Thinking of commuter-izing my Unit – mudguards(!) and gears(!) as when I do ride it usually rains and I don’t like getting completely covered in road gunk. But then saw CRCs discounts on various Konas. That Ute looks crazy and fun. Perhaps a little slower than a regular bike though?
I only have 12 miles on each leg of the journey. There are some gentle slopes. I’ll get to lock the bike up on a reasonably secure site.
I stuck with a converted MTB and botched traditional mudguards on. I couldn’t be bothered dealing with another set of standards and wheel size, cos I like to swap stuff around between bikes. It meant I could use up some bits from the spares box, but was also an excuse to get some more shiny mtb bits.
Just finished a new commuter, going to get flammed for this but I am loving it.
SS 29er inbred, ridged
Running Conti 35mm speed king cross, the rear is nearly slick after running it at 60psi ;-), but its been a real buzz working out the best lines on my local commuting trails.
I commuted on a folding electric bike – 10 miles of hilly lanes, but could wear work clothes and not need a shower – as the office didn’t have one. Full mudguards and a rear rack. Then I did 100% human powered on the way home. Selling it now as I live in town…… one careful owner…..
agree with flat bars if the route is mainly urban, traffic, lots of stopping and starting
drops if its more rural “open roads” where you might benefit from being able to get more “aero” – makes a difference if you are riding home into a headwind
frame that will take proper full length guards (although I have used crud catcher race guards on my road bike for the last couple of years and they are very good)
Merida Speeder here with bar ends, mud guards and panniers. 700cc Schwalbe Marathons. 36 mile round trip started this week. I’m around 17.5 stone and even with the rear panniers the factory wheels haven’t budged.
Love the bike, very comfy and delighted I went with it.
It’s totally going to depend on the individual situation. And your preferences and facilities at work. For example I;
Have a pretty flat 5 mile commute, bit of country lane, bit of town.
Don’t need to carry anything, other than 5th day clothing changeover.
Like to get wet, have a drying room but no showers at work, can get away with stinking 😉
Ergo, this is my commuter:
No guards, no racks, one gear. It’s lovely to ride. If only I wasn’t crippled, I’d have ridden it twice today 🙁
Running a basic Kona Dew, 12 miles each way on roads, cycle paths and towpaths – takes full mudguards and panniers, a bit harsh to ride but I’ve swapped the contact points to improve that, a bit slow (roughly an hour each way depending on winds, load and energy levels) but does what I need it to reliably through the winter for £300
The Ute is a nice bike but not really for distance commuting in it’s stock form as it’s 37lbs-ish in weight with an upright riding position. You could stick a long stem and flat handlebars on to make it more comfortable for distances but it’s still heavy for a 24 mile round trip.
Kona Paddy Waggon. Just bought one from the bay for my commute and the ride is superb. I also looked at a Specialized Langster, but fitting rack and mudguards is more of a pain. For 10 miles, drops for me and panniers. It’s not light, but a lot lighter than a UTE!
Mountain bike for me. running a genesis IOID at the moment – 8 sp alfine, discs and 1 3/4 inch road tyres for braking grip. Urban commuting over short distances. I prefer the grip to the speed hence fat tyres. Mary bars as well
Ive just started commuting to a train 7 miles away. I’m using an old Scott steel MTB with slicks and 38:16 Singlespeed ratio.
Im finidng it a bit uncomfortable tbh – the whole leg is on country lanes – I did 7 miles in 30 mins last night but i find I’m either spinning out with the wind behind me or struggling with the wind in my face.
Also when its not windy my position seems very high and open – with the wide riser bars (may cut them down and fit a longer stem)
I really fancy a road bike but will something like a Carrera TDF be equally as uncomfortable due to lack of carbon fork?
I could always go back to gears on it but that means buying shifters/cassette/cables/mech which seems a bit pointless on this pub bike esq frame.
When I use to commute in my old job I used an old Orange Clockwork with single 42 ring up front and gears at the back running slicks. Not as fast as a road bike but it use to be comfy.