We’ve all been thrilled and fascinated by Russ’s transformation of his old Trek into a versatile city bike and his “reverse fixed-gear conversion“. Both of these bikes really embody the European utility bike, both in function as well as in aesthetics…shellaced cork grips, swoopy upright handlebars, ability to haul loads, etc.
I’ve been kicking around a project just like this, too….except mine is more on a budget (using salvaged parts). The concept behind what I’ve been referring to as “Jack’s Patented Grocery Gitter” is that I really needed to develop a European-style errand bike, something with utility in mind but something that also has little monetary value. I don’t want to have to worry about this bike being in the rain or getting chewed up by substandard bike racks. Most importantly, if someone were to steal this bike, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it.
So many errands can be completed within just a couple miles of my house…trips to the bank, the drugstore, the grocery store, the post office, etc. With any of the current bikes in my stable, I’d often worry about them getting damaged or stolen, and that made me more reluctant to do these kinds of quick trips by bike. With this elegant “beater”, I can lay those fears to rest and start saving even more gas than I’ve been!
The first step was to “devalue” the Belgian-made French Astra I’ve been using as my weekend commuter. Basically, this means putting a pair of crappy 700c wheels I’ve had in my shed on it, removing all the other decent parts and swapping them out with old stuff gathering dust in my spare parts bins.
I managed to find the original chromed handlebars for this bike in my shed, so I slipped them back on with a longer stem and some MTB brake levers.
I had a pair of all-weather BMX grips, too, so I stuffed them on the ends of the bars. Now I can channel the spirit of our very own RL Policar whenever I ride it:
The next steps are to convert the singlespeed drivetrain into a 1×6 setup, run cables to the brakes and derailleur (and pray the left-hand Shimano shifter works to push the rear derailleur far enough — I can’t find the right-hand side thumbie) and slap some grocery baskets on there. I am favoring a chrome Wald front basket with struts to sort of match the folding wire rear pannier/baskets I’m planning on installing. It ain’t no CETMA rack, but I think it will suffice for my purposes…
Stay tuned for more!
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19 responses so far ↓
1 RL Policar // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Oh man! A man after my own heart! Part of the reason why I love Redline so much is because of their logo!
2 russ roca // Jan 22, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Cool project. What kind of wacky headset setup is that? Some kind of quill to threadless adaptor?
If the shifter doesn’t work, I recommend the $10 thumb shifters from Falcon (can be purchased from Jenson USA)….I have them on my Xtracycle…and although they are not pretty, they do work….
3 Greg Raisman // Jan 22, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Beautiful ride. More practical for short trips than a bike that can do this?
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2214050748&size=o
4 Ghost Rider // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:42 am
I know, I know…the bakfiets would be ideal, but I can’t afford it.
Russ, it’s a regular 1″ headset and quill stem. The headset locknut was replaced by a “Gorilla Headlock” (old-school MTB part)…about a mile of my work commute is over cobblestones, and the headset on this bike would always shake loose. The Gorilla Headlock has a slot cut into it…you thread it down until it is tight against the headset’s top washer and then tighten the pinchbolt and it WILL NOT move. This Ebay auction has a better picture and a decent description:
http://cgi.ebay.fr/Vintage-RARE-Gorilla-Billet-Headset-Lock-1-1-8-Silver_W0QQitemZ290193249684QQihZ019QQcategoryZ42336QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m122
5 Greg Raisman // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:31 am
Ideal? Nah. I meant it — that is one beautiful bicycle you built. Your bike has a lot of things a bakfiets doesn’t.
1) You and I can afford it.
2) It handles better
3) It’s easier to park
4) It’s faster
5) It’s better on hills
6) You can attach a trailer or extracycle to it for cargo. But don’t need the cargo carrying all the time.
Granted, the bakfiets is more cool in some ways too. But, seems like no bike is ideal. That’s why we all need a full stable of them!
6 Ghost Rider // Jan 23, 2008 at 8:57 am
Well, Greg…thanks! You truly are a man of good taste ;).
Bakfietsen are on my “dream bike” short list, but I hadn’t considered the points you raised. You know, I might just stick with this here cheapie utility bike!
7 Greg Raisman // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Don’t get me wrong. A bakfiets is on my short list too. They are super cool and can do a lot of things no other bike I’ve ridden can. I mean how many bikes can carry 6 people?:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverchimp/2210957328/
Or a keg of beer? Or, heck, just groceries. I borrowed one for a weekend a couple of months ago and was pretty sad to give it back.
If you’re ever in Portland, you can test ride one. Or, apparently, in Chico: http://clevercycles.com/?p=215
Riding it definitely brought surprises.
First, it was the laid back, classic Dutch geometry. When I first started riding a dutch bike, I described it like “the experience of walking really fast”. Got to see more details around me. A bit slower pace, but definitely more relaxed and in some ways interesting.
Second, it handled way better than I could have ever imagined. The thing weighs a lot (I think 85 pounds). I could corner well — my learning curve on it may have been shorter due to my hours on a long wheelbase recumbent. But, still it was surprisingly easy to corner, start, and stop.
It was also pretty surprising that a near-Olympian such as myself could pretty easily make it up a moderate hill. They definitely have that thing dialed in.
So, I’m not ready to plunk the $3,000 down for one. But, never say never. I think they’re worth it.
8 james o. // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:08 pm
you have a bike shed? i couldn’t be more jealous. i have to settle for my sad as hell bike closet.
good work. thanks for the inspiration. i need to update my grocery bike too!
9 Ghost Rider // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:21 pm
James,
I DO have a bike shed…but the space gets shared with lawnmowers, tools and assorted junk. In fact, most of my bikes are under tarps scattered around my backyard (and one in my kitchen, to the dismay of Mrs. Ghost Rider)!!
10 Moe // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Your European City bike had me thinking… Which of my bikes can I transform and make it “Euro”… Then it freaking hit me:
I already own one!!!!
11 Ghost Rider // Jan 24, 2008 at 5:29 am
Oh yeah! It’s even got the chain guard!
Throw some baskets on there and you’re good to go, my friend.
12 Val // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:54 am
Jack: If it makes you feel any better, the Cetma rack is mostly Wald hardware, rearranged and adapted to be a flatbed. You’ll be fine with the baskets.
13 Ghost Rider // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:58 am
You know what, Val? That DOES make me feel better. You always know just what to tell me to make me feel good about the direction my bikes are heading!
I did have a feeling that the Wald basket would suffice. Do you have any recommendations (model numbers, etc.) for a somewhat shallow, strut-mounted basket?
14 Val // Jan 24, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Jack: The Cetma is basically the Wald #157B (the largest they make - 21″x15″x9″) with the basket excised. Most people find that one far too large to handle when it’s attached to the fork/handlebars (I use one, but mine’s attached to the frame). The next size down is the #139 (18″x13″x6″), which is still pretty big, but more manageable. More common is the #137 (15″x10″x4.75″), which should be plenty for a bike that does not have specific load carrying front geometry. Have fun!
15 Ghost Rider // Jan 24, 2008 at 2:20 pm
That’s perfect…thanks, Val!
16 Ghost Rider // Jan 24, 2008 at 2:27 pm
By the way, after looking at Wald’s website, I have a pair of the 582 folding rear baskets:
http://waldsports.qbsoft.com/index.cfm/wald582rearfoldingbasket.html
We bought a bike equipped with them at a police auction years ago…for the princely sum of $3.00.
17 Quinn // Jan 24, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Jack,
Weird there is a “classic” GF that looks like the Asyra, pre -devalue, at my LBS
18 Ghost Rider // Jan 24, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Is “GF” Gary Fisher? If so, did Gary Fisher made slack-angled road bikes with stainless steel fenders?
19 Grocery Getter Completed | Bike Commuters // Feb 3, 2008 at 9:41 pm
[...] the weekend, I was able to complete my take on the European-style utility bike – what I’ve been calling “Jack’s Patented Grocery [...]
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