Check out Jessi's new bicycle!

I've put some pictures in the Assembly gallery. I took them while I was putting the bicycle together.

Features That Make It So Awesome

It's Pink!

This was Jessi's main criteria for her new bicycle. Bikeman was nice enough to handle powder coating when some local shops weren't interested.

Surly Long Haul Trucker

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is an excellent frame for touring. The same things that make it good for touring make it good for commuting.

• Cromoly steel flexes slightly to smooth small bumps in the road. It also breaks more slowly than aluminum.
• The fork rake increases stability by dampening turns.
• The longer chain stay allows for panniers to not be kicked while pedaling.
• It has braze-ons for almost everything you could want.

Moustache Handlebars

The sweep back design let's Jessi sit more upright. That is more comfortable for her wrists, shoulders, and back. It lets her look around more easily instead of at the front wheel. It is also safer. She is less likely to fly over the handle bars in the event of an accident.

Lighting System

The lighting system is very important. It is designed to make people see Jessi at night without her having to change or charge any batteries.

It is powered by a Shimano DH-3N71 dynamo hub in the front wheel. This model is a good compromise between price and efficiency. Shimano it is the same quality as their Ultegra line. I have the previous model on my bicycle, and I have been very satisfied.

The lights are Busch & Müller imported by Peter White Cycles. Both lights use very bright LEDs. They also have capacitors to continue shining while stopped temporarily. The headlight spreads the light out very well illuminating stop signs and making sure everyone can see it. I don't like to ride in front now because it shines in my eyes me through my mirror.

Drivetrain

We decided to go with an internal gearing system again. I really like the way it works on my bicycle.

We used the Shimano Nexus Inter 8 which gives a wide range of gear ratios. The front chainring has 44 teeth, and the rear sprocket has 21. That gives her a reasonable speed range from about 5 mph when climbing hills with her panniers full of groceries to 22 mph.

The shifter uses buttons instead of the normal grip shift for the Inter 8. The only place in the USA that I found them was Bikeman.

Wheels

I chose Mavic XM 317 rims with 36 spokes. This is a very sturdy rim that can handle a heavy load in the panniers.

I have been a fan of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires for commuting. They are wide enough to dampen the bumps in the road without being too wide and weighing too much. They have a good tread pattern, and the material has great traction. They are also lined with kevlar to prevent flats.

Luggage

We really like the Clarijs fietstassen from Holland. They are waterproof, huge, and come in custom color configurations. They've figured out how to ship overseas now, so it only took a week by plane instead of 3 months by boat via Sao Paolo. Unfortunately, they still only take payment by wire transfer.

The panniers sit on top of a Bruce Gordon rear rack. His racks are very sturdy and made of cromoly steel tubing.

Getting and Building

I ordered everything from Bikeman and had them arrange to get the frame powder coated pink. The owner, Davis Carver, said it was a great set of components and they wouldn't charge to build it. I had planned to build it myself, but I can't beat free.

They did a great job. Their powder coater is excellent. All I had to do was put on the front wheel, the fenders, the rack, the lights, and the panniers. And the mirror. The mirror we like so much doesn't fit the handlebars. I had to sand down the part that fits inside the bar end.

The only things I wasn't happy about were the kickstand and the downtube shifter bosses. The kickstand doesn't hold the bike up very well. We have to turn the front wheel all the way to the left. I think this is related to the fork rake. I'll have to see what some better options are.

The downtube shifter bosses were left uncovered and unpainted. There was also no cable housing stop for the rear shifter. They had attached the shifter cable housing to the frame with zip ties. I am solving these problems with some cable stops that attach to the shifter bosses.