The new(ish) ride

There is no one perfect bicycle. There are bikes that are better suited for various cycling exploits, but bicycle-building is about compromise (resources and range of use) and taste (rider preference).

My compromises were based on my modest budget, my aim to reduce the number of ridable bikes (I know I know, WHY would I want to do that - but certain family pressures must be heeded) in my stable to three, my need for a quality commuter, and my desire for a bike to race cyclocross. Since I already have a dedicated road bike that I like and do not want to sell, and a hardtail mountain bike that does the job and is too useful to ditch, this new bike is supposed to pick up the slack.

Frame
After much deliberation I decided to go with an aluminum frame (for weight and corrosion resistance), so I purchased this used Scattante XRL cross frame with a carbon fork and FSA headset on ebay (150 plus shipping and duty). Since a carbon fork is not going to manage our winters too well, I purchased a steel fork from Back Alley Cycle (40), the local bike shop.

Wheels
I found a pair of new Mavic Open Pro wheels on Ultegra hubs on ebay for 180 plus shipping. These are good wheels. Since I blew a spoke holder on the rear hub of my Mavic Aksiums on my road bike this summer, and the other local bike shop (Altona Farm Service) replaced it with a Mavic CXP22 wheel on a 105 hub - not the same quality - I chose to put this wheel on this new bike, along with the front Open Pro. (I put the Open Pro Ultegra rear wheel on the road bike). The tires are Schwalbe CX Pros, which I already had.

Brakes
The brakes are Avid Shorty 4s from Back Alley, and the levers are from an old Norco Magnum from a way back (a solid bike that has done yeoman work, now put out to pasture).

Drivetrain
The cranks are Sugino ALPs from my mid 80s Fuji road bike (now converted to a single speed commuter and gifted to Genevieve for use in the city). I'm going with a single chainring up front (42T). The rear cassette, an SRAM 11-32, 8 speed and the derailleur, Deore MTB, are from the Farm Service. The chain is a few months old, from the Fuji, and the shifter is an SRAM MRX gripshift from Back Alley.

The rest
The bars are KORE flat bars, with KHS grips (both from Back Alley). The seatpost is an Axiom alloy (from Farm Service) and the seat is my long-suffering Velo-sport leather saddle from I don't know how long ago.

I will ride this bike a lot. I rode it into town and back yesterday (to the South Village Invitational) and, besides the few requisite adjustments, it's great. It rolls well, and brakes smoothly, and for all the quirkiness of a gripshift, I like it's style! (That's a taste thing.) I will likely put on drop bars and different brake levers when I change to the carbon fork for summer. So the bike will have a different summer and winter configuration.

All in all, I like (love!) building bikes.