n my ever-ongoing quest to make the Ute the best it can be, I came across a problem. The bike came with one giant pannier when I got it. The big, waterproof thing that looks like a stoned pumpkin is great, but the problem is when I load it up all of the weight is on one side of the bike, making it so I basically have to ride sideways to keep from rolling over. It also makes standing the bike up under load basically impossible with the stock kickstand.
For Christmas, my wife got me a big box of vintage bike bags. I’m going to do a bunch of MYOG (Make Your Own Gear) shit with it in the future, but my first order of business was to balance the Ute’s load.
I don’t have the money to actually get another bike for racing. While I could have just thrown down on one of my 26” bikes, I did want to do a bit of tinkering. I also wanted to make it as cheap as possible, and to show you how to do the same. So this is what I did. I’ve included a price break down so far.
Went to buy a bag of parts and came home with basically a whole bike
I have to say, it is one of the funnest bikes I’ve ridden. The swoopy bars give it a nice cruisy vibe, but the burly tires make it able to go almost anywhere on the Island. If I didn’t have something that fit in this category already… and if it fit me just a bit better… I probably wouldn’t be selling it.
That being said, I am selling it. I’m asking $650 for it, but willing to entertain offers.
Dirtbag Cycles Repairs is an Earth-first, non-hierarchical, intersectional Eco-socialist bike repair project that puts both people and the planet before any profit.
