I am completely and totally obsessed with building the coolest single speed commuter bike. I can't explain it, but if I get the money this winter I want to build a single speed cyclocross commuter bike with disk brakes... It has to have discs, why? I don't know it just does.

You see I am planning to go back to SFU to peruse my PhD come this winter. I went to SFU as an undergraduate and I fell in love with climbing the 800ft mountain (Burnaby mountain) every day on my bike. It was hard when I first started but that morning climb is what ultimately got me into racing. I was in such good shape from busting up that mountain that when I started mountain bike racing I did quite well. Road is another story. By the end of my undergraduate experience the hill was nothing to me, so I move 30 km farther away just to make it hard again.

Well I don't want to live that far away again so the next best thing I can do is make it harder on my self by only using one gear. Yes, I could just not shift a geared bike but that is beside the point. This is a perfect excuse to build up a stelar commute machine. I was inspired by the Kona Dr. Dew, it looks like a kick ass city/courier bike (disc brakes included) but it had gears... clearly it would not do. Next I realized I love riding road bikes but I have always wanted to try cyclocross. Then it hit my why not a single speed cyclocross. Of course. It would be a stellar commute manchine plus I could go mash it out on the local cyclocross circuit. The only thing missing are the disc brakes. I checked around and learned AVID brakes make a road disc version of their mechanical disk brakes that work with the throw of regular road levers. Note to tech heads Diacompe makes some road levers that have the proper ratio to work linear pull brakes. I believe this means you can use the regular version of AVID's mechanical brakes, although I would investigate further.

So what frame to go with? Many manufactures make cyclocross. But, I found only one that offers disk tabs as a default, Vicious cycle's Spider frame. However it has gears so I would have to do a lame conversion thing. Surly makes a kickin cyclocross bike, the Cross-check (gears or SS- your choice) plus it is cheap, but no disk brake tabs. Surly also makes the Karate monkey, a 29er with disk tabs... but it has MTB geometry. No I want a snappier bike for the city when I give the finger, and smack cars with my U-lock. This leaves the alternative of getting a custom frame built. Most custom builders are more than happy to slap on a pair of disk tabs, at of course a higher price. If custom is the route I must take then I will have to go with Spot . You see, I will be moving back to Vancouver, what better gesture to buy from vancouver frame builders. Plus Spot makes one kickin cyclo cross bike, they are a fair bit cheaper than most other custom builders, and disk tabs is an easy addition for spot.

Will any of this come to pass? Who knows. Right now it is a dream. But if my financial situation looks good enough it just may see the day of light.