Hello all,

I’m in need of a bike for commuting and generally getting around town on but am unsure which way to go.

For some reason I have an urge to buy a singlespeed bike but know really I should just get something as cheap as possible as commuting by bike is a money saving exercise after all. I could also look into a touring type bike with panniers and the like which would be good when going to the shops. The commute itself would only be a few miles and is flat.

What do you all use? Should I do the sensible thing and buy myself a very cheap second hand bike?

Nick.

commuterised MTB. (Genesis IOID) I want wide grippy tyres and disc brakes and an uprightish riding position. Alfine hub is good.

really old inbred built from spares, classifieds and ebay.

Rigid, singlespeed, 1.75″ slicks. Takes rack and mudguards.

second hand can take a while to get hold of if you want decent stuff. You can go fairly cheap buying new. I know CRC have mtb frames for <£100 you can get forks off on one for £40. Wheels off Merlin or on-on for <£100 it’s still soon mount up but would be quicker than waiting for the right size frame to appear.

You won’t need discs on the road IME which keeps things cheap and simple.

I have a crappy £250 Raleigh that I bought so I would lose anything if it got stolen. The fact is, though, that I quite like it. It fits well, and I ride it everywhere around town worry-free.

Deciding factor will probably be how secure the storage is at the end of the commute.
If you can have the bike in your office get some thing nice that you will enjoy riding, make cmmuting fun.
If it will be outside the station all day £20 max off fleabay for a bike-shaped-object with as many cosmetic problems as you can find.
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Jonba, I think discs are great for commuting. I’m out in all weathers doing it and I find rim-brakes take far too much looking after, cleaning rims and pads, and pads wear too quickly. I’d go for a good set of hydro discs for the fit-and-forget approach, although the power is probably overkill (using Hope C2s on mine)

Genesis IO Singlespeed, £350 off ebay a year ago. Gets me from Manchester to Warrington 3 times a week. Strangely, it is actually my favourite of my bikes.

Carrera Subway 2 from ebay for £10 set of new Carrera rigid forks from Halfords for £30 – yes you read that right, you just have to go and ask them, they don’t advertise just ask! Wheel set from ebay for £40 Ebay again for 24 speed gear set up and mechanical disc brakes – other bits from round the shed and Superstar components – Total about £120! Great little run around that I can happily spin along at 18 odd mph for hours (on the flat!!) You could do the same thing and make it a single speed job – would work out cheaper too – alldepends on your commute! I built another Carrera (Viking this time) into my single speed winter XC hack! Rumour has it that the Carrera frames are built by Kona – is this true!?! – and are as great frames and cheap as chips 🙂

I’m out in all weathers too. These days with the cheapness of some brakes you may get away with it. Older frames may not have disc brake mounts (mine doesn’t) and I have it in my head that discs make a bike more appealing to thieves.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=49192
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=12966&f_SupersetQRY=C433&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018333c018338
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=60957

I use a Sabbath September. I do have quite a long commute to justify a posh commuting bike though (27 miles each way)

Harvest Time by simondbarnes, on Flickr

I want the extra stopping ability of discs and sticky 1.6 tyres. Mine is an urban commute with hills however

@simondbarnes – do you do that every day? my commute is a similiar disatnce and i usually only get one day a week to commute!

@simondbarnes – do you do that every day? my commute is a similiar disatnce and i usually only get one day a week to commute!

No, I don’t (wish I could). Had a lazy Summer, now doing 2-3 times a week and will hopefully keep it up through Winter.

pompino is a fun commuter – ride it ss fixed or freewheel. Go for £200 ish on ebay whenever I’ve looked.

£300 Kona Dew here – done 24 miles a day commuting for a year, it’s not light, not bling, not what I really wanted, but it does the job very well – damn it!

I have a 2006 On-one inbred sitting in my garage that’s not been ridden this year. I could sell you it for about £150 if you fancy it.
It’s a fully rigid single speed with sliding dropouts and Hayes 9 discs.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Security the work end will be an issue ie locked to the nearest lampost or railing however I could always invest in a decent ulock with cable thingy. I think my best bet is just to see what is out there second hand at what sort of prices (on-one pompino is a good shout!).

I sold all my biking kit last christmas due to cancer diagnosis and have been on this site for about 30 mins which has already induced major bike itch; hoping to resist (although part of me hoping to succumb in a weird sort of way!).

Nick.

EDIT: Ian just seen your post – will have a good think about it and try and get back to you tomorrow.

Cannondale BadBoy Ultra – 8 speed alfine at the back, had it for 18months proberly done upwards of 1500 miles and its not missed a beat,just about to replace the original grips but thats about it (photo is from when it was new).

EDIT – oh i did change the saddle pretty quick as the Fisik was like concrete on my arse.