My chum (who also has a nice road bike and a touring/audax bike etc) commutes about eight miles a day wearing street shoes, is happy with battery lights (he knows about hub dynamos because that is what the missus has BTW), likes relatively closely spaced derailleur gears, doesn't buy into the whole 'fat tyres are faster' thing, quite likes his mudguards set close (he stays cleaner) and wants to do as little maintenance as possible.
The previous bike lasted about 15 years before the chainstays rusted right through. Almost every single component on that bike was worn or rusted badly and was at the end of its life. I commented that if Colin Chapman had designed a commuting bike, it would be like that; at the end of its life, every single part about to fail simultaneously.
The old bike even had the non visible rim eyelets corrode away to nothing inside the rim.
This is the new bike I built.
The wheels have aluminium SA hub brakes (which have some of the smoothest bearings of any hub IMHO), DT DB spokes, Mavic Open sport rims (single stainless eyelet), conti gatorskins.
The frame is a Raleigh in reynolds 501. SKS mudguards with stainless fittings.
The transmission is a simple, robust 6s indexed one, with a galvanised chain. The idea is that the consumables are cheap and durable. The screw-on freewheel has 14,16,18,20,24,28T and there is a 44T chainring (chainguard to be added). It is not very hilly round here so the gears have an adequate range.
Punctures are not part of the plan, but the wheels might have to come out in a hurry. The brake levers have a QR button, which allows the brake cables to be unhooked at the hub end in seconds. The front wheel can be removed in 15s and the rear in about 30 (there is not yet a QD ftting on the reaction arm of the rear brake).
There are a whole load of special adjustments, fittings and adaptations. The frame is internally treated with waxoyl, and the vent holes are blocked. The outside of the frame is coated in clear plastic film in key places to deter corrosion and prevent damage from locks etc.
The seat post and the stem have additional seal rings added to stop water ingress.
The 130bcd chainring is meant for 1/8" chain, but has been remachined so that 7s chain is 'just snug' on it which should mean a longer life and no derailments. The rear hub is upraded to 2RS bearings, waterproof grease, and the freewheel has custom -made seals front and back that can be re-used with replacement freewheels. The present freewheel is a sunrace one, which needed reshimming from new, but has slick-shifting HG style sprockets.
The UN52 BB unit has a lube port added to it and is packed with Castrol SBX grease (which is 'the right grease' IMV), the pedals have lube ports too.
The rear mech is a light action 'preselect' type one, and the jockey pulley bushings are fitted with lube ports. I have found that these rear mechs (like any other) can bend in a crash, but (unlike many others) they can nearly always be bent back again, because the parts that bend are made of steel. The shift quality is very good indeed, probably the best 6s shift I have ever used.
The rear carrier is mounted using blackburn-style (but custom-made and therefore more snug/stronger/better) dropout adaptors.
Needless to say every fitting that could be was stainless steel and everything else is corrosion-proofed and/or treated with copper-ease or waxoyl where it is fitted to the frame. There are glint-tape patches on the frame for added night-time visibility.
I road tested the bike (less mudguards, rack , with different pedals/rear mech) and it rode very well. Only weighed about 25 1/2lbs, too. Although the weight went up in the final spec, it goes very well. In fact it goes so well, the gearing might need to be revised; the 44/18 gear was meant to be the most used, but I am told that thus far, it has more often been the next one up.
cheers
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