Hi,

Just sorted a new job for September cutting my 26mile journey to work is now only 12miles, which I reckon is cycle commuting distance 🙂

My wife is ok with it as long as I am lit up like a Christmas tree, but I have a couple of questions for those of you who regularly cycle commute,

1) hybrid, road bike or cx bike? I will only be using this bike for commuting, and for some reason I quite fancy flat handlebars, but are drops the better option on that distance?
2) alfine (8spd) or normal dérailleur? I am ok at maintanence, but would quite like this to be very reliable!
3) what sort of tyres do you fit? Both width and type to avoid punctures

Also if anyone lives near Farnham, is there a better road to use between Bordon and Farnham than the A325? It’s singlecarriage and national speed limit for one stretch, is it worth adding a few miles to the journey to avoid that section?

Many thanks

Bars: Whatever you’re comfortable with is most important.
Gears: Dérailleur will be fine, it’s only really MTB mud that stops ’em shifting.
Tyres: Fat road width, 28-32? Go for puncture proof, I like the Schwalbe Marathon touring tyre (the ‘Racer’ is still fast-ish.The ‘Plus’ version is a bit of a beast) or Schwalbe Durano, marketed as a puncture-proof road tyre.

However many lights you think is enough, fit more. Some constant some flashing. Reflective stuff is good, wear a builders vest, and stick reflective stuff to the bike.

Drivers will try to kill you, try not to let it get you down.

APF

Cheers for the advice.

I was looking at a Boardman hybrid or a charge grater 3. If normal gears are fine, then I’ll save the cash!

I was thinking of three rear lights (four4th scorpion, a set of blinders and lezyne) with flashing lights at the front!

I now know what tyres to look out for as well!

Hybrids are good as you get a more upright position (I have drops). A flat barred road or cross bike i.e like the London Road would be perfect IMHO.

Bar type will only really have any effect if you’re really going for it on each commute and then only really at speed.

Alfines are great in that you’re only wearing out a cheap chain and two sprockets (£50) every year. But they’re heavy and the range isn’t perfect., the 11s address some of this, by can be a pain to keep running perfectly.

Tyres are generally personal preference, some will advocate 25-28 at high pressure for speed, I personally use 35-37 at moderate pressure, set-up tubeless for comfort and grip. Vitoria Alpha Hyper are only 355g, have puncture protection, a reflective sidewall, are easy to get on and off rims, and have superb grip in the wet.

I commute 36 miles (18 each way) twice per week and 15 miles (7.5*2) twice per week on the nursery run.

I use this:

Get something that will take full mudguards

Lights: 2 on the bike at the front, one static, one flashing. One flashing on the helmet for staring at people about to pull out on you. Same at the back except the third light is on my rucksack. USB rechargeable is helpful as you can top up at home and at work.
Most important, get your bikeability training from your local authority and read cyclecraft by John Franklin and learn best practice for riding in traffic. You’ll learn loads and helps keep you safe

I’m in my 9th year of commuting 20 miles each way at least 3 times a week so have lots of experience.

1) hybrid, road bike or cx bike? I will only be using this bike for commuting, and for some reason I quite fancy flat handlebars, but are drops the better option on that distance? Depnds on the route really, I have a 13 mile section with no traffic lights so easy to get down on the drops and stay there for some time.
2) alfine (8spd) or normal dérailleur? I am ok at maintanence, but would quite like this to be very reliable! I wouldn’t go to the expense of alfine just yet, my commuters have derailleurs and I’ve only had a couple of minor technical issues over the years.
3) what sort of tyres do you fit? Both width and type to avoid punctures I switched to 28mm last year on my winter bike and I’ll stay with them. I use conti GP 4 Season, tried lots and they’ve been the most puncture proof. Still using 25mm on my summer dry day commuter though.

Whatever you get fit a set of sks chromoplastics or longboards and don’t skimp on decent waterproof kit.

Just ask if you need any other info.

flashing lights at the front!

You’ll want at least one flashing and one constant on the front and stick a couple of small lights on the helmet too.

1) hybrid, road bike or cx bike? I will only be using this bike for commuting, and for some reason I quite fancy flat handlebars, but are drops the better option on that distance?

Drops could be a good shout for your distance. The variety of hand positions helps comfort and being able to get low if there’s a head wind is a bonus.

2) alfine (8spd) or normal dérailleur? I am ok at maintanence, but would quite like this to be very reliable!

As other have said, normal stuff lasts for ages on the road and very rarely goes wrong. It’s also easy to fix. My singlespeed commuter (so in effect similar to an Alfine) is more of a PITA to set up due to sliding drop out and having to worry about chain length.

3) what sort of tyres do you fit? Both width and type to avoid punctures

Personally I use 32c Schawlbe Marathon+. They are indestructible but weight a lot. If you want trouble free riding these are brilliant but there are nicer riding tyres that offer less puncture protection but are much lighter and nicer to ride, like the GP 4 seasons mentioned above.

I also commute for 12 miles, but through London so slightly different needs.

Bars: I have tried drops, but I have ended up with risers, chopped to be a bit narrower. This is because I spend a lot of time working my way through slow or stationary traffic. If I had long stretches between traffic lights I’d prob be on drops.

Gears: I’m on an Alfine 8, which works really well with the constant stopping and starting between the million or so traffic lights between home and college. However, they are draggy and whenever I get in a single speed or derailleur bike the ‘directness’ of the transmission is immediately obvious. Also, the range is not that wide- feels roughly equivalent to a 1×9.

Tyres: Continental Gatorskin are what you want. I use 28mm on my 26″ commuter, if I had 700c I’d use 25mm or even 23mm.

Lights: I use a dynamo set up. If you commute for long enough you’ll prob end up with one too! Also, this is not an arms race and having lights strong enough to rob the eyesight from any oncoming traffic is both obnoxious and probably not the smartest way to go

Clothing: I have tons of hi vis stuff. I don’t care if I look like a nerd. Decathlon are currently selling yellow neon running tops for £2.50 each, snap them up while you can 🙂

Ps: you probably won’t want them but I’ve found mudguards and a rack indispensable. Without mudguard you’ll never want to go out in the wet, and getting that pack off your back just feels sooooooo much better 🙂

All good advice, +1 for training, steady and flashing lights at the rear and a front, hi-viz vest etc.

Agree that mudguards and rack make the difference to such a degree that they become indispensable.

I don’t favour A roads if there’s another option esp in rush hour although looking at the map there doeasn’t seem to be a parallel route that doesn’t loop around all over the place. Definitely worth taking a quieter loop around the suspect section if available.

Personally, I’d avoid flashing lights on the front.

Steady lights make it much easier to judge speed and distance, and that’s what stops people pulling out. The other thing that helps is making yourself look like a person and not half a car or a motorbike. So reflective on extremities to give you a shape. People pull out on bikes, people don’t pull out on people as they identify with a human being.

Flashing on the rear, yes, because people approaching from behind are less interested in your speed and distance, they just need to notice you.

Cheers all 🙂

I spent a bit in halfords today as they were doing a 3 for 2 on bike accessories, and with 10% BC discount it was well worthwhile!

I got mudguards, rack and panniers, although I reckon I will need some dry bags as well if it rains! I bought a front and a rear knobs blinder which I think have USB charging, and have an exposure Diablo for my helmet. I bought some spokey dokey type reflective things, not sure how effective they are but they remind me of being 6 again 🙂

I will definitely buy some more reflective stickers!

I am actually looking forward to it, although no doubt come November or feb when it is cold and wet I won’t be quite so keen 🙂

Mudguards are a must. Knog Blinder lights here with a Cateye backup rear and a Niterider front for dark lanes. Helmet lights for me a big fat No. They blind the driver if shone directly at them and in normal use are too high to be effective. Some reflectors and high vis are useful but if you have decent lights then you don’t need to be covered in the stuff IMO. Oh hi vis & reflective socks like DHB do are effective imo, along with a bright top.

I use a Whyte Shoreditch 1×10 set up with Vittoria Zaffrio, 700 x 28c tyres. Flat bars and over the last couple of weeks I’ve been setting PBs on cycle route 544 and up on the Ridgeway (when its dry). Brilliant bike. Low maintenance and super crisp shifting.
I use a Solar Storm on normal with a small flashing light up front and a small constant light at the back with a flasher on the back pack. Carry spare batteries and always have two lights at the back and check they are both working mid ride.
Mudguards help. A shower at work or MucOff Dry Shower are essential.
A 25 mile round trip is easy but I do try to avoid roads.

i have a pompino so CXish.

tyre wise i’d say 28-32c for comfort. as light as you can get away with without puncturing too much. for me and the glass strewn streets is marathon plus. i used to use paselas/ duranos which were much faster and rode much nicer, but new commute means no more.

a325 past birdworld right: crap road for cycling – never commuted but ridden it a few times at weekends.

28c tyres are ok off road too. looking at the map your best bet might be to the east on back roads or through alice holt forest: those tracks pretty well surfaced for dry rides at least.

full guards essential imo.

My commute is 21Km (13 miles in old money) each way so not dissimilar to yours.

I’ve an On-One Pompetamine with Alfine 11 and drop bars as my commuter/tourer. I’ve added a dynamo hub with a B&M light (meets German road regs). Tyres are Schwalbe Marathon racer 28mm, pretty bombproof but heavy – about a third of my commute is on canal tow-path so they are useful for that. Rear lights are a Moon Comet and a Cateye. I also have a Moon comet on the front in flash mode – I’ve had (polite) conversations with drivers who’ve recommended I use them to stand out.

Baggage is a Carradice SQR saddlebag which acts as a reasonable mudguard – unfortunately the Pompetamine struggles with space for mudguards with the 28mm tyres. I leave as much as possible at work so only need to carry in shirt, underpants and socks. We don’t have showers at work so I take it easy on the way in so I don’t get too sweaty, baby wipes and deodorant deal with most of what does occur.

1) After trying different types over about 20 years of commuting, CX is my preferred bike for commuting.

2) Alfine, fixed or singlespeed. I’ve found fixed works best for me.

3) I know it’s not a popular choice (yet), but for commuting I’d recommend Tannus solid tyres.
read my review here.
https://samuriinbred.wordpress.com/2015/05/03/airless/ There’s also another review from someone else in a comment at the end.

A bit more commuting advice from me. Choosing the most pleasant route will make this work for you. You’ll initially be inclined to choose the most direct route but if it’s mad busy and filled with moronic drivers you’ll lose interest sharpish. Take some time choosing a route that avoids the busy places, maybe has some offroad in it. Try doing it on a weekend and exploring and do it now, before it’s dark and wet. My most direct route would be about 11 miles but I happily add an extra 4 miles on to ensure I enjoy myself. I see about 4 cars in the morning over 15 miles, that’s worth the extra distance.

Danger clothes in work. No matter how you choose to get your work clothes backwards and forwards, keep some spare underpants and socks at work just in case, you’ll miss them if you forget them. I’d also recommend keeping a spare set of cycling clothes at work. Riding home in clothes sopping wet from your morning commute is going to get boring very quickly.

Mudguards, yes. If you can’t do both ends then do the back.

Get some very good overshoes for wet days.

What Whitestone said is worth repeating. I drive to work on a Friday with all the clothes I need for Monday to Thursday and bring back all the detritus from the previous week. I hate cycling with crap stuck to my bike and body. Tools, phone pass, pump, tube and a credit card are all the things I carry….unless I have to unexpectedly bring my stupid workstation laptop home with me 🙁

My commute is on arrow straight main roads or lumpy back lanes, either way the 13 miles are on the road. I run full length guards and 23mm Durano+ etapes on a ribble audax/ winter road bike. Perfect for my commute as it’s not stop start stop start or off road.

Get something that will take full mudguards

Agreed. This is absolutely vital. Protects you, but also protects the bike.

The other top piece of advice is that you should never skimp on maintenance and replacement on your commuter bike. Other bikes are toys, for fun, your commuter is a piece of equipment to help you do your job.

Oh forgot to say: Sealskinz socks and gloves will be your new best mates in the wet.

OP have you seen this? PSA

Well I’ve not seen it here yet so…

I commute on an old rigid MTB converted to road. Dynamo up front, Marathons and mudguards. It’s bloody heavy and I ride 15 miles each way. I mainly use c roads and bridleways. You don’t need anything special and it’s great getting on a ‘nice’ bike at the weekends.

A crap bike ride beats a good drive any day… Just make sure you have enough personal fuel and carry a bit spare as you don’t want to bonk on the Friday way home after a really busy week…

I’ve been commuting for 21 years, and my priorities would be reliability and convenience. If you commute all year round, you need a bike that will take some abuse, and doesn’t need TLC every time you ride it.
For me, the must haves are:
Rack
Panniers
Full mudguards
Bomb proof wheels
Bomb proof tyres (Marathons, of course…)
Good lights, with redundancy (two or three rear, main front & backup front).
Rustproof frame (every steel frame I have owned has rusted badly in winter, some terminally)

Get a system for your clothes and washing gear that works for you and is easy to manage (I carry in shirt, wee microfibre towel and underwear each day, leave trousers and shoes at work).

Enjoy yourself; it’s a great way to build exercise into your day, and once you get in the habit of cycling, it becomes harder to get in a car and drive!

Cheers all, lots of great advice and things to think about!

I looked at the Jamis from Evans, but there were questions about whether you could put proper mud guards on it! From what everyone has said, they aren’t optional 🙂

The ride is going to be mainly country roads between here and Farnham, with hardly any traffic lights. I like the idea of flat handlebars, but I think after the second headwind day I might be dreaming of drops so I can get a bit lower!

Thanks to all your help I am narrowing things down to a disc equipped cross bike, that can take proper mud gaurds, panniers and will be well maintained.

Yes, discs, that’s the one I missed off my must have list.

Enjoy yourself; it’s a great way to build exercise into your day, and once you get in the habit of cycling, it becomes harder to get in a car and drive!

So true! and:

Yes, discs, that’s the one I missed off my must have list.

Yep, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll go through a set of rims otherwise 🙂

Use a surly lht or hack road bike depending on the time of year.

For winter is choose disc every time saves rims and blocks
Much as above full guards lights. Like my revo Dynamo light but its not cheap
Tend to try and ride 3-4 times a week and soon get used to grabbing clothes when I drive in

Assume the traffic is out to get you and you will be fine

Best advice on the this page is to do a bikeabilty course. Very few people know how to ride saftly and well in traffic, also the different approaches that need to be taken depending on the speed, level and flow of the traffic. Just because you have driven thousands of miles mean jack shit.

Bike choice, pannier or backpack or saddle bag or messenger bag is all personal depending on your commute and your personal preference.

My commute is flat so I ride fixed.

If you truly ride all year round then you will need to look after derailleurs and chains. If you neglect this a change of chain can lead to an expensive game of chasing the jumping gears.

The Alfine is a good compromise if your route is hilly.

I always carry two spare tubes, a pump, puncture kit, waterproof jacket, rain cover for my bag, spanner (don’t have QR wheels) and a multi-tool. I leave full length mudguards on all year round.

Don’t let the weather put you off otherwise you will spend half of the year in the car.

During the winter I use neoprene overshoes and it is good to have more than one pair of gloves (to allow time for drying).

Always have two lights on the front and two on the back (to allow for failures). Front are both on steady as flashing is **** annoying particularly for other cyclists on dark cycle paths/lanes.

I commute 7 miles each way on a Fatty at the moment. Done everything from 16miles off road, to 13 mile on the road bike to the Fatty. A dedicated commuter bike is a nice to have, but as long as you’ve got something rideable the time difference over 12 miles will only be 10 minutes or so. So 800mm bars and 4″ tyres? Or on my road bike it’s 23mm <200g tyres and 65g tubes both are fun and work fine unless you have a city center commute with lots of broken glass in the gutters.

As for other kit, I’ve an old magicshine P7 and magicshine rear light that I’ve hacked apart/together so that there’s only one battery connection between them which means I get about 2 hours (2 days commuting) from (a now 4 year old) 4×18650 battery. And use those tiny disposable silicon LED lights on my helmet for visibility over car’s (being seen rather than seeing).

For luggage I’ve settled on an alpkit koala, holds just about enough for a week if I leave shoes etc at work and just need 3 shirts and some pants (then the next week, 2 shirts and a pair of trousers). Minimalistic is best.

All good advice. Personally, i’d commute on whatever you have at the moment. Decide what aspects you’d like to change and go from there.

I’ve commuted 100 miles a week on a fixed wheel road bike. Drop bars I find more comfortable, gears and freewheel unnecessary. Full mudguards are a must. I fluctuate between a rack and a rucksack.

After a serious bike-related accident (not commuting), i’ll soon be back to commuting, but on something completely different.

Ride what you like, but like what you ride. And fit mudguards to it.

And keep spare underwear at work!

^good advice on use what you have before you spend hundreds of pounds. I’d add baby wipes to your keep at work kit. Even if you have a shower avilible because one day the shower will be broken , or it will be sunny and some else will have commuted in taking your shower time slot or someone will have pooed in the shower.

26K commute these days. I’ve been cycle commuting to work for 16 years, with about 15 of those on a hybrid, and the last year on a cyclocross bike. It totally depends in my opinion on the kind of tracks / roads you’re riding. When the distance went up I’ve been really grateful for the cross bike.

Things which make a difference to me – The Hump rucksack cover, reassuringly visible, Flat Pedals – can’t face the frequent dabbing down in heavy and unpredictable traffic with the clip ins, or the occasional bits where something has happened en route and you need to get off to make progress, Schwalbe Marathons on the hybrid, never ever punctured. Lights wise I tend to have two – a see and a be seen on the front and as many as I feel able to on the back – one under the saddle, one on the rucksack, one at the back of the helmet. I also wear a RideID band with my fella’s name and number on it in case of the worse.

I’m assuming you’re new to road riding as well as commuting?
If so, then learn to look over your shoulder. When approaching junctions you always needs a quick check to see what the car(s) behind you are doing. Don’t veer left as you pass side roads, if anything you should be moving out slightly as you pass junctions to make yourself more visible. As others have said, read Cyclecraft and get some bikeability lessons (free from lots of councils). Read the British Cycling Effective Traffic Riding PDFs: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/bc_files/cycle_training/Effective_Traffic_Riding.pdf

Don’t ride in the gutter, you won’t be any safer than in a more prominent position and you’ll pick up rubbish that will give you punctures.

I’ve been doing a 12 mile+ (was 15-18 for a couple of years) each way commute a couple of times a week for 5 years now. Tyres: I’ve used 25mm Gatorskins (hard and plasticky, = slippery when wet/cold), 25mm GP4Seasons, good, got one puncture and that was when the rear had worn down to the threads. Now I’m using 28mm Schwalbe Ones. For a bit of extra protection I’ve put a bit of tubeless sealant in the tubes. No idea if it’ll work but it was worth a go. I occasionally use a gravelly/hardpack Sustrans route and the slicks are fine on that.

Lights: Get good lights, always have two rear lights on so that if one fails and you don’t realise then you’re still visible. Carry a backup light. Get USB rechargeable lights so you can topup at work. Get someone else to check your lights. There’s no point getting three mega bright rear lights if they’re hidden behind your panniers!

Carry a pump, puncture repair kit and spare tube.

Winter boots are worth every penny. Sealskinz socks are ok, but proper boots are a real step up.

Commuting on cold, crisp winter mornings is actually really nice IMO, getting out into the fresh air, in decent (warm!) kit, while everyone else is shivering in their cold cars is great. I feel safer from a visiblity point of view too. When it’s dark, I really stand out because of my lights, on country lanes I can see cars approaching around corners due to their lights, and vice versa.

As others have said, get mudguards. It actually doesn’t rain that much. I usually ride in two or three times a week and very, very rarely get rained on. But it’s quite often wet on the ground from earlier rain, and that’s what mudguards protect you from.

Panniers are probably a good idea but I use an Alpkit Gourdon. It’s cheap, tough and keeps my stuff dry. The bungee cord on the outside lets me attach a light too.

Leave as much stuff as possible at work. I bring in my undies, lunch and wallet, phone ID etc. Clothes, shoes, shower gel etc are left in a locker (luckily).

People will drive like idiots. Try not to let it get to you, know when to get out of the way and let them be idiots away from you! And don’t tell your OH about the times that the idiots are out to get you if that’s likely to worry him/her.

1) hybrid, road bike or cx bike? I will only be using this bike for commuting, and for some reason I quite fancy flat handlebars, but are drops the better option on that distance?
2) alfine (8spd) or normal dérailleur? I am ok at maintanence, but would quite like this to be very reliable!
3) what sort of tyres do you fit? Both width and type to avoid punctures

finally got a hybrid last year after a few years on heavy hardtail…made a big difference
i use normal derailleur setup (3×9)
700×35 Schwalbe citizen kevlar guard

also think about mudguards and good lights
for extra protection you might want to think about spoke reflectors for more side on visibility in low light and dark conditions

plus everything else Bails has mentioned above.

no doubt repeating what others said.
mudguards are a must
discs are a very very good idea on road and a must offroad.
consider taking the train/bus/car once a week and take your clothes for the week, a rest day and not having to lug gear around with you is a good thing.
Use puncture proof/resistant or tubeless tyres, depending on your gear/route.
Consider singlespeed (or fixie if you’re mental), the less to go wrong/maintain the better.
Where possible parts wise go for longevity over performance/weight, so square taper BB, steel chainrings, wheels: c&c if you’ll maintain them, chunky easy to change sealed bearings if you’re lazy.
Traffic free routes beat quicker routes so have a think, try a few out.
Routes can change with the season, my winter route is a lot different to summer for various reasons
flat/drop bars up to you, I like drop.

One more thing – get a really good lock – c 10% of the value of the bike, and leave it at work if you can – save carrying the extra weight.

You’ll be amazed how much better you feel when you get to work – especially on sunny days. I’m taking a rest day today, having ridden every day over the long weekend but I really wish I’d ridden in – it’s a beautiful day.

Plus in the middle of winter when everyone else has gone down with the winter cold and you’re still firing on all cylinders 🙂