Salsa Casseroll

I don't have any garden shots today, but I haven't had anything about bikes for awhile, and this blog is, after all, also supposed to be about bikes and bicycle commuting (hence the name: "The Bicycle Garden"). So I thought I'd do a little post about my commuter, a Salsa Casseroll built by moi, from scratch.

I bought the frame and fork on closeout on ebay. I got the used Ultegra components there, too.

Here are a few shots of the build-up, and the finished bike as she is now. She is a sweet bike, and just about perfect for commuting around town when I have light loads. (For heavy grocery loads, I use the Xtracycle.)

My commuter runs are confined to trips to school during the school year, largely for time reasons. But during the summer break, I road the commuter everywhere in town. For those of you familiar with the Hub City, yes, that means I rode the bike from Tech Terrace to Barnes and Noble. It can be done. (You should have seen how nonchalant the people at Rudy's BBQ were every time I rode up to the take out window, on my way home, to pick up a sausage sammie. Bueno.)

Here's the build:

Cutting the fork to size. (If I had to do it over, I would leave it longer and use more spacers.)


The fork and headset, seated.


Installing the bottom bracket.


The chain ring and brakes.


More or less finished.



As she stands now, fully kitted out for a commute.

As a side note, perhaps of interest, The Bicycle Garden got its name for a garden concept I once proposed to the campus landscape architect. I thought maybe we could install a garden that celebrated and honored people (and their trusty steeds) who used their bikes to commute to school. The garden never got onto the drawing board, but I thought the name had a nice ring to it, so when I was looking for a title for the blog that would reflect how I felt about both, I resurrected it. The photo for the blog title is a picture of the Xtracycle by the rose arbor, carrying garden tools, as well as some pass-along plants I'd picked up from neighbors earlier in the day.