Last year I started to set up the Roadrat with a wierdy-beardy touring setup
It rode well but it never felt truly comfortable, and there were little things that niggled whenever I rode it or looked at it. Plus I never got round to putting gears on it and the combination of narrow-ish drop bars, flat pedals and a single gear meant that it was hard to manhandle up hills. So this week I decided it was time to make some changes and return it to being a joy to ride
The touring bars and klutzy-looking front disk brake are gone, instead it has swept back riser bars and v-brakes front & back. It needs a pannier rack to make it a true urban runabout, but I'm enjoying the clean lines at the minute.
I don't deliberately use British components but I find they tend to work for me - it's a Cotic frame with On-one bars, seatpost & rear hub, a Thompson stem and a Hope front skewer. Should probably have a Brooks saddle too, but I'm saving that for another build.
The bars look and feel a bit odd but they're comfortable, at least over the short distance I've been riding since the rebuild. They feel very upright though - it makes you want to wear a flat cap, smoke a roll-up and carry a ferret. I'll see how I get on with them.
I haven't given up on the idea of touring though - don't panic guys, this still rings true for me...
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