle 're-finishers' Full City and my own research showed that in London at least, these retro frames and components are understood by thieves and get targeted.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 28th November 2016
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I decided to buy a £50 gumtree special because I am most likely going to be locking it up overnight in central Croydon. Carbon, retro, campag etc. are all distant dreams for me really - until the weekend. I'm looking forward to my nice frame to come back from London Carbon Repair, but since it's commuting that killed that I'm probably not to use it again going up to London (until at least the light improves and I can go all the way avoiding leaving it in Croydon).

Hopefully the cyclehub will be a decent place to leave my commuter hack, the racks look pretty good, with lots of hardware to lock to. Ideally I suppose I'd have 2 x d-lock, but that sounds like a very heavy way to go.



Update on the Kona...

Things I've done
- pumped up the tyres. Comfy looking Conti CountryRide (37mm)
- Removed the necessary couple of links from the new chain I fitted on collection.
- Moved the front mech clamp to better align the cage and so it doesn't foul the chain rings any more. I seem to have warped chain-ring, but will try and live with that.
- re-set the limit screws and re-indexed both front and rear mechs with existing cables.
- took off the random fittings for long lost accessories.
- Tried to adjust the brakes out a bit to compensate for the slight buckle of the wheels and discovered both cables are in bad shape. I don't have any spare inners or outers right now so will get some ordered. Chainreaction have 30m x black outer for £21 right now. Will make do for now.
- replaced bad (and too big) seatpost qr clamp with one from a kids bike we're not using right now, the qr seems to fit ok on the kid's bike frame.
- Bought a Kryptonite KryptoLok S2 Std D-Lock with 4 Foot KryptoFlex Cable (£21 Evans) and registered the key combination

After all that I took it out in the dark last night for a couple of laps of the pub carpark to check the gears work off the work-stand as well as on. It actually rolls really well. The wheels feel narrow and quick like a road bike and I'm looking forward to powering along on it.

Nice day today, plan was to cycle it up to town and get going. Then late last night whilst getting everything together I tried to mount the Kryptonite D-lock to the frame and killed it. Stripped the grub screw on the lock itself which sets the angle of the lock when it's held in the bracket. I'll take it back and get something else this afternoon/evening if I get the chance. Might pick up a set of these cateye lights with brackets while I am at it, if I can get evans to pricematch them down from £20 to the £12 I can see online. I'm thinking brackets will be easier than rubber bungees for taking on and off all the time and having a set of lights dedicated to the commuter will mean I don't have to mess about when I want to use one of my other bikes.

https://www.evanscycles.com/cateye-omni-3-light-se...


In the end I couldn't go to work today because I was dialled into an emergency conference call from silly o'clock for hours and hours and it didn't make sense to go in once it finished.

Maybe I'll get it together to start using it tomorrow.

- I actually bought 2 x 2008 vintage Kona bikes on Friday. the other was a "Makena" 20 inch wheel mtb for my 7 year old I bought for £22 on ebay which has so far needed just a new gear cable (I had inner and outer on the shelf), but otherwise works really well and got a ride out yesterday.



idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Wednesday 30th November 2016
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1st proper ride today. Very cold so I got the train to East Croydon (early doors so non-folder legal) and cycled from there.
https://www.strava.com/activities/789510094

Sorry for the dreadful photo.


I'll be locking the bike up in Croydon tonight, anyone want to hazard a guess on how long before it gets nicked?

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Thursday 1st December 2016
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I detected some noises and play on the ride in yesterday but managed to dial them out.
- There was a tiny bit of play in the headset which I was able to tighten.
- A click on every right foot down-stroke under high power also emerged. I didn't have an 8mm allen key on me, but managed to get the crank bolts tightened immediately on walk-up to the service counter at https://www.cyclerepublic.com/ in Lime St. which happily resolved it. It's a nice shop as long as you suspend disbelief that it's a halfords in drag. Everyone I've spoken to there has been knowledgeable and friendly.

I had an uneventful but cold trip back to Croydon yesterday night. I felt very heavy loaded up with locks, a big bidon I didn't touch etc. so vowed to pare things back and get leaner. Hopefully the tummy timber will fall off too!
https://www.strava.com/activities/789931985

It was a nervous feeling locking the bike up but I managed to get the d-lock through the frame, wheel and round the rack hardware as well as the cable back through the frame and the front wheel. I said my goodbyes, took a photo for posterity and took the train home.


We're now on day 2 of having no boiler, waiting for parts to turn up, so with no heating or hot-water home is not that nice a place to be at the moment, for the kids especially! Sods law it must be the coldest days we'll see this year. Anyway, I got the train to Croydon this morning and really didn't expect the bike to still be there. However, it was!!!

I got in it and rode it and life was good. I left the locks with masses of others at the bike racks, no bidon today either so thats over 2kg lighter.
https://www.strava.com/activities/790403477


Edited by idiotgap on Thursday 1st December 11:15

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
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That's a more expensive option and I'd have to be lugging it around. I have a nice fat bike budget from an insurance claim on the carbon bike car crash in september, but I think I want to spend that on something a bit more fancy.

Admittedly I haven't ridden a brompton, but it just doesn't look like something I'd want to ride 10+ miles twice a day. I did toy with the idea of an airnimal, but I'm told they don't fold that easily.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Tuesday 6th December 2016
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I nipped out at lunch time to get a new cassette which I'll fit tomorrow if I remember to bring the whip, locking tool etc. in to work. I've got tired of the slipping gears.
On the way back from getting the cassette, I had another explosive blowout (other inner tube explosions documented in the cycle to work thread). The back tyre did have the wires coming out of the bead... so I've just been out again and "invested" £50 on a pair of Schwalbe marathon plus 700cx32 tyres. The £56 gumtree bike is starting to look like an expensive trigger's broom exercise!

So far it has cost me...

£56 bike
£4 chain
£9 set of security QR skewers
£9.50 cassette
£3 2 x too narrow innertube (1 destroyed explosively)
£6.49 1 x emergency LBS inner tube (exploded)
£2.50 1 x inner tube spare halfords probably too big (38mm)
£5 1 x inner tube to fit new tyres
£12 Cateye omni3 light set
£27 Kryptonite lock
£46 2 x Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres

grand total is... £180 !! It'd better not get pilfered!


I maybe won't count it in, but next time I get the bike home and have some time, I'll renew the brake and gear cables. I have recently ordered inners and outers on the shelf for this and other bikes. I'm also building myself a wheel truing stand and this klunker could use a bit of that.

Edited by idiotgap on Tuesday 6th December 17:54

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Thursday 5th January 2017
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This bike is still going strong. I have not renewed my full annual Southern Rail season ticket so committed to using the bike whenever possible. I have bought a shorter rail pass for a month, so 20 miles I do on the train up to Croydon and the final 10 miles into London on the bike as per the original plan.

I've been getting cold on the way home, after the cycle I'm damp with sweat and stand around at the station in the cold waiting for the train, I never warm up on the 30 minute train ride and shiver outside again on the walk home. As a partial remedy, I have fitted a basket I can put my rucksack in which reduces the sweatyness and lowers the centre of gravity. It's not pretty but very practical. I feel I may have lost some self respect!




I try and make up for it, by overtaking castelli clad road warriors on their swish lightweight bikes in an effortless whoosh of power.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 9th January 2017
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Friday night was the first proper pouring rain I've had on this bike, not too bad really as the rack and basket took a lot of the spray. The bag in the back did get a lot of grim road grime ridden water onto it though. My feet got absolutely drenched and the old merrell trainers didn't dry properly all weekend long.

So I've done two things... First is to fit a different mudguard on the back. The old one I'd had lying around wouldn't fit around the rack fixings, on the off chance I picked up a set of mudguards for a quid in pound-land and amazingly the rear one fits fine and does the job for now at least.
They look pretty much like this, I haven't bothered with the front one:


Secondly I fitted some old SPD pedals I had lying around because they came fitted to a second hand bike. I also and bought some shoes and cleats from Decathlon. I'm used to SPD-SLs on my road bikes and so not concerned about clipping in, hopefully the shoes will retain less water than the trainers, be ok to walk in with cleats attached and have the rigid soles etc. I went for decathlon's own brand cleats which are repackaged "VP-C01"s


and for some basic Shimano MT34 shoes, on first ride they seem comfortable enough.

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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scherzkeks said:
While it may be nothing special to a bike geek, IMO, that bike is as likely to get nicked as any of the suggestions made so far.

That is exactly the sort of bike that used to get ripped off and show up on Craigs List for USD 300 when I lived in a major metro area in the States. Can't imagine it being much different in the UK.
I'm flattered, but it must be the lighting in the photo, it does look a bit of a dog in the flesh, lots of rusty allen key bolts and chainrings, discoloured bits and heavy scratching and chipping on the paintwork.

I'll grant you, recently it's not been parked up at the station in Croydon too much recently mainly because the trains haven't been running so it's not been a useful place to leave it, so we can't rely on it not having been stolen to assess appeal. There are way nicer looking bikes in the rack to my semi-trained eye, which is the important thing I think.

Edited by idiotgap on Sunday 15th January 07:35

idiotgap

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Friday 27th January 2017
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Strava tells me the commuter bike and I have now hit 1000km together. Still going well.

Only current issue is a bit of a creak from the bottom bracket, it goes away if I tighten the big allen bolts holding the cranks on, but only temporarily. I might try and replace the BB at some point. I'm in the process of rebuilding the carbon frame up that I crashed last September, when I put the cranks on the that I realised how bad a shape the BB bearings were in so I've ordered a new pair. That one seems easy to fix though being a hollowtech ii - with this old bike I'm not sure what I'm doing with the bottom bracket, time for a bit of internet research and youtube watching.

Will a new BB fix the creaking though?

Timothy Claypole

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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BB replaced this morning. I paid £30 for a shimano un55, I could have got it (and a BB tool I got at the same time) for probably half that but decided to support the LBS on this occasion. Early test ride suggests it's cured the creaking.

Grotty bike now on 1280km

Timothy Claypole

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Downward said:
I have the 2008 Dew deluxe.

Reckon I must have done 15k miles on it.


Just been cleaning a months worth of rain and dirt off the chain and cassette and put a rack on as I am moving jobs so looks like I'll have no storage at work.



Edited by Downward on Saturday 18th February 15:16
That looks fabulous given the miles and the years!
Is it a trigger's broom?

Mine being the same year, I was wondering what I'm missing out on with not having the deluxe, not much more than discs it seems:
Fork Kona P2 700c Disc Kona P2 700c
Crankarms FSA Alpha Drive FSA Dyna Drive
Chainrings 48/36/26 48/38/28
Chain Shimano HG40 KMC Z-72
Freewheel Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8spd) Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8-spd)
F/D Shimano Altus Shimano Tourney
R/D Shimano Deore Shimano Altus
Shifters Shimano Alivio Shimano EZ-Fire Integrated
Brakes Shimano 485 Hydraulic Disc Tektro M530
Brake Levers Shimano 485 Shimano EZ-Fire Integrated
Rear hub Shimano M475 disc Formula
Spokes DT Stainless 15g front/14g rear Sandvik Stainless 15g front/14g rear
Rims Sun MZ-14 Rigida Cyber 10
Saddle WTB Speed V Sport SE Kona Comfort
Color Gold Blue


Specs:
http://www.konabikeworld.com/08_dew_w.htm
http://www.konabikeworld.com/08_dewdeluxe_w.htm

Interesting they changed the chainrings to make them even smaller.

Timothy Claypole

Original Poster:

2,112 posts

134 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Buying things on gumtree is often an adventure, you don't know what kind of person you'll meet or experience you'll have until you get there. This guy lived in some flats and didn't communicate the meeting point until I got there, I was glad not to have to walk the halls and staircases to find his flat. I didn't reckon he'd nicked it with it's missing chain, flat tyres and rust - I could be wrong,