Greg's Spicer

The Spicer frame came originally from eBay. I bought it from a guy who had the frame made by Gene Spicer. The original owner raced the bike at Major Taylor Velodrome and came very clean and in great shape. The massive downtube is fun because it gives the bike a different front triangle - its stiff as anything, which is something people notice when taking it for a ride.

I ride this bike alot. On the track at Northbrook, on streets in Chicago and the burbs, really anyplace I'd take a bike. The frame is in fantastic shape and the fork cuts through the air.

The wheels have been a dream so far. The Phil hubs have been spinning smooth even after riding them in all kinds of weather. The cockpit evolves all the time depending on what kind of riding I'm doing: drops at the track, bullhorns or risers for the road, aerobars when training for a triathlon, etc. I use a couple of stems and flip them up/down depending on what kind of rise/drop I want. Note to anyone who is considering a SLR XP: the saddle is great, but get ready for a nice long adjustment period. I took the saddle off the rails to clean and grease the post. It took a good 10 days to readjust the saddle (fore/aft/nose up/down) to get it back to a good spot. The most common problem I had with this saddle is soreness in the nethers after about a dozen miles. When the saddle is properly adjusted I feel no pain and have done 30+ miles without issue.

I recently put a pair of Eggbeaters on the bike - I had only ridden with cages and straps before. Riding with clipless pedals makes a HUGE positive difference in riding. Stiff soled shoes, direct connection with the crankarms, no float, the experience is great. I would definately recommend trying out a clipless system if you have a slight inclination to do so.

This bike took me a few months to put together, I slowly gathered parts from eBay and (mostly) online sources.

The cockpit changes with my mood - lately I've been riding with riser bars and Oury grips for comfort's sake.

5/10/07 update: I've dropped from 49t to 48t and now to 46t. 46x18 gives me about 65 gear inches, perfect for the morning commute. Spin to win!

A year and a half after getting this bike I am still rolling on the same Vittoria Rubino tires. They take abuse very well, including a decent amount of skidding/skipping/general fixed gear vagabondery.

I sold my SLR XP asshatchet saddle and picked up a Fizik Poggio. The Poggio has padding and a more forgiving shape than the SLR XP. My behind is much happier and riding in general is nicer.

Next upgrade: seatpost mounted pannier rack and a set of panniers. Commuting without a bag on my back will be exquisite.

8/3/07 update: The Poggio is working out great. I commute about half the time currently with a seatpost rack and panniers which is quite nice. The rack I'm using requires four 2" long screws to be mounted, making it a pain in the ass to put on and take off. If I had to do it over again I would get a quick release seatpost rack so I didn't have to spend so much time messing around with bolts. Otherwise it has been great, I am using a pair of old Cannondale panniers with lots of life left in them

6/27/08 update: The bike is running in 99% the same configuration as the last photo. The only changes have been a new brake lever and cable housing. The bike gets 50+ miles a week of commuting duty and is a blast to ride. Its been an awesome two years of riding. I put it away in the winter and switch out to a MTB single speed for the snow, but when the roads aren't icy the Spicer is working. Still running the same Rubino tires as when I first bought it... best rubber ever.