Bikes

This bike has been a commuter for the last couple of years, and is a parts bin mongrel: '70s Gitane frame, 2-speed red band Bendix rear hub and front generator hub on my home-built wheels, old Shimano 600 brakes, home-made LED headlight (not yet remounted) and home-made saddle bag. It's not fast because of the gearing, but it's light and rides really nicely.

I decided to fancy it up a bit this winter with a new Nitto RM017 moustache bar, used $8 Nitto Dynamic II stem, and Newbaum's dark blue and khaki bar tape in a harlequin weave.  

In building up my latest fair weather commuter bike  i wanted to make it as simple and durable as possible. As part of that, i wanted to keep the drivetrain simple and use generator lights to avoid battery replacements.

The idea really started when a friend gave me this old Bendix 2-speed kickback hub: